The bylaw, officially named the Smoking Near Recreation Amenities and Entrances Bylaw, came into effect on May 1. It prohibits smoking within nine metres of playgrounds, parks, sports fields and other recreational areas. In addition, the bylaw disallows smoking within nine metres of buildings owned by the City.

“Not only does second-hand smoke have a negative impact on the health of others, but merely seeing someone smoking, especially a role model like a parent, older sibling or coach, increases the risk a child may start using tobacco themselves,” Linda Stobo, program manager of Chronic Disease Prevention and Tobacco Control at the Middlesex-London Health Unit, said in a statement.

“The experience in other com- munities that have similar bylaws in place has been that with education and awareness of the regulations, people tend to keep themselves in check,” she continued.

Enforcement of the bylaw will be the responsibility of the Tobacco Enforcement Team at
the MLHU. Violators of the bylaw could find themselves facing a fine of up to $205 if caught.

According to the MLHU, London will join almost 90 other municipalities in Ontario who have adopted similar bylaws. Jennifer Irwin, a professor with the Faculty of Health Sciences at Western, commented that such policies are becoming more prominent in an attempt to change societal norms surrounding smoking.

“My view is that the potential for this particular policy is about reducing negative impact on children, both in terms of actual environmental tobacco smoke and role-modeling behaviours,” she said. “Additional limitations will continue to come into play so that eventually it would be more difficult for children to know about smoking.”

“[The bylaw] is somewhat difficult to police, but it does contribute to changing the norms in society,” she added.

According to Statistics Canada, 19.3 per cent of Ontarians aged 12 and above are daily or occasional smokers—third-lowest among Canadian provinces and over one per cent lower than the Canadian average. 13.1 per cent of non- smokers in Ontario reported being exposed to second-hand smoke in public places on a regular basis in 2010.

Elaine Barrett, a smoker who has lived in London for more than thirty years, agreed with the new bylaw.

“I think there should be more of these kinds of things,” she said. “Even though I’m a smoker I don’t necessarily feel good about [smoking].”

Irwin pointed out that this is a sentiment among smokers the new smoking restrictions should seek to avoid.

“While anything to help reduce the negative impact of tobacco on children is important, it’s also important to not demonize the smokers themselves, most of whom self-identify as wanting to quit,” she said. “Quitting support also needs to be an important piece to this puzzle on a behavioural level.”

The MLHU said in their statement that they expect the bylaw to be largely self-enforcing, and if Barrett is any indicator, this is a reasonable expectation.

“If they don’t want me to smoke in these public places, then I simply won’t,” she said.

Although the second round of the playoffs is already underway, there are lessons to be learned from round one.

The first thing we learned from round one is that a high-powered offence is not necessary for games to be exciting. The match up between the Los Angeles Kings and the St. Louis Blues is a prime example of this. Both teams in this series boast a near identical style of play. They have built their teams from the net out and focus on gritty play and puck possession. In my opinion this was the most exciting series to watch in the first round, and depending on how it all looks when the dust settles, it could turn out being the most exciting series of the entire playoffs.

The second lesson learned from the first round is that no matter how old and faded they might seem, you can never count out the Detroit Red Wings. This is a team that has seen their talented veteran defensive corps become completely depleted over the last two years with the departures of Brian Rafalski and Nicklas Lidstrom—arguably the second-best defenceman to ever play the game. Additionally, the team relies heavily on their aging core of Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg and Thomas Holmstrom while filling out the rest of their lineup with younger, more inexperienced players. However, the Red Wings have perhaps the best coach in the league in Mike Babcock and proved why they have the longest running streak of making the playoffs, taking down the Anaheim Ducks in seven games.

However, with all of this being said, the most important lesson learned is that playoff experience and Stanley Cup experience is an x-factor not to be overlooked. 16 teams make the playoffs every year, eight teams move on to the second round and peppered among those eight teams this year are the league’s last five Stanley Cup champions—the Los Angeles Kings, the Boston Bruins, the Chicago Blackhawks, the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Detroit Red Wings. And guess what—every one of those teams (except for Chicago, who dominated the Minnesota Wild) was forced to grind it out during their respective series and relied on their experience to win in either six or seven games. It is one thing to be dominant during the regular season, but things are different during a grueling seven-game series. This year is just another great example of how hard it is to reach the Promised Land if you haven’t fought your way there before.

The sun has finally reared its effulgent head, and with it comes the long awaited warmth. It’s finally time to soak in some rays and enjoy the naturally slower pace the summer brings. And what better accompanies a good tan and lounging in a lawn chair than a nice cool cocktail? Syrupy, crudely-named bar cocktails hardly evoke placid summer refreshment, so here are a few buoying beverages for the hot summer days.

Pimm’s Cup: Named for the spiced gin-based liqueur contained in this quintessential summer beverage, Pimm’s Cup is a herbal and fresh cocktail, which will keep you as cool as the cucumber with which it is garnished.

- 2 oz Pimm’s No. 1 liqueur

- 3 oz lemonade

- Splash of club soda or ginger ale

Combine ingredients in a tall glass over ice. Garnish with a slice of cucumber and a lemon wedge.

Classic Shaken Margarita: Forgo the blended ice slushy that Margaritas have become in favour of the simple, classic, refreshing shaken Margarita.

- 2 oz tequila

- 1 oz Cointreau or Triple Sec

- 1.5 oz fresh squeezed lime juice

Pour ingredients into a martini shaker with ice, shake vigorously. Wet rim of class with lime juice, and dip in coarse salt. Pour Margarita into glass and enjoy.

Tom Collins: A drink that brings cocktails back to their roots, the Tom Collins is the apex of warm-weather refreshment.

- 2 oz gin

- 3 oz club soda

- 1 oz lemon juice

- 1 tsp. superfine sugar

Combine ingredients in a highball glass over ice and garnish with a slice of orange. In a pinch, lemonade can be used as a substitute for the sugar and the lemon juice.

It’s high time you stash away your rum and cokes, rye and gingers, and Cosmopolitans for some simple, refreshing beverages that evoke the very essence of summer. When you need to beat the heat, nothing can compare with these refreshing cocktails. Undoubtedly they will certainly quench your thirst, but be sure to remember and always sip them slow.

Director: Shane Black

Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Ben Kingsley, Gwyneth Paltrow, Guy Pearce, Rebecca Hall, Don Cheadle, Jon Favreau

The movies that make up the Iron Man trilogy are a bizarre collection of nuts and bolts. The first Iron Man was a solid superhero movie about a largely secondary character made successful through its comic and lighthearted style, as well as a strong performance by Robert Downey Jr. Iron Man 2 was a train wreck—its plot consisted of annoying Randian political messages and short, pointless action sequences. Iron Man 3 has the interesting position of being a sequel to The Avengers, as well as Iron Man 2.

Fortunately, Iron Man 3 is an effective return to basics on the part of director Shane Black. The action and plot are lighthearted and the themes address the paranoia about militarization that made the first Iron Man’s pseudo-satire of the War on Terror a joy to watch.

Tony Stark is suffering from anxiety attacks after traveling through the wormhole at the climax of The Avengers. When his bodyguard Happy (Jon Favreau) is put in a coma by a terrorist attack arranged by The Mandarin (Ben Kingsley), Stark openly challenges the supervillian. Meanwhile, Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) confronts Aldrich Killian (Guy Pearce) and Dr. Maya Hansen (Rebecca Hall) who may have some involvement in the attacks.

There is a lot going on in Iron Man 3, and some of the plotlines suffer as a result. Rebecca Hall is particularly underused and the resolution with her character is unsatisfying.

This is the first Marvel movie to take place after the events of The Avengers and has to live up to in terms of action, which it does quite well. Iron Man 3 features the best action sequences of any of the films in the series, with its final sequence providing several spectacular fights.

However, aspects of the film’s reference to its predecessors are inconsistent. While characters talk about “New York” as a non-so-subtle reference to 9/11, there is little that seems to have changed in the larger world despite an alien attack and the revelation of the existence of Norse gods and superheroes in the previous films.

Both plot-wise and thematically, the film is reminiscent of the original Iron Man. Tony is stripped of his resources and must rely on his intelligence to find and defeat The Mandarin, building a relationship with an outcast kid in the process. The film does effectively criticize the military-industrial complex for manipulating the war on terror, setting up corporate interests as a greater threat than even The Mandarin.

At the end of the day, Iron Man 3 is still not a perfect film and a lot of that is a product of the thematic focus of the film. Since Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man, superheroes have been characters occupying a post-9/11 world, but outside of that theme they don’t develop as effectively.

In this sense, Iron Man 3 is thematically the same as the first movie, and subsequently it feels like the series as a whole hasn’t moved on to deal with larger issues. It is a solid superhero movie and the strongest entry in the series, but the genre still needs to evolve.

Director: Michael Bay

Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Dwayne Johnson, Anthony Mackie, Ed Harris, Ken Jeong, Tony Shalhoub and Rebel Wilson

Razzie award winner Michael Bay offers probably some of his best work in his latest film Pain & Gain, a dark comedy about body builders turned extortionists. However, that’s not saying much considering the quality of Bay’s past work—Pain & Gain amounts to being the least smelly of the piles of horse manure Bay has put on the silver screen.

Daniel Lugo (Mark Walhberg) is tired of his low-income job as a personal trainer. After being told he is a “doer” by an abrasive motivational speaker (Ken Jeong), Lugo convinces his co-workers—Paul Doyle, a religious ex-convict (Dwayne Johnson) and Adrian, a steroid abuser (Anthony Mackie) to kidnap Victor Kershaw (Tony Shalhoub), a wealthy patron of the gym, and torture him until he signs over his wealth to them.

Inevitably, the plan goes awry when Victor deduces the identities of his kidnappers and gets more complicated when a private investigator (Ed Harris) begins to look into the case.

The performances are surprisingly good and all of the actors are able to make their characters absolutely despicable. Walhberg gives an incredible performance, creating a nuanced and interesting character, and Johnson is funny and enjoyable in most of his scenes. The film is legitimately funny, though it almost feels inappropriate to laugh at a story based on actual events with real survivors.

Ideologically, the film is quite interesting. Lugo’s obsession with the American Dream and belief that he deserves a certain kind of lifestyle, as well as Doyle’s bizarre religious beliefs, create the sense that there is a dark social commentary at play. Despite the story taking place in the 1990s, there is no attempt to make the film look like that decade—recent car models, cell phones, costumes, and scenery all give a sense of the present day. This lack of attention to detail, as well as Lugo’s pro-American rhetoric, gives the film a clear link to modern day politics.

Unfortunately, any political message is overshadowed by how horribly Michael Bay treats women in his movies. In Pain and Gain, most of the women exist as bikini- or workout outfit-clad models to be ogled by the camera. Of the only two legitimate female characters in the film, one is an incredibly thick stripper and the other is a nurse (Rebel Wilson) at a penis health facility whose character exists solely to have jokes made about her bizarre fantasies and body.

In fact, the entire film itself seems to look at more heavy-set people as somehow inhuman. Every character who is overweight in the film is at some point insulted because of it—and not just by the macho Lugo who calls unhealthy people unpatriotic. It would be easy to say that it is part of the character’s horrible nature, but the camera supports their views, looking at people just as horribly as the characters do.

Pain and Gain is ultimately a funnier, but less-eloquent, gender-swapped Spring Breakers. After the lengthy two and a half hours, the film is so ideologically convoluted that it seems hardly worthwhile to work out what it is trying to say. The fact of the matter is that when one is dealing with a filmmaker who makes films for American teenage boys, it’s not surprising when the message is inconsistent.

Opener: 

Performance:

Setlist:

Crowd:

Worth the $$: 

On April 7, PremierLife capped off the year by throwing a block party featuring Swedish DJ Alesso. The 21-year-old last played London a year and half ago to a sold out crowd at the London Music Hall. Since then, Alesso has become a star in the electronic scene, known for his megahits “Years,” “City of Dreams,” and “Calling.”

He further raised his profile as a DJ just last month, opening for Swedish House Mafia’s last ever performance at Ultra Music Festival in Miami. This time, he arrived in London to headline a massive tent party.

The night started off with local act Giddy dropping easy house beats. The music was upbeat but mellow, getting heads nodding and feet moving in anticipation for the main course. The most notable difference from previous block parties was the size of the crowd—complimentary tickets issued for the failed Clover Fest had the tent packed tighter than ever.

Giddy finished his set but kept a slow beat playing as he left, building the anticipation for Alesso’s arrival. The track built until the young star took the stage donning the iconic Swedish House Mafia look—a plain black tee and slicked back hair.

With an impressive LED display illuminating the young DJ, Alesso started off heavy with Swedish House Mafia’s “Greyhound.” His own hit, “Clash,” along with Ingrosso’s “Reload” had the crowd going wild. The night continued in this fashion, with all in attendance singing along to familiar tunes—even when there no words to sing.

Alesso’s true genius comes out in the recording studio as opposed to live crowds. His productions have made him a star, but he is still in the difficult process of finding a unique sound that makes for a memorable set. It’s not the individual songs that make a DJ, it’s a talent for mixing the familiar with the unknown to give the audience a taste of something new.

Alternating between chill and heavy tunes is a delicate art, one that Alesso needs to work on. The young DJ still has a lot to learn about customizing his set to play the audience, but he certainly shows promise. For the uninitiated, the show was a great introduction into the happy house sounds of the electronic world. For the experienced, it was a chance to sing and dance to the “best of” of EDM classics. Sure it was by the book, but this book was a pleasurable read.

The crowd certainly agreed, roaring and dancing to each track, keeping the energy going strong up until the very last song. The show closed off with an impressive series of the headliner’s own hits to remind us who we came to see. He dropped his new One Republic track “Lose Myself” to finish the night. It was hard to find a hand that wasn’t in the air for the finale, as everyone enjoyed the last few moments of a stellar evening.

Like most good events in London, the night ended too quickly, leaving the energized crowd wanting more. In the end, Tent Party delivered on its promise—a high-quality show with world class music. All around, it was a strong performance that ended an eventful year on a high note.

I witnessed something on Saturday, April 6 while visiting campus to watch a student recital. I completed all three of degrees at Western and I always enjoy the chance to visit campus, especially if it means reconnecting with former students.

Having some time to spare I decided to walk up to University Community Centre; seeing how campus has evolved is something I hope current students return to see. As I neared the Great Hall, a girl on a bicycle burst past a group of students. She had a milk crate on the back and was in a hurry and upset. Almost instantly, a guy in the group called out, “Why don’t you pedal faster! Maybe you’ll fly!?” He continued to cut the girl to pieces with his friends, laughing as I passed.

Really?! This is what passes as how current Western students treat one another?

I was somehow not surprised to read the recent poll on mental health on campus. With man-children like that lurking, I have no doubt more support is needed.

—Dave Parkes
M.Ed 2010

Three years later, and there are a now handful of first-years at Western who were only 12 years old when that sketch came out. Thus, I think it should be evident that my time here has come to an end.

We’ve published a lot of stories this year about “getting involved” at university. Most are accompanied by a few quotes from human resources personnel underlining its importance for employability. A less-mentioned caveat to getting involved is the relationships you’ll develop—and, indeed, many times it’s these relationships that will get you through all the highs and lows of a 60-hour work week.

Students can often point to one experience that defines their “university life.” For The Gazette, it seems that experience can be taken one step further—it defines your life.

When the University Students’ Council announced their planned move of our offices, the outpouring of support from alumni was incredible. Friends contacted friends who contacted friends—many dating back to the 1980s. It should come as no surprise that many alumni—after spending 40 hours a week in the office together during their frisky, young adult phase—were now married to each other with children. All spoke with pride, warmth and an obvious yearning for their time at the student paper.

Besides the copious amounts of time spent with one another, The Gazette is often full of adrenaline. There are few words to describe the feeling of when a big story breaks. There are even fewer words to describe it when a story breaks and you’re racing to cover it with your best friends at your side.

I remember, clearly, the look on a new volunteer’s face when details were emerging the lack of funding for Western’s Holy Book Day. I’d never seen someone look so interested and excited at their first day on the job. That volunteer has come in nearly every day since, and was hired on as an editor for volume 107.

As student newspapers are relegated to a small slice of campus life, it’s important not to forget about what they are—student newspapers.

Yes, our job is to provide students-at-large with the information they need to know, but it is also to educate aspiring writers and journalists. Cut down the printing schedule, reduce funding and you end up hurting students.

If there’s one manta I’ve kept in mind while working here for the past four years it’s this—The Gazette is not only a paper, it’s a classroom, and it’s a family.

As I clean out my office, and pick up my last copy, it’s with a bittersweet frame of mind. I know I’ll never forget this place, but, on the other hand, I can’t wait to be one of the paper’s proud alumni, making way for the next generation of young student journalists and taking the lessons I learned within these purple walls out into the world.

With the release of their debut L.P. in early April, Weber and his group of collaborators, Angus Fraser and Dan Roberts, have been engaging audiences with their dynamic performances and now come to London to play at the APK on April 19.

“I’ve jumped out into the crowd with a floor tom before and danced with people,” Weber says. “We just try to make it a really fun engaging experience which might be a bit different from night to night.”

Weber, the band’s drummer, draws from a vast range of musical genres and a fruitful collaboration with Dan Snaith, to whom Weber credits an encyclopedic musical knowledge.

“Some of the music he’s turned me onto has really influenced the music I’ve made,” Weber says.

Weber’s growth as a performer and a songwriter can also be attributed in part to his time with his former band Caribou, Snaith’s experimental powerhouse.

“Originally we were trying to create dance music out of entirely organic sources, but I kind of wanted to make it drum heavy, so every song ended up being this cacophony of like ten layers of drums and percussion and shakers and hand drums,” says Weber, referring to Pick a Piper’s earlier work.

With his time with Caribou in toe, Weber reflects on the things he’s learned.

“Give things space and work with sparser arrangements. I think more about groove and feel or an interesting beat instead of how many 16th notes you can cram into one bar.”

Weber’s range and maturity is apparent in such tracks as “All Her Colours,” with its bright, blooming synth, mixed with soothing vocal stylings, and a ruddy atmosphere of electronic drums, and “Cinders and Dust,” a percussion heavy, poly-rhythmic machine.

Weber orchestrates each track through a process he calls “sampling his friends.” After his associates respond musically to an original idea, he filters each sample through his mind, splicing and meshing the different ideas together to come up with a new, cohesive whole.

“To me one of the most powerful things music can communicate is this immediate sense of emotion, this sort of wash of emotion,” Weber says. “It can really powerfully and immediately put you in a certain emotional state—it’s one of the most incredible things about music, to me.”

“Music has always been a part of my blood, I would be making noise all the time, there was no pause at any given moment,” says De Roover who, growing up, listened to all kinds of music, a lot of which have inspired his music today. “I grew up singing barber shop and a capella, so there’s a ton of vocal harmonies on everything that I do and there are also certain elements of metal and rock that I love.”

With so many genres of music inspiring his work, many of De Roover’s fans have a hard time describing his music.

“I guess it’s a compliment when people don’t know how to categorize your music,” De Roover says. “What I’ve heard a lot is that my music has a quality that is me, and that’s a great compliment in the sense that I’ve found my voice over the past four years. Now I’ve found and really honed in on the sound I can call my own.”

During his career, De Roover released four albums, played various international music festivals and opened for bands like the Beach Boys and Goo Goo Dolls. Now, De Roover comes to London to play at the AP on April 12 as part of his ongoing travels.

“What I think is the coolest thing is the fact that, because I travel as much as I do, I get to see the country, I get to see cool bands, I get to meet people, spend all this time just engaged with music. I’m most proud of the fact that I’m doing it, making it happen, and people are willing to support me.”

Given the chance, De Roover would like to collaborate with visual artists as well as filmmakers.

“In the next five years I would imagine myself touring the states a lot more as well as branching out to Europe and Australia. I’ve got two options for where I can go from here, I could do an acoustic version of the songs from the new album or I could also write a brand new album where the titles of the songs are actually quotes from comedians and then build songs around those.”

Jean-Paul De Roover will be performing at the APK on April 12 starting at 9 p.m. Tickets are $5.

When I decided to come to Western as an English major five years ago, I figured I’d have the typical university experience. I knew I’d likely enjoy my time here, but expected to blend in with the sea of students, and thought I would develop most of my skills in the classroom.

I couldn’t have been more wrong.

Western welcomed me with an abundance of opportunities to pick from, one of them being The Gazette. In a blink of an eye, I was hired as a section editor and eventually became the paper’s deputy editor, responsible for overseeing Arts & Life, the section where I spent most of my Gazette career.

My time here has given me confidence, improved my writing skills and allowed me to become part of something so important to the Western community. Most rewarding was seeing The Gazette affect a number of students the same way it affected me.

I’ve had the pleasure of watching fellow staff and volunteers gain confidence, improve their writing skills in a matter of weeks and, most importantly, come to a place they belonged to. Through covering local arts—a community tight-knit and unique unto itself, I’ve realized just how important community is, regardless of the form it takes.

To most, The Gazette may be just another student paper, but my time here, as both as a contributor and an observer, has proved it to be so much more. I’ve seen hundreds of people walk through the Gazette doors—some leave frustrated, some never come back, but many leave a different person.

To those of you who bothered to read this, and who have read The Gazette in the past, thank you for taking the time to do so.

While The Gazette will never be perfect, it has done a good job teaching its contributors important lessons. As I conclude my final goodbye, I’d like to leave you with the most important lessons I’ve taken from my time here—perseverance pays off, all problems can be solved and every challenge, stressful day and criticism you face will turn you into a better person.