“We’re very much more a knowledge economy, one that is focused on knowledge based jobs,” Milloy explained, adding 70 per cent of new jobs will require a credential from either a university a college or an apprenticeship. “We’re taking that very seriously.”

John Milloy

The minister explained there have been 200,000 new students accepted across the province — a figure he said is three times that of London’s entire student population. But this increase in enrollment isn’t without some drawbacks; critics have claimed the increase in enrollment has lead to Ontario funding its universities the least per student in the country.

“I really do take issue with ‘the fun with figures’,” Milloy responded. He explained the comparisons between Ontario and smaller provinces weren’t accurate. “I’m sure Western has more students than some provinces have […] I don’t think you can make those comparisons.”

Milloy also explained independent studies have shown the Ontario Student Assistance Program is one of the most generous in the country. “One thing that I’m really excited about and I’m not sure students are aware, is the repayment assistance program.”

Changes to this program included income-based repayment and having outstanding student loans dropped after 15 years. This was done as part of the $1.5 million in changes to OSAP, which were announced in March. Another change was the ability to increase the maximum textbook allowance under OSAP to match the consumer price index.

But Milloy expressed regret at the lack of changes which could be made to the Textbook and Technology Grant. “We had hoped we could increase it over a multiyear basis […] We’re going to have to continue at the $150 level.” He cited the province’s deficit as the rationale for these actions.

The province’s deficit has also been cited as the rationale behind the recent decision to freeze the salaries of public sector workers, excluding university faculty, for two years. However the province has been putting pressure on schools to do the same.

“I think what the government’s has been saying is that everyone needs to be realistic as they move forward,” Milloy explained. He felt confident both parties could reach an agreement.

James Compton, president of the University of Ontario Faculty Association, disagreed, saying the province is trying to persuade faculty associations to agree to a compensation freeze when none currently exists.

Looking forward, Milloy stated he hoped to continue his contacts with student groups because they have encouraged him to make the necessary changes.

“It’s a student business we’re dealing with,” he concluded.

During Orientation Week, the University Students’ Council is the boss. By renting out Western’s campus, they have control over the week’s events. This gives them the ability to decide who gets to promote to frosh and who does not. In recent years, only those who pay sponsorship dues have been allowed to promote themselves during the week, leaving some student groups frustrated.

This year Rogers and the Athletic Club are shelling out big bucks — between $3,000 and $6,000 each — to be a visible part of Western’s O-Week.

The Mustang cheerleaders are one group who are not allowed to recruit frosh during the weeklong event.

“Countless times I’ve heard the USC tell me, ‘You can’t promote [the cheerleaders] like that’,” coach David-Lee Tracey said. “The cheerleaders promote Western spirit. Since when is promoting a bad thing when it’s for Western?”

The USC countered by saying clubs and sports teams including the Mustang cheerleaders and marching band are welcome on campus during O-Week as long as they don’t try to promote themselves. In other words, no recruiting.

“We’re willing to acknowledge that we want them there, we want that Western spirit,” said Mark Wellington, manager of the USC’s Student Life department.

Sponsors are allowed to promote more than Western groups because it’s difficult to offer fairness, according to Justin Mackie, vice-president of student events for the USC.

“We want to make sure that there is equity amongst all of our groups and it would be near impossible to facilitate all campus groups during the week since there are over 200 of them,” he pointed out.

Another reason why sponsors are the only ones allowed to promote during O-Week is to control messages sent to frosh, according to Wellington.

“Many years ago Orientation Week was full of hazing, sexism and homophobic comments. As people became more aware of this the University and the USC decided to take action,” Wellington recalled. “We’ve worked with the USC to get it down, it’s taken almost two decades to get where we are now, providing a consistently welcoming and friendly environment for first years.”

The USC pointed out O-Week staff and sophs are trained to encourage this welcoming message and that all sponsors are reviewed by an advertisement oversight committee to ensure they are appropriate and contained.

But Tracey argued frosh are not as impressionable as the USC believes and the sponsorship system strips frosh of a genuine Western experience.

“Whether it be a protective policy or a sponsors-only thing, it’s as though we aren’t allowed to truly be Western during O-Week,” Tracey commented.

Student groups can still have access to O-Week through advertising, Wellington said. Some groups have purchased small inserts into the O-Week kit in the past.

While the majority of clubs and Western groups don’t make use of this option, Wellington concluded sponsorships — and the rules that come with them — are necessary to provide the kind of O-Week students want and expect.

“In the majority of years, sponsorship has provided the revenues necessary to fund 20 to 40 per cent of O-Week’s programming,” he said. “Without it, it is likely that one or more of the major evening events would be cut.”

This year the USC is introducing Purple Week immediately after O-Week, an initiative kick-starting the promotion of USC groups, projects and operations. The week is quickly followed by Clubs Week, which allows campus clubs to promote themselves in the University Community Centre atrium.

Meaghan Coker, president of the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance, explained students are now paying close to what governments pay to each university’s operating budget.

“This signals Ontario moving away from what has branded our public education system since the 1960s and towards the American private college model,” she explained. “Students are now paying [for] a greater proportion of their education than their parents.”

Koker, who also works as vice-president of university affairs for the University Students’ Council, cited schools like the University of Waterloo and Brock University, which are already receiving more money in tuition than in provincial grants.

But across the province as a whole, things appear differently. According to Tyler Charlebois, spokesperson for the Ministry of Training Colleges and Universities, Ontario universities received $3.1 billion in government operating grants from 2008 to 2009. This compared with $1.9 billion in tuition across the province.

OUSA says students are paying more for education, but are getting less service, citing an increase in class sizes and a decrease in the amount of programs offered.

Western is not immune to this funding shift. According to Janice Deakin, provost and vice-president academic at Western, tuition in the 1990s was approximately 20-25 per cent of operating revenue. Now it sits at 37 per cent.

“Over the past five years, tuition for direct-entry undergraduate programs has increased by about 4.2 per cent per year,” she said.

Deakin also explained the provincial funding model is the lowest in the country because the province has always tried to keep universities accessible.

OUSA wants to see the province take a stronger role in funding its universities, with students only paying a third of the school’s operating budget. Charlebois explained there is currently no general model for university funding across Ontario, apart from the tuition framework. The framework allows universities to increase tuition by an average of five per cent per year for the next two years.

Coker views the framework as part of the problem.

“The root of this trend is that the growth in funding from the province is slower than the growth that the province allows in tuition fees,” she said.

Deakin explained Western will increase tuition by the maximum possible amount except in cases where there’s more flexibility, such as graduate studies or medicine. Western typically increases graduate and professional program tuition at a lower rate than the one set out by the province.

The flexibility in tuition has made the University of Waterloo to being one of the first schools in the province to receive more revenue in tuition than government grants. The university issued a statement claiming these increases were used to improve the quality of their professional programs.

“If the current funding trends continue, all institutions will face similar situations in the coming years,” Coker explained. She cited enrollment increases and the province’s desire to see more students with degrees as future stresses on the system.

Angelina Jolie fans aren’t the only ones talking about salt this summer.

After more than two years of research and debate, a new study recommends Canadians cut their salt intake by a third over the next six years.

“This is something everyone should be aware of,” explained Katherine Gray-Donald, a professor at McGill University and a member of Health Canada’s Sodium Working Group, the 25-member panel who released the report.

Panelists in the group have backgrounds in nutrition, food manufacturing, and government. They began meeting in 2008 to establish sodium reduction guidelines and develop strategies to help Canadians meet these guidelines.

Sodium has become a growing concern because a high-sodium diet can lead to health problems, including hypertension, a major cause of heart disease.

Sodium levels in food compared by different consumption patterns. From the recommendations of the Sodium Working Group (PDF).

“We have suggested that restaurants make the sodium levels of the foods they serve available to the public. Many websites of chain [restaurants] do show the nutritional content of their foods, including the sodium content,” she explained.

However, single restaurants have more difficulty providing this information, as they generally don’t use standardized recipes, Gray-Donald added.

As far as campus eateries go, students can get the nutritional information for all residence food halls, as well as many eateries across campus, according to Anne Zok, nutrition manager for Western’s Hospitality Services.

“Students can find daily menus and nutritional breakdowns on the residence dining website,” Zok explained, adding the nutrition kiosk in the University Community Centre provides information about food served by Hospitality Services.

Hospitality Services have also been working towards healthier options on campus, including reducing sodium, Zok added.

“We’re always looking for healthier, less processed foods in both the campus and residence operations and the sodium content of the foods available on campus is certainly top-of-mind for us,” she said.

Among the changes being made on campus are an expansion of the Just Like Home pasta and soup stations, which allow customers to choose the ingredients in their meal. Zok also mentioned including lighter-dressed pasta salads and portion-controlled sandwich combos at campus eateries.

But it’s ultimately up to the individual to do their homework and seek out the healthiest choices, Gray-Donald noted.

“Reading labels helps us see what the salt content of a prepared food is and [allows us to] choose lower salt alternatives,” she explained.

Planners originally hoped to transform the UCC gyms into lounge space by September. Now the official completion date is December, with some involved in the project saying February is more likely.

Ely Rygier, vice-president finance for the University Students’ Council, explained the series of problems at an executive council meeting last Monday.

It all started after an unusually low bid was placed by a contractor at the end of June. At the time, six contractors placed bids on the project by submitting estimates to Western.

The bid from M.J. Dixon Construction, a contractor out of Mississauga, was lower than all the others. Tomlinson said the highest bid — $4.46 million — was probably the real cost of the project. Dixon bid only $3.28 million.

The USC assumed the contractor made a mistake in the proposal. Both sides reviewed the bid and found a number of small mistakes and one larger mistake, causing Dixon to under-price the project. The USC didn’t elaborate on the mistakes before press time, saying only the larger mistake was related to the stage.

A week passed while both sides discussed their options. Unable to alter the bid after they submitted it, Dixon quietly asked to pull from the deal.

“That’s when things from our perspective got a little bit difficult,” Tomlinson said.

Western fired back, saying all bidders agree to a “bid bond” — a kind of insurance worth about 10 per cent of the bid. Boris Pertout, project manager for Western, said the University also has a precedence to award contracts to the lowest bidder. Dixon would have to pay $328,000 just to walk away from the contract.

With Western’s rules handcuffing the USC and the bid bond handcuffing Dixon, everyone in the deal was suddenly gridlocked.

Talks continued for two weeks until Western finally gave an ultimatum — do the project or Western will seek legal action, likely forcing Dixon to pay the money.

The next day Dixon agreed to the project, Tomlinson said. This means the contractor will now do the work for a loss or close to break-even.

Rygier addressed whether the company can cut corners at the meeting last week.

“The answer is patently no,” Rygier said to a roomful of USC brass, including other vice-presidents and the USC general manager.

He explained Western provides the contractor with a large book specifying all the materials used in the project, right down to the types of nails and screws. The contractor agrees to the specifications when they submit the bid.

Tomlinson added Western and the USC will watch the project closely to make sure no corners are cut.

Despite the delays, Rygier insisted the problem was out of the USC’s hands.

“We don’t oversee the project. We oversee the people that oversee the project. We have no power over the situation,” Rygier said. “We acknowledge, as we understood, that there will be some cost increases from this.”

The cost may climb beyond the bid price because of the delays. Since classes will be running beside the gyms come September, the contractor will have to do some work on nights and weekends, which will cost a premium, Tomlinson said.

Any changes to the plans would also cost more money. The contractor would allow some flexibility if there wasn’t a mistake in the bid, according to Tomlinson.

“That’s our job, to make sure that if there are necessary changes — and frankly there are always necessary changes — that we’re getting value for the money,” Tomlinson explained, adding the USC is prepared for any scenario.

Dixon declined to comment on the project.

Getting back on track

Students approved the renovations after a referendum last year. During the USC presidential election, students voted to add $25 more to their student fees, amounting to around $662,500 every year.

At the time, an FAQ was posted on the USC election website explaining when the project would be finished.

“The renovations would be scheduled for completion before the first day of class in September 2010,” the website read.

In early June, USC officials told The Gazette that renovations would finish by November. By the time bids were open, planners pushed the deadline back to December.

Tomlinson said they’re sticking to a December 20 completion date.

But after Dixon agreed to the project, planners faced more unexpected delays. After Dixon’s proposal was vetted, planners realized one of the subcontractors hired to remove materials from the gyms wasn’t qualified to handle asbestos and mercury. The contractor was forced to find a new subcontractor to handle the project, delaying the demolition stages.

At the executive council meeting, Rygier said the new completion date was February.

“I predict that students will be very frustrated with this,” he said.

Pertout called the delays a “concern” and said the real project deadline that remains unclear.

“I’ve asked the contractor for a schedule but we don’t know the final date at this point.”

Tomlinson concluded that, ironically, the delays are ultimately caused by the “good price,” not by any individual or group.

“If we hadn’t got a good price, we’d be in better shape. It sounds counter-intuitive, but that’s just the way it worked.”

The aptly named Purple Bikes, an offshoot of EnviroWestern, had a modest launch earlier this year and is set to expand operations this fall. By offering both a bicycle co-op and a ride-share program, Purple Bikes hopes to green Western’s campus and promote safe cycling in the London community.

Mimmi Thompson, co-chair of the program, is optimistic about the initiative and its impact on the campus environment.

“We have lots of great paths students don’t know about and we know it’s hard for students to buy and store their own bike,” she said. “Hopefully, this way, they can experience these great spots in London through our rental system. We want cycling to be affordable for everyone.”

But bike programs like this don’t come without risks.

Western, like any campus, is susceptible to bike theft and vandalism. Every year, about 75 bikes are stolen or lost on Western grounds, according to Elgin Austen, director of Campus Community Police Service.

Michael Brown was one such victim.

“I lost a really nice bike. It was on the bike racks on Concrete Beach. I had a cable lock that was sliced clean through with a bolt cutter.”

Brown, program director for 94.9 CHRW, downgraded to a more modest bicycle in hopes of deterring thieves after flashier models. Unfortunately, his efforts did little to curb campus crime.

“On the second occasion, [my bike] was locked to a no-parking sign. I was in a big hurry and I didn’t lock it very tightly. I guess the person figured out he could lift my bike above the sign, which was probably nine feet in the air. The thief must have had a ladder or multiple people,” Brown surmised.

Currently, Purple Bikes policy states a bicycle must be returned within 48 hours of its rental, but the repercussions for those who don’t are still unclear.

“We have to decide on the process for unreturned bikes or accessories,” Thompson said. “Campus police has said they will assist us in getting the bikes returned and we’ll be working with the USC to ensure students return their rentals.”

But Thompson doesn’t foresee stolen bikes being a problem. In addition to being mostly older, second-hand vehicles, they’re coated in a startling shade of Mustang purple.

“Just the fact the bike is painted purple will likely be a theft deterrent,” Austen affirmed. “They should be easily identifiable. Many bikes that are stolen are pieced together with other bikes and re-sold.  A fast turn-around time for the thief, from theft to sale, is preferable and a purple bike may be considered too much trouble.”

Additionally, Austen stated bicycle theft at Western has been on the decline for the past few years.  However, for those that are stolen, very few are ever recovered.

Within weeks of distributing his bicycle’s serial number and description to local pawn shops and used bike dealers, Brown discovered his bike had been stripped down and its parts distributed to a bike store in Windsor.

Despite his ordeal, Brown continues to ride his bike to campus every day — adding a few extra precautions to his daily routine — and considers the Purple Bike program a nice addition to Western.

“I’ve seen this on other campuses in other cities, and I think it’s just a really great idea. The bikes they’re using are not the flashy variety, they’re utilitarian. I really hope people dig the service.”

O-Week will continue to support Shinerama, a fundraising initiative for the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Two Terry Fox runs wrap up the festivities again this year on Sunday, Sept. 19.* It’s the 30th anniversary of the run and the second run will include a barbecue, guest speakers and musical performances, according to Brandon Sousa, external affairs coordinator for the USC.

The schedule leaves several hours open for individual faculty, residence and affiliate programming.

The eight day orientation begins on Sunday, Sept. 5.

Sunday, Sept. 5

8 a.m. – 4 p.m. Delaware, Medway-Sydenham, Perth, 1/2 Saugeen-Maitland, and Brescia move in

Evening
Residence and Affiliate-specific programming

Monday, Sept. 6

8 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Alumni House, Elgin, Essex, 1/2 Saugeen-Maitland, and Kings move in

9 a.m. – 4 .p.m.
Off-Campus registration on Concrete Beach

7 p.m.
Opening Ceremonies at Talbot Bowl. This year’s headliner is Down With Webster

9 p.m.
Hypnotist Mike Mandell followed by the Wayback Playback Dance

Tuesday, Sept. 7

8 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Residence, affiliate, and off-campus specific programming

9 a.m.
Off-Campus pancake breakfast at Concrete Beach

7 p.m.
Sex with Sue at Talbot Bowl

9 p.m.
Residence and affiliate programming

Wednesday, Sept. 8

9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Faculty and affiliate programming

10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Charity BBQ in Talbot Bowl – $5

8 p.m.
Arts, Cultural and Diversity Festival at Concrete Beach, the Social Science Alcove and the 3M Courtyard

Thursday, Sept. 8

10 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Residence, affiliate and off-campus programming

1 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Faculty and affiliate programming

7 p.m.
Charity Carnival and Midway

Friday, Sept. 10

10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Info Quest — events and competitions around campus with sophs for prizes

6 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Closing Ceremonies at Talbot Bowl

8 p.m.
Faculty and affiliate programming

Saturday, Sept. 11

8 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Shinerama Day

2 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Western football game versus McMaster University at TD Waterhouse Stadium

Sunday, Sept. 19*

10 a.m.
Terry Fox Run 1 – Concrete Beach

2 p.m.
Terry Fox Run 2 – Concrete Beach
*Correction: This indicates the following change on August 10, 2010.
Sunday, Sept. 12 was changed to Sunday, Sept. 19

The arrest, which occurred in the Social Science Centre last October, quickly entered the national spotlight after a video was posted on YouTube.

The lawsuit follows separate reports on the incident by Western and London police. In February, London police released the results of a review and concluded the use of force was “appropriate.” Zeljkovic’s lawyer questioned the report and the use of pepper spray.

“The officer contaminated himself [with pepper spray] too. Who knows where it hit,” Phillip Millar said at the time.

Western’s report included eight recommendations including how to deal with mental health issues.

A resident of London for eight years, Preston is a familiar face to many Western students. In his time at Western as an undergraduate, master’s and, now, a doctorate student, Preston has been a tireless advocate of increased accessibility on campus and beyond.

He rode his motorized wheelchair from London to Ottawa in 2008 to raise awareness about accessibility issues in Ontario. It’s an issue Preston has personally faced, having been in a wheelchair all his life since being diagnosed with Congenital Muscular Dystrophy at three-months-old.

This March, Preston made headlines again when he announced he was running for London city council in Ward 14.

But yesterday, things took a sad turn for the 25-year-old student. On his campaign website Tuesday afternoon, Preston announced his withdrawal from the election.

“The only way to describe it is heartbroken,” he said later, adding it was a tough decision to make.

“For personal reasons it’s just not realistic to go through with the campaign this season. Does that mean never? Absolutely not. I guess you could say bad timing.”

Preston stressed the election is just one way to make a difference in the community — something he still intends to do as a concerned citizen, even if through other channels.

“Election or not, I think we can make London a better place,” he said. “And I want to be a part of that.”

Preston added he will still be involved in the election by encouraging people to vote, helping create youth leadership opportunities, and continueing his advocacy work.

Jared Zaifman and Sandy White are the remaining Ward 14 candidates for the October election.

“We were scared about what the cloud of ash was going to do,” the 22-year-old Western student recalled from her Germany apartment. “We needed to get back to Germany but hardly anything was flying out and everything else was booked. […] I was so stressed I almost puked.”

Tania was en route to the University of Freiberg in Germany to continue her studies abroad. During the 2009/10 school year, Western sent 156 students to 15 different countries around the world in the international exchange program.

Click to see the journey three Western students took during their international exchange. Graphic by Anders Kravis.

The amount of funding available to assist exchange students is vast. Scholarships, awards and bursaries are available from Western, host universities and the Canadian government.

“It’s such a phenomenal program, we really want it to be accessible to everyone,” Rebecca Denby, International Exchange Coordinator for Western, said.
Last school year, 49 per cent of participating students received one or more scholarships from Western to support their exchange.

“Students pay Western tuition fees, so it’s more affordable than you would think. It’s exactly what they would pay here,” Denby continued. “The only difference is the cost of flight and living, which can even be cheaper than Canada depending on the country.”

Unfortunately for a group of students studying at the European Business School in Germany, their exchange wasn’t perfect. A communication problem with Western caused several participants to lose pre-approved credits.

“Before we left we had to get all our courses approved. Western told us we would be getting 2.0 credits and then only gave us 1.5,” Evan Donnelly, third year Commercial Aviation and Management student said. “It was a pain in the ass because they were going to make us redo finance and marketing even though we’d done it in Germany.”

Western’s international exchange office argued it was the first time Western had run this specific program at the school and losing 0.5 credits was rare. They noted the communication gap between outgoing students and Western faculty is something the program is working to improve.

The loss of credit did not affect Donnelly’s overall experience on the exchange.

“It was the first time Western had done this program with this school so I had to expect some bumps in the road.”

He confessed that he went on exchange to travel and that education took a back seat to life experience.

“Some of my favourite moments on exchange included riding a camel in the Sahara Desert and getting up on a surf board for the first time in Lisbon,” Donnelly added.

With so much travelling, students may disregard academic responsibilities abroad. The international exchange office at Western is implementing a pass or fail system to cope with this reality.

“The pass/fail system will be applied to every student going on exchange from 2010 onward. We were one of only two Ontario universities that still converted grades into percentages, this new system certainly gives students an advantage,” Denby commented.

“However, students must remember that while Western has a pass or fail recorded, grad schools and scholarships will want to see transcripts from host universities which will show a percentage grade,” she continued.

While the education is in itself a fantastic experience, Donnelly said the travel was the best part of the program.

“I went on exchange to travel and it was one of the best experience of my life, I’d definitely recommend it. I know its kind of cliché but I feel this experience has turned me into more of a man,” Donnelly said.