Through email, these members of the USC were asked to give the following feedback on members of the executive board:

1) What was their best accomplishment this year?
2) What was their biggest failing this year?
3) How do you feel overall about the job they’ve done this year?
4) What letter grade would you give the councillor? (A, B, C, D, or F)

In total, feedback was sought from 51 council members. In total, we received 10 responses. The responses to these questions were taken into consideration, and the average letter grade of each executive was calculated.

From the responses we did receive, the following grade averages were calculated:

President: B/B+ (average fell between a B and a B+)  [Gazette grade: B+]

Communications: C  [Gazette grade: C+]

Campus Issues: B+  [Gazette grade: B+]

University Affairs: B+/A- (average fell between B+/A-)  [Gazette grade: A-]

Finance: C+/B- (average fell between C+/B-)  [Gazette grade: B]

Student Events: D-  [Gazette grade: D+]

Though the number of responses was certainly not ideal, we tried to get a solid idea of other council members’ opinions to take into consideration, rather than grade the board based solely on our own experiences and opinions.

These averages acted as a guide for us in choosing our grades. In the end, the grades the Gazette gave to the executive board were, in all cases, at least as high, if not higher than the consensus we received. We attempted to solicit feedback with a short survey that would not be particularly time-consuming, and worked with the feedback we were given.

Accompanying the letter grades were written explanations. While the explanations, and the councillor quotes that in some cases accompanied them, may have seemed disproportionately negative, they were not meant to paint a complete picture of the executive’s performance. Even with members who received positive grades, negative comments sprung up in the explanations. These were used, essentially, as insight as to why the member did not get a perfect mark. The accompanying text should be viewed as explanations for imperfection, rather than a summation or closing remarks on the overall job the council member did this year.

The grades given were not a biased reflection of the Gazette’s personal opinions, but rather the opposite—we wanted to follow the feedback given to us, adding a bit of explanation and insight into the grade.

We admit the process behind this wasn’t perfect. It would have been ideal to get more responses, and perhaps in the future, a more diverse opinion could be represented in the overall grading of the executive board. As it stood this year, we sought feedback from those who we believed worked closely with the executives, and who would have the most insightful and informed responses. In years to come, perhaps the methods for seeking feedback could be improved—online surveys may prove to be more effective than individual emails, for example.

Regardless, some explanation as to where these grades came from was necessary. Though there may not have been room to actually publish this sort of piece in print, an explanation could have been made ready by the time of publishing. This is an improvement that could also be made in the future.

Any feedback, suggestions for more effective polling methods, or further questions can be sent to editor@westerngazette.ca, or left in the comments section below for consideration.

Starring: Kristen Connolly, Chris Hemsworth

While he may subscribe to many of the cliques and tropes of expected genre conventions, Joss Whedon makes a good film—with whatever genre he is working in.

The film has a very standard slasher film plot. A group of five young teenagers go into the woods on a retreat and quickly discover that the cabin they are staying at is not what it seems. However, it soon becomes apparent that this story is the part of a much larger conspiracy that provides a surprising collection of laughs and thrills.

Cabin in the Woods is a surprisingly smart satire of a genre that has devolved into pointless brutality of the Saw and Hostel style—this film is not what one would expect. There are still gory deaths, with a handful of nasty surprises—including the use of a bear trap that would make Dwight Schrute cringe—but every death feels like a loss of a character whom the viewer has an attachment to, rather than an object to be mauled, maimed or massacred.

The characters themselves are not constructed archetypes. The film drugs them and the viewer into making them horror archetypes—Kristen Connolly stars as “the virginal” hero, Chris Hemsworth plays “the athlete,” Jesse Williams as “the scholar,” Anna Hutchison as “the harlot,” and Franz Kranz is “the fool.” The performances are all fairly strong—Kranz’s ironically insightful pot-head character steals every scene he is in and brings a degree of comedy uncommon for horror films.

Unfortunately, several of these characters don’t get enough screen time to fully blossom. As these characters become archetypes of the conventional American horror film, writers Drew Goddard and Joss Whedon turn these conventions on their side making the viewer aware of the individual’s conformity to archetype and the characters’ attempts to break out of both their physical and social constraints. This technique allows for a sense of moral outrage with what is being watched, that almost allows for a self-reflexive voice.

Unfortunately, Cabin in the Woods doesn’t take its self-aware and darkly comedic nature to its logical conclusion. The narrative outside of the expected narrative is exactly what a person would expect. Like The Hunger Games, it doesn’t take a serious stab at harsh and biting societal commentary—it cannot jump that chasm. The world outside the cabin is still a part of the fantasy that Whedon and Goddard try to critique and the ending suffers as a result.

Thematically, the ending doesn’t work because, like most American fantasies, Cabin in the Woods values the individual narcissism over collective good. Director Drew Goddard doesn’t allow the horror of that system of individualist values to be fully expressed, and as a result, the ending is ridiculous and melodramatic. The film makes good use of its awareness of its audience in the first act, but it doesn’t use it as slyly as it could have been used.

However, Cabin in the Woods is still a film that in a small way redeems the horror film genre and presents the possibility of a better cinematic experience. Whedon and Goddard create a shocking smart and hilarious satire of the horror genre.

Cabin in the Woods will be released in theatres on Friday, April 13. 

I made good on my New Year’s resolution and have faithfully been going to the gym and running three times a week, but for the past month, my leg has been hurting whenever I run. I took a week off to see if it would go away, but it came back. What should I do?

While I’m no doctor, chances are your body is trying to tell you something. Whether it’s your footwear, your training, or the way you run, an injury is an indication that something needs to be addressed.

My first and most important piece of advice is to see a physiotherapist or your doctor as soon as possible. If things aren’t getting better with rest, there’s no sense in waiting. Be proactive and get it looked at right away.

In the meantime, you can stay active and maintain your fitness with alternatives to running. If biking doesn’t hurt, try some spin classes or go for a bike ride outside. In the gym, you can try out the elliptical, a low impact option, to see how it feels. If you’re not sure how to use the machines, just ask a trainer to help you out.

If you’re jonesing to run, try water running. While you’re at the pool, you might as well swim—it’s an awesome cardio option to spice your routine up whether you’re injured or not.

If you’re still looking for ways to stay active, be creative. Try an invigorating yoga class or a challenging strength class.

Part of dealing with an injury is physical. You’ll likely get physio exercises, a stretching routine and plenty of advice when you go see a professional, but there’s a big mental element involved, too. It can be frustrating to get hurt, but reminding yourself of all the people who have gotten over injuries and come back stronger than ever is motivating.

If you’re facing an injury, keep your thoughts positive. Use the time off to try out new activities and focus on other ways to de-stress daily, like calling a friend, reading a book or doing something crafty. Stay active in other ways, listen to your doctor or physiotherapist and make sure to take care of yourself—as cheesy as it is, what doesn’t kill you really will make you stronger.

Marauders quarterback Kyle Quinlan sat in the shotgun as he barked out commands to his troops. With a lift of his foot, his receivers went into motion and the rest was a blur for Mustangs’ fans and players alike.

With a blown coverage in the Mustangs defensive backfield, Marauders star receiver Michael DiCroce was able to split the safeties, and after securing the catch, he went untouched into the end zone to begin the onslaught for the Marauders.

As the final whistle blew to signify the end of the game, the Marauders emerged victorious in overwhelming fashion by a score of 41-19. Though the DiCroce touchdown was not the only mistake for the Mustangs on that faithful Saturday, it was the turning point.

With that play emblazoned in the minds of Mustangs fans, it might be beneficial to stop and think what may have gone wrong on the play. It could have been a bad defensive call. It could have been a mismatch in athleticism. It could have been any number of things, but has anyone ever considered that final exams were just around the corner?

The role of a student athlete has two sides, one as an athlete—in which practice is paramount to reaching team and personal goals— while the other side is of a student. The difficulties of a student athlete are often understated, and the top of that list of difficulties is balance.

“The obvious difficulties would be the time we commit to our sport. I don’t think a lot of the student population realizes the amount of time that we put into what we do. I know how much time I put in each week all year,” Scott Leitch, Mustangs track athlete, said.

Striking a balance between school and athletics can be the difference between getting a high grade and a gold medal, or sitting on the sidelines. With success as students being paramount to success on the field, Mustangs athletics puts a premium on developing and nurturing good athletes that are also successful, responsible students.

Providing two programs in which Mustangs athletics monitor and aid student success on and off the field, they are able to provide the proper tools and infrastructure for positive results. Through their two programs—one of which is a mandatory study hall session, the other is a learning skills seminar—the Mustangs are able to provide athletes with the requisite skills to succeed, as well as holding them accountable for their study time.

“The study hall is run by student mentors who are masters of coaching students in kinesiology. We are the only school in Ontario that has mentors who are masters students,” Bonnie Cooper, varsity sports coordinator, said.

Leitch is an example of an athlete that is able to properly balance both school and work. Though Leitch is a cool customer in both the classroom and the starting blocks, he does admit to some difficulties, even for the most seasoned veterans.

“I find school and athletics fit pretty well together and I think most other athletes would say the same,” Leitch said. “There have been times when assignments and exams pile up and it affected practice, but I would say that happens to anyone, not just athletes.”

It is not only the responsibility of Mustangs athletics to take care of the student athletes. With the strongest connection to the team, coaches are often tasked with gauging the pulse of each team member.

Wrestling coach Ray Takahashi knows the value of balance. As both a mentor and a coach to many athletes, he understands the necessary balance. Takahashi himself won four CIS titles in his days as a Mustangs athlete.

Now as the father and coach of one of Western’s most successful athletes, Steven Takahashi, Ray has the unique responsibility of being on both sides of the ledger.

“It is all about priorities. It is about putting your school and your sport at the top,” Takahashi said.

With around 25 per cent of the roughly 900 Mustangs student athletes qualifying for the OUA’s academic achievement award, the well-known success on the field does not just stay between the lines.

While it was the Mustangs who ended up on the losing side of the Yates Cup, classes were still held the following Monday. Nobody lost their scholarships, or blew their opportunity of suiting up at the next level. With only so much time to split between textbooks and playbooks, sometimes one or the other may suffer. But with proper balance, and a good infrastructure, Mustangs athletics provided the necessary tools for success on and off the field.

No, it’s not managers, or fans, or players. It is one decisive stat—pitch counts.

Who decided that every starter in Major League Baseball has the ability to throw around 100 pitches?

No, I don’t suggest going back to the days of Bob Feller in which pitchers completed most of the games they started. I also don’t agree with Japanese league pitch counts of around 130 pitches. I just think that it is ridiculous to treat every pitcher the exact same.

For example, C.C Sabathia—known for his wins, pitch count and penchant for cheeseburgers—threw an average of 109 pitches a start. That is definitively near the top of the league and it stands only nine pitches over the general time in which managers pull their pitchers. Comparatively, Henderson Alvarez—a rookie last year who successfully joined the Jays towards the end of the season—pitched 97 pitches in his abbreviated 2011 debut.

I feel as if the disparity between a pitcher labelled as a workhorse, and a rookie that is being introduced into the league, would be more than 12 pitches per start.

Think about how few 12 pitches is in the grand scheme of a game. Considering a pitcher’s warm up—before the game, and the beginning of each inning—one would think that 12 pitches would be negligible.

Yes, those 12 pitches add up over the course of the year, and no, I am not an athletic trainer, but pitchers should be treated differently and not on a universal scale.

In kindergarten we were always told we were unique, but I guess MLB managers didn’t get the memo.

Setlist 4.5/5

Crowd 4.5/5

Performance 4/5

Worth the cash 5/5

Proving that more is better, Armin Van Buuren—one of the biggest names in electronic music—graced London with a roaring three-hour set this past week.

Currently ranked the number 2 DJ in the World by DJ Mag, he held the top spot for an unprecedented four consecutive years. The 36-year-old Dutchman is no stranger to success. His nearly two decades in the music industry have spawned 4 successful albums, sold-out tours, star-studded collaborations and A State of Trance—his massively popular radio show with over 500 episodes and more than 15 million listeners.

This “Burn Your Books” event on Thursday at the Canada Building of the Western Fair was masterminded by a slew of promotions companies such as NiteSchool, PremierLife and London Music Hall. Openers Tim Mason and Jochen Miller delivered strong sets to warm up the growing crowd.

Excitement reached fever pitch after midnight, and in a rare display of punctuality for someone of his status, Van Buuren appeared at 1 a.m.. Students were burning more than their books as they set the dance floor ablaze. Neon attire, Dutch flags, glow sticks and beach balls were out in full swing as people held nothing back from this anticipated performance.

Van Buuren played an ideal setlist characterized by quiet lulls and long melodic builds. The following intense hard-driving drops kept the blood, sweat and eardrums pumping. The bass proved to be a worthy adversary and shook every fibre of the crowd’s being in unison with each mighty thump.

Playing favourites such as “Belter” and “In and Out of Love,” Van Buuren also surprised fans with an interesting remix of the timeless classic “Personal Jesus.”

The visuals were noteworthy as well—this was a very foggy, vibrant show punctuated by dazzling strobes of changing frequency. Van Buuren was loving life and dancing throughout his set, engaging the crowd and always smiling.

To mess with and delight his fans, Van Buuren imperceptibly increased the tempo of the track beyond the limits of hyperactive human dancing, later performing this same stunt in reverse by slowing the tempo to a snail’s pace. Throughout these tricks, he had a mischievous smile reminiscent of a mad scientist and kept firm eye contact with the crowd.

Drowned in a sea of trance and house music, crowds begged for more by chanting “ARMIN! ARMIN!” on several occasions. It seems not even a masterful three-hour set can satisfy London’s voracious appetite for electronic dance music.

Judging from the pupils, the year certainly ended on a high note.

For the past eight years, The Jack Richardson Music Awards have played a prominent role in recognizing London’s musical diversity and excellence. This year’s awards ceremony will be the first since Richardson’s passing, meaning the event will pay extra tribute to the Juno Award-nominated producer and Order of Canada recipient.

“Jack was actually at last year’s awards ceremony on April 10, and then sadly he passed away about a month later on May 13,” Darin Addison, steering committee member for the JRMAs, says. “We’ve always paid tribute to him by naming the awards after him, but we thought that with his passing, it was really important to put in the extra effort to honour him this year.”

This year, the JRMAs will recognize London’s talent in 22 different categories, including hip-hop, classical-instrumental and producer/engineer. There are also two fan favourite categories that the public had an opportunity to vote for.

Matt Weston, drummer and bass player for the two-piece rock band The Dyadics, is excited about his band’s nomination in the rock category.

“Just the fact that we got nominated is huge for us,” Weston says. “It certainly validates the effort we’ve put into the band and tells us that we can achieve a lot more if we continue down this path. We’re really honoured to be in the company of some amazingly talented musicians as well as some good friends that we go way back with.”

The Dyadics will also be performing at this year’s ceremony amongst a few other artists, including Jennifer “Red” Thorpe, Hey Loretta and a few second-year music industry arts students.

According to Addison, the previous year’s winner for each category is asked to head the nomination committee, bringing in a group of their peers who are knowledgeable in the music scene.

“They get together and submit their choices to the steering committee,” he explains. “Originally the awards were voted on by the public alone, but what we’ve done is created the JRMA Academy instead. We’ve invited people in the music community to vote online once the nominees are determined—it gives a higher level of credibility to the awards.”

Weston is happy that London has dedicated people who treat musicians with the respect they deserve and are working on raising awareness for the music community.

“The steering committee members are all hard working individuals giving up their time to help recognize the good work done by the artists in this city,” he says. “I’m definitely very thankful to them.”

The Jack Richardson Music Awards will take place on Sunday, April 15 at the London Music Hall. Admission is free for everyone and doors open at 7 p.m.

Canadian singer-songwriter Charlotte Cornfield has a familiar sounding story.

Her father, a cellist, and her mother, also a musician, put Cornfield into music—a field where she excelled—at the age of five. Now, at 23, the singer says being a musician was always in the cards for her.

“When you’re a kid, you go through all of your crazy dreams—like I want to be a firefighter and an artist and all of these things,” she recalls. “But to me, music was something I always did and I always loved performing—so it seems like a pretty natural path for me.”

However, her sound is far from ordinary. A combination of folk and rock create her unique grassroots vibe. Jazz music also inspired Cornfield’s style. In high school, she developed a love for the jazz drum—an instrument she went on to study at Concordia University in Montreal.

Although she grew up in Toronto, Cornfield’s permanent base is Montreal—but she spends little time at home. Since age 17, she’s been on and off the road. She kept busy during her university years, releasing two EPs. In October 2011, she released her first full-length album, Two Horses, which she’s been promoting ever since.

“I wrote all the songs independently,” she notes. “[The album] was kind of inspired by a particular relationship in my life. And I looked at it from a bunch of angles over time— while it was happening and after.”

Song writing is no chore for Cornfield. With classic rock influences such as The Who and Led Zeppelin, along with her folk favourites Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell, Cornfield has plenty of inspiration.

“It’s rare that I’d sit down and be like, ‘I need to write a song about this.’ It will usually just happen,” she explains. “The songs just came really easily for this [album], though I’m a fierce editor, so I just worked on them a lot of over time.”

Cornfield’s a young musician, but has long-term plans for her career. “I’d like to make great records, play with some awesome musicians and tour as much as I can and just like to have as any writer wants—a really great output of material,” she says.

Cornfield is currently on tour and is heading out east, making a stop in London. After that, she’ll continue her tour in the U.S. “It’s going to be really fun,” she exclaims. “I’m also really excited to work up some new material that I’ve kind of started.”

Charlotte Cornfield will hit the stage at London Music Club Friday, April 13 at 9 p.m. Tickets are $11.50. 

Directed by: Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg

Starring: Jason Biggs, Sean William Scott, Eugene Levy

There was only one redeeming quality to Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg’s third American Pie sequel, American Reunion—Eugene Levy. He excels in every scene he is in, masterfully transitioning from oblivious awkward humour to completely goofy.

Unfortunately, everything else in American Reunion is a collection of profane, obscene schlock. It’s long past the “glory” days of its predecessors. While some of the jokes will go over the heads of those uninitiated into the American Pie canon, teenager-style sexual humour ages poorly and remains devoid of any significant insight.

Jim (Jason Biggs), Oz (Chris Klein), Kevin (Thomas Ian Nicholas), Finch (Eddie Kaye Thomas) and the constantly crude, ever-unbearable Stifler (Sean William Scott) return to their hometown for their high school reunion. Most of the characters, save for the “Stifmeister,” have their own jobs or families—Jim and Kevin are married to Michelle (Alyson Hannigan) and Ellie (Charlene Amoia), respectively, and Oz is a famous sportscaster with a supermodel girlfriend.

As many of these characters run into old high school flames or rivals, they find themselves in morally compromising positions where their post-high school lives are threatened by various attempts to relive old parties. Granted only the men are threatened, because in this liberated society, allowing the female characters to have any kind of character arc or development would over-shadow the hyper-sexuality of these teenagers in adult skin.

The events themselves are so ridiculous and over-the-top that American Reunion doesn’t provide any kind of serious commentary on life after high school. Maybe the characters exist in a fantasy world, but in reality, there aren’t high schools with fancy massive gymnasiums and classrooms or beach parties full of bikini clad women and underage drinking. This fantasy doesn’t provide anything relatable and the comedy suffers as a result.

The various sequences are actually well-constructed with several subplots colliding, but they lack the skill—and originality—of other recent comedies, such as Bridesmaids. American Reunion’s scenes play out rather predictably with multiple sub-plots building off each other exactly as one would expect.

The worst part of this film is Stifler, who is so outright offensive that even the other actors look uncomfortable whenever he interrupts them. His obsession with reliving high school is jarring, like Charlize Theron’s performance in last year’s Young Adult, but without any depth or intelligence. Hopefully he’ll be dead in the inevitable sequel American Funeral.

However, like Stifler, the rest of the characters never really got over high school—they are all still trying to live in the past. It’s a pretty good metaphor for the film as a whole, but unlike high school, the American Pie series won’t take much time to get over.

“One in six men will be or have been abused by the time they are 18. To think that it is a non-issue is disingenuous and it is not helpful to the people who have the courage to come forward,” says Lynne MacDonell, a psychotherapist and founder of Lynne MacDonell & Associates, who specializes in male abuse victims.

The problem with male abuse—either physical, sexual or emotional—is people in society are often not exposed to it so it is out of sight and therefore out of mind.

“Female abuse has been recognized for so long. There is a time—you go back to the ‘60s and ‘70s—and there was a time that they didn’t talk about it, and weren’t allowed to talk about it,” says Curtis St. John, past president and media spokesperson for MaleSurvivor.org and a survivor of abuse. “It is about women paving the way for men so that we can finally start to talk about it. They got a head start at smashing the taboo.”

Trying to cope

St. John points out from his personal experience that victims often develop depression and grow up not feeling “normal.”

“I can recall sitting in my house, and I had a great family, but I was looking out the window crying wondering why I can’t be normal. A lot of men secretly wonder why they can’t be normal,” St. John says. “What I am not seeing in the media is that happiness and recovery is possible—you simply have to be able to talk about it, talk to the right therapist or person, and then happiness and recovery is possible.”

“The problem is many men will not associate what happened when they were kids to the challenges they face in their adult life,” he continues.

MacDonell explains victims use other outlets to help them cope with the pain or shame of the abuse, which often further complicates their lives.

“If they have problems with anger management, they may end up in broken relationships or end up in jail. If they have problems with substance abuse, they may end up in jail. And if they become workaholics, their families don’t get the chance to have a partner or father figure in the home,” MacDonell says.

Stigmas

The main reason many males don’t come forward about abuse is because of the societal stigmas.

“One of the most common and the most dangerous misconception is that if a boy is abused, then he automatically grows up to be an abuser himself, and that is not true. Eighty-nine per cent do not go on to be offenders themselves,” St. John says.

Another misconception is that men should get over it, but they are just as wounded as a woman who has been a victim.

“Men feel just as much shame as the women,” explains Ellen Campbell, president and founder of the Canadian Centre for Abuse Awareness. “Women have people to talk to like their girlfriends and can process it—men don’t. When they finally come out with it, they could be married, and their wives and families don’t know. When they finally do come out it is incredibly difficult.”

Seeking help and reporting abuse is key to recovery.

“Women, as well as men, may be reluctant to come forward to report abuse,” says Sylwia Gomes, senior media relations advisor for the Public Health Agency of Canada. “Ensuring that women and men have access to the right supports is key to reporting abuse.”

Pennsylvania State

One of the most famous cases of male abuse came to light in November 2011 when Jerry Sandusky, a former Pennsylvania State football assistant coach, was arrested and arraigned on 40 criminal counts of sexual assault.

“At Penn State there was a 10 year old child being raped. Someone saw that, but because that child was a little boy, they did nothing. If that had been a little girl, the person who witnessed it would have freaked out,” MacDonell says. “The fact that it was a little boy, the men walked away thinking this is a gay issue. How can somebody have informed consent for sex when there is such an age disparity and power disparity? It is unbelievable.”

Penn State was not the first, nor will it be the last, case of male victimization. In 2009, former NHL player Theoren Fleury came forward about being abused as child by his junior hockey coach Graham James.

“About 20 years ago I did the first national conference from survivors of childhood sexual abuse and only a handful of men came out, and that was true for many years until Martin Kruze [the first victim to speak out about abuse at Maple Leaf Gardens] committed suicide 13 years ago,” Campbell explains. “That brought the issue out in the open about male victims. Because there have been some high profile cases around male victimization, it is now a lot more accepted. We are now getting more calls from men asking for help.”

Getting help

St. John expresses the sentiment that if it is not talked about you can’t fix it.

“Men do not tend to seek treatment because no one talks about it, so they must not be allowed to talk about it,” St. John said. “[With] the most famous case to the day, the Sandusky case, our website statistics for men seeking help skyrocketed by 66 per cent, practically overnight. Men don’t talk about this, however men talk about sports, and you can’t talk about sports without talking about Sandusky. What that has done is given them permission to be open and say ‘me too.’”

MacDonnell says from her experience, personal and group therapy are key to helping men overcome their abuse.

“There are two things I see working magically—therapy and group therapy. Group therapy allows the victim to hear other men and find out that he is not alone, and find out that some of the feelings he’s been feeling don’t make him crazy, it is kind of normal given what he’s been through.”

MaleSurvivor.org offer a variety of resources for victims including an anonymous discussion board, live chat rooms, online articles and a function to find a therapist in your area that is qualified to handle sexual abuse cases.

If you lived in the United States, or even Quebec, you could simply pop on over to the local convenience store and pick up a six-pack for the night. Unfortunately, if you’re reading this, you probably have the misfortune of living in Ontario.

Independent groups are currently pushing for an amendment to Canada’s liquor laws that will prohibit the transportation of wine across provincial boundaries. This effort highlights some of Ontario’s own outdated and illogical drinking restrictions.

For example, the drinking age in Ontario was raised from 18 to 19 in 1978 to prevent high school students from drinking. However, high school was shortened by a year in 2003, and the drinking age remained the same, leaving first-year students sober for a whole quarter of their precious four-year stint at a post-secondary institution.

Of course, one could always argue for the inherent value of depriving youngsters of alcohol, even though the drinking age is a year above the age of majority that allows people to vote and die for their country. However, when it comes to the centralization of liquor sales to just two stores, the arguments come down to pure greed.

The Liquor Control Board of Ontario has been around since the days of Prohibition and does exactly what its name implies—it controls liquor in Ontario, to the point of a monopoly. The stores are the only places in Ontario that can sell spirits and the board not only limits the selection available, but has also failed to keep prices at a competitive level, using “social responsibility” as a justification for price fixing.

In fact, aside from independent breweries, the only other place to buy beer in Ontario is the Beer Store, a cautionary tale that teaches us private monopolies are even more insidious than government ones. The only difference between the Beer Store and LCBO is that the former’s profits don’t all go to the province, or even the country, as the controlling interest is now shared between Canadian and American companies.

The provincial government is happy to allow anti-competitive practices disguised as “social responsibility” as long as they can make a profit off it, which this past year totalled to $1.55 billion. It apparently doesn’t matter to the McGuinty government that these practices harm the constituents the government is supposed to serve, as evidenced by McGuinty’s apathy towards a proposal to allow the sale of wine and beer in convenience stores during the most recent election.

The Ontario government may dress this monopoly up as a matter of social protection, but the fact is, the current liquor laws are products of a bygone era, enacted during Prohibition to exert control over one of life’s greatest joys. There is no justification for this stagnant situation when other provinces like Quebec and Alberta have been able to evolve their own laws.

A great man once said that alcohol was the cause of, and solution to, all of life’s problems. Right now the provincial government is part of the problem—it’s time for them to be part of the solution.

“It was determined that there was non-sufficient internal support [at York] to move forward and therefore the decision was made not to proceed with the arrangement with CIGI,” Joanne Rider, chief spokesperson for York University, said.

This lack of support came particularly from the Osgoode Hall Law School at York, whose main concern was that the deal inhibited academic freedom.

James Turk, executive director of the Canadian Association of University Teachers, agreed.

“The agreement York signed was a terrible one. It violated basic principles of academic autonomy and academic integrity,” Turk said. “It was the first university that I’ve known that was willing to do that in order to get money.”

He explained the issue was that the agreement would create a panel made up of half York faculty and the other half would be made of representatives from CIGI.  These CIGI representatives would influence what would be studied with the research dollars.

“The university hiring processes went out the window,” Turk said. “They were letting CIGI sit at the table and have veto power over which research areas each chair would be in, their specific financial terms, and expectations for what the research plans for each chair would be.”

However, Fred Kuntz, vice-president of public affairs at CIGI, asserted these claims were false.

“Academic freedom is guaranteed under York’s existing policies and practices governing academic freedom,” Kuntz said. “We entirely yielded to their existing policies and practices. Everything that York has in place, their rules about academic freedom, applied entirely to this program without exception.”

“The only area where CIGI had a veto is over what themes our research dollars would fund. We were going to donate this money to a program to fund research chairs and all we wanted was to be able to say what are the broad themes those research chairs are about,” Kuntz explained.

“CAUT was saying CIGI shouldn’t even have a say in how their money is used at all,” Kuntz continued. “They should donate the money to York and York can decide what areas of research will be researched. Who in the world thinks that’s reasonable?”

However, according to Turk, even broadly specifying how research dollars are to be spent compromises a university’s academic integrity.

“A university is the one place in a democratic society where all sides and all questions can be looked at, but at the end of the day the academics are not beholden to any particular interests,” Turk said. “Otherwise, they just become job shops for private interests.”

“We’re happy the program is not going ahead as it was signed,” Turk continued. “The villain here is not Mr. Balsillie, it’s York. That is, the fact that a wealthy donor might want to shape how his money is spent is not a big surprise. That a university would agree to it is the surprise.”