OCTOBER 31, 2024 VOLUME 118 ISSUE 4
since 1906
From farm dog to campus icon: B The golden face of Western HANNAH ALPER COORDINATING EDITOR
ehind every great president, there’s a good dog. For Western president Alan Shepard, that’s his golden retriever, Meisha Shepard. Maybe you’ve seen her lending a helping paw at hot chocolate giveaways, strolling leisurely on campus or starring in videos wishing students a happy holiday. One thing is certain: Meisha has become the face of Western University. “Honestly, what she’s allowed me to do on campus is connect with our students, which is really valuable,” says Shepard. During the COVID-19 pandemic, most of Shepard’s family was stuck in the U.S. due to border closures, while he remained in London, Ont. with one of his sons. Like many during COVID-19, they decided they needed a companion. Initially looking for a young goldendoodle, they called a breeder online who happened to be a Western graduate. While she wasn’t raising puppies anymore, she had a three-year-old golden retriever, one of her former breeding dogs, who needed a new home. Shepard didn’t hesitate. “We drove out immediately, as you know, beautiful golden retrievers don’t come along every day,” says Shepard. “We literally went out the next morning and we brought her home.” The transition from the farm where Meisha grew up to Gibbons Lodge — the residence of Western’s president — was not without challenges. “She wasn’t really leash trained. She just ran wherever she wanted and did whatever she wanted,” says Shepard. According to the president, those close to Meisha would describe her as “pretty chill and quiet-natured.” In the first six months of her new home, she reportedly only barked once a month. But Shepard
says she’s always quick to respond when the treat bag rattles, flying in to investigate. Meisha made her debut in the Western family — and the university’s marketing department — in April 2020 during the height of the pandemic. With students in lockdown, Shepard gave COVID-19 updates from home, with Meisha right by his side. When Shepard was asked to make safety videos for students, he knew no one would watch them. “Then I had this idea. If I brought Meisha, they would tune in to see a beautiful golden retriever by my side. That’s literally how it started.” Since her rise to fame, Meisha has received everything from Instagram DM’s to fan mail. When Shepard has time in his busy schedule, he and Meisha walk around campus and stop to talk to students. Meisha always checks the same spots for groundhogs and rabbits. “She’s got a farm dog in her DNA, and I’m a farm boy, so that worked out,” says Shepard, who was born in Iowa. When people think of a university president, they often imagine a formal figure, someone who’s a bit distant and arrogant. For Shepard, Meisha helps bridge the gap between his role as the university president and the student body. “She does humanize the job and me. I’m trying to get closer to students and not be some remote figure that doesn’t actually help,” he says. Meisha’s impact goes beyond bringing smiles to students’ faces and breaking presidential barriers. She provides Shepard with a calmness he values deeply after coming home from a day sometimes filled with anything but that. “Some people have said she could be a therapy dog, and that’s probably true. She, for sure, is for me.”
ANGWARA NILANONT GAZETTE
The unbreakable bond of the Bontis brothers MANAN JOSHI SPORTS EDITOR
I
f you looked at the Mustangs men’s soccer team roster, you’d be surprised to find two players with the same last name dominating the box scores. Brothers Charlie and Dino Bontis were standout performers for the men’s team this season — fourth-year Charlie as a striker and third-year Dino as a goalkeeper. Charlie was the third-highest-scoring Mustang this season — dominating the field with his ability to run past defenders. Dino ranked fourth this season in Ontario University Athletics for goals against — holding down the Mustangs net like a fortress.
Each brother brings something unique to the table. Men’s soccer team head coach Martin Painter praised Charlie for his leadership within the team and skill on the field. “I think his intelligence and awareness of the game stand out. I would say his creativity and his technical ability as well,” says Painter. For Dino, Painter praised the younger brother’s athleticism, saying he’s an incredible goalkeeper in every area. “Western’s had a lot of good goalkeepers, but I think Dino is the best I’ve seen,” says Painter. Despite their differences, they have one thing in common: an intensity and a desire to win.
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DESMOND MAHOOD GAZETTE Charlie and Dino Bontis, Western Alumni Stadium, Oct. 28, 2024.
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