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.

The University Students’ Council will no longer operate the Used Book Store. On July 1, Western will take over the space and continue selling used textbooks.

The decision follows years of declining revenue for the UBS. Increased competition and an evolving publishing industry were to blame, according to a USC press release.

While the USC is losing the retail space, sixteen students are also losing their jobs.

“We felt the USC handled our termination poorly,” Jade Cowan, Western student and employee of the UBS since 2009, said. “Though we acknowledge and understand the terms of confidentiality in the USC and University’s sale agreement, there is still a strong sense of frustration and lack of faith in our USC governors.”

Lindsay Stevenson, another employee of the UBS, started a Facebook group to inform students of the closure.

“I am very disappointed and frustrated with the closure of the Used Book Store. Personally, it puts me in a very tough financial situation for the summer, and the same goes for many of my coworkers,” Stevenson said.

“[The Facebook group] is by no means a substitution for direct action and communication with the USC or the Book Store, but it helps a lot of students know what is going on,” she added. “I certainly think they have the right to know before September rolls in.”

Stevenson expressed frustration at the lack of transparency surrounding the sale.

“There was no referendum or other sort of vote, in which all students were informed of the details and had the chance to decide for themselves.”

Nicole Fassina, communications officer for the USC, said they will try to find replacement positions for the unemployed students.

The Book Store at Western will continue offering its buyback program in September, which allows students to sell higher quality used textbooks back to the store. There will be no consignment option and the USC will receive a commission on books sold.

“The Used Book Store space will be used for our needs,” Steve Alb, director of Western retail services, said. “Possibly buyback, but not confirmed at this time.”

Fassina said Western’s buyback method lets students receive money instantly instead of twice yearly through UBS consignment cheques. She added students with battered textbooks should look elsewhere if they want to sell them.

“Students are still free to sell any books or sub-standard textbooks through open-market outlets such as Facebook, Amazon, or Craigslist.”

According to Fassina, the USC will review the agreement in six months to determine if it is serving students well. There will also be evaluations every three years.

The USC will be honouring all existing consignment contracts and students will be able to pick up their cheques or unsold books by August 31. Students who placed books on consignment will be notified via email when and where the pickup will take place.

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SIDEBAR INFORMATION

“The Bookstore will buy used books from the students and is committed to offering 50 per cent of the new price if the book is being adopted again on campus and our quota has not been met,” Steve Alb, director of Western retail services, said. “The Bookstore will be offering the full buyback program. There will no longer be consignment.”

Textbooks not being used again on campus can be sold to other schools or wholesalers for 10 to 30 percent of the retail cost.

This is a decrease from what the UBS has recommended in the past. Previously the UBS has recommended students sell text books at 75 per cent of the retail price, with 30 per cent taken to cover costs of running the UBS. The left 52.5 percent of the books’ retail price in students’ pockets, according to Fassina.

This past winter, Western students voted yes on a referendum to renovate the University Community Centre. So what should students expect come November, when the renovations are estimated to finish?

“Budget willing, the gyms will be a large, open lounge with natural lighting, several large activity rooms, comfortable furniture, a modest stage for student productions, and other attractive features,” Ely Rygier, vice-president finance for the University Students’ Council, described.

“They won’t look like gyms anymore,” he added.

Another unique feature is the worship space, an area created for faith groups on campus. The 2,500 square foot room, renamed the multifaith space, will be located on the second floor, according to Paul Tomlinson, senior manager facilities and operations for the USC.

As for the November deadline, planners hope some areas may be available earlier, but Rygier said nothing is certain.

Since the project requires altering an existing space, setbacks may arise when the construction actually begins, he explained.

“The best way to speed up construction is to take the time during the design phase to ensure that [...] the ‘unknowns’ are uncovered ahead of time,” Rygier said. “That is what we are doing right now.”

This is the third renovation to the UCC in just over one year. Last year, the lower level and rear of the UCC was converted into classrooms. Over the summer, the Spoke was renovated and a patio was added. These renovations were completed faster than expected, according to Tomlinson.

“[W]e were done within two months,” he said, adding precautions are being made to ensure the UCC renovations remain on schedule. “[However], we don’t want to sacrifice quality or money for speed.”

The Spoke renovations encountered some unique roadblocks that the UCC renovations may not, according to Jeff Armour, USC food and beverage manager for the Wave and the Spoke.

“Our hope was to have [the Spoke renovation] done by the start of the school year, but we knew our long–order items would be very close to that deadline,” Armour explained.

One of the biggest problems keeping the Spoke renovations on schedule was getting the liquor licence for the new patio, he added.

Once gym renovations are complete and students have full access to the space, the UCC will likely experience more usage and traffic, Armour said.

“I saw the advertisements a few weeks ago and I was disturbed by a few things in particular,” Susan Knabe,  assistant professor in the faculty of women’s studies and feminist research, said. “There was a kind of crass wink-wink nudge-nudge great boy-girl ratio; the main reason to take courses as a guy is because you have access to more women. It almost seemed like a kind of ‘pimping out’ of the female student body.”

One video shows a male student chuckling in excitement over the guy-girl ratio in his classes. Another follows an all-female panel as they reassure students there are in fact boys on campus — main campus that is.

“It’s important that the women who come here know that there are still networking opportunities available with men,” Sheila Blagrave, director of communications, marketing and external relations at Brescia, explained. “And that’s a skill women need to have in the workplace when they leave.”

She indicated many students are unfamiliar with an all-female atmosphere express trepidation at the idea — an anxiety Brescia hoped to ease with their new campaign.

“So many people I know who’ve chosen Brescia say how it feels like a community, but I think a lot of that can get lost amidst the stereotype of ‘all girls’ — and there are many,” Kate Bryant, a recent graduate of psychology and community development at Brescia and author of bresciablog.com, mused. “People think that the girls who go to Brescia are super nice and bubbly, that Brescia girls are really mean and catty, that the girls are super religious and uptight, or that the girls are academically serious. I guess a women’s college stirs up weird stereotypes because it seems so outdated, but I think it’s really relevant.”

Blagrave expressed the public response to the videos has been very positive. However, Knabe isn’t so sure the message being spread is the right one. She said the same patronizing tone carries into another video, which suggests the absence of men would be problematic, instead of suggesting it isn’t a big deal.

Brescia reasoned the advertisements were simply meant to be an entertaining, tongue-in-cheek method at dispelling stereotypes, aimed to provide a well-rounded view of the school.

“Education is really important. The female students talk about the academic aspects; it would be pretty boring if for nine videos, all you talked about was education, and not the social environment,” Blagrave defended. “Life at university is about growing in all aspects: intellectually, socially, physically and morally.”

Knabe amended that while some of the videos are quite positive in their representation of women, the three videos in question reinforce a strong notion of normative gender and sexual relations.

“My main concern is that the way the advertisements are going about, it sells women, men and Brescia short.”

The videos can be viewed at www.mybrescia.com

Several students and faculty at Western have noticed that virtually all of the lights at the WSRC are left on overnight, even though the facility closes at 12:00 a.m. during the school year. This raises questions about why the school is not lessening their carbon footprint by turning off these lights when the facility is not in use.

Lights burn bright all night at the Western Student Recreation Centre.

The Gazette contacted Gareth Cunningham, Western’s manager of Campus Recreation, to help explain why the lights are left on.

“Lights in the Western Student Recreation Centre have been on more than anyone would like in our first year plus of operations,” Cunningham said in an e-mail. “Some lights go off every night, while others remain on.”

Apparently, some of the building’s illumination can be chalked up to an optical illusion. While the number of lights left on may be similar to other facilities on campus, the WSRC’s glass walls make it appear more fully lit than other stone-walled buildings.

Another problem is access to the WSRC’s lighting control panel, which is currently in a secured, central space along with the facility’s safes. Cunningham described access to this area as “very limited and controlled” for security reasons.

“[It’s] good in theory to have the control panels for lights in a secure space, but poor design for the number of individuals who may need to access that light panel,” Cunningham said.

Starting in the fall, Western’s caretaking staff will be allowed limited access to the control panel so they can turn off the lights once their work is finished — usually around 2:00 a.m. When the facility’s student staff arrives in the morning around 5:30 a.m. they will turn the lights back on. Meanwhile, some lights will remain on because they are on the emergency light panel system.

“We’re working closely with Western’s caretaking staff to get a process settled moving forward,” Cunningham said. “The new procedures will see more of those lights go off each night.”

See something on campus you want fixed? Email fixer@westerngazette.ca explaining the problem and we’ll look into it.

“A lot has happened in my life over the past five months, and I’m here at the Masters to play and compete,” the golfer said to a room filled with media members yesterday.

The conference comes months after Woods’ public apology, where he spoke about his return to golf and the scandal surrounding him and his family. He took no questions at that press conference.

After an opening address yesterday, Woods apologized to fellow golfers for undue media attention. He then answered questions about his family and his return to golf. He called the “constant harassment” of his family one of the more difficult parts of the past months.

Reflecting on the practice round he played earlier that day, Woods said he received tremendous support from fans.

“I’ve made a conscious decision to try and tone down my negative outbursts. And consequently, I’m sure that my positive outbursts will be calmed down, as well,” he said.

“And that’s just trying to be more respectful of the game and acknowledge the fans, like I did today. That was just an incredible reception all day for all 18 holes. And show, you know, my appreciation for them. I haven’t done that in the past few years, and that was wrong of me.”

Woods is set to compete in the Masters this week.

— Stuart A. Thompson

For the past few years, it has been tradition for the outgoing Gazette Front Office to say a few words on how much their time at the paper meant to them and other sappy crap like that. The brain trust of Volume 103 has decided to take a different approach. What you’ll find below are the most significant lessons the three of us have learned through our respective roles with Canada’s best daily student newspaper. While some of these points are indeed specific to the Gazette, hopefully you’ll be able to take one or two things from our experiences.

Thanks for a great year.

Ryan, Carly and Jaela – Front Office, Volume 103

You can’t have too much of a good thing … especially when it’s caffeine.

Apathy is the 21st century’s version of natural selection.

Extra-curriculars teach more than “curriculars” ever will.

Small talk and networking are overrated. Time is too precious to waste on building “connections” rather than friendships.

Journalists are hated for writing the truth. Politicians are loved for speaking lies.

Change is best accomplished from the inside.

There is no such thing as an “unsafe discussion.”

The best student experience is created by the person, not the institution.

Branding is a way of selling yourself, even when you have nothing to offer.

Off the record should be respected … most of the time.

The majority of readers do not know what an editorial is. This makes us question whether the majority of readers have ever opened a newspaper that isn’t the Gazette.

Hungover editing does not work. See the March 19 issue of the Gazette.

Just because you’re the boss doesn’t mean you should always take charge. Don’t be afraid to recognize when someone is better at something than you are.

Don’t let people forget who the boss is.

Don’t get caught up in anything. This isn’t real life, yet.

Club executives think their events are newsworthy. They aren’t (99 per cent of the time).

Whether running on time or on strike, students always have a beef with the London Transit Commission. Walk.

USC presidential elections are a popularity contest. Sorry Tithecott.

Rick McGhie isn’t the same at the Spoke. Wave 4 lyfe.

Admit when you’re wrong and don’t apologize when you’re not.

You will never please everyone. So don’t bother trying.

Take criticism seriously, but not personally.

Uninformed people are far more likely to criticize than the informed.

Consider the source … in everything.

Be nice to people, please and thank-you go a long way.

Titles mean nothing.

Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, even if 30,000 people notice when you do.

Ignorance is bliss.

Heart beats talent any day of the week.

You are probably capable of things you can’t imagine yourself doing.

Anonymous is synonymous with gutless.

Gazette editors and staff members are some of the best people on campus. They put in over 40 hours of work at a student paper for no (or next to no) money, pull of decent grades and still always find time to grab a beer with you. (Thanks)

It’s OK to take a mulligan once in a while…

The University of Waterloo varsity football team underwent drug testing last Wednesday, after police discovered a stash of steroids and human growth hormones.

While looking for stolen goods from a break and enter, Waterloo Regional Police Service uncovered the performance-enhancing drugs, which prompted an immediate investigation by both the police and the University. Details regarding the stash have not yet been revealed to the public, as the investigation is ongoing.

University officials have called in Canadian Interuniversity Sport, which oversees sports at universities across the nation.

“[CIS] recommended a certain number [of athletes] to target test, and we actually made the request to test the entire team,” Bob Copeland, director of athletics and recreational services at Waterloo, explained.

“We felt that it was [important] to  exonerate those who are competing clean and don’t deserve that type of cloud.”

CIS was disappointed to hear of the circumstances, Marg McGregor, chief executive officer, explained: “[We] wanted to take immediate steps to ensure that we had confidence in the program, and that any athletes that were cheating were caught.”

According to McGregor, the CIS has been conducting drug testing on its athletes since 1990, with only about one per cent of the tests coming back positive.

“That [statistic] suggests that the vast majority of student athletes are competing clean, following the rules, respecting the game and respecting their opponents,” she said.

Following the results of the testing at Waterloo, any athlete who tested positive, self-disclosed or refused testing will be revealed to the public through CIS.

At Western, athletes may be subject to both random and targeted drug testing throughout the year, in accordance with CIS and the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sports, explained Thérèse Quigley, director of sports

and recreation services at Western.

According to Quigley, all student athletes at Canadian universities must also undergo an education program on topics such as drugs, as mandated by the CIS.

“The purpose is — obviously — to educate student athletes about the effects of various performance-enhancing substances, but also to educate them about the policies, protocols and the zero-tolerance [stance] that the CIS has,” she explained.

Copeland agreed that education and prevention are key to supporting clean, fair sport.

“My hope is that we’re able to develop better policies and education [programs] of benefit to everybody who participates in CIS football,” he said, noting that his colleagues from other universities have been supportive throughout the incident.

As the events at Waterloo suggest, it is an ongoing battle to keep the drugs out of the hands of varsity athletes at schools across the country, according to McGregor.

“We’re not naive enough to think that there will ever be a day when everyone will make the right ethical choices, but we’re certainly doing what we can to educate people, and to test and catch the folks who think that they can get away with it and skirt the rules.”