1. No category

westernnews.ca
November 13, 2014 / Vol. 50 No. 31
ILLUSTRATION BY FRANK NEUFELD
PM 41195534
New rules further extinguish smoking in Ontario
BY JASON WINDERS
CHANGES ANNOUNCED LAST week to the Smoke-Free
Ontario Act will further extinguish smoking in many public places
across the province. And while Western smokers won’t see much
difference from current restrictions, changes in the law should
serve as an opportunity to re-engage the university community
in a conversation about smoking on campus, said Ann Hutchison,
senior HR adviser.
Starting Jan. 1, it will be illegal to smoke on bar and restaurant
patios, playgrounds and public sports fields and surfaces, as well
as sell tobacco on university and college campuses.
These steps are part of the government’s plan to limit smoking
in public places, reduce exposure to smoking and make it more
difficult for young people to buy tobacco, said Dipika Damerla,
associate minister of Health and Long-Term Care.
“If we prevent youth from taking up smoking in the first place,
that will mean fewer smokers and healthier Ontarians,” Damerla
said. “We need to do everything we can to protect all Ontarians
from the harmful effects of second-hand smoke.”
On Western’s campus, these changes won’t have a huge
impact, said Hutchison, who works on campuswide wellness initiatives including working with Health and Safety on smoking issues.
Many of the restrictions are already in place.
For instance, TD Stadium already bans smoking inside. Currently, cigarettes are only sold on campus at the Grad Club.
“We’re already moving along toward that – fewer and fewer
places to smoke,” Hutchison said.
Western’s current policy bans smoking in university buildings, as
well as within 10 metres of building entrances, loading docks and
fresh air intakes. Building entrances, especially those outside the
D.B. Weldon Library and Support Services Building, remain the
biggest point of contention between smokers and nonsmokers,
Hutchison said.
“That means for some folks, they have to walk through an area
where the smoke is rather intense,” she continued. “Those points
of contact are where 85 per cent of our complaints come from.”
Smoking on university campuses has become a battleground
Western’s newspaper of record since 1972
in the last decade.
According to the Americans for Nonsmokers Rights, a leading
antismoking lobbying organization, nearly 1,500 U.S. universities
have gone smoke-free. That number has grown from less than 500
just four years ago. Last week, the University of Alabama, home to
36,000 students, approved a smoke-free campus policy to start Jan. 1.
Major Canadian universities have yet to buy into smoke-free
campus policies. The exception, Dalhousie, instituted a smoke-free
campus in 2003, the first major university in Canada to implement
such a ban. More than 82 per cent of Dalhousie community members
who responded to a 2003 survey supported the policy’s adoption.
Western has no plans to consider a smoke-free policy at this
time. However, times do change.
“I think Western, and all universities in Canada, may have
to consider a smoke-free campus at some point in the future,”
Hutchison said. “In the States, some legislative changes have
forced U.S. universities to take action – not all the changes are
UP IN SMOKE // CONTINUED ON PAGE 5
2
Western News
| November 13, 2014
upload your photos
Coming Events
NOV 13-19
#
13 // THURSDAY
MCINTOSH GALLERY
The Grant and Peggy Reuber Collection of International Works on Paper,
curated by Catherine Elliot Shaw.
Video Zoom: Between-The-Images,
curated by Louise Déry.
Runs until Dec. 6.
STAFF AND FACULTY
IMMUNIZATION CLINIC
These clinics do not require an appointment. Please bring your health
card in order to get the flu shot.
9 a.m.-3 p.m. UCC, Health Services
Resource Centre.
STUDENT SUCCESS
CENTRE WORKSHOP
Thinking About Going Abroad? Advice for anyone considering going
abroad to study, volunteer, intern,
teach, travel or work. Learn about international careers from best-selling
author Jean-Marc Hachey and his
website MyWorldAbroad.com. Register at westerncareercentral.ca.
9-10:30 a.m. UCC 315, Council
Chambers.
PHYSICS & ASTRONOMY
COLLOQUIUM
Asif ud-Doula, Department of Physics, Penn State Worthington Scranton.
Magnetospheres of Massive Stars.
1:30 p.m. P&A 100.
MIGRATION AND ETHNIC
RELATIONS COLLOQUIUM SERIES
International Week Event. Collaborative LMLIP & MER event. Journeys of
Migration. Register at eventbrite.ca
under Journeys of Migration.
3:30-6 p.m. UCC 315, Council
Chambers.
DON WRIGHT
FACULTY OF MUSIC
Symphony orchestra.
8 p.m. Paul Davenport Theatre.
14 // FRIDAY
DON WRIGHT
FACULTY OF MUSIC
Javier Zalba, special performance by
one of Cuba’s most prominent musicians.
12:30 p.m. von Kuster hall.
CONSULT THE
EXPERTS SESSIONS
Offers support to students who are
writing research proposals for external
scholarship competitions.
1-3 p.m. IGAB 1N05.
MEN’S HOCKEY
Nipissing at Western.
7 p.m.
16 // SUNDAY
FALL PREVIEW DAY
You will have a chance to meet with
our faculty, staff and students and
learn why Western offers the best
student experience among Canadian
universities. Register at welcome.uwo.
ca/november/index.html.
9 a.m.
WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL
Ottawa at Western.
2 p.m.
17 // MONDAY
LEARNING SKILLS SERVICES
Manage Your Time for Mid-Year Exams. Visit sdc.uwo.ca/learning.
11:30 a.m. WSSB 3134.
FINANCIAL LITERACY
WORKSHOP
Investing 101: Your Western Pension.
Come learn about your options.
12:05-12:55 p.m. SSC 3026.
DEPARTMENT. OF PHYSIOLOGY
AND PHARMACOLOGY
Amira Klip, Sick Kids Research Institute, University of Toronto. Communication between muscle and immune
cells leading to insulin resistance.
4 p.m. DSB 2016.
DON WRIGHT
FACULTY OF MUSIC
Ensemble contemporain de Montreal
presents Generation 2014.
8 p.m. von Kuster Hall.
18 // TUESDAY
SENIOR ALUMNI PROGRAM
Mike Arntfield, criminologist, forensic lexicologist and TV host; Writing
Program and English. Murder City: A
social history of unsolved murders in
London.
9:30 a.m. UCC, McKellar Room.
DON WRIGHT
FACULTY OF MUSIC
Voice Fridays: Songs from Around the
World.
1:30 p.m. Talbot College.
CONSULT THE
EXPERTS SESSIONS
Offers support to students who are
writing research proposals for external
scholarship competitions. No registration is required.
4-6 p.m. IGAB 1N05.
19 // WEDNESDAY
GRADUATE PROGRAM IN
MIGRATION AND ETHNIC
RELATIONS
Annika Hinze, Fordham University.
The Second Generation in Berlin and
Istanbul: Turk-Germans seek their Urban identity. Co-sponsored by the
Department of Political Science.
11:45 a.m. SSC 4161.
TOASTMASTER’S CAMPUS
COMMUNICATORS
Build your confidence in public speaking. Club website 9119.toastmastersclubs.org/. Contact Donna Moore,
[email protected] or 85159.
12 -1 p.m. UCC 147B.
THE CHINESE PROGRAM AT
HURON UNIVERSITY COLLEGE
Lunch and conversation. Anyone
wishing to speak Chinese and meet
people who study Chinese at Huron
is welcome. Bring your own lunch and
join the conversation. Email hwu1@
huron.uwo.ca.
12:30 p.m. Huron A18.
APPLIED MATHEMATICS
COLLOQUIUM
Diána H. Knipl, University of Szeged,
Szeged, Hungary. Rich bifurcation
structure of disease transmission
Mayfair Salon
& Spa
Day Spa providing waxing,
shellacs, acne treatments
Microdermabrasion, eyelash extensions and more!
Bring this ad for a
*limited time offer*
Call to book to your
appointment: 519 432 3222
15 // SATURDAY
WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL
Lakehead at Western.
7 p.m.
LEARNING SKILLS SERVICES
Maximize Your Memory. Visit sdc.uwo.
ca/learning.
1:30 p.m. WSSB 3134.
15% Western discount
MEN’S HOCKEY
Laurentian at Western.
7 p.m.
710 Adelaide Street N., just south of Oxford St.
tag with #westernu
700 Richmond Street
Selby building, next to
Molly Blooms
@westernuniversity
models in patchy environment.
2:30 p.m. MC204.
THE DEPARTMENT OF MODERN
LANGUAGES AND LITERATURES
La Tertulia. Anyone wishing to speak
Spanish and meet people from different Spanish-speaking countries is welcome. Email [email protected].
4:30 p.m. UC 205.
BIRC
(Biomedical Imaging Research Centre) at Western and London Chapter
IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Bi-
flickr.com/groups/western/
ology Society Seminar. Guang-Hong,
Medical Physics and Radiology, University of Wisconsin-Madison. Recent
Innovations in Model-Based CT Image Reconstruction: The Good, the
Bad, and the Ugly.
5:30 p.m. LHSC-UH, Aud. A.
FACULTY OF EDUCATION
SPEAKER SERIES
Susan Rodger, Faculty of Education,
Western. Working together for child
and youth mental health: teachers,
schools and families.
7 p.m. Althouse Building 1139.
Have an event?
Let us know.
E-mail: [email protected]
Western News
Western News
| November 13, 2014
launches into a new era
More than ‘just a new look,’ our new Western News website will allow
readers on campus and around the world to consume university
news, views and information in a way tailored to their personal needs.
Launched this week, the site, news.westernu.ca, represents this
42-year-old publication’s first dedicated webpage in the paper’s history.
The in-house project was led by Creative Services team members
Gulnara Shafikova and Jamieson Roberts, in association with colleagues from Communications and Public Affairs and Information
Technology Services.
RESPONSIVE DESIGN.
Constructed with a comfortable
reading experience in mind, the
homepage responds dynamically to a reader’s device of
choice. Be it a smart phone,
tablet or desktop, the site automatically optimizes itself for
your reading ease.
TOUCH-FRIENDLY
INTERFACE.
Let your fingers do the walking
without fear of flubs, as the new
touch-friendly interface makes
tapping on tablets and smart
phones more responsive.
READ NEWS
ABOUT YOU.
Going forward, all we ask is that you use the site. This is a living, breathing creation where we depend on you, the reader, to make the most
of the experience.
Drop a line to [email protected] with any comments, bugs or Easter
eggs you may find.
Below is a print tour of Western News’ new digital home.
IN THE HEADLINES.
The site features not only a live
news feed, but also a ‘Popular
This Week’ feature showcasing
what our readers deem mustreads.
ENHANCED SEARCH.
Search accuracy was perhaps
the top complaint of Western
News users in the past. That
has been addressed in a new
search function, which allows
for more targeted research of
Western News files exclusively.
Each month, we are adding
additional archived years going
back to 2005.
STORY DISPLAY.
Site has been organized using
the publication’s traditional
print categories – Campus and
Community, Research, Student
Life, etc. – as well as new tagging methods to make sorting by faculty, departments and
units easier.
Each story is now designed to
tell to be presented in the clearest, most attractive way possible. Larger photos and videos
allow for increased visual storytelling, while the font size of the
story itself has been bumped up
in size and clarity.
INCREASED
AUTOMATION.
IMPROVED ANALYTICS.
Specialized feeds have been
designed for Western’s homepage and Faculty/Staff page to
pull the latest news in as quickly
as possible.
YOUR NEWS. YOUR WAY.
Construct a specialized feed for
your faculty, department or unit
to get the news you want delivered to your digital doorstep.
Real-time analytics not only
allows us to track what stories
are being read, but how readers
are reading them. This allows us
to focus resources into emerging
applications we may have previously ignored.
3
4
Western News
| November 13, 2014
Editor’s Letter
Western News (ISSNO3168654), a publication of Western University’s Department
of Communications and
Public Affairs, is published
every Thursday throughout
the school year and operates
under a reduced schedule
during December, May, June,
July and August.
An award-winning weekly
newspaper and electronic
news service, Western News
serves as the university’s
newspaper of record. The
publication traces its roots
to The University of Western
Ontario Newsletter, a onepage leaflet-style publication
which debuted on Sept. 23,
1965. The first issue of the
Western News, under founding editor Alan Johnston, was
published on Nov. 16, 1972
replacing the UWO Times
and Western Times. Today,
Western News continues to
provide timely news, information and a forum for discussion of postsecondary issues
in the campus and broader
community.
WE STERN NEWS
WesternNews.ca
Westminster Hall, Suite 360
Western University
London, ON N6A 3K7
Telephone 519 661-2045
Fax 519 661-3921
PUBLISHER
Helen Connell
[email protected],
519 661-2111 Ext. 85469
EDITOR
Jason Winders
[email protected],
519 661-2111 Ext. 85465
FOLLOW
@ We s t e r n E d i t o r
Talk of basements mars important
advice about job market survival
JASON WINDERS
Western News Editor
S
tephen Poloz understands the
problem. He just didn’t articulate the solution well.
Last week, the Governor of
the Bank of Canada sparked his first
public kerfuffle when he suggested
recent university grads struggling to
find full-time employment in their field
should avoid the “scarring effect” of
long-term unemployment and consider gaining experience by doing
“something for free” in the short run.
“Get some real life experience even
though you’re discouraged, even if it’s
for free,” he said. “If your parents are
letting you live in the basement, you
might as well go out and do something for free to put the experience
on your CV.”
Admittedly, his message set the
wrong tone. Using language dismissive of youth (the old ‘parents’ basement’ trope), he conjured up images
of a lay-about generation avoiding
the real world by playing video games
and leeching off mom and dad. That
said, the ensuing media avalanche
has been a joke – knee-jerk snarks at
140 characters. Such is the level of our
current political discourse.
To surmise this father of two does
not understand the problems facing
the younger generation is beyond
silly. His words let him down; his sentiments were dead on.
Last year, I interviewed Poloz,
MA’79, PhD’82 (Economics), on his
rise to the top banker post. During
the conversation, we strayed into
discussing his advice for the current
generation of university graduates.
The chunk never made publication,
but his words came to mind last week.
Here’s what he had to say:
I am old enough now to look and
see what really helped me. I exposed
myself to as many different things as I
could. Everybody wants to specialize
in something they like. They should
always do that – invest in something they like – that will become
their strength. But do the minimum
amount to specialize, and then let the
rest run free.
As I said to my kids, it’s about doing
things that maximize the number of
choices you can make in the future.
You never know when one of those
extra choices will make the difference
for you. It might only make you a better conversation partner at a dinner,
but it could also mean when things
go a little off the beaten track for you,
you have other avenues that, with a
bit more investment, you can open
up for yourself.
Everything is always changing. And
the percentage of things you see outside your window that are new are
so much higher now than when I was
a kid. What that means is, in order
to appreciate, or even capitalize on,
what you see you have to have a bit
more preparation.
And university is the place to do
that.
We’ve come through an intense
period of restructuring in the Canadian economy. And it’s not done yet.
If you are a graduate today, when you
looked out the window four years
ago, your forecast of what were the
job growth categories was way off.
Even the products and services we
use on a daily basis have changed
a lot during your time as an under-
graduate.
You cannot really plan for that or
forecast it.
Instead, you need to take a riskbased approach to your education.
Say to yourself, I need to be ready
for more things. I am going to invest
in these one or two things I like the
most, but I am going to do lots of
other things, too. So when I got an
interview, someone will say, ‘Wow, it
looks like you could adapt to many
things. That’s great.’
You’ll have the ability to grow, as
opposed to being in a specific channel and maybe feeling less and less
meaningful in your work as the world
changes.
By avoiding certain wording,
Poloz’s point becomes palatable,
almost inspirational – diversify and
keep learning. Not bad advice for
anyone.
Too bad all the noise over a few
words drowned out that important
larger discussion.
MUSTANG MEMORIES
PHOTOS PROVIDED BY THE
JOHN P. METRAS MUSEUM
Cheerleading at Western began in
1929 with ‘Doc Thompson and his
Rollicking Rooters’ at football games,
as an all-male activity, including the
pictured squad from 1933-34. Doris
Eagles joined the squad in 1939
becoming the first woman. Her
body movements were much more
restricted than present day cheerleaders and she had to wear a longer skirt
than present day. Women were not
quickly accepted, but by the 1950s,
Western boasted a completely co-ed
squad.
R E P O RT E R / P H O T O G R A P H E R
Paul Mayne
[email protected],
519 661-2111 Ext. 85463
R E P O RT E R / P H O T O G R A P H E R
Adela Talbot
[email protected],
519 661-2111 Ext. 85464
PRODU C TION DESIGNER
Frank Neufeld
[email protected],
519 661-2111 Ext. 89334
A D V E RT I S I N G C O O R D I NAT O R ,
O N - C A M P U S A D V E RT I S I N G
Denise Jones
[email protected],
[email protected]
519 661-2111 Ext. 82045
Visit John P. Metras Museum on
Instagram and Twitter for more
photos.
O F F C A M P U S A D V E RT I S I N G
Chris Amyot, Campus Ad
[email protected],
519 434-9990
P O S TA L R E C O V E RY
$50 Canada, $65 United
States, $85 Other
POST OFFICE
Please do not forward.
Return to Western News,
Western University, London,
Ontario N6A 3K7 with new
address when possible.
“Our objective is to report events
as objectively as possible, without
bias or editorial comment.
We hope you will read it and
contribute to it.”
– L.T. Moore,
University Relations
and Information director,
Nov. 16, 1972
Opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of or receive endorsement from Western News or Western University.
COMMENTARY POLICY
• Western News applies a commentary label to any article
written in an author’s voice expressing an opinion.
• Western News accepts opinion pieces on research, conference topics, student life and/or international experiences from faculty and staff. Limit is 600 words.
• Western News accepts ‘In memoriam’ pieces about
recently deceased members of the Western community
penned by other members of the Western community.
• Western News accepts opinion pieces on current events
that showcase research or academic expertise of the
author.
• Western News accepts letters to the editor. Limit is 250
words maximum, and accepted only from members of
the Western community – faculty, staff, students and
alumni. Writers may only submit once a semester.
• As an academic institution, Western News encourages
lively debate, but reserves the right to edit, ask for
rewrite or reject any submission, and will outright reject
those based on personal attacks or covering subjects too
removed from the university community.
• Western News will offer rebuttal space on any topic,
and may actively pursue a counterpoint to arguments
the editor feels would benefit from a dissenting opinion
published simultaneously.
• All submissions become property of Western News for
print and online use in perpetuity.
Western News
| November 13, 2014
5
Commentary
USC president brings town,
gown priorities into focus
On Tuesday, University Students’ Council president Matt Helfand delivered the annual State of the USC Address, during
which he identified three major areas the student government has prioritized during its term – community relations,
student wellness and transparency and fairness.
What follows is the community relations portion of his
address.
THE FIRST PRINCIPLE I wish to highlight is
the fact we, as students, want to live in a city
that cares about us and meets our needs; and
we want a police force that serves us and keeps
us safe.
In order to achieve this, we recognized the
importance in building relationships with police
and the city. Before we were elected, Vice-President External Jen Carter, Vice-President Internal
Emily Addison and I prioritized building a good
relationship with the London Police Service (LPS).
During our campaign, we went on a ride-along,
where we had the opportunity to have a conversation with some of the leaders of the LPS.
This was a very interesting experience for a
number of reasons, as it placed a bit of perspective on what is, quite frankly, a challenge to any
city, and that is the influx of around 50,000 students, between Fanshawe and Western, coming
to London every September.
Though I may be biased, I know students are
the intellectual, social and economic drivers of
London and deserve respect because of that. I
also know the police have a job to do in keeping our community – a community that includes
students – safe. I believe a collaborative, proactive approach to community safety is an effective
approach to community safety, and we have
been working with the LPS to enable just such
an approach, while at the same time working
to make sure at the same time that programs
such as Project LEARN (Liquor Enforcement and
Reduction of Noise) are administered in a way
that is not unfairly punitive to Western students.
I do want to take a moment to acknowledge
the recent attack on a member of the London Police Service in the Flemming Drive area.
Assaulting an officer is never OK, and I want to
reiterate our commitment to building strong,
positive relationships between Western students
and the London police based on education and
mutual respect.
Homecoming serves as an excellent case
study to highlight the trilateral relationship
between the USC, London Police Service and
Western.
Over at our sister institution, Queen’s University, we saw homecoming celebrations being
cancelled only a few years ago for over-the-top
behaviour. Cancelling homecoming is an unacceptable outcome for Western and for London.
However, last year on Homecoming, we saw
the peculiar circumstance of our cheerleaders
being ticketed for cheering, and we have seen
enough community response to Homecoming to merit a Ward 6 candidate, Western’s
city council ward, make public statements that
Homecoming ought to be cancelled. This candidate was unsuccessful, though only narrowly.
I would like to give a shoutout to Phil Squire,
our new Ward 6 councillor-elect, who has come
out strongly in favour of Homecoming, recently
having tweeted, and I quote, “LOL, I love Homecoming.” Thank you, Phil.
It should go without saying, but I’ll say it
anyway, the USC will never let Homecoming be
cancelled.
But as much as we love Homecoming, for the
last three years on Broughdale, we have seen
the street shut down by revelers, inaccessible to
emergency service, while people are drinking
alcohol on rooftops. Needless to say, this is a
dangerous combination. The Broughdale street
party hasn’t always been a tradition and need
not be one.
Trust me, I have been here for quite a few
years. What we do need is a new tradition.
Together with university administration and
police services, we were able to get the ball rolling on a Homecoming celebration on campus,
a celebration that brought nearly 2,000 students,
clad in purple and white, to join us in celebrating all that is Western. We didn’t quite draw the
same numbers as Broughdale, but I am hopeful
to see a new, better Homecoming tradition
establish itself and supplant off-campus locations as the place to share Mustang pride.
Another very significant interface the USC has
with the city is around transit, as we broker the
tuition-based bus pass on your behalf. Students
represent the largest contingency of the London
Transit Service (LTC) ridership, Western students
making up a very significant contingent of that.
This year, we had 98 per cent of students pick up
their bus pass, our highest rate ever. That said,
the LTC themselves have admitted the current
transit system is not sufficient to meet current –
let alone future – needs.
It is well documented the LTC is by far the
most underfunded transit system among comparable cities in Canada; the LTC simply does
not receive enough funding from City Hall.
Students need a reliable means get to campus.
It is unacceptable to have full busses frequently
pass by students, who rely on the LTC to get to
classes and exams on time.
More broadly, however, a reliable, functional
LTC goes beyond just mobility; a functioning
transit system is the backbone of a functioning
city, and of a thriving economy. We know the city
has made student retention a goal and one element of making that happen is the opportunity
and mobility that a strong transit system brings.
Every Western student is a major stakeholder in
the LTC and it is partly up to us to make that a
reality. I have had the opportunity to meet with,
on several occasions, the senior administration
of the LTC, and I can assure you they know what
it takes to run a good transit system.
We now have a new city council, and I have
had the chance to meet many of our new representatives. I know they will serve London with
great diligence and pride. Still, though, when
it comes to the LTC, there is much work to be
done. I hope transit becomes a city priority, and
you should hope that, too.
As we move forward, I am excited continue to
work with the LTC, and City Hall to make a better
transit system for students and for London.
“Though I may be biased,
I know students are the
intellectual, social and
economic drivers of London
and deserve respect because
of that. I also know the
police have a job to do in
keeping our community – a
community that includes
students – safe.”
- Matt Helfand
UP IN SMOKE // CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
self-driven. But I think that’s where we’re all heading. We’re just a
long way from it.
“At Western, specifically, we would need to see how it impacts
smokers and nonsmokers alike before we did anything.”
In keeping it’s policy current, Western has consulted with several
U.S. universities.
As a rule, Western does not ‘enforce’ its smoking policy. Unlike
parking, for instance, there are no tickets handed out for smoking
in the wrong spot.
But, in the end, smoking is a health issue, for all.
“Our goal is a safer, healthier and cleaner work environment,”
Hutchison said. “We hope people embrace and respect the rules
we have. Simple courtesy. That’s a step we can take as individuals
without making new rules.
“The more we respect each other, the less we have to worry
about rules.”
Hutchison pointed to programs offered by the university to help
members of its community kick the habit. For students, Leave the
Pack Behind offers awareness and smoking cessation programs.
For faculty and staff, Western pays for smoking cessation programs as part of an employee’s benefits package.
Western News
| November 13, 2014
In The Community
UWOPERA
PRESENTS
TWO ONE-ACT FRENCH OPERAS
BY MAURICE RAVEL
Paul Davenport Theatre, Western University
Nov. 21 at 8 p.m., Nov. 22 at 2 p.m. & 8 p.m., Nov. 23 at 2 p.m.
Funding refuels family law
services for Londoners
T
E ES
L
T
N
A
F
L’EN TILÈGES
SOR
1
1
1
e
“Th
lls”
Spe
the
d
n
da
Chil
1
1
1
6
Tickets $30/$20, available through
Grand Theatre at 519-672-8800 or
online tickets.grandtheatre.com.
Visit music.uwo.ca.
POSTGRADUATE
CERTIFICATE
PAUL MAYNE // WESTERN NEWS
Western Law alumna Jennifer Foster has returned to campus to run the family law portion of Community
Legal Services, which will be helping low-income Londoners with family legal issues such as custody, access
and child or spousal support.
B Y PA U L M AY N E
FROM MEDIA PLANNING AND
MANAGEMENT TO ACCOUNT
COORDINATION AND SALES, THIS
PROGRAM OFFERS THE UNIQUE
SKILLS YOU WILL NEED TO LAUNCH
YOUR CAREER AS ACCOUNT
COORDINATOR, MEDIA SALES
REPRESENTATIVE, MEDIA BUYER,
MEDIA PLANNER, AND MANY
OTHER EXCITING CAREER OPTIONS.
business.humber.ca/postgrad
WESTERN LAW STUDENTS can now put their legal
skills to the test for Londoners facing issues such as custody,
access and child or spousal support.
Western’s Community Legal Services (CLS) recently
received $303,000 in funding from Legal Aid Ontario to
reestablish its family law practice, which provides representation for low-income London area clients. The funds, part
of $6 million in Legal Aid grants provided to six universityoperated legal clinics, will also be used to train students
in family law.
“With 60-70 per cent of parties in London’s Family Court
being self-represented, we have hoped for many years to
add family law to our clinic,” said Faculty of Law lecturer
Doug Ferguson, who serves as CLS director. “This grant
will allow us to help low-income persons, speed up the
court process and train students how to be good lawyers.”
For years, CLS has focused on areas such as criminal law,
provincial offences, landlord/tenant issues and small claims
court. Now, after an absence of almost two decades, family
law is back in the mix.
“I had always said that some day I was going to come
back and bring family law with me. But I didn’t think it would
happen this soon,” said Jennifer Foster, a Western Law
alumna, who has been named to head up family law at CLS.
Foster, who arrives at Western after working at Lerners
law firm, hopes her passion for family law will rub off on the
18 students who are currently part of the program. That
group is already tackling the 30 or so cases which came in
during the first month.
“It’s the reason I went to law school – to help people who
cannot afford representation. I joke with my husband that I
don’t want to have to charge people money, so I’ll do it for
free, if I’m able to, because I just want to help people,” Foster said. “I know it sounds really trite, but I legitimately do.”
Family law covers a host of areas, including divorce and
separation, child custody, spousal and child support, division of property, child protection and adoption.
London’s unified Family Court system – the Ontario
Court of Justice (provincial judges) and Superior Court
(federal judges) – acts as one unit. Students are not allowed
to represent clients in front of federal judges, unless the
judge makes a special exception.
Nevertheless, there is plenty to learn outside the courtroom as well.
“The students can still provide services, as not everything is in court,” she said. “Even the files we have currently,
I would say 75 per cent aren’t in court yet. So, the objective
is to try and negotiate a settlement.
“Part of the learning experience is teaching the students to be settlement oriented because the courts are so
clogged, with 275-300 trials currently on the list for Family
Court in London.”
Third-year Law student Hilary Jenkins, a student supervisor, said family lawyers are in a special position to help.
“There are a large number of under-represented litigants
in the Family Court system and, hopefully, our team can
help fill the void,” Jenkins said. “I will begin my career with
practical experience in managing real files and working
with real clients.
“Family law has allowed more students the opportunity
to gain practical experience. They are learning important
skills in legal drafting, how to navigate through the judicial
system and how to manage client expectations. The students have the opportunity to see first hand the challenges
self-represented litigants face, which highlights to them the
importance of access to justice.”
Foster said Western’s family law service falls under Legal
Aid Ontario guidelines for financial eligibility, which has a
maximum income level, depending on how many dependents a client has. An individual with an income lower
than $19,080, or a family of five with an income lower than
$45,580, would qualify for the new service at the university.
Western’s University Students’ Council provides funding
to the program to assist all undergraduate and graduate
students, except MBA students, due to their particular fee
structure.
While the new service is less than two months old, early
feedback from the legal community, as well as from participating Law students, has been positive, Foster said.
“A couple (students) have said that even if they end up
not being interested in family law, it’s the client-management side, it’s the legal writing, it’s dealing with people
on the other side, some who have lawyers and some who
don’t,” she said. “It’s learning to negotiate using the right
approach, managing people through what, for most, is the
most difficult time in their life.”
Western News
Research
Mummy’s song, identity
return after millennia
| November 13, 2014
Research Western is pleased to
announce the following competition:
Western University
Humanitarian Award
The Western Humanitarian Award program has been
established by the Office of the Vice-President (Research) to
recognize faculty, students and/or staff at Western who are
engaged in a range of efforts directed towards improving the
quality of life for individuals and communities around the world.
Preference will be given to the recognition of humanitarian
activities undertaken by the candidate(s) that have current or
potential international impact. Individuals or groups may apply
or be nominated by third parties.
Award Amount:
$5,000 maximum
Deadlines:
December 1, 2014 (for online application form)
PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE ROYAL ONTARIO MUSEUM
Excavated in the early 1900s, ‘Justine’ has only recently been identified by Western researchers as NefretMut, a ‘chantress’ or a singer-musician of the Temple of Amun-Re in the city of Thebes in ancient Egypt, 3,000
years ago.
B Y A D E L A TA L B O T
FOR NEARLY A century, ‘Justine’ lay dormant in the
Royal Ontario Museum (ROM). But last month, thanks to
Western researcher Andrew Nelson, the Egyptian mummy
came to life – as a singer named Nefret-Mut.
“When we work with a mummy
or skeleton, we are interested in
telling a story of that person’s life –
we call it their ‘osteobiography,’”
said Nelson, an Anthropology
professor and associate dean of
research and operations in the
Faculty of Social Science.
“Normally, we start looking at
the bones, asking are they male?
Female? Adult? Kid? How old?
Did they have diseases? Trauma?
We can get a broader picture of
what their life was like, and, by
extension, say what life was like
for people around them, so we
can put the physical person into
a social context,” he continued.
Getting acquainted with mummies over the years has likewise
included attempts at facial reconstruction, but knowing a mummy’s
name or profession would be the
best of clues and allow for the
greatest extrapolations, Nelson
continued.
“If we know, like in this case,
that she’s a chantress in the Temple of Amun-Re, it is another sort
of level of bringing her to life,
which is what we are trying to do,”
he noted.
Excavated in the early 1900s,
Justine came to the ROM, by way
of Charles Trick Currelly, its first
curator. The mummy is part of the
museum’s world-renowned Egypt
collection.
Some of Justine’s past had
previously been uncovered by
computerized tomography (CT)
scans. Her internal organs had
been removed, and she had been
mummified. Her tongue had also
been taken – a practice not consistent with mummification. Early
Egyptians believed they would
need their tongue to introduce themselves in the after life.
At the time of her excavation, two coffins and at least
one mummy were found at the site, Nelson explained. The
coffins and mummy were brought to the ROM by Trick Cur-
relly, and placed on display – though not together. It was
not clear which coffin belonged to the mummy.
“In 2007, I borrowed the mummy and two child mummies (from the ROM) for an extended CT project and we
initiated the osteobiography. At that point, it was assumed
one of the mummies belonged to a priest, so it would have
been a male, because that would
have been a traditionally male role,”
Nelson continued.
A closer look, however, revealed
the mummy was female, probably
in her late 20s or early 30s at the
time of death. She had no obvious
ailments and was shorter than average for ancient Egyptians, standing
just under 5 feet.
“All of our expectations were
gone. We started anew,” Nelson said.
It wasn’t until Nelson was getting
ready to give a talk last month at
THEMUSEUM in Kitchener, where
Justine is on display until February, that her real name and former
identity came to light. And that happened by chance.
In some back-and-forth emails
with colleague Gayle Gibson, an
Egyptologist who teaches at the
ROM, Nelson prodded to see if
there were any clues linking Justine
to one of the coffins that were part
of her excavation.
Gibson went back to take a closer
look. With the help of a ROM technician, who photographed the coffins, Gibson discovered one featured scrawled messy hieroglyphics,
which revealed the name NefretMut, which means, “beautiful one
of the goddess Mut.”
Justine, it was revealed, was a
‘chantress’ or a singer-musician of
the Temple of Amun-Re in the city
of Thebes in ancient Egypt, 3,000
years ago.
Knowing all this makes her a special mummy, Nelson noted.
“We now had the actual name,
now we knew who she was,” he
said, noting of the hundreds of
mummies sitting in museums, only
20 per cent have an identity and a
story to go with.
This discovery is part of Nelson’s work on a worldwide
database of mummy studies, funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council’s Digging Into
Data Challenge.
For more information on this award and other internal funding
opportunities, please visit uwo.ca/research/funding/internal/.
Contact:
Florence Lourdes
Internal Grants Coordinator
Research Development & Services
[email protected]
519.661.2111 x84500
7
8
Western News
| November 13, 2014
Events
Why The Victorians may understand us better than anyone in history
This week, Western hosts the North American Victorian
Studies Association (NAVSA) annual conference, bringing in nearly 350 scholars from around the world together under the theme Victorian Classes and Classifications.
Established in 2002, NAVSA provides a continental forum for a discussion of the Victorian period, encourages
a wide variety of theoretical and disciplinary approaches
to the field and furthers the interests of scholars of the
Why are we seemingly re-connecting with the
Victorians again? What exactly happened?
Keep: People are coming back to the period
now, more so than they had previously, because
there is a sense the Victorians experienced the
same kind of wonder and excitement, also the
same sense of terror, when confronted by a
substantial change in the ways by which they
communicated and the amount of information
that was being channeled through these modes
of communications.
The steam-powered train. The telegraph. The
telephone. The cinematograph. These were all
new ways for people to communicate with one
another.
Take the telegraph – this was a kind of Victorian
Internet. It was a way for people, who weren’t
physically before each other, to communicate in
‘real time.’ That introduced a whole new way of
thinking about how communication could occur.
The sense one could communicate mind-tomind, rather than body-to-body or face-to-face,
changed people’s attitudes toward one another.
And this was concrete change?
Keep: Yes. One of the distinctive things about
the Victorian period – that perhaps differentiates
it from our current period – is these new modes
of technology did not dematerialize the world.
Even something like a telegraph was still delivered to your door.
And when you think about the new modes of
transportation, things like the steam-powered
train, those things were physically imposing.
They had a certain sense of magnitude that was
impressive in its own right. One of the things
appealing to people today, in an informationoriented world, is the physical substrate of activities seem to be disappearing, getting smaller
and smaller as our iPhones are on the verge of
disappearing into their thinness.
The Victorians, by contrast, experienced a
world that was substantial, that was physical,
that engaged them emotionally and physically
in these new modes of communications.
period. Its goal is to provide a more visible forum for
Victorianists in the profession.
In celebration of this event, Western News sat down
with English and Writing Studies professor Christopher
Keep to discuss the continued fascination with the Victorians and why they may understand what we are going
through better than anyone else in history.
You see this play out somewhat in things It forces us to think outside ‘The Cloud,’ so
like the steam punk movement, correct? to speak.
It’s a real longing for stuff.
Keep: Steam punk is fascinating because it
is a way of imagining a technologically oriented
world, driven by computer technology, yet it is
also a world that has a ‘thinginess’ to it. There
is physicality, a certain kind of substantiality that
forces us to rethink the world outside of this
immateriality we experience today.
JOIN THE CONFERENCE
Keep: Exactly. The Cloud is a perfect instance
where all of our books, all our records, all our
DVDs are on the verge of disappearing into that
Cloud. Our technologies are encouraging us
to offload the thinginess of our lives so we can
live in these perfectly unburdened existences of
pure mind.
The Victorians experienced something that
is almost the full reverse. Their lives became
increasing crowded – with paper, with machines,
with technological apparatuses that they
acquired and begin to clump up in the world.
The public is invited to attend keynote lectures from two internationally known Victorianists. Tim Barringer, Paul
Mellon Professor of the History of Art and Director of Graduate Studies at Yale University, will present In Search of
An English Folk: Art and Music c. 1900 at 4:30 p.m. today (Thursday) at The London Hilton, 300 King Street. Dame
Gillian Beer, King Edward VII Professor of English Literature Emeritus at the University of Cambridge, will present Are
you animal – or vegetable – or mineral?’ Alice and Others at 5 p.m. Saturday.
Western News
Keep: One of the obvious ways is the fascination people have now with typewriters. People
are going back to their typewriters, playing with
them again, even developing applications to
turn their tablets into proto-typewriters.
Why is that? The typewriter gave you instantaneous biofeedback – you hit the keys, it made
a sound and then a physical impression on
the paper. You had this sense of connection
between your thinking and the act of communication. There was a loop. We have lost that now.
Our technologies see our thoughts disappearing
into that Cloud, and people are trying to compensate for that, for example, through apps on
iPads that introduce a click each time you press
a key. It gives that satisfying sense of a body relation to our expressions.
Perhaps more than anywhere, the Victori- The pop culture side seems healthy, but
ans seem to be dominating popular culture what is the state of the academic side of
currently.
the discipline?
Keep: Look at all the Sherlock Holmes franchises. Right now, there are three versions –
one in feature films, one on the BBC and one
on American television. That’s an awful lot of
Holmes out there in the world. So what’s the
appeal?
The Holmesian world offers the figure of the
detective as a version of the new forensic scientists, somebody who can read the thinginess
of the world and still, somehow, disinter from it
some kind of order and meaning that escapes
us. Because there are the Holmeses of the world,
who can somehow see things we cannot, there
is a comfort to us to know there are people
who can make sense of this world which seems
increasingly opaque and complex.
Keep: Our association (NAVSA) has added
200 members each year since it began. We’re
now up to 1,200 members. And that’s a lot, a lot
of academics pursuing a single field of study.
And the fact it is growing, particularly while other
fields in the arts and humanities are experiencing
certain types of pressures, whereas the Victorians
seem to multiply in numbers, it speaks to the way
people are drawn to the field and to the vitality
of the field in the university. These courses are
getting taught; the books are getting read. And
people want to read these books, otherwise,
I don’t think you would see the same sense of
vibrancy around the field.
“People are coming back to the period now, more so than they had previously,
because there is a sense the Victorians experienced the same kind of wonder
and excitement, also the same sense of terror, when confronted by a substantial
change in the ways by which they communicated and the amount of information
that was being channeled through these modes of communications.”
- Christopher Keep
ILLUSTRATIONS BY FRANK NEUFELD
And this longing for ‘thinginess’ is playing
out today?
| November 13, 2014
9
10
Western News
| November 13, 2014
Entrepreneurship
Seed of an idea sprouts Pod for young entrepreneurs
B Y A D E L A TA L B O T
ALMOST OVERNIGHT, AND
totally unexpectedly, four Western
students have turned a project meant
to streamline the 40-hour volunteer
requirement for high school students
into a successful enterprise.
Pod is an online organization tool
for clubs, causes and teams, created
by Western grads Luke Swanek, BA’11
(History and Philosophy), and Bryn
Jones, BA’11 (Globalization Studies),
as well as current students Jonathan
Mendes (Computer Science) and Neil
Chudleigh (Engineering and Computer Science).
When the team first got together,
the idea was to facilitate a connection
between non-profits in the community
and high school students looking for
volunteer opportunities. They created an online platform – similar to
Facebook – where organizations and
non-profits, as well as students, could
create profiles. The site then acted as
a matchmaker and tally keeper – con-
necting a person to a task, keeping
track of what had been accomplished.
In the process of figuring out this
platform, the team realized its potential.
“We had hundreds of conversations
with many non-profits on campus,
student clubs, varsity teams and ad
hoc groups. We met with executives
on campus for months and we would
get feedback and adjust around their
feedback,” Swanek explained.
And just like that, Pod came
together.
“The best way to think of it is, kind of
like a Facebook group, but with added
functionality,” Swanek continued.
“Facebook groups are great for communicating, but they are poor at getting
things done if you have an objective or a
project. That is where we excel.
“People can participate in multiple
groups and subgroups from one platform. And within those groups you
can create a ‘pod’ that is part of your
team within the larger group.”
For instance, Western’s varsity
swim team could have a group page
with separate pods for the men’s and
women’s teams, fundraising groups
and any other necessary subgroups.
Schedules could be posted and managed as a community; tasks could be
assigned and monitored for progress;
projects could be managed together.
University of Guelph student Benjamin Bales joined the Pod team, and
they launched a public beta version
online in September. In three weeks,
more than 1,000 people were on the
site. There are more than 1,500 users
today, and the numbers keep growing.
“It’s flying out the door, which is
fun. We’re seeing significant success,”
Swanek said. “We’re not charging
people to use it right now, just putting it to the wind to see how people
use it.”
Pod, joinpod.com, is currently
being used by a large number of
Western clubs, London non-profits,
sports teams across North America,
parent-teacher associations and even
the Rotman School of Management at
the University of Toronto.
GRADUATE STUDIES:
DEVELOPING THINKERS, INNOVATORS, PROBLEM SOLVERS
MEng: Customizable professional master’s degree. Involves coursework and optional research project.
Select from over a dozen specializations including entrepreneurship and leadership, energy studies,
healthcare engineering and advanced water technologies.
ADELA TALBOT // WESTERN NEWS
History and Philosophy alumnus Luke Swanek is one of the co-founders
of Pod, an online organizational tool for clubs, teams and non-profits.
The online platform is quickly growing in its success.
Because of its networking ability,
the Pod team has raised more than
$130,000 in funds in the last eight
months alone, without doing any mar-
POSTGRADUATE
CERTIFICATE
MHSc: Clinical engineering master’s degree. Includes coursework, internship and research thesis.
MASc: Traditional, research-intensive master’s degree.
PhD: Highest degree, rigorous research and extensive thesis of original work.
FROM ARBITRATION TO COMMUNITY
Now
accepting
applications for
a September
2015 start
OUTREACH, THIS PROGRAM OFFERS
THE UNIQUE SKILLS YOU WILL
NEED TO LAUNCH YOUR CAREER
AS AN ARBITRATOR, CONCILIATOR,
EMPLOYEE RELATIONS OFFICER,
MEDIATOR AND MANY OTHER
EXCITING CAREER OPTIONS.
business.humber.ca/postgrad
A BRIGHT FUTURE FOR SOLAR PANELS
JEFFREY CASTRUCCI wants solar panels to be so inexpensive that they can be put everywhere.
As a chemical engineering PhD student, he is trying to identify links between the chemical structures
of light absorbing materials and their performance in solar cells. These materials are similar to clothing
dyes: they have striking colours and low production costs. If Jeffrey, a NSERC Postgraduate Scholarship
recipient, can figure out which materials will make efficient, inexpensive solar panels, it will mean less
dependence on fossil fuels for our electricity systems.
Visit gradstudies.engineering.utoronto.ca
UTEngineering_fall_Western News14 141002-F.indd 2
2014-10-02 11:12 AM
keting, Swanek added. They are working closely with Western’s Student
Entrepreneurship Centre to continue
their success, he said.
Western News
| November 13, 2014
11
Giving
Young doctor carries on passion of mentor, advocate
Editor’s note: In celebration of National Philanthropy Day on Nov. 15, Western News features the story of one student who benefitted
from one donor, a story repeated thousands of
times across this campus.
BY FRED DEVRIES
TALK TO DR. ALISON Fine, MD’13, and it’s
no wonder she’s humbled to have received an
award named for an exceptional mentor.
“During my family medicine clerkship, I
observed the way Dr. Winterburn was so amazing
in being present and available to her patients,”
said Fine, who completed her medical training
at Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry.
“She went above and beyond to help others,
accepted everyone as they were and treated
them with great respect and care.”
Fine first met Family Medicine professor Dr.
Dana Winterburn when she invited the doctor
to address Western students involved with an
aboriginal health advocacy group.
“She talked passionately about helping
those who lived at residential schools and the
huge challenges they
face today,” Fine said.
“And she shared how
she related to them
WINTERBURN
with empathy, trying to
understand their history, culture and lives and
what care they would need. For me, she demonstrated that every person, no matter what they’ve
experienced in life, needs to be heard.”
That encounter – and her family medicine
clerkship with the doctor – left an impression
on Fine, the inaugural recipient of the Dr. Dana
Winterburn Memorial Award.
“She was always willing to give of herself,
offering a gentle approach to her patients,” Fine
said. “I want to take that legacy – of respect,
compassion and care – with me into my future
medical practice.”
These are the same values the late Winterburn
carried through life. The first Aboriginal graduate from the University of Alberta medical program, she completed her certification in Family
Medicine at Western in 1996. After serving as
a family physician in southwestern Ontario for
many years, she joined Schulich’s Department of
Family Medicine in 2004 and worked as a teaching doctor at the Byron Family Medicine Clinic
(BFMC) in London. The 50-year-old Winterburn
ENJOY 10% DISCOUNT ON OVER THE
COUNTER MEDICATIONS! *WITH WESTERN ID
• Professional and confidential
counselling on your prescription and
over the counter medications!
• Free Delivery of your prescriptions!
• Best value for Western University
insurance for students!
• Free annual flu shot, no appointment
necessary (with valid health card)!
was killed in a car accident in April 2012.
Her sudden death prompted an outpouring of grief from family, friends, patients and
colleagues – but also a tremendous wave of
generosity.
“When I heard the news of her death, like
everyone else, I was completely shocked to lose
such an exceptional doctor and friend,” says Dr.
John Sangster, a physician at BFMC, who had
known Winterburn since 1994. “She was one of
those rare individuals who integrated the art and
science of medicine.”
For Sangster and his colleagues, they wanted
to honour her memory in some way. With the
support of Winterburn’s family, they helped
establish a memorial fund at Western. In the days
and weeks after the tragedy, family members,
patients and friends contributed to the fund,
each one giving as a tribute to what Winterburn
had given to them.
More than 100 donors contributed a total
of $26,000 to the endowed fund (enough to
present a $1,000 memorial award every year in
perpetuity). The following May, Fine was named
the first recipient.
“Our team lost an exceptional colleague and
wonderful physician, but we’re pleased that
promising doctors, like Alison, will continue
Dana’s passion for family and Aboriginal health,”
Sangster said.
Fine is doing just that. She is completing a
two-year medical residency focused on aboriginal health. During her first year, she received
training in Winnipeg hospitals, all in preparation
for going to remote and fly-in communities in
northern Manitoba, Nunavut and the Northwest
Territories. Over the next 12 months, she will be
spending a week or up to three months providing medical care for the people in these isolated
areas, sometimes being the only resident in the
community.
“My hope,” she said, “is to approach everyone I meet in these isolated communities with
patience and understanding.”
“I want to take that legacy –
of respect, compassion and
care – with me into my future
medical practice.”
- Dr. Alison Fine
Explore our selection of gently
used, upscale home furnishings
& accents at a fraction of their
original prices.
Inventory changes daily,
so visit often!
NOW OPEN!
& close to campus ...
SPECIAL TO WESTERN NEWS
After graduating from Schulich Medicine & Dentistry, Dr. Alison Fine, MD’13, started her
medical residency through the Northern Remote Program, a two-year program focused on
family medicine and aboriginal health. She is the first recipient of the Dr. Dana Winterburn
Memorial Award.
A SOLID RETIREMENT PLAN
NEEDS SOLID EXPERTISE
Invest in our expertise and
we will help you plan every step
of your retirement.
Fred J. Negus, Vice President,
Senior Investment Advisor
Angela Hamilton,
Associate Investment Advisor
Phone: 1-519-439-5207
• Free Accu-pack blister pack service!
333 Dufferin Ave., London ON N6B 1Z3
• Transferring you prescriptions is easy,
ask our friendly pharmacist for details!
Stay tuned for our upcoming Goals Based
Value Investing seminar series.
• Very convenient and close to
your residence!
YOUR HEALTH IS OUR PRIORITY!
1055 Sarnia Rd • London
(just before Hyde Park)
226.884.4144
www.redecorconsign.com
National Bank Financial is an indirect whollyowned subsidiary of National Bank of Canada
which is a public company listed on the Toronto
Stock Exchange (NA: TSX). National Bank Financial
is a member of the Canadian Investor Protection
Fund (CIPF).
51
44
65
17
12
Western News
| November 13, 2014
Academics
Graduate program migrates across disciplines
Bangarth said moving forward she would like
to see the program expand its reach across campus and in the London community.
“In the next five years, I’d love to branch out
into as many faculties as we can on campus,” she
said, adding faculties such as Law and Health
Sciences would add an interesting perspective
to the program. “There is always room for more
growth; the issue is whether we can incorporate
the program requirement of the other faculties
within the MER program.”
Bangarth added a strong relationship already
exists with groups in the London community
- such as the London & Middlesex Local Immigration Partnership - and collaborations with
other academic institutions, such as the Ryerson
Centre for Immigration and Settlement, are currently in the works.
“It’s (MER) given me such great opportunities,
such as the inspiration to develop a third book
project,” she said. “MER has been wonderful for
me in invigorating my own research interests.”
B Y PA U L M AY N E
“I DEFY ANYBODY to look through any
random newspaper these days without reading
something to do about migration, immigration
or integration. It’s a daily lived experience.”
For Stephanie Bangarth, director of Western’s
Collaborative Graduate Program in Migration
and Ethnic Relations (MER), bringing together
graduate students and faculty from various social
science disciplines to study questions of ethnic
relations, cultural diversity, conflict, acculturation
and more, allows for intriguing and collaborative
perspectives to be born.
This collaborative experience, created in 2007
with just 11 students, has since blossomed to a
record high 48 students this year. It is an add-on
to existing graduate programs in Anthropology,
Geography, History, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology, Hispanic Studies and Women’s
Studies and Feminist Research.
“We all need to be concerned about migration because it has always been a worldwide
phenomenon. On top of that, in order to sustain
us as a country, we need immigration,” said Bangarth, a professor of History at King’s University
College. “It’s wonderful to be part of such a program where we all have the same interests with
a very collegial, interdisciplinary group.
“I think one of the problems with academia,
in general, is we don’t tend to collaborate with
each other outside our own home interest. This
is a program that does just that, so it fits into the
vision of my own research interests.”
Bangarth works hand-in-hand with Western’s
Centre for Research on Migration and Ethnic
Relations, led by Sociology professor Victoria
Esses. The centre informs public policy and
practice that facilitate the well-being of immi-
PAUL MAYNE // WESTERN NEWS
King’s University College History professor Stephanie Bangarth, and director of Western’s
Collaborative Graduate Program in Migration and Ethnic Relations, said the program brings
together graduate students and faculty from various social science disciplines intriguing
and collaborative perspectives on immigration and migration topics.
grants and ethnic minorities in Canada and
internationally.
Bangarth added the combination of disciplinary and advanced interdisciplinary
training,provides students with the tools neces-
sary to better understand and conduct research
in the area of migration and ethnic relations.
Upon graduation, students receive a graduate
degree in their home discipline, as well as a
specialization in Migration and Ethnic Relations.
JOIN THE CONVERSATION
The Western Collaborative Graduate Program and the
Centre for Research on Migration and Ethnic Relations,
in conjunction with the Inclusion and Civic Engagement
and Settlement Sub-councils of the London &
Middlesex Local Immigration Partnership, are holding
a symposium, Journeys of Migration, during Western’s
International Week.
The event will be held at 3:30 p.m. today (Thursday) in
the University Community Centre, Room 315 (Council
Chambers).
RBC Dominion Securities Inc.
Are Your retirement options ChAnging?
Now is the time to consider a full-service firm and a full-service team.
With the resources of Canada’s
leading wealth management firm
at our disposal, we will prepare a
financial plan that helps guide you
through a comfortable retirement.
We’ll put our 115 years of
combined experience to work
for you, introducing you to all
available alternatives and bringing
you peace of mind.
We are available via phone,
email and for daytime and
evening appointments.
Cunliffe Wealth ManageMent group
of rBC DoMinion SeCuritieS
148 Fullarton Street, Suite 1900
London, ON N6A 5P3
519-675-2004 | 1-800-265-5911
www.briancunliffe.com
RBC Dominion Securities Inc.* and Royal Bank of Canada are separate corporate entities which are affiliated. *Member-Canadian Investor
Protection Fund. RBC Dominion Securities Inc. is a member company of RBC Wealth Management, a business segment of Royal Bank of
Canada.®Registered trademarks of Royal Bank of Canada. Used under licence. ©2014 RBC Dominion Securities Inc. All rights reserved.
Western News
Research
Study shows probiotic
yogurt reduces toxic risks
PAUL MAYNE // WESTERN NEWS
Western graduate student Jordan Bisanz recently led a study providing the first clinical evidence that a
probiotic yogurt can be used to reduce the deadly health risks associated with mercury and arsenic.
B Y PA U L M AY N E
NEW WESTERN-LED research showing probiotic
yogurt’s ability to reduce the uptake of certain heavy metals and environmental toxins could significantly reduce the
risk for developmental issues in children.
Western graduate student Jordan Bisanz said the study
provides the first clinical evidence that a probiotic yogurt
can be used to reduce deadly health risks associated with
mercury and arsenic.
Bisanz, along with fellow graduate student Megan Enos,
was first author on the paper, Randomized Open-Label Pilot
Study of the Influence of Probiotics and the Gut Microbiome
on Toxic Metal Levels in Tanzanian Pregnant Women and
School Children, recently published in mBio, the journal of
the American Society for Microbiology. Gregor Reid, Western professor and Lawson Health Research Institute scientist,
was senior author.
In the study, the group
assessed 44 school-aged
children and 60 pregnant
women living in Mwanza,
Tanzania, near Lake Victoria, an area known
for having particularly
high environmental pollution. The area is also
home to a network of
community yogurt kitchens set up through the
Western Heads East program, providing a locally
sourced, low-cost source
of nutrition.
The goal of the
research was to assess existing metal levels in the environment and participants’ bodies, map their natural bacteria
to identify any potential links to metal absorption, and
determine whether the probiotic-supplemented yogurt
could influence metal absorption.
Thanks to the consumption of silver cyprinids, a small
fish found widely in Tanzania’s Lake Victoria region, mercury
and lead levels in children are up to seven times higher
than what is typically found in Canadian children.
“Seeing the children, you would never think they were
walking around with such high levels of toxins,” Bisanz said.
“I hate to think of the consequences for them as they age.
The children and pregnant women all loved the yogurt. If
we could only scale up these yogurt kitchen concepts, the
impact on quality of life could be massive.”
After consuming the yogurt, the children showed some
positive results, but it was pregnant women who showed
the more dramatic outcomes. That group was protected
from further uptake of mercury by up to 36 per cent and
arsenic by up to 78 per cent.
Research suggests some naturally occurring bacteria in
the body can influence toxic metal levels. Bisanz said DNA
sequencing identified two bacteria present in children with
the highest concentrations of heavy metals, suggesting
the presence of these bacteria may be linked to the metal
absorption.
He added it’s possible to use the concept of bioremediation – a treatment that uses naturally occurring organisms
to break down hazardous substances into less toxic or
non-toxic substances – in dealing with the heavy metals,
but just apply them in a different setting, which is in the
gastrointestinal track.
“We’re not re-inventing the wheel. We’re trying to use
the wheel differently – a
new application of it,”
Bisanz said. “We’ve all
evolved with bacteria
and they’ve always been
there influencing us. It’s
about how we can take
the good aspect and
make them better. It’s
doing a good job, but
not a good enough job.”
Bisanz said the probiotic yogurt benefits can
be easily replicated in
our own backyard, where
exposure to these toxins
occurs daily.
“In Tanzania, on the
shore of Lake Victoria, it’s about as bad as Lake Erie. Let’s
not kid ourselves; Lake Erie is horrible,” he said. “Depending on where you live in London, your water supply is drawn
from Lake Erie. It’s (mercury) out there.
“The fact is a lot of these toxins end up in the food supply,
and people are always trying to remove them from the food,
which is not always possible, especially with the metals. They
are part of the environment and I don’t see any point in the
near future how we’re going to magically undo that.”
Even at low levels, chronic exposure to heavy metals has
been linked to certain cancers and delayed neurological
and cognitive development in children. In Canada, 15 per
cent of reproductive-aged women possess mercury levels
that pose a high risk for neurodevelopmental abnormalities
in their children.
POSTGRADUATE
CERTIFICATE
THIS PROGRAM OFFERS A CLEAR
PATHWAY TO CAREERS IN THE
LUCRATIVE FINANCIAL PLANNING
INDUSTRY. IT PROVIDES STUDENTS
WITH A BROAD RANGE OF
FINANCIAL, BUSINESS AND SOFT
SKILLS, PLUS THE OPPORTUNITY
TO EARN THE LICENCES AND
DESIGNATIONS THAT EMPLOYERS
ARE LOOKING FOR.
business.humber.ca/postgrad
| November 13, 2014
13
14
Western News
| November 13, 2014
// ACADEME
PhD Lectures
Gabriela Navarro Tovar, Chemical and
Biochemical Engineering, Diffusion and
Adsorption Coefficients of Aromatic
Hydrocarbons in Gas Chromatography
Capillary Columns. 9:30 a.m. Nov. 14.
TEB 434.
Maryam Mohagheghi Darranji, Chemical and Biochemical Engineering,
Impact of Local Bed Hydrodynamics
on Jet-Bed Interaction. 12:45 a.m. Nov.
14. ICFAR.
Faculty & Staff
Western’s Employment Resource
Centre (WERC)
Need resume, cover letter or CV help?
Get into WERC and talk to a career leader today. WERC’s in-person, drop-in service is available in The Student Success
Centre, UCC 210. It is open every day
when classes are held; current schedule
is 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 10
a.m.-2 p.m. Friday.
Undergraduate Course
Registration Dates
Nov. 30: Last day to drop a full course
and full-year half course (on campus
day and evening and Distance Studies)
without academic penalty.
Dec. 1: Last day to receive admission
applications, transcripts and supporting
documentation: Education for 2015. Last
day to receive admission applications:
Dentistry for 2015.
Dec. 3: Fall/Winter Term classes end.
Dec. 4-5: Study Days.
Dec. 6-17: Mid-year examination period.
For more information, please visit us on
the web at studentservices.uwo.ca and
follow us on Twitter @Western_WSS.
// CAREERS
A central website displays advertisements for all vacant academic posi-
Faculty members and alumni of the
School of Occupational Therapy have
been busy presenting their work.
Sherrilene Classen, along with coauthors Miriam Monahan and Kiah
Brown, presented a poster entitled Driving Indicators in Adolescents with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder at
the Canadian ADHD Resource Alliance
(CADDRA) Conference, Oct. 17.
Carri Hand presented Neighbourhood
Characteristics and Community Mobility
in Older Adults at the Canadian Association on Gerontology Conference, Oct.
17-18.
Faculty members Debbie Rudman,
Suzanne Huot, Lilian Magalhaes, Jan
Polgar, Angie Mandich and Donna
Dennis, along with alumni Laura Titus,
Nedra Peter, Shoba Nayar , Kaitlyn
Gain, Jessie Wilson, Silke Dennhardt,
Niki Kiepek and Shanon Phelan, delivered 19 presentations at the recent
occupational science event, ISOS/
CSOS/SSO: USA Joint International
Conference.
// CLASSIFIED
Miscellaneous Services
For Rent
Elegant furnished downtown apartment, adult building, overlooking Harris
Park, 2 bed, 2 bath, A/C, parking, suitable for faculty or staff. Available now.
Email [email protected].
// STUDENT BULLETIN
Student Central In-Person
Regular Hours
9 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday
and Friday; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday.
Follow Office of the Registrar on Twitter
for updates @westernuReg.
Student Central Helpline Hours
519-661-2100. 9 a.m.-4 p.m. MondayFriday.
Are you retired or retiring soon?
Find out all your options.
Contact Robert (Rob) Michaud, PFP,
Financial Planner today.
519-494-5017
[email protected]
Fully mobile and flexible hours
to meet your needs.
‘Serving London & area with
sound financial planning.’
Royal Mutual Fund Inc.
Welcome to your London Home
the convenience of Apartment Living!
Blossom Gate offers you varied floorplans in either our existing lowrise and highrise
buildings OR one of our newer highrise buildings - rent varies accordingly.
lounge, indoor bicycle storage, keyless entry
• 2 appliances
• Individual heating & cooling system
• Coin-less laundry facilities
• Free outdoor parking
• On-site management office
• Direct bus to downtown & Western Campus
• On-site variety store
• 1/2 block to shopping centre
Mid-Year Examinations
The mid-year examination period is Dec.
6-17. The final examination schedule
is available at studentservices.uwo.ca/
secure/Exams.
Psychological Services
Laura Evans Lecture Series (presentations) will be offering a variety of presentation topics such as: managing anxiety and stress, mindfulness meditation,
healthy relationships, emotion regulation, and public speaking anxiety. Registration will be open online, so check
website for details. sdc.uwo.ca/psych.
Full-Time Academic Appointments
Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry - Clinical Teacher, Department
of Family Medicine
Inviting applications for a full-time clinical academic teaching position within an
innovative and exciting Department of
Family Medicine. Rank, term of appointment and salary will be commensurate
with qualifications and experience. Candidates must hold an MD or equivalent
and be eligible for licensure in the
Province of Ontario with certification
from the College of Family Physicians of
Canada. A relevant master’s degree or
interest in pursuing a masters in clinical
science is preferred. Practice experience
is preferred and experience and interest
in teaching is essential.
The successful candidate will be expected to fill the position starting July 1.
Applications will be accepted until Feb.
1.
All positions are subject to budgetary
approval. Applicants should have fluent
written and oral communication skills
in English. All qualified candidates are
encouraged to apply; however, Canadian citizens and permanent residents will
be given priority. Western is committed
to employment equity and welcomes
applications from all qualified women
and men, including visible minorities,
Aboriginal people and persons with
disabilities.
Please send submissions to [email protected]
Computer repairs, virus removals, networking issues, all resolved in a timely
matter. We sell new Windows 7 computers, and off lease Windows 7 laptops.
Trusted for more than 35 years. Hyde
Park Computers, 1890 Hyde Park Road.
519-641-0248.
tions. The following positions are among
those advertised at uwo.ca/facultyrelations/faculty/academic_positions.html
Please review, or contact the faculty,
school or department directly.
103-625 Kipps Lane (at Adelaide St. N)
519 432-1777
Like us on facebook.com/blossomgate
THE SYMBOL OF QUALITY
Write a Letter
Western News accepts letters to the
editor. Limit is 250 words maximum,
and accepted only from members of
the Western community – faculty, staff,
students and alumni. Writers may only
submit once a semester. As an academic
institution, Western News encourages
lively debate, but reserves the right to
edit, ask for rewrite or reject any submission, and will outright reject those
based on personal attacks or covering
subjects too removed from the university community.
Place an Ad Today
For Classifieds, call 519-661-2045 or
email [email protected]. Rates: Faculty,
staff and students – $15; others and services/commercial ads – $20. Beyond 35
words, add 50 cents per word. Payment
must accompany ads. Submit by 9 a.m.
Thursdays to Western News, Suite 360,
Westminster Hall. No refunds. Visit Classifieds Online at communications.uwo.
ca/com/classifieds_menu.
Western News
| November 13, 2014
Nailed it! Manicure for a cause
PAUL MAYNE // WESTERN NEWS
It was – literally – a day at
the spa for Western President
Amit Chakma last week. As a
kick-off to the Shine the Light
on Women’s Abuse month-long
awareness campaign, Artistic
Esthetic Spa’s Jodey Delaney
gave Chakma the perfect
purple manicure. Purple is
seen as a symbol of courage,
survival and honour, and has
come to symbolize the fight
to end woman abuse. Western
will continue its support
by illuminating Alumni Hall
in purple for the rest of the
month. For more, visit lawc.
on.ca/shinethelight.
Financial Literacy Workshops
Western Retirement Plans
Western Faculty and Staff are invited to two free lunchtime
workshops during Financial Literacy Week.
Financial Literacy is about having the knowledge, skill and
confidence to make responsible financial decisions. During
Financial Literacy Week Human Resources will be hosting
two sessions to help you build these important skills. Come
and bring your lunch, to one or both of these sessions:
Investing 101: Your Western Pension
Monday November 17th 12:05-12:55
Social Science Centre Room 3026
Western offers 15 investment options so that each of us can
personalize our exposure to different types of investments
with varying degrees of risk. It is up to you to choose the mix
that is right for you. Come and learn about your options!
Income 101: Converting your pension
into a retirement income
Thursday November 20th 12:05-12:55
University College Room 142
Campus Digest
Western nudges up a
spot in Maclean’s rankings
BY JASON WINDERS
WESTERN NUDGED UP one spot, landing at No. 8
in the 24th annual Maclean’s University Rankings issue,
released Nov. 10.
For the 10th year in a row, the self-professed “holy book
for anyone planning their education in Canada” ranked
McGill University first in the Medical Doctoral category,
which boasts 15 schools, including Western. The University
of Toronto, University of British Columbia (UBC), Queen’s
University and University of Alberta rounded out the
Top Five. In fact, only Toronto and UBC switching spots
reflected any change in the Top 7.
At No. 8, Western was tied with the University of Ottawa,
one spot ahead of Laval University.
Western peaked in the Maclean’s rankings at No. 3,
where it sat for four straight years (2002-5). It has been no
higher than No. 5 (2006) since.
This year, the Medical Doctoral category-by-category
breakdown told a variety of stories.
Western ranked highest in library acquisitions, No. 2;
students services, scholarships and bursaries and medical
science grants, all at No. 5. Western ranked lowest in students awards, total research dollars, student/faculty ratio,
faculty awards and social science and humanities grants,
all at No. 11.
In a survey of high school guidance counselors, university
officials and heads of organizations, as well as CEOs and
recruiters at corporations across the country, Western was
ranked No. 9 in national reputation against all schools. That
is one spot down from last year. Waterloo, UBC, Toronto,
McGill and Alberta topped that list; Western was one spot
ahead of Simon Fraser.
That same group ranked Western No. 8 in quality, No.
10 in innovation and No. 12 in its ability to produce the
leaders of tomorrow.
Among all universities, Western boasted the second
highest entering average (89.3 per cent), third-highest
first-year student retention rate (93.2 per cent) and thirdhighest graduation rate (84 per cent). Western was ranked
No. 21 for percentage of graduate students from outside
of Canada (20.7 per cent), No. 27 for first-year students
from outside of the province (8.7 per cent) and No. 17 for
first-year students from outside of Canada (11 per cent).
Also as part of the MacLean’s rankings, the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) portion yielded further
interesting numbers for Western – although limited only
to its affiliates, as the university itself did not participate in
the survey.
When asked to evaluate their entire educational experience at their institution, 41 per cent of Brescia University
College first-year students replied ‘excellent,’ 49 per cent
‘good.’ King’s University College followed at 36 per cent/49
per cent and Huron University College with 34 per cent/51
per cent.
NSSE average was 40 per cent responding ‘excellent,’
48 per cent ‘good.’
Those numbers changed somewhat when the same
question was asked of senior-year students.
Brescia again tops the affiliate list as 66 per cent of
senior-year students replied ‘excellent,’ 23 per cent replied
‘good.’ Huron followed with 64 per cent/28 per cent, followed by King’s 45 per cent/47 per cent.
NSSE average was 44 per cent responding ‘excellent,’
43 per cent ‘good.’
When asked if they would attend their current institution again if they had it to do all over again, Brescia saw
51 per cent of first-year students and 61 per cent of senior
year students say they would definitely return, followed
by Huron at 43 per cent/65 per cent and King’s at 43 per
cent/50 per cent.
NEWS AND NOTES
Western President Amit Chakma has been named
to EXECUTIVIVA!, a booster program of 100 senior
executives from across Ontario lending their support
to the 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games in Toronto.
The Games will welcome 10,000 athletes, officials and
fans from 41 countries to locations around the Greater
Toronto Area next summer.
Twelve members of the Western community have
been named to Business London magazine’s Top 20
Under 40 list for 2014. Those named include: Kevin
Aarts, BA’03, Bsc’00; Stephanie Ciccarelli, BMus’06;
Colin Dombroski, PhD’12, BHSc’03; Corey Dubeau,
BMOS’11; Amer Ebied, MESc’04, BESc’02; Larry Lau,
BA’09; Laura Emmett, BACS’04; Adam Jean, BA’00;
Pamela Laughland; Bianca Lopes, BMOS’13; Michael
Moffatt, PhD’12, BA’99; and Richard Santos, BACS’02.
When you retire what happens to your accumulated pension
funds? Come and learn about the different options that
are available for you to start your retirement income. This
session will be most relevant to members planning on
retiring within the next 10 years.
15
16
Western News
| November 13, 2014
Rock steady study
PAUL MAYNE // WESTERN NEWS
With the temperatures set to take a drastic dip this week, second-year Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry student Stephanie Wu decided to the take advantage of one of the last
warm weather day on campus. The long-range forecast has the cold hanging around for quite a while, with temperatures not getting above 4 degrees for the next couple of weeks.
Through the generosity of our donors, we are preparing our students for a promising future. Thank you to all of our supporters for opening
doors to student success.
In celebration of National Philanthropy Day on November 15, we enlisted the help of some of our students to deliver a personal thank you to
a few of our donors – with a Western surprise.
Visit extraordinary.westernu.ca to see what happened.