CAMPUS

• Yesterday, the Board of Governors approved changes to the Code of Student Conduct to extend their jurisdiction outside the campus boundaries to police unsanctioned events associated with the university
• Western’s Code now applies to conduct at unsanctioned events that become associated with the university due to the nature of the event or the number of students involved
• Previously, the Code could only be applied to sanctioned university events or, in some instances, where students were officially representing Western at external events
• The Code now reads that the university may exercise jurisdiction in cases: “… where the conduct occurs at a program, event or activity not hosted, sanctioned, sponsored, or organized by the University that because of the nature of the program, event or activity and/or the number of students involved, might reasonably be seen to have a direct or indirect association with the University.”
• In determining whether or not to exercise jurisdiction over off-campus conduct, the university will consider four factors:
  The seriousness of the alleged conduct;
  The risk of harm involved;
  Whether the victim(s) are members of the campus community; and/or
  Whether the off-campus conduct is part of a series of actions that occurred both on and off the premises
• London Mayor Ed Holder welcomed the code amendment
   
• Researchers and local health officials are applauding how the discovery of a simple intervention to halt outbreaks associated with a newly discovered HIV transmission method was moved from the lab to the street quickly – saving numerous lives and preventing further infections
• In 2016, London was in the midst of a public-health emergency in London that saw HIV rates amongst injection drug users more than double
• From August 2016 to June 2017, researchers at Western and Lawson Health Research Institute interviewed 119 injection-drug users to understand their injection behaviours and risk for HIV
• They discovered that those who shared equipment used to prepare drugs for injection were 22 times more likely to contract HIV than those who did not – despite not sharing needles or syringes
• The team took their findings back to the research laboratory
• They confirmed that, on average, 45 per cent of the drug remains in the equipment after the first wash
• They not only confirmed the HIV virus can be transmitted between needles, cookers and filters, but also discovered that controlled-release hydromorphone has properties that promote survival of the virus
• Partnering with local community organizations like the Middlesex-London Health Unit and Regional HIV/AIDS Connection, Cook Your Wash was launched as a public health campaign
• The team hopes this research can be used to inform understanding and interventions in other centres facing HIV epidemics amongst persons who inject drugs

LOCAL

• An Amber Alert requested by Peel Regional Police has been cancelled after a missing five-year-old boy and his mother were found safe in southwestern Ontario
• This started Wednesday afternoon in Mississauga as the mother picked her son up from school
• She informed the boy’s father she had him, but they disappeared according to police
• Yesterday the pair were believed to be travelling by car and that there was information they were in the London area
• Approximately two and a half hours later, an Amber Alert was issued by Ontario Provincial Police
• However, just before 7 p.m., the Amber Alert was cancelled
• They were spotted by a resident at a KFC restaurant in Tilbury, about 20 minutes southwest of Chatham, after hearing details through the Amber Alert
• The boy was found safe and uninjured
• Officers said the mother had a preexisting medical condition and if she doesn’t take prescribed medication, she can act “out of character.”
• No charges have been laid yet

SPORTS

• The London Nationals are back in the Sutherland Cup Championship series for the third time in the past four seasons
• They are taking on the Waterloo Siskins, who finished as champions of the Midwestern Conference
• Game #1 was last night at the Western Fair Sports Centre, but things didn’t go as planned for the home team
• After being outshot, out-hit and outplayed through two periods, the third frame was more of a formality in Game 1
• The Siskins scored another goal early into the period to make it 6-1, that seemed to deflate everyone cheering for the blue & white
• Noah Tooke would score two goals in the third period for the Nats, but it was too little too late
• The Waterloo Siskins added a few empty net goals to take the initial game of the Sutherland Cup Championship with a 9-4 final
• The two teams each had 41 shots on goal each, but the score was a far cry from the shot clock
• Game 2 of the GOJHL title series will be played on Sunday evening at the Waterloo Recreation Centre

WEATHER

• The rain this morning is expected to continue this afternoon, roughly 10-15mm, which will see a day time high of 9 C and a low of 1 C at night
• That will give way to a high of 9 C Saturday
• That night, temperatures will drop to 1 C, which coupled with some precipitation expected then could lead to periods of rain or wet snow, according to Environment Canada’s forecast
• Sunday’s high will also be 9 C with an 80% chance of snow-rain before temperatures rebound to start next week, with the forecast calling for daytime highs of 10 C Monday, 12 C Tuesday and 14 C Wednesday