Entering university is a tough transition for anyone. The workload increases, there's a new campus to get used to and many students are living on their own for the first time. Add to that a heavy commitment to a varsity team, and you've got a recipe for a difficult first year. It is important to know what resources are available on campus to help you succeed.
Deana Ruston, who graduated from King’s University College with a Bachelor Arts, completed her studies while undergoing treatment for cancer and dealing with anxiety and depression. Now graduated, she hopes to work with Western and its affiliates to help develop supports for students who want to continue their schoolwork while dealing with significant health challenges.
Kevin Blackney, a graduate from Western master’s degree in immunology, had followed up his second-place finish at the Canadian 10K championships last month and bronze effort last week at Guelph.
Michael Kirby, honorary Doctor of Laws recipient at the Friday afternoon session of Western’s 309th Convocation, spoke to graduates, asking them to be mindful of teaching and service opportunities in their careers and to provide help to others in a holistic way. He continued asking graduates to be mindful not only of their physical health, but also their mental health and to seek help early, to be there for others and not to succumb to the stigma surrounding mental health.
Lesless White-Eye, Chief of the Chippewas of the Thames First Nation, was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws, honoris causa (LLD), at the Tuesday afternoon session of Western’s Convocation. She spoke to graduates, passing along wishes to “emerging leaders” to collectively work to foster an inclusive Canada that is hospitable to different ideas, cultures and histories.
Western’s O-Week is kind of a big deal. Whether it's being woken up by your sophs at 7 a.m. after staying up all night at a free concert or having a paint fight in residence, O-Week's a momentous occasion you won't ever forget. The week may seem like a big question mark, so here’s a list of things we think you need to know.
Volker Nolte, the head coach of Western's rowing team, is retiring after 24 years. While he is ending his role as the head of the program, he will continue in his position as an assistant professor for Western's school of Kinesiology.
Christine Stapleton, Director of Athletics at the University of Calgary, has been named Western’s new Director of Sport and Recreation Services, Western Mustangs officials announced today. Stapleton follows Thérèse Quigley, BA’75, BEd’77, who retired in December 2016. Stapleton has more than 30 years of experience in university sports, serving as an administrator, coach, and competing as a student-athlete. Weese will continue to serve as Acting Director of Sport and Recreation Services, as well as Special Advisor to the Provost, until Stapleton begins July 3.
Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne stopped at Western University's Wellness Centre to discuss a number of the government's initiatives early Friday morning. During the visit, Wynne discussed the OHIP Plus pharmacare plan that was introduced in the recent Ontario budget unveiling.
Western’s Alumni Hall will glow green this week, part of the Canadian Mental Health Association’s initiative to Shine Green for Mental Health Week. Students, staff and faculty are also encouraged to wear green Wednesday in support of keeping the conversation going around mental health.
Over the course of three months, students took part in the Sustainability and the Environment (WISE) competition. The aim of competition is to generate ideas and initiatives among Western’s students around the topic of sustainability, and to officially recognize innovative and progressive ideas for green and sustainable initiatives. Sara Husni, Danielle Sakher, and Sahar Ataya, the members of the winning team had proposed No-Meat Eats, a plant-based cooking education program for students living in Western residences. Finalists were Garet Gransaull with Blockchain Energy Disruption and Mary Yao with the Platter.
For the third year in a row, Kelsey Veltman has seen her competitive spirit pay off. Recently named Ontario University Athletics (OUA) West Division Player of the Year for 2016-2017, Veltman has now captured the award in each of her three seasons in the conference, having also earned first team all-stars honours each year.
Post-secondary students are not oblivious to the fact that it’s increasingly difficult for youth to break into the job market. Many of them turn to summer jobs, co-ops or internships during the summer months to obtain practical experience in the work field. Learn about opportunities available to Western students.
For indigenous students, leaving their communities and coming to Western is not only a momentous decision, but can be an intimidating one too. Logan Smith, president of the Indigenous Student Association, says the younger indigenous generation’s ability to maintain their cultural authenticity is vital, and leaving their communities they have known their whole life is a daunting step. Hoping to find a sense of belonging at Western while cultivating their indigenous identity is the goal, but small moments of cultural insensitivity from students and the academic curriculum can cause a disconnect.
One Mustangs athlete will be representing the purple and white at the National Collegiate Table Tennis Association's (NCTTA) national championship tournament in Eau Claire, Wisconsin from April 7-9. First-year BMOS student and Edmonton native, Kelly Li, will be competing in the 2017 TMS College Table Tennis National Championships alongside athletes from Canada and the United States.
If you’re a frequent patron of the Western’s Rec Centre, you might notice that there is an empty spot where scales used to be in the change rooms. The scales have been damaged and are planning to be replaced.
With summer approaching, students are scrambling to land a job. In most cases, taking a look at the available job postings online is their first step in the job search. Under the portfolio of Western's Student Success Centre (SSC), Career Central is an online job board that aims to help Western students and alumni to apply for local and international summer jobs.
The Mustangs track and field team ended their season on a high note in Edmonton earlier this month, with the women's team ending third and the men's team ending fourth in the final major event of the year: the U Sports competition.
Different groups at Western have partnered with the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) to offer after-hours crisis counselling during finals season: Western Student Health Services (SHS), the University Students' Council (USC), Society of Graduate Students (SOGS).
The pilot program introduced last semester received a positive response from Western students.
On March 7, it was brought to the attention of the Student Success Center (SSC) that a student had applied for a fraudulent job through Career Central. If someone has been in communication with a fraudulent employer, it is best to contact both the police and the University so they can take the necessary steps to minimize loss for the student.
For years indigenous students were faced with a shrinking pool of funds to access post-secondary institutions, but there’s some relief on the way.
Before the 2017 federal budget was announced yesterday, there was a specific question on the radar: will the federal government follow through on their promise to eliminate the Post-Secondary Student Support Program (PSSSP) cap? In the budget, the government committed to “renewing Canada’s relationship with indigenous peoples and making real progress on the issues that matter most to them.”
The Mustangs women’s volleyball team finished sixth in the nation after a 3-0 (22-25; 20-25; 24-26) loss to the Dalhousie Tigers during the consolation final at the U Sports national championship. The match was the first time the Mustangs had been swept in straight sets all season.
The third annual Indigenous Awareness Week is coming to Western University from March 20 to March 25. Intending to give insight on indigenous life, the week has many events planned including a sunrise ceremony, a film festival and a powwow.
Western’s women’s volleyball team will return to London as OUA silver medalists after losing a tightly contested five-set match to the McMaster Marauders in Toronto on Saturday. Both teams have qualified for the National Championships taking place next weekend in Toronto, hosted by Ryerson.
Suicides are hard to talk about, especially after the heartbreaking losses students have experienced in the past few years. As a result, the Student Success Centre's program safeTALK offers an opportunity for everyone on campus to learn more about discussing the issue. The program takes place throughout the year and provides people with the right language and knowledge to detect signs of suicidal ideations present in others.
A Tilt fundraiser set up to honour Western student Jeff Costa reached its goal soon after it was posted online. Within 24 hours, the fund reached $1,500 and at the time of publication surpassed the $2,000 goal with $2,597 donated.The donation fund was created by Natalie Major, a fifth-year sociology student, who was Costa's roommate and considered him one of her best friends. The money raised is going to CAMH's One Brave Night for Mental Health Challenge. Major chose this cause as Costa was always passionate about mental health and she believes he would have supported the choice.
Three members of the Mustangs men's volleyball team have been named Ontario University Athletics (OUA) West Division Second Team All-Stars for the 2016-17 campaign. Fourth-year middle Chris Newcombe, third-year outside hitter Zeid Hamadeh and fifth-year middle Mike Choja were all honoured after leading Western to an 11-6 regular season and a quarter-final appearance in the OUA playoffs.
On Wednesday afternoon, Governor General of Canada, David Johnston, and his wife Sharon visited Western with a specific topic in mind: mental wellness.The Governor General visited campus for the third year of the president’s lecture series presented by Amit Chakma. Before presenting his lecture, Gov. Gen. Johnston spent some time touring campus. He visited the Brain and Mind Institute, the Wellness Education Centre (WEC) and took part in a roundtable discussion on post-secondary mental health.
Amanda Myers, youth outreach co-ordinator at Western’s indigenous services, explains the focus of International Women’s Week should also highlight what has been largely ignored in celebration of women’s history in Canada’s, the women’s right of indigenous groups. The article concludes “And instead of ignoring this, we can use a time where the spotlight is on women to turn the focus to indigenous women in particular.”
The Western women’s hockey team’s playoff hopes were dashed last Sunday as the Waterloo Warriors eliminated the Mustangs 3-2 on the road to claim game three. The series was a rematch of last year's first round, which saw the Mustangs sweep the Warriors two games to none. The Warriors will now advance to the McCaw Cup semifinals for the first time in their program's history.
The Sexual Assault Centre of London (SACL) conducted a survey that resulted in an alarming number of sexual assaults, harassment, and threats while on Western University and Fanshawe College bus routes. AnnaLisa Trudell from SACL hopes this will prompt LTC to promote safety measures for riders. LTC may also release a rider safety survey to understand the concerns of different groups.
Mustang’s women’s volleyball team defeated the Queen’s Golden Gaels in straight sets at Alumni Hall this Saturday in OUA quarterfinal action. The team will advance to the final four for the third straight year, where they will take on the undefeated University of Toronto Varsity Blues on Friday.
From funding levels for varsity teams and recreation clubs, to the importance of sponsorship and licensing, Western’s athletics program is getting a long overdue check-up in preparation for its soon-to-be announced athletic director. Input from students, SRS staff, campus recreation users, coaches, alumni and others will play a vital role in what is presented to administration and, ultimately, the university’s new athletic director, who will step into the role July 1. To offer your insights and suggestions, visit www.westernmustangs.ca/srsreview.
Mustangs women’s volleyball team is ranked 10th in the U sports Top 10 rankings. Third-year middle, Kelsey Veltman, is a dominant player, and the team is confident her skills will allow them to go for the OUA crown.
The Western community is mourning the death of Francis Tardif, 29, a Masters of Business Administration student at the Ivey Business School, who died Sunday, Feb. 19, in London. Western reminds its campus community that counseling services are always available to assist faculty, students and staff.
The majority of Western University's Senate members passed a motion to create a fall Reading Week for the 2017–18 school year. The break will officially start Tuesday, Oct. 10 and end Friday, Oct. 13, 2017. Essentially, students will be off from Saturday, Oct. 7 to Sunday, Oct. 15, 2017.
The Western Mustangs women’s fencing team took gold at the OUA championships in Kingston last weekend for the first time in nearly a quarter-century. The last time the Mustangs took the title was back in the 1992–93 season.
Since their rocky start to the season, the Mustangs women’s hockey team have gone on a five-game winning streak. Their recent success is something that Elliot attributes to a more stable goaltending situation with the team going with Katie Jacobs on the bench as backup for Shelby Ryan, and with Tareya Webster on the bench as backup for Jacobs. The goalie trio seems to have finally hit their stride, with everyone getting opportunities to prove themselves.
Western's Senate will be debating a motion next Friday on whether or not the University will introduce a fall Reading Week for the 2017–18 school year. According to the agenda, the week-long break would be introduced in conjunction with Thanksgiving for a two-year trial period. It will begin at 6:00 p.m. on the Friday prior to Thanksgiving Monday and end at midnight on the following Sunday.
As university and college officials grapple with what they're calling a mental health crises on campuses around Ontario, CBC Windsor opens up the conversation with a town-hall discussion that dives deep into the issues. The panel will include Dr. Melanie-Anne Atkins, wellness coordinator of the Wellness Education Centre at Western University.
The Dorothy Walsh Female Athletic Scholarship was create with a $25,000 donation from GoodLife Fitness Clubs at the request of the organization’s comptroller and matriarch, Dorothy Walsh. Walsh, (whose son is GoodLife Fitness Founder and CEO, David (Patch) Patchell-Evans, BA’77, LLD’12), created the scholarship fund to give back to her son’s alma mater and show appreciation for her own family’s opportunities.
The Mustangs wrestling team came out of their Western Open with 10 medals in their final competition before the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) championships. The weekend was an exciting one full of monumental comebacks and buzzer-beating finishes.
Community-Engaged Learning (CEL) courses can offer students a chance to break out of the “Western bubble,” connect course concepts to real-world situations, get experience outside of the classroom, and help out within the community.
With a pair of road losses to Concordia and Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières this weekend, the Western men's hockey team has been mathematically eliminated from playoff contention in Ontario University Athletics. The Mustangs will miss the postseason for the first time since the 1998–99 season, 18 years ago.
Workstory.net was co-started by Natalie Allen, a psychology professor at Western, and David Stanley, a professor at the University of Guelph, with the goal of inspiring students by connecting them to the stories of other young, passionate people that have recently entered the workforce. The website offers a platform for young adults, who are at an early stage in their careers, to share their working experience with the audience.
This weekend was a pivotal one for the Mustangs men's basketball season. With time running out on a season marred by close defeats and a lack of execution, the Mustangs had a double header in the Soo against the Algoma Thunderbirds to salvage any hopes of a playoff appearance. But after sweeping the back-to-back against division rival Algoma, the Mustangs inched closer to their potential and kept their Ontario University Athletics (OUA) playoff aspirations alive.
The Universiade began this weekend opening with Team Canada winning against Team China 9-1. The team then went on to defeat Great Britain 14-0. Team Canada’s captain, Western alumni, Katelyn Gosling, registered an assist against china. Current Mustang Brianna Lazzolino registered an assist for herself and two penalty minutes.
Western’s United way of London & Middlesex campaign collected $657,234 in 2016. The donation is part of approximately $12 million that Western has donated towards United way since the 1990s. The money raised from Western’s United Way campaign events goes towards local agencies in London that support those who are in poverty, are experiencing crisis with their mental health and are even Western students themselves.
A vigil to give support to those affected by the shooting at the Quebec City mosque on Sunday evening will take place at Victoria Park on Feb. 1. Muslim Students’ Association (MSA) vice-president of public relations, Asiya Barakzai, and vice-president communications, Nida Ahmad, have organized the event on Facebook.
Western has lowered the flag on University College until sundown today in memory of those who lost their lives in a weekend attack at the Centre Culturel Islamique de Quebec in Sainte-Foy, Quebec.
Western’s president Amit Chakma released a statement in response to the order issued by the U.S. President restricting persons from seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the United States for 90 days and banning Syrian refugees for the foreseeable future.
A budget submission was prepared by OUSA for the provincial government that emphasizes work-integrated learning, sexual violence prevention and mental health. The USC has also curated its own budget submission for the government, specifically highlighting the needs of Western and its students.
Head coach Marshall at Mustangs football team calls for the hiring of Snyder, a London native, as a new offensive coordinator at Western football team. Snyder has spent the last three seasons leading the offence at St. FX helping them to rank fifty in the country in 2016 in both points per game and passing yards per game while ranking eighth in total yards per game. He will also play a role as a recruiter at the early stages of his time at Western, giving the Mustangs an advantage going into the 2017 seasons.
Western’s blue-toque athletes have been posting images of themselves on social media in support of Bell Let’s Talk day. About 1,000 student athletes from 53 university sport programs across Canada have participated in the event as the blue-toque athletes. Students at Western were also encouraged to drop by the Wellness Education Centre to learn and share tips and strategies for mental health. On the upcoming Wednesday’s hockey game against Windsor, a talk of mental health will be woven in as an effort to carry on Western’s support for mental health.
Next week, Western faculty and staff will again have their say about how satisfied they are at work. The WE SPEAK: Faculty and Staff Survey 2017 launches with an email from Western President Amit Chakma on Jan. 24.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau brought his London Town Hall event to Western’s Alumni Hall last week after overwhelming demand from the community forced a late change of venue.
Robert Simoes, fourth-year biochemistry and computer science student developed an app called Posture to help reduce neck pain from prolonged phone usage. Simoes won perfect pitch at Hack Western for this innovative idea.
The Western women's lacrosse team will be awarded gold medals for the 2016 OUA Championship three months after a controversial Ontario University Athletics (OUA) final saw them lose 11-10 to the Trent Excalibur.
Starting this week, Western’s Information and Technology Services (ITS) is pushing members of the university community who have not changed their official university password in five years or more to do as soon as possible. If no action has been taken to change the password at the time of a 28-day notice period, ITS will disable the user account until the individual contact the Computer Accounts Office to process the password change.
A group of Western students decided that they wanted to start off their undergrad in London by making a difference. So they started reHarvest, a “food rescue” program that links food producers and charities by organizing volunteer drivers to pick up the unsold food and drop it off at specific charity locations.
Western officials are seeking community feedback on an updated version of the Policy on Sexual Violence as the university continues to fine tune its procedures relating to sexual violence and harassment.
For most students, not having enough money to pay for school is one of their worst fears. For more and more indigenous students, that fear is becoming a reality. That's why University Students' Council has been lobbying the federal government to fulfil a 2015-election promise that would see $50 million added each year to the Post-Secondary Student Support Program (PSSSP).
Thérèse Quigley has been fuelled by a “belief in the power of sport” for her entire career as an athlete, coach and administrator. Western’s Director of Sports and Recreation Services has earned a national reputation as an innovator in interuniversity sport, recreation programming, fundraising, facility development and student leadership.
A recent Western study showed Indigenous students who received mentorship from a member of their community had better cultural connectedness, improved mental health and higher school credit accumulation than peers who were not mentored.
The Western swimming teams got their competitive season off to a strong start last weekend at the Ontario University Athletics Fairweather Division Championships in Guelph, with both the men's and women's teams finishing second in the overall standings.
The Ontario University Athletics championships began with a disappointing loss for the Western Mustangs water polo team in Kingston. But they rallied behind head coach Bill Terzis for their second and last game of the weekend to come out with a decisive win to end the season finishing fifth overall.
Work-integrated learning or WIL for short is in focus as part of a province-wide campaign advocating and raising awareness for experiential learning opportunities for students. Organized by the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance (OUSA), the "#myWILis" campaign was started in response to the provincial government's recent move to identify experiential learning as priority for students.
W5 an entrepreneur start-up founded by a group of Western students is now looking into launching 15-members program. W-5 is a non-profit group working to raising sponsorship funds to help student entrepreneurs. 15-members program match students with mentors in and outside of campus aiming to jumpstart entrepreneurs’ ideas by sharing experiences of success and failure.
The Western Mustangs men's cross country team had a strong finish to their 2016 season, taking home the bronze medal at the CIS Championships on Saturday in Quebec City, the first medal for the program since 2010.
A last-second field goal from Nathan Mesher capped off a furious fourth-quarter comeback from the Laurier Golden Hawks, lifting them to a 43-40 win over the Western Mustangs in the 109th Yates Cup at TD Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
The Western Mustangs women’s rowing team won their fourth consecutive national banner on Nov. 6. The team claimed a medal in every event to earn the overall title of national champs: two gold, two silver and two bronze.
Starting from this term the course evaluation will all be done electronically. With three weeks remaining in course all students will be receiving an email with a link to questionnaire that can be filled out at any time until the end of the semester.
The Ontario University and College Health Association (OUCHA) has recognized that university-age individuals are particularly at risk of developing mental health problems.
After a difficult start to the weekend for the Western women’s soccer team, they finished their season with a heroic last-minute comeback to win OUA bronze against the Windsor Lancers. The effort was lead by fourth-year striker, Amanda Boyle, who scored the tying goal and first-year goaltender Megan Girardi, who sealed the results with a fantastic penalty shot performance.
With an 11-7 victory over the Trent Excalibur on Sunday in St. Catharines, the Western Mustangs won the Baggataway Cup and became Canadian University Field Lacrosse Association champions.
Saturday afternoon at TD Stadium, the Mustangs earned a 51-24 victory over the Carleton Ravens in their Ontario University Athletics semifinal duel. Next Saturday the Mustangs host the Laurier Golden Hawks in the Yates Cup game.
The indigenous tradition of mukluk making will be available to Western students for the month of November. The handcrafted winter boots take around 100 hours to make. The Manitobah Mukluks Storyboot Project has opened a opo-up school at Western to show the indigenous community and others about the tradition and importance of the boots, including why they are an expensive buy. Find the pop-up school on Mondays in UCC room 269 from 11am-3pm until November 28
The University Senate approved Western’s first-ever Indigenous strategic plan during the last meeting on October 21. The plan’s draft intends to raise Indigenous voices and agency while engaging faculty, staff, students, and the community for a better Indigenous campus life. Rick Ezekiel from student experience points out that the strategic plan should identify any gaps to work on and improve. Incorporating Indigenous content into course studies is being explored as other Canadian universities have already implemented.
Western Mustangs face another big game against the Carlton Ravens on Saturday. The Mustangs saw their only defeat of the season in Ottawa against the Ravens, the score ending as 38-31. The Ravens have grown in confidence and talent, with many players returning to home for this game, so the Mustangs are aware of the competition.
After going 2-6-4 in the regular season, finishing in second last, the underdog Western Mustangs field hockey team finished on the podium with a bronze medal in the OUA championships hosted at Western.
On Sunday in Centennial Park in Toronto, the Western Mustangs men’s cross country team brought home the seventh provincial championship in the program’s history.
Western has continued to dominate in U Sports (formerly CIS) athletics and currently have five teams sitting in the top 10 rankings for their respective sports: football, women’s hockey, women’s soccer, women’s cross-country and men’s cross-country.
Western will hold the Ontario university field hockey championships at TD Stadium beginning Friday. The Mustang field hockey team goes into this tournament after finishing sixth in Ontario University Athletics and will play No. 3 York at 11 a.m. on Friday.
Groups of students, staff and faculty marched through campus last Thursday, braving the rain and chanting the words “end the silence, stop the violence.” It was part of a walk named Take Back the Campus March, included in Western’s first-ever consent and sexual violence awareness week.
The Western Mustangs finished their regular season Saturday with a 19-18 Homecoming victory over the McMaster Marauders. With the win, they improved their record to 7-1 and claimed first place in Ontario University Athletics.
Western University has responded with a statement that calls the misuse of the Black Lives Matter slogan “repugnant.” The University recognizes that the Black Lives Matter movement is to support the end of racism and is using this opportunity to address issues of racism within the campus community. Further conversations with campus leaders and community partners will result from this incident, including the possibility of viewing the students involved in the sign as violators of the student code of conduct. USC President Eddy Avila responded to the Western Lives Matter slogan with a video, outlining that these students show ignorance and privilege by disrespecting the Black Lives Matter movement.
Jiwhan Choi, 22, of North York posted on the anonymous Facebook page USecrets with a claim to conduct gun violence on Western’s campus. He was charged with a death threat, but was released on 1,500$ no-deposit bail. Tuesday, October 4, after 24 hours in police custody. He was picked up at his off-campus home, no weapon was found. In court, Choi was ordered to stay away from Western’s campus and to not contact the woman who reported his post on USecrets Western.
A memorial walk for Andrea Christidis was held on Western’s campus on Friday. The first-year student was killed by a drunk driver in October 2015, so walkers signed a pledge to never drink and drive. The Walk was organized by the Health Studies Students’ Association with the intention of remembering Christidis and raising awareness about drunk driving. Students and faculty joined together to walk down UC Hill, past Gibbons Park, and up Western Road with a MADD flag held high.
The Ontario University Athletics Hockey season opener for Mustangs women’s hockey is October 7 against Guelph at Thompson Arena. The Mustangs have a new head coach, Kelly Paton, and most of the star players have graduated. However, Paton says the girls have been preparing for opportunities around the net.
A 22 year-old male Western student was arrested on Monday for threatening to bring a gun to campus. The harmful intentions were posted on the social media page USecrets Western, where anonymous messages are posted on Facebook for followers to see. A concerned student informed Campus Police, and police were able to arrest the suspect in relation to uttering threats to cause death (section 264.1(1)(a) of the Criminal Code of Canada).
Western Wellness Week kicked off with the grand opening of the Wellness Education Centre (WEC), located in the basement of the UCC. Western President Amit Chakma, associate vice-president student experience Jana Luker and founder of Fairmount Foundation Heidi Balsillie all spoke inauguration, celebrating the 1$ million donation from the Fairmount Foundation. Balsillie is a former Western graduate, and says it felt only natural to donate money to the WEC, which provides resources and support for mental health, wellness programming, nutrition information, and sexual violence prevention education and survivors’ support.
Saturday’s “Reunion Weekend” featured a football game between Western Mustangs and the Laurier Golden Hawks. The Mustangs dominated with a 45-26 win, against the undefeated Golden Hawks, giving an incredible game. The Mustang’s head coach, Greg Marshall, is proud of the team and impressed with the defense performance.
Western University may have pushed Homecoming to late October but thousands of students are still planning to party Saturday.
In a bid to crack down on booze-fuelled revelry, the university announced in May that Homecoming celebrations will be moved to Oct. 22, from the originally planned last weekend of September.
On Friday, Sept. 30, the Health Studies Students' Association will be hosting a walk in memory of Andrea Christidis — the first-year health science Western student who tragically lost her life last year in a drunk driving incident on-campus.
The goal of the walk is to raise awareness on the impact of drunk driving and to commemorate Christidis. Shannon Carmine, a third-year health science student, has been working on organizing the walk.
With “Save HOCO” planned for this weekend, Western’s Homecoming date swap to mid-October once again became the hot topic on Tuesday's board of governors meeting.
The board confirmed that Western has no plans to restore a late-September Homecoming next year. It will continue to be on a date “later in the fall” to keep reducing the number of students celebrating.
The Health Studies Students’ Association is inviting the Western community to participate in a walk to commemorate the life of former Health Sciences student Andrea Christidis. The walk begins at 3 p.m. Friday, Sept. 30 on Concrete Beach. Christidis was a first-year student from Scarborough and resident of Medway-Sydenham Hall, who died as a result of injuries caused by a car crash on campus last October. If you are interested in learning more about Andrea’s Walk, contact Shannon Carman, lead organizer, at scarman@uwo.ca.
Western student senators are opening four new volunteer student positions as part of a drive to increase student engagement with the University Senate.
The four positions are: two co-directors of research, one director of public affairs/press secretary and one director of policy. There are currently 14 undergraduate and four graduate student senators.
The Mustangs came up with their most impressive performance this Ontario university football season hammering the defending Yates Cup champion Guelph Gryphons 50-16, sending thousands of expectant Guelph Homecoming fans somewhere to drown their sorrows.
As October approaches, Western students and other London citizens are getting prepared for “unofficial HOCO.”
In an effort to curb the original Homecoming festivities, the City of London and London Police Services sent out a letter to Broughdale residents.
This upcoming weekend is being treated with some caution as it is Western’s “unofficial” Homecoming. With pictures of the recent Homecomings at schools like Guelph and Laurier gracing our screens this weekend, it's hard to tell what the upcoming weekend will look like here at Western.
In hopes of providing students with alternative activities this weekend and distract them from Broughdale's street parties, the University Students' Council will be hosting a Fall Festival. The festival will be held on UC Hill this Saturday Oct. 1 from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. and is free for all Western students.
Western is reviewing its sexual violence policy, taking student consultations into consideration. Undergraduate student feedback was solicited on Monday, September 26 and Graduate student feedback on Thursday, September 29. Western had a sexual violence policy prior to the government mandate but since 2014 when the policy came into effect, the University wants to know if prevention programming is working. The new policy should remain survivor centered, to reflect how students feel comfortable on this campus to make reports.
A general consensus indicates that women stick upstairs for cardio and aerobic-type exercise while men are downstairs who prefer resistance-type exercise. The split can be intimidating, especially for women who want to work out downstairs. However, this year the two-hour women’s only studio time has been cancelled due to lack of interest.
Bachelor of Medical Sciences student Mary Wang was named one of 25 Global Winners in the Undergraduate Awards (UA) annual competition, program officials announced today. She earned a Gold Medal for her paper, Does developmental social pragmatic intervention for children with autism influence parent language use?, in the Languages & Linguistics category. She will receive the award at the UA Global Summit in Dublin.
The Canadian Ambassador to the Netherlands, a past Professor of Poetry at Oxford University, a manufacturing industry titan and two world-renowned economists will receive honorary degrees when Western hosts its 308th Convocation this fall.
It’s a dangerous epidemic in contact sport, a little-studied problem that slid under the radar for decades. And while research surrounding sport-related concussions has gained momentum in recent years, studies have mainly focused on males in contact-heavy sports, like football and hockey. Meanwhile, females in less contact-heavy sports, like soccer, have received much less attention.
Six Western professors have been named among the nation’s top scholars in the arts, humanities and sciences by the Royal Society of Canada (RSC).
James Grier, Paul Potter, Gregor Reid, David Shoesmith, Xueliang (Andy) Sun and Charles Weijer were named named among the 89 new RSC Fellows, the society announced today. They have been elected by their peers in recognition of outstanding scholarly, scientific and artistic achievement.
The new principal at Brescia University College is taking a pass on a $25,000 welcome party and is instead directing that money toward student scholarships.
Canadian universities remained relatively stable in the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University rankings, released Tuesday, as experts called “investment in higher education” the key differentiating factor between institutions on the rise (South Korea, Russia, the United States and China) and decline (Western and Southern Europe, South Africa and Latin America).
Western found itself at No. 198 in the 2016-17 rankings of the Top 200 universities in the world.
It was a game of momentum shifts and in the end, momentum finished in the Carleton Ravens’ camp. The Ravens won one of their biggest football games in their four-year existence defeating the Western Mustangs 38-31 in Ontario universities play Sunday in Ottawa.
Angela Treglia, Western’s Sexual Violence Prevention Education Coordinator, took over the @WellnessWestern Twitter account during the #ConsentOnCampus chat moderated by YWCA Toronto. Schools across the country raised their voices on the topic of consent culture on campus.
The Western Mustangs’ quest for the 31st Yates Cup and seventh Vanier Cup in program history began this week as the Purple and White hit the field for the team’s 2016 training camp, at TD Stadium.
On Sunday July 10, the University Students' Council passed a motion to express student frustration over Western's decision to tackle unsafe partying by moving this year's Homecoming weekend from its traditional late September date to Oct. 22. Jana Luker, Western's associate vice-president student experience, responds.
Western is known for being a university with one of the best student experiences in the country. One of the best ways to get involved is to embark on a quest to win a coveted purple shirt by joining an intramural sport team. Western offers many recreational and competitive leagues, including those mentioned in this article
A joint Western Retail Services and Propel project, Supporting Student Businesses: Building trust and relationships with student entrepreneurs, recently earned second prize in the Open Category of the 2016 Canadian Association of University Business Officers Quality and Productivity Awards Program.
Western has hired Debbie Chiolo, mental-health strategist, to work with the Student Mental Health and Wellness Advisory Committee, as well as other partners supporting mental health and well-being across campus
Fourth year MIT student Oisín ONeill has a novel approach to tech support through his startup business, YourTech. His company is one of the 11 startups selected for this year’s Propel Summer Incubator, a boot-camp style program geared towards helping student entrepreneurs grow their businesses.
Craig Sandre’s family is setting up a fund to assist sophs with mental health and wellness-related expenses. According to the family, the fun will last 6-8 years and may be extended further with additional donations from the community.
Eleven learners from a variety of educational institutions and agencies received Adult Learner Awards from the London Council for Adult Education on May 12. Three Western students were among the recipients. A fourth Western student received the SAGE (Students Aged Gracefully through Experience) Student of the Year Award at the annual Excellence in Leadership Awards presented by The Student Success Centre on April 5.
Alan Kalbfleisch, current thermofluids master's student, recently won Propel's annual start-up pitch competition, and now he's teaming up with the campus business incubator to launch a Kickstarter campaign for his design later this month.
The Western Mustangs football team will have a new defensive line coach for their upcoming season, as Glen Mills joins the coaching staff. Mills brings substantial experience to the role as head coach and director of football operations for the Essex Ravens since 1998.
A day after Western moved Homecoming to the end of October, the backlash on social media has been swift, prompting the University administration and the University Students' Council to respond. Associate vice-president student experience Jana Luker explains the motivations behind Western's decision.
Last night's Canadian Football League draft saw six Mustang athletes drafted to teams across the country. Sean Jamieson, George Johnson, Josh Woodman, Rupert Butcher, Jamal Kett and Matt Uren were all selected in one of eight rounds of the draft.
The Western Mustangs have a new quarterback for the fall 2016 season as they announced the addition of Chris Merchant to their 2016 recruiting class on Monday.
As April exams approach, Western’s commitment to mental health and wellness continues to be a priority. Within this article are a list of supports offered. Not sure what supports are right for you? Contact the Wellness Education Centre (WEC) at wec@uwo.ca or visit the Centre in the basement of the University Community Centre (UCC), room 76.
Angela Treglia, Western’s new Sexual Violence Prevention Education Co-ordinator, acts as a resource for individuals who have experienced sexual violence, as well as for those who are supporting survivors of sexual violence. Her office is located in the new Wellness Education Centre, University Community Centre (UCC), room 76.
Members of indigenous groups from London and the surrounding area gathered on Sunday, March 13th for the 10th annual First Nations Student Association powwow.
Western continues to host its second annual Indigenous Awareness Week, March 7-13, in celebration of local Indigenous culture, art and scholarship. Led by Western’s Indigenous Services, part of Western’s Student Experience portfolio, the weeklong event celebrates the achievements of Indigenous students, faculty, staff and alumni.
Events have been running all week, including the Solidarity Walk on Campus, above, on Monday afternoon. Events continue today with ImagineNative: Walk in Two Worlds Native Youth Film Shorts at 12:30 p.m. in the McKellar Room, University Community Centre. The week’s events wrap up from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday, including the 10th annual Pow Wow at the Mustang Lounge, hosted by the First Nations Students Association.
The Wellness Centre is a collaborative effort amongst several parties including a private donor, the student experience portfolio, the University Students' Council and Health Services.
Jana Luker, associate vice-president of student experience, acted as an administrator and helped with the organization of the project. Her goal was to incorporate the perspectives of both the partners and the students into the Wellness Centre.
“I’m really optimistic about the extended resources for people when they don’t know where to go,” Luker said. “We hear a lot from students that they don’t know how to access resources, even though they are all over campus. We’re just trying to put everything in one place.”
Due to recently recommended weight restrictions on University Drive Bridge, the Richmond and Wellington London Transit (LTC) bus routes will be altered for the foreseeable future – starting with Monday’s commute. Members of the Western community who have disabilities will be accommodated. Students should be contacting Students with Disabilities at 519-661-2147.
The Mustangs as a team had a great offensive night finishing with 12 threes. They outscored the Blues 31-9 in the second quarter and led by 37 at the half. They shot 57 per cent from three on the night and 52 per cent from the floor. Those are the kind of numbers that buries a team and that’s what the Mustangs did to the Blues.
On Wednesday night, the Western Mustangs women's basketball team will host the Toronto Varsity Blues in their first round playoff matchup. The 14–6 Mustangs face off against the 8–11 Varsity Blues on Wednesday.
After defeating Toronto in overtime on Sunday, Western prepares for Guelph in the next round. Only assistant captain Shaun Furlong has been to the Ontario University Athletics west finals, and that was back in 2011. Now, after plenty of hard work and determination, this year's edition of the Western Mustangs men's hockey team will be headed there as well, to face the fourth-seeded Guelph Gryphons. Western managed to defeat the University of Toronto Varsity Blues in game three of their second-round playoff series at Thompson Arena on Sunday 4–3 in overtime.
The Western Mustangs men's basketball team has their biggest challenge of the season on tomorrow night: a do-or-die first round playoff matchup with the Lakehead Thunderwolves on for a shot at extending their season at least one more game. Western will face Lakehead in a do-or-die playoff game just days after beating them 84–69.
“Overall this, along with numerous other changes around campus including the recent opening of the Student Wellness Centre in the UCC, demonstrates that Western does care about the mental health of its students,” Addison said.
The Mustang men start on Thursday after their three-game series win over Toronto Blues. The Mustangs play the Guelph Gryphons in the best-of-three West final beginning at 7 p.m. at Thompson Arena. Game 2 is Saturday in Guelph, with Game 3 if needed back at Western Sunday at 7:30. If the Mustangs win this series, they will be headed to the national championship tournament in Halifax.
The Mustangs posted five goals over the course of two games and received back-to-back shutouts from veteran goaltender Kelly Campbell. The biggest win of the series came Saturday on the road in Waterloo, with the Mustangs cruising to a decisive 4–0 win to sweep the best-of-three series. Western will face the Nipissing Lakers in the OUA semifinals, which start Wednesday.
Students from the theatre studies program have been working arduously on a play titled Squalls of Glass. Supported by the Department of English and Writing Studies, the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, and the Hume Cronyn Funds, the play explores mental health in a narrative and dramatic fashion. It premiers Friday February 26 at 7:30 p.m. in the McManus Studio Theatre at the Grand Theatre. Tickets are $5 for students and will be sold at the door.
Indigenous Services at The Student Development Centre recently brought the Western community together in celebration of Metis Culture. Maddy Arkle, a second-year Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry student, Annette Sullivan, a Metis cook and genealogist, and Murray Lusk, a historian of Metis, Scottish and Irish descent, collaborated to commemorate Louis Riel Day Feb. 11 at Indigenous Services at Western.
After being told that there was a 2 month waiting list to see a psychiatrist at Student Health Services, Julia Smith created a petition one year later to end long wait times for psychiatrists at Western. Huron student Nicola Williams has also started a petition to provide better mental health resources to students. Students are reminded that they can also talk to someone through SDC, the Peer Support Centre, and the Wellness Education Centre
Propel was asking for $4.89 in student ancillary fees, however 64.8% of student voters chose “no” to the referendum. Currently Propel relies heavily on government grants, which are being scaled back.
The event was held on February 17 over the Reading Week at the Thompson Arena track, with 165 First Nations, Metis, and Inuit students in attendance from 12 schools across southwestern Ontario. The grade 7 and 8 students rotated through different stations run by the varsity track and field team as part of an outreach strategy.
Mustangs TV has been around a lot longer than one might think, but their humble beginnings back in 2005 stand as a testament to just how much the program has grown in the last 11 years. Mustangs TV started streaming in 2005 but halted its production shortly after. When Western's current athletic director Thérèse Quigley came to Western in 2007 she suggested the streaming be re-established.
This past Saturday at Alumni Hall, the Mustangs took down the Laurentian Voyageurs 61–50 for their fourth straight win. Now 8–7 on the season, the Mustangs are only a game back of the Windsor Lancers for the top spot in the Ontario University Athletics west division.
Western Mustangs women’s basketball all-star Mackenzie Puklicz has had quite the journey these past couple of years. From injury-riddled and on a struggling young team to now leading the league in scoring, she has definitely found her place on this young, vibrant and energetic squad that continues to surprise.
Western University students Lillian Woroniuk and Brandon Barberstock are among 14 aboriginal students featured in a campaign by the Council of Ontario Universities (COU) that represents the province’s 20 publicly funded universities. The Let’s Take Our Future Further campaign features First Nations students who talk about their experience at university. Also part of the campaign is a website that offers resources for aboriginal students considering an Ontario university.
The Western women’s basketball team continued to roll on Saturday night, winning their ninth consecutive game by defeating the Laurentian Voyageurs 63–48 at Alumni Hall.
A study funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, which included university investigators at Laurier and Waterloo, showed single-session therapy – a one-time appointment with a trained professional – has potential to provide profound relief to individuals in distress, reinforcing what Western is already doing when it comes to counselling therapy.
With a packed schedule of 10 different home games being played on Western’s campus this upcoming weekend, the athletic department is encouraging thousands of students, alumni, and Londoners to come out and support the Stangs for Mustang Days.
Miles Kenyon of the Journalists for Human Rights will lead a workshop reporting on indigenous issues at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 20, in Somerville House, room 3315. Kenyon, manager of the Indigenous Reporters Program, will cover topics such as representation, terminology, treaties and cross-cultural communication.
“Propel uses such grants, as well as additional funding from Western and the University Students’ Council, to provide opportunities for emerging start-ups through their summer incubator programs, start-ups with legal, financial assistance and other professional services to move their ideas along.”
Western Sports and Recreation Services will continue its “proud tradition of excellence” under new leadership as the unit shifts under the leadership of the Associate Vice-President (Student Experience) portfolio, assured Health Sciences Dean Jim Weese. Senate approved the change at its Dec. 4 meeting.
It’s 2015. Life as an LGBTQ+ student is, surprisingly, not that bad. Universities across Canada have become more accepting and understanding — both at an administrative and student level — of different sexualities. Support programs abound for students to help them transition and feel comfortable in university, from separate floors in residence to designated safe spaces on campus.”
Check out a Rogers TV interview with Michelle Franklin, Executive Director from the Epilepsy Support Centre, talking about the CEL program and their partnership with Western. Go to 2 minutes into the following clip.
“With a myriad of mental-health supports and services available to Western students, the only piece missing has been a unifying approach to addressing the issue. But that won’t be the case much longer, promised Jana Luker, Associate Vice-President (Student Experience).”
Western has received a significant grant from the Ontario Women’s Directorate to fund a new program aimed at preventing incidences of sexual violence on Ontario postsecondary campuses
Jana Luker is the Associate Vice-President (Student Experience), having stepped into her role June 1. She succeeded Angie Mandich, who served in an acting role since the new portfolio was created in April 2014.
Western’s new Peer Support Centre, under the purview of the University Students’ Council (USC), opens later this month. As of Sept. 29, it will offer a new structured support system for Western’s student body, said Alex Benac, USC Vice-President (Internal).
Tengyuan Zhang, a PhD student in Mechanical and Material Engineering, recently developed Nectro, a conductive pen that can be used to draw electric circuits quickly and with ease. He is one of the many students in the Propel space working on interesting initiatives.