Vol 35 issue 14

page7 Monday, January 5, 2009

page8 Volume 35, Issue 14

page12 www.mediumonline.ca

Strike at UTM in February?

The University of Toronto and CUPE Local 3902 are currently deadlocked in negotiations, with a mediator scheduled to intervene this month in the hopes of reaching an agreement. If this fails, CUPE may be in a strike position as early as February.

ANDREW HAMILTON SMITH NEWS EDITOR

Students at University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM) may be getting an extended reading week if negotiations break down between the university administration and its contractual staff union, CUPE 3902. As part of a regular collective agreement renewal process, the University of Toronto is asking the union to make a number of concessions, such as eliminating a Tuition Assistance Fund (TAF) created in the last agreement, which provides tuition relief for members of CUPE 3902 in deregulated programs.

Unfortunately, the members of the union voted on December 11 to instruct their bargaining team not to accept any concessions, a move which has resulted in the current deadlock.

Unlike at York University, where classes have shut down since November over pay-related issues, CUPE 3902 is fighting for “equity issues, not wages” according to union representative Rebecca Sanders. “We recently bargained for improved maternity and parental leave, but are still pressing for decent childcare assistance in line with what other employees at the university receive.”

Childcare access for students has also been a major issue for students at UTM. Some protests arose at a recent childcare meeting due to the fact that UTM students are charged St. George rates, which is much more expensive than comparable childcare here in Mississauga.

“We are also asking the employer to cover the extremely expensive UHIP (University Health Insurance Plan) premiums forced on international students and their families,” says Sanders. “This private, forprofit plan charges over $3,000 per year to insure a family, a huge burden for already impoverished students.”

The low income of their members is one reason why CUPE 3902 is rejecting any concessions, especial-

ly given the worsening economic conditions worldwide. As Sanders points out, “our members are already the poorest employees of the university, living well below the poverty line [so] if cuts need to be made, they should not target people who can barely get by as is.”

Furthermore, Sanders insists that her union’s proposals would not cost the university very much. “The University of Toronto has over $1.4 billion in operating revenue [and] the proposals in dispute cost the university a tiny fraction of a percent of that,” she explains. “We have even made proposals that literally don't cost the University a penny more than they've already committed to in the past. For example, combining our benefit plans without raising the cap,” and yet the university has rejected these ideas and refused to make any concessions of their own.

Sanders blames the university for being unreasonable, for refusing to consider their proposals and insisting on a reduction of benefits, and hints that they are to blame for the current stalemate in discussions.

CUPE 3902 wants to avoid a strike at all costs, but feels that U of T is not making an honest effort to reach a new agreement with them.

“We are willing to be flexible and creative [in finding solutions] and our proposals are moderate and reasonable,” she says. “If the employer shares our desire, they need to reciprocate and come back to the table with a fair offer that addresses our core concerns.”

The University of Toronto administration could not be reached for comment due to office closures over the holiday break. According to the CUPE 3902 website, negotiations thus far have resulted in “an additional hour of paid training, release time from work duties around major academic deadlines, and a better wage rate for assistant invigilators” and that “despite this positive momentum, the union and the employer have decided to file jointly for conciliation.” Such a move means that the Ontario Labour Board must now appoint a conciliator to oversee negotiations and try to foster some sort of agreement.

For more information please visit http://www.cupe3902.org

Photo/www.voices.com

A dispute over pay issues between teaching assistants and administration has resulted in campus closure at York University since November. Could this be a reality at UTM in a month’s time?

Canada stars at WJHC

Photo/Matthew Filipowich

John Tavares leads his team out on the ice in Ottawa at the World Junior Hockey Championships. Canada has had a succesful tournament thus far, and are set to take on Sweden in Monday’s final.

2 THE MEDIUM

MONDAY, JANUARY

5, 2009

Mumbai vigil brings UTM together in mourning ANDREW HAMILTON SMITH NEWS EDITOR

In response to the horrific attacks on several hotels in Mumbai, India between November 26 and 29 where almost 500 people were killed or wounded, the University of Toronto Mississauga Student Union (UTMSU), Muslim Students Association, Sikh Student’s Association and the Hindu Student Council organized a candle-light vigil to pay respects to the victims.

On December 3, over 100 students showed up at the CCIT Building to mourn those killed. The tragic terror attacks on western-friendly targets such as the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel were orchestrated by Lashkar-eToiba, a Pakistan-based militant organization, according to the only surviving victim, Ajmal Amir Kasab.

In a sign of solidarity, clubs representing these perspectives – Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Indian and Pakistani – organized in a very short span of time a vigil with the purpose of bringing people together to mourn the victims of this tragedy.

UTMSU President Wasah Malik was very pleased with the turn-out and noted the event was organized in only two days. “It is important to take the right steps forward,� Malik explained, “and only humanity can help humanity. The most important thing right now is helping the victims.�

After remarks by the presidents of the various clubs and Surender K. Arora from the Indian Consulate in

Toronto, the assembled group observed two minutes of silence before proceeding on a silent walk through the campus. Once back at the CCIT Building, the vigil concluded with Malik thanking everyone who came. Many of those in attendance also wrote messages to the victims on a large banner.

Arora noted in his open address that it is “imperative to get rid of terrorists and that it is important to demonstrate that such tactics are unacceptable to the international community.� Tensions between Indian and neighbouring Pakistan have always been high due to disputed claims in the Kashmir region and the fact that both countries possess nuclear arsenals. Religious tension also exists and adds fuel to conflicts, especially in mixed areas such as Mumbai, which has large Muslim and Hindu populations.

There were a number of references made by students about the September 11, 2001 terror attacks on the United States, often comparing that incident with the attack on Mumbai. Steven Zhou of the Ministry of Social Justice and UTM New Democrats explained that if the attackers are traced back to Pakistan, India could possibly claim justification for military action, following the United States’ example in Iraq. “The worst thing that can happen is if people in India listen to the right-wing politicians in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP),� Zhou added.

The general tone was one of mourning, rather than the need for vengeance. Soham Bhatia of the South Asian Alliance believes that

E g y p t B e c o m e s F la s h p o i n t Ove r Gaz a (Wall Street Journal) RAFAH, Egypt As Israeli troops push into Gaza, Egypt has become a flashpoint in the deepening divide between moderate Arab leaders, backed by the West, and their more extreme rivals, including Hamas and Lebanon's Hezbollah, backed by Iran and Syria.

Photo/Lara Matiisen

Over 100 students gathered in a candle light vigil to mourn the victims of the Mumbai attacks in November. The event was organized by the Hindu Council, Sikh Student and Muslim Student Associations, among others. the attackers were terrorists who were probably brainwashed, but stressed the importance of focusing on the human tragedy. “We are not condoning [the attacks] in any way,� he said. “These victims are individuals who had hopes and ambitions,� and so it is crucial to make that the most important part of this event.

Mohammed Ashour, president of the Muslim Student Association at UTM, noted that “in the Koran, no one is supposed to kill innocent people,� suggesting that if the attackers were truly followers of the faith,

they would refrain from such tactics.

Malik agreed with that sentiment and added that “there are those who have manipulated this religion to suit their own desires, and have moulded minds filled with hatred and violence.� He emphasized the challenge of preventing these distortions of truth to be perpetrated, which serve only to divide people and turn them against one another. “We are here in memory of all those who lost their lives, and they are in our hearts,� Malik said sombrely.

UTM Women’s Centre honours Montreal Massarce victims KAREN AKHTAR ASSISTANT FEATURES EDITOR

December 5, 2008 saw the UTM Women’s Centre hold a memorial service for the nineteenth anniversary of the Montreal Massacre when Marc Lepine shot and killed 14 women at the École Polytechnique.

Natalie Ellis, leader of the UTM Women’s Centre, welcomed those in attendance and discussed the importance of the issue on violence against women. She began by playing a radio clip by Katherine Canty of CBC News from September 2006. The broadcast was of Monique Lepine, mother of Marc Lepine, asking for forgiveness from

t h e f a m i l i e s o f th e women who were killed by her son.

Christina Da Silva recounted the events surrounding the infamous day. She noted the fact that Marc Lepine’s suicide note listed the 19 women he wanted to kill and the l a c k o f e f f o r t t o stop him from killing his victims.

Bobbi-Jo Duff from UTM’s campus police, spoke about violence against women and emphasized the importance of not blaming the victims of gender-based violence. She encouraged the female students at UTM to contact security immediately if they feel their safety is ever in danger.

When the speeches were concluded, a candlelight vigil was held to

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Bi l l R i c h a r d s o n b o w s o u t o f co mme rce secretary job (CNN) New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson is withdraw ing his nomination to be com merce secretary, citing the distraction of a federal inves tigation into ties to a compa ny that has done business with his state.

remember the 14 women who lost their lives. To commemorate the victims, the name of each individual was announced and represented by a person coming forward holding a lit candle. A moment of silence then ensued, followed by a musical performance by Loriel M. Ducoy.

Joan Simalchik, professor and program coordinator of the Women’s and Gender Studies Department, emphasized on challenging violence against women in our society, pointing to more recent incidents such as the murder of Aqsa Parvez, who was killed by her father for refusing to wear the hijab.

She also discussed how more than 500 Aboriginal women have gone

missing in Canada, and how the government, legal forces, and media consistently fail to bring enough attention to the issue. “Changing male attitudes that tolerate violence against women is one way to make a difference,� commented UTM vice-president and principal Ian Orchard, who was also in attendance.

Joeita Gupta, representing the Association of Part-time University Students (APUS), gave the closing remarks. “The lack of an appropriate and accessible daycare system in Canada, which disproportionately affects women since women are mainly responsible for working and looking after their families, creates a ‘double burden’ for women.�

T h o u s a n d s g a t h e r t o r e m e m ber B .C. avalan che vict im s (CBC) SPARWOOD, B.C. The eight men killed in an avalanche one week ago were remembered by their friends and family at a public memorial on Sunday.

F e m a l e b o m b e r a t S h i it e sh rine in Baghd ad kills 38 (AP) BAGHDAD, Iraq A woman hiding among Iranian pilgrims with a bomb strapped under her black robe killed more than three dozen people on Sunday outside a Baghdad mosque during cere monies commemorating the death of one of Shiite Islam's most revered saints.

Sri L a n k a p u s h e s a h e a d wi th w a r o n r e b e ls (AP) KILINOCHCHI, Sri Lanka Battle tanks rumbled north, attack helicopters flew over head and artillery fire roared through the jungles as Sri Lankan forces pushed ahead Sunday with an offensive aimed at capturing the Tamil Tigers' last remaining strong holds.

Beirut se nds 20 tons of med ic a l s u p p l i e s t o h e l p G a z a n s (Agence France Presse) BEIRUT, Lebanon Lebanon dispatched nearly 20 tons of medical equipment on Sunday to hospitals in the Gaza Strip. The hospitals have struggled to cope with a spiralling casualty toll from Israel's nine day onslaught.

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TO REGISTER FOR EMPLOYER EVENTS, WORKSHOPS AND MORE, visit www.utm.utoronto.ca/careers

UTM CAREER CENTRE

MONDAY, JANUARY

5, 2009 THE MEDIUM 3

Gaza conflict escalates as thousands protest downtown Toronto, worldwide ANDREW HAMILTON SMITH NEWS EDITOR

After over 400 people in the Gaza strip killed and an estimated 1,600 wounded by Israeli Air Force bombings, protesters came out in force this past weekend to voice out against the conflict.

The Israeli assault on the Gaza strip is reminiscent of the monthlong 2006 war in Lebanon, which saw Israel suffer a humiliating stalemate against a much smaller enemy, Hezbollah. Like that conflict, this one began with a limited number of Israeli casualties, which the Israeli government of Ehud Olmert then used to justify a largescale military intervention.

Similar protests took place all weekend in many other cities around the world, from Cairo to London to Baghdad. In Egypt, the powerful Muslim Brotherhood staged a large protest, which included Supreme Guide Mohammed Mahdi Akef urging the crowd to express their anger through peaceful means. No incidents of violence were reported at any of the protests, though anger against Israel’s actions was evident.

A number of executives from the UTMSU, as well as many other students and groups from UTM, attended the protest, which drew people from a wide range of ethnic, religious and social backgrounds.

In his statement to The Medium, University of Toronto Mississauga Student Union (UTMSU) President Wasah Malik commented on the injustice that the Palestinians are facing at this moment. “The world has witnessed the loss of many innocent humans in the past few

months. It is just sad to see that very little forceful action is being taken by the political leaders of this world to cease the fire in Gaza or even force the Israeli authority to grant the permission for the entry of basic necessities and medicines for the Palestinians,” explained Malik who also added that UTMSU is against all injustices, including the injustice that the innocent Palestinians are facing today.

Several Arab groups, including Hezbollah in Lebanon and conservative clerics in Iran, are taking measures to support Hamas and the people of the Gaza strip, both in terms of humanitarian aid and military recruitment, with at least one website signing people up to fight against Israel in defence of Gaza.

The silence of the world community is unusual, with very few countries criticizing Israel for its actions, though there have been a number of calls for a cease-fire.

US President-elect Barack Obama has not yet issued a statement on the conflict, although United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has said that “the United States strongly condemns the repeated rocket and mortar attacks against Israel and holds Hamas responsible for the renewal of violence in Gaza.”

Around 200 counter-protesters turned out downtown Toronto in support of Israel, drawing angry shouts and epithets from the proGaza crowds. As they marched, the protestors brought stretchers to the Israeli embassy on O’Connor Street, where they demanded that Israel be held responsible for the innocent deaths it has caused. At the moment, there does not appear to be any possibility of an end to the hostilities in Gaza.

With students on break, local deer use campus

Photos/Mohammed Hashim

Between six and ten thousand people took to the streets of Toronto on Saturday to protest Israeli attacks on the Gaza strip. The latest escalation in violence comes in response to a number of rocket strikes fired into towns in southern Israel, and has resulted in almost 2,000 casualties in less than two weeks.

Anti-poverty meeting at UTM KAREN AKHTAR ASSISTANT FEATURES EDITOR

With UTM students on their winter break, the local deer population has become increasingly bold when moving around campus. This couple was photographed on Sunday night.

On December 12, 2008, Marvyn Novick, consultant for the Social Planning Network of Ontario and co-founder of Campaign 2000, came to the HJA Brown Education Centre to discuss his Blueprint for Poverty Reduction.

Peter Clutterbuck, coordinator for the Social Planning Network of Ontario, began the meeting by discussing the importance of making poverty an issue that politicians will pay attention to. He also mentioned ways to work together as citizens to make a difference and the importance of having a fair labour market, which would include so-called “living” wages.

Clutterbuck pointed out how the minimum wage will be raised to $10.25/hour in 2010.

Novick emphasized the importance of having poverty reduction as a long-term political strategy in

our society, and how poverty reduction has not gone far enough.

He also emphasized that many measures that help people cope with poverty, such as food banks and hostels, are poverty alleviation, not poverty reduction. He also noted that many preventative measures such as “second chance” programs to go back to school are not poverty reduction.

In the GTA, temporary work agencies take advantage of people who are new to Canada by promising them excellent careers which turn out to be low wage, dead end jobs.

“Things were very different in the 60s,” commented Novick. “The government invested in Old Age Security, Canadian Pension Plan,

seniors’ and low-income housing, and universal public health care.”

Novick also examined some facts about poverty, such as the rate of child poverty in 2005 being the same as in 1989, and pointed out the irony of the current bailout crisis – the same people who wanted the government to stay out of the economy are now asking for taxpayer dollars. Where the government does play a strong role (Denmark, Finland, and Sweden), the result is often a stronger overall economy despite having higher taxes.

Poverty has a disproportionate effect on immigrants and refugees.

In the GTA for example, temporary work agencies take advantage of people who are new to Canada by promising them excellent careers which turn out to be low-wage, dead-end jobs. Novick firmly believes that the system of social assistance should be based on dignity and respect and should provide long-term permanent solutions.

4 THE MEDIUM

MONDAY, JANUARY

5, 2009

Letter to the Editor UTMSU President welcomes students back Dear UTM Students, ALI KASIM EDITOR IN CHIEF editor@mediumonline.ca

EDITORIAL Many have been shaking their heads recently. Some of them at what’s going on in the Gaza strip right now, and some at what’s happening here in Toronto with all the protesting. Sceptics have wondered about what can possibly come of protests here in Canada. How can all the demonstration over at Queen’s Park possibly have an effect on what’s happening in a land once known as Palestine?

“They’re applying pressure on the Canadian government to apply pressure on the Americans to in turn, apply pressure on Israel to stop the attacks,” explained my News Editor. “That’s one way of looking at it,” he adds.

I honestly don’t know if all the indirect pressure will work. I mean, we’re not talking about lowering tuition fees here. But one thing it is doing is getting people to think. To think not just about what’s going on in the Middle East but why. Why this war that has spanned decades is still going on. And why it probably is never going to end.

There’s so much to debate on the subject, and almost unlike anything else, it bears so many different perspectives, so many sides to the whole argument. Take Hamas for instance, the Palestinian political party in the center of it all. The Western opinion on them is clear-cut – they are a terrorist organization, plain and simple. The residents of Gaza however, take a very different view of them, for Hamas is the only organization that provides them with aid, with services like education and health care, as well as widow, food and fuel subsidies for impoverished families. No one else is doing this in Gaza, except for the UN and aid NGOs, who are often Christian-based and/or underfunded and hence, of little influence to the Palestinian villagers.

Hamas refuses to accept Israel’s right to exist and will never change their view on this. They were after all, elected democratically by the people of Gaza for the very purpose of fighting for the re-ownership of their land.

Recently, a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas ended, and Hamas chose not to renew it, beginning instead to fire home-made (but increasingly sophisticated) rockets into Israel, killing and wounding a few people (reportedly less than 20, though this figure has never been made official). In response, Israel launched massive airstrikes into the Gaza region and has just begun a ground invasion, killing almost 500 Palestinians. Similar to what happened in Lebanon in 2006, when two Israeli soldiers were kidnapped and Israel responded with airstrikes which killed thousands of innocent civilians.

Some will argue that the numbers are heftily one-sided. Less than 20 Israelis killed vs. over 500 Palestinians killed? Why are Israeli lives worth more than Palestinian? From this stance, I’m forced to wonder about the American lives which seem to be worth more than the Iraqis’.

But war is war isn’t it? There’s no rule that says both sides have to weigh their punches equally. If Israelites are captured and killed, you can’t blame them for striking back. You can’t really blame them for taking action – however severe – to ensure it doesn’t happen again.

The simple solution here is for neither side to launch any offensive.

But that’s not likely to happen, at least not in the near future.

Palestinians will never stop believing that their actions are justified.

And in retaliation, neither will the Israelites.

Truthfully, I don’t have a proposed solution for any of this. As far as I know, the pros and cons and the ifs and buts are endless. But the one certainty I do have is that this is probably the most complex issue in the history of the world to date. And what good are we as students of the world if we do not educate ourselves on this? We’ll probably continue to shake our heads on the issue, but let’s never stop thinking about it. There is never anything to gain from scepticism.

Yours,

Ali Kasim

BLOG QUESTION

more campaigns and events for you.

The UTM Students’ Union will be providing students with book & needs based bursaries, Expression Against Oppression, campaigns to fight all forms of discrimination and hate, campaigns to move towards a sustainable campus, lobby the government for an OSAP reform to allow part-time students eligibility, Unity Through Diversity, more pub nights and much more. Your students’ union will continue the fight to lower tuition fees and parking fees.

There is a lot of work that needs to get done, so please drop by your students’ union office in the Student Centre in Room 100 and get involved because TOGETHER we hold the power to implement effective changes to enhance our student experience.

As your elected representative, I want to wish all of you a very Happy New Year and I hope this year brings you lots of joy, happiness and success.

It is my pleasure to welcome you back to yet another academic session. I hope that you had the opportunity to get some rest, eat healthy and enjoy your break.

The UTM Students’ Union had been working hard for you during the fall academic term to help ensure that you have a fair and a safe environment to succeed at UTM. Recently, the UTM students were introduced to the idea of changing the current 13-week fall semester to a 12week semester, giving students the opportunity to study a week prior to their exams. Through student consultation, this idea was considered to be an academic policy change that would play a role in benefiting students succeed in their post-secondary education. I am very happy to announce that this policy change was passed at the recent Erindale College Council meeting.

It is very important to continue the progress that UTM students have shared going into the New Year and a new academic term. To do this, your students’ union is committed to bringing about

Regards, Wasah Malik President UTMSU

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Yes, they deserve more for the amount of work they do

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EDITORIAL

SUDOKU

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In early december, University of Toronto teach ing assistants voted 63 per cent in favour of a strike.

With the teaching assistant union, CUPE 3902 still in talks, the TAs could hit the picket lines in February.

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Email the section editors or Ali at editor@mediumonline.ca to find out how you can get started. Or simply drop by our office Student Centre, Room 200.

EDITORIAL Please write to:editor@mediumonline.ca Letters to the editor will be edited for spelling, grammar, style, and coherence. Letters will not exceed 500 words in print. Letters that incite hatred, violence or letters that are racist, homophobic, sexist, or libelous will not be published. Anonymous letters will not be published. Letters and and other editorial materials reflect opinions of the authors, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, staff, volunteers, or Board of Directors of The Medium. In other words, just because we print it doesn’t necessarily mean we agree with it. Submission does not guarantee publication. Submission of materials to The Medium presumes the writer has read, and agrees with, this policy.

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MONDAY, JANUARY

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Michael Di Leo, Editor | arts@mediumonline.ca

Once a winner, always a writer The Medium chats with Rebecca Rosenblum about her award winning collection of short stories and what it means to be a writer KATARINA ILIC Rebecca Rosenblum’s Metcalf/Rooke award-winning Once is a collection of short stories about people who are in their twenties and the situations that surround them. Drawing from her own experiences, the Hamilton-born University of Toronto graduate intricately pieces her characters together, showing them in the more ordinary moments of life. The Medium recently got a chance to speak with the esteemed author about her collection and thoughts on writing.

The Medium: What inspired you to undertake the writing of O CE? Rebecca Rosenblum: The stories in the book that I wrote first were not consciously part of a book. They were just things I wrote that happened to work out better than other projects from the same period. About halfway through grad school, a student is supposed to plan and then execute a long project.

That’s when I realized, all the stuff I wrote that worked were short stories, and that might be because I liked them so much. So the first and second versions of the book, both much different than it stands now, were a part of my thesis work with Leon Rooke at University of Toronto.

TM: I notice that a lot of the stories just pick random events in the lives of characters. Why did you choose to go this route?

RR: To me, they aren’t random. Life is long, complex and convoluted; short stories are usually about 15 pages.

Some people can telescope a whole life into that. I’m thinking of something like Annabel Lyon’s “Black,� which is stunning if you can do it well. What I’m working on these stories is the “minute particular,� getting the reader far enough into the characters and their lives to find the importance in what they say over breakfast, what they do waiting for the bus, how they pass the less “climatic� moments that constitute most of life.

photo/mcnallyrobinson.com

The cover of Once, Rosenblum’s first collection of short stories.

TM: How did you do the research for the stories contained in O CE? RR: For most of these pieces, the material is based on my imagination and filled in with my incidental experiences; not a lot of research was done. I drew on jobs I’ve had, people I’ve met, places I’ve been, foods I’ve eaten, but then I completely free-formed from that. You won’t find many “true stories� here. I’m not a big autobiographical writer, but lots of bits of truth.

The exceptions are “ContEd,� for which I did look into the tax system, and “Route 99,� for which I spent an afternoon riding the eponymous route.

In those cases, the research felt both enjoyable and necessary to the stories, so I did it. Oh, and I read Chester Brown’s amazing Louis Riel and played the game Earthdawn in preparation for writing “Massacre Day,� though I’m not sure if that counts as research since I used so little of it.

TM: Who was your target audience?

RR: I always write first to entertain myself, to write the sorts of stories I want to read. And then I try to make them good enough and clear enough that others could enjoy them too. The people I envision liking the book are people who feel too weird, too immature, too young, too poor or too alienated to be a target market, or were once and remember what it feels like. People who are curious about other people.

People who love short stories, love books, love and hate public transit and their jobs, and really dig Vietnamese food. People who are interested in the real world but not exclusively.

TM: What do you want your readers to take away from reading O CE? RR: I guess I just want them to get to know these people and experience a little bit of their lives. To think about how it would feel to be them and live through those things, the context of whatever that particular reader’s life offers. And I want people to laugh at my jokes.

RR: Only recently, though I always wrote. And parents, teachers, friends were always really encouraging of that.

What’s cuter than a little girl with a poetry notebook? In high school and university, I wrote pretty steadily, took creative writing classes and belonged to groups, all without submitting stuff for publication more than a couple times. If I’d thought of the metaphor at the time, I would’ve compared it to rec-league soccer. No one thinks they’re going to go pro, they play only because they enjoy it, but still they go all out, they play seriously.

I was 27 when I thought maybe I’d like to be a bit more serious. I still didn’t say, I’m going to be a writer, but I did go back to school for my MA in English and creative writing. It was a way of giving myself two years to write, in a very structured and organized way. It was a way of getting help with something that was too much for me to contemplate on my own, a book length project. About a year into the program, I did have enough confidence to start sending my work out. I guess that’s like a pro-league tryout.

TM: What are your stories trying to say?

RR: I’m definitely more interested in the specific than the general in my writing. If the stories reflect on society it is only because they take place within it. I do mean my characters to live in the real world, even those who live with a bit of magic – the food and the snow and the work schedules and the price of gas are all still real.

I often feel outside of things – pop culture or finance or just a conversation, but that’s just me and the stuff I encounter. I’m not sure that’s representative of twenty-somethings as a group in society as a whole. I do think that people who don’t fit are interesting, both for the thing that made them outsiders in the first place and the vantage point that a position outside the crowd gives them.

RR: Write for awhile, and then see how you feel. Every writer is different – some need to study the craft in a classroom, or in a group of fellow writers, or alone locked in a room with a big pile of books, or some combination thereof. Some people need to read only in their chosen genre, and some people, like me, need a sprawl of poems and short stories and epic novels. The more you write, the more you know what you need to do to make it better.

TM: What advice would you give to writers who’ve had their works rejected by publishers?

RR: The first rejections are so hard – it’s going to sting, absolutely. Know when you are ready for that. For a long time I was not confident enough, in my writing or in myself, to cope with rejection, so I didn’t send work out. Finally I got to the point where I thought my stories were strong enough that if someone else disagreed, it wouldn’t destroy me.

The big turning point for me wasn’t having my work be “good� enough to get published, because there are too many factors in that. Editors have their

Photo/alumni.utoronto.ca

Rebecca Rosenblum won the covet ed Metcalfe/Rooke award for Once. preferences in genre and style, journals have space constraints, envelopes get lost and, hell, there’s just more quality work being produced than there is room to print it. The goal that matters for a writer is to be able to look at rejection as one bit of feedback, to pout for a day or two, try to use the feedback, and move on. Love your own work enough that rejection is irrelevant, or almost.

I earned my undergraduate degree.

Now, I want a rewarding career* *not just a job

TM: Did you draw on some of your own experiences for O CE stories?

In less than one year, Humber postgraduate programs will help you launch your career in:

RR: It’s a huge opportunity for me. I have so much bouncing around my head and it’s amazing to be able to put it out there in a way that means something to readers the way it does to me.

The art and craft of that is a constant challenge: the scene-building, the character descriptions that aren’t too heavyhanded, and the sentence structure that seems effortless but is in fact the thirteenth version. But in the end, if someone says they really felt connected to the characters and the events, or even wilder, that they connected with them in a different way than I did, that’s huge. That means I’ve made these imaginary people live on the page.

Amazing.

RR: I’m not a super-autobiographical writer. When I do use real-life stuff, I find it very stressful to weed out the relevant from the merely actual. I also freak out over whether people will be mad if I use bits of their personalities in my work. I think I flatter myself.

I’m not so brilliant with verisimilitude that people could easily catch a glancing reference to their noses or diction or home dÊcor. But stealing lives is enough of a hot-button issue for me that, while I write a lot about people like those I know, very rarely do I try to embody a real person on the page. I use real settings a lot, because that doesn’t feel invasive. Most of the places in Once, as well food, jobs, transit routes, television programs, etc., etc., are definitely from my experience.

+ + % # %" # + $ " $ & ! $ + $ " $ " $ + " $ $ + % #$" $

TM: When did you first know that you wanted to be a writer?

TM: What words of wisdom would you like to impart on other writers?

TM: What does writing mean for you?

Building on your university degree, Humber’s postgraduate programs offer a concentrated curriculum, career-focused courses and practical field placements.

You’ll gain the real-world experience and skills that employers value most.

Get the career you want – apply now. business.humber.ca

6 THE MEDIUM

MONDAY, JANUARY

CD REVIEW

Avian Ashes and Madness 4.5/5

LUCAS DI MASCIO When Avian released their debut album, From the Depths of Time, two years ago, people didn’t expect much.

The band started off as vocalist Lance King’s side project while he was with Pyramaze. When Pyramaze and King went their separate ways Avian became the latter’s primary project. The first album suffered through one minor issue: not being able to hear King’s voice clearly in all the tracks – the songs simply weren’t mixed high enough. Thankfully, that’s a non-issue with the new album.

King does both the lead vocals and the keyboard work on Ashes and Madness. An important thing to note about this release is that King uses vocal styles he’s never used before, which, to fans of his, is quite exciting.

He even goes as far as to add a few death metal growls in some tracks to add to their darker tones.

Welcoming Bill Hudson

5, 2009 (Cellador/Powerquest) as the new lead guitarist was a wise move on the band’s part – his vicious shredding fits the album’s darker tone and provides some of the most frantic and aweinspiring moments of guitar playing in the album. Yan Leviathan (rhythm guitarist) remains as the band’s main songwriter, writing every song and the majority of the lyrics on the album. He writes some intricate riffs that are both catchy and heavy. It’s easy to hear how well the band meshes together in the song writing department.

The album has ten tracks (one of them a short instrumental), each of which stand out on their own. The opening/title track is a great way to kick off the album, giving you a nice taste of what to expect throughout this metal masterpiece. “The Lost and Forsaken� was the first track to be released via the band’s MySpace site. It is one of the heavier songs on the album and King goes all over the place with the vocals. “Into the Other Side� is a classic fast paced power metal tune, while “All The King’s Horses� is a moody piece which has a hard rock feel to it with its classic sounding solos. The final song “Time and Space Part II: Unlock the Mystery� is the longest track on the album and is by far the most epic sounding. An energetic chorus and moody verses lend to the overall feel of the song, as does King’s son playing the violin and his daughter murmuring an apocalyptic speech as the song fades out.

Ashes and Madness is a great melodic power metal album with interesting and catchy songs. From beginning to end the album spews classic metal tunes. The only complaint is that it seemed to go by too fast – one or two more songs wouldn’t hurt. Also, after listening to the album in its entirety there is the lingering question: Will Avian be able to top this metal masterpiece?

CD REVIEW

Belle & Sebastian The BBC Sessions 4.7/5

MICHAEL DI LEO A&E EDITOR

Belle & Sebastian remain a mystery to much of the world. If You’re Feeling Sinister and Tigermilk – their two most notable works – are consistently ranked among many critics “best of all time� lists and their fan base was one of the first to harness the networking power of the internet, yet very few people, fans included, understood the process behind the group in their early years.

Perhaps it was due to their notoriously infrequent and confusing interviews, or the fact that they were rarely ever seen live on stage.

The likeliest reason however was their complete refusal to adhere to any of the music industry’s standards. The band reverted to playing lighter, classically-tinged ballads – what is now termed “baroque pop – at a time where the sharp, hook-riddled melodies of Brit-pop were fashionable. The members weren’t considered musicians, but

friends who played instruments, and to many, the music seemed childish.

Arguably, this is what attracted many lonely youth to the group. The beginnings of hipster-indyism as we know it today were, in a sense, based on the characteristics of Belle & Sebastian and their music. Except that the band didn’t care.

The recently released BBC Sessions sheds some light on B&S during their heyday. Recorded from three separate performance sessions at the BBC with deejays Mark Radcliffe, Steve Lamacq and John Peel from 1996 to 2001, this is one of the rare recordings of the band playing in an almost live environment.

As band leader, Stuart Murdoch has stated on several occasions that he was largely dissatisfied with the mixing of If You’re Feeling Sinister, and has never until now been in the position of being able to produce what he believes his songs should sound like. To both fans and non-fans the differences are prominent. Unlike how they are produced in the original versions, the three tracks “Like Dylan in the Movies,� “Judy and the Dream of Horses,� and “The Stars of Track and Field� (the

only ones from Sinister included in the compilation) are much more focused on the instrumentals. Murdoch sings in his calm, expressive voice but it is turned down in order to hear the complexity and layers of melodies his band mates put forth. Such nuances are difficult to hear in their original recordings, and it is a pleasure to appreciate how uniquely talented the band is.

In addition, there are some never recorded tracks on BBC Sessions which could tent the pants of any B&S fan. “Nothing in the Silence� features the subdued vocals and song writing of violinist Sarah Martin (again, a rarity) and minimal instrumentation with only a reverbed xylophone, bass guitar, and a longing harmonica chorus. It is the gem of the album and one of the band’s most powerful outpours.

While Murdoch is at times off-key, or while the horns may be too thin, or even when a few of the guitars are oddly recorded, the essence of Belle & Sebastian remains. It’s almost a given that BBC Sessions will be popular among fans of the group, and it is difficult to imagine anyone disliking the content. It’s Belle & Sebastian at their most genuine, and it is striking.

Photo/wikipedia.org

Belle & Sebastian relax as a family.

with Michael Di Leo

Welcome back to another fun-filled semester at UTM. And what better way to welcome us back than with a brand new segment of What’s the Dil-Eo? Allow me to keep you all updated on what’s going on in the world of Arts and Entertainment.

First and most importantly, I would like to point out what a terrible break it was for concertgoers. It is understood that most bands don’t want to tour during the holidays because of other obligations and whatnot, but one would expect to see at least a few bigger name Toronto bands playing the club circuit.

Jason Collett continued his winter tour at the Dakota where he played his usual mixture of folk-rock. A few guests stopped by, but nothing overly exciting. In terms of hip-hop, shows were sparse. Perhaps the bitter Toronto winters frighten the boyz from the South, or maybe, and more likely, they were denied entry to our fair land, thus joining the prestigious list of banned American acts – Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, DMX, and 50 Cent to name a few. On the positive side, revered DJ Skratch Bastid made it out to the Drake a few days before Christmas and performed a memorable set as usual.

Prince is back, and with three albums to boot. In an exclusive interview with the Los Angeles Times, the leader of the ew Power

Generation described his most recent foray into music: two solo albums tentatively titled Lotus Flower and MPLSOU D and Elixir, a Bria Valente album he guested on.

The tracks are described as more guitar oriented and reminiscent of “When Doves Cry,� except with a cameo from Q-Tip. More interesting is that he is doing all of this without the help of a record label, and is courting a “major retailer� (my guess: Best Buy; think Chinese Democracy) for the physical distribution of the albums. Apparently Prince has realized that he can make money off his name.

Pitchfork released its list of the best albums and tracks of 2008 – one of the most viewed music lists in existence. Not surprisingly, Fleet Foxes were deemed to have the best album (or should I say LP/EP combination) with their Sun Giant EP and self-titled debut. Surprisingly, ick Cave’s newest album Dig Lazarus Dig came in low at #32, while Vampire Weekend and Hercules and Love Affair both overshot with positions in the top 10.

In other news, Katy Perry just split up with her boyfriend. We all have an equal chance now.

Be sure to check in next week as we have a very special issue featuring our best-of-2008 list in conjunction with CFRE Radio.

MONDAY, JANUARY

5, 2009 THE MEDIUM 7

Not so curious after all The Medium takes a look at one of the year’s most anticipated films, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button ROSE MUSTARD

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, adapted by Eric Roth from F. Scott Fitzgerald’s 1921 short story of the same name, tells the story of Benjamin Button (Brad Pitt), a man described by his adopted mother as “pre-maturely old.”

Initially, the story – about a man who “grows” younger while everyone around him ages – was based around Mark Twain’s observation of how it’s

a shame that the most enjoyable part of life comes at the beginning, and ends with the worst. The main characters from the story were adapted from the book, but otherwise the screenplay takes a very different path from Fitzgerald’s original. In an attempt to make the short story classic “Hollywood,” the writers added the epic backdrop of beginning with the First World War and finishing at the heart of Hurricane Katrina, as well as incorporating the love story between Benjamin and Daisy (Cate Blanchett).

Photos/outnow.ch

An elderly Benjamin Button (played by Brad Pitt) dances the night away.

Director David Fincher (Seven, Fight Club) framed this epic fairytale with the last breaths of an elderly Daisy and her daughter Caroline (Julia Ormond) in a New Orleans hospital with “Katrina” raging outside.

Caroline begins reading to her mother from a journal which once belonged to Benjamin Button. Slowly, the 21st century hospital room fades to the streets of New Orleans circa 1918, at the end of the war. Caroline’s voice is replaced with Brad Pitt’s, in an entertaining southern drawl.

The flashbacks to Benjamin’s life are constantly interrupted with returns to the modern day hospital room.

Although this use of framing is appropriate and necessary during some stages of the film, there are moments when it appears useless and its function lost and replaced with bad acting.

Considering the duration of the film (2 hours and 45 minutes), there are framing scenes which should have been left on the editing floor.

At the end of the film when Benjamin is unable to write in his journal, the elderly version of Daisy picks up the story to include her final moments of their time together. Her memories of their relationship at the end of their lives is by far the most moving portion of the entire film, as it is crippling to watch a sixty-something year old woman in love with a teenage boy who doesn’t even remember her.

The only reason this film is bearable which he is a vehicle for the storyfor three hours is because of Brad Pitt. telling but is himself an empty vessel He manages to be eerily good-looking, in the end. Overall, it is fitting that so despite his age or the large amounts of much of the film plays with the make-up he is wearing. One notable ephemeral nature of life, yet so little of moving scene is when he returns to the story sticks in the viewers mind. visit Daisy after abandoning her and their daughter. He is a little over twenty years old, while she’s in her mid-fifties.

Despite his young appearance, Pitt acts with so much age and wisdom, that he embodies an old soul flawlessly. There is weight in and under his eyes where one can almost see the experiences he’s had in his lifetime. Pitt’s performance is consistent throughout. During the early parts of the film when Pitt plays the old version of himself, he plays the part with such innocence and the lightness of a child.

There is an overall feeling that the film is a series of snippets of his life with occasionally moving moments, and the bits and pieces don’t always add up. Button’s lack of personality is the main reason for this. He comes off as nice and gentle, but there really isn’t much else to him. In a sense, his character is similar to that of Forrest Gump (also Pitt as a middle aged Ben Button, peering written by Eric Roth), in over the vast ocean.

comments: photos@mediumonline.ca submissions: www.mediumonline.ca/photopop

photopop is a new weekly section curated byThe Medium’s Photography Editor Matthew Filipowich.

An assemblage of weekly photographs, photo + collaborate is your take on weekly life, seen through your eyes.

photo by snowpeaks

8 THE MEDIUM

MONDAY,JANUARY

5, 2009

Alain Latour, Editor | features@mediumonline.ca

CCIT’s first ever couple love. On the last page there were four pictures, all in sequence – a picture of a wheel, a U-turn road, a merry-go-round, and a goofy portrait of Igor.

This wasn’t strange to Nina – for the last three years, Igor had created Christmas, St. Valentine’s, and birthday postcards for her, always ending with a riddle composed of four seemingly unrelated images. “But what’s the occasion today,� she wondered as she lifted her gaze to find Igor kneeling in front of her, a ring in one hand, a felt marker in the other, asking her, “Wheel U merry me?�

Before she could reply, Igor turned to the last page, where a big check box for “Yes� loomed in the middle, close to a tiny check box for “No� in the corner. Ecstatic, beaming, and amused, Nina took the marker and checked off the big box.

ALAIN LATOUR FEATURES EDITOR

Love has touched CCIT students before. Love for computers, graphic design projects, and even web applications. But love has never touched two CCIT students to the point of wanting to spend the rest of their lives together. Not until now.

Igor Mazic is a 2006 DEM graduate. So is Nina Honawar. Igor’s passions are photography and travelling. So are Nina’s. And until three and half years ago neither of them had any idea the other existed. They were immediately attracted to each other, mutual interests notwithstanding, one warm June evening in 2005 at a games night party, over a Cranium board at a mutual friend’s place. At the time, both of them had just finished with their third year in CCIT. They began meeting for some after-work street photography sessions soon after that, in a location that most of us would refer to as the corner of Queen and University. Igor and Nina still refer to it as “the meeting spot.�

For a short while they remained “just friends.� But of course, that

www.athabascau.ca/standout

For the last three years, Igor had created Christmas, St. Valentine’s, and birthday postcards for her, always ending with a riddle composed of four seemingly unrelated images.

Photo/Igor Mazic

Made in UTM: Soon to be Mr. and Mrs. Mazic status gradually evolved and escalated into something a lot more.

Upon graduation they traveled together to Australia, Costa Rica, South East Asia and Japan, both of them with camera in tow. Photos of their trips around the globe are posted on their photo-blog. Visitors to the blog started referring Igor and Nina to friends who were getting married and who needed wedding photographers. Before they knew it they had enough proceeds from wedding assignments to consider launching their own photography company. The couple did this while still hanging on to their fulltime jobs in the marketing field.

One warm September evening, exactly three years, three months, and three days after their first encounter at the meeting spot, Igor brought Nina to the same place. An architectural firm had hired them, he explained, to take night shots at that intersection.

They had been working for a while when Igor proposed they take a break. Sitting down at the foot of the stairs by the fountains, he surprised Nina with a hardcover book.

On the first page she found a photo they had taken during their first date at the meeting spot. It showed them sitting right where they sat.

Nina continued to flip through pages full of pictures: Igor and Nina jumping up in the air in the Australian outback; Igor and Nina grinning for the camera on graduation day; Igor and Nina strolling down a UTM hall; Igor and Nina travelling, laughing, working, taking photographs; Igor and Nina in

Soon after, Igor and Nina submitted their story and profiles to perfectcouple.ca, a site where engaged couples vie for the annual prize of being announced as “Mississauga’s Perfect Couple� and a chance to win a honeymoon vacation package. Having been chosen from several hundred submissions, Igor and Nina are now in the final sixteen, where online votes will decide which couple gets the prize. The winning couple will be announced on January 11 at The Perfect Wedding Show held at Mississauga’s Living Art Centre.

The deadline for voting is January 7.

As UTM graduates, Igor and Nina hope the UTM community will stand behind them. And to encourage participation, they have created a contest where people who vote for them could win a free photo shoot, details of which can be found at www. thinkphoto.ca/contest.pdf.

The Medium would like to encourage students to visit the site.

We also hope everyone on this campus will appreciate the beauty in Igor and Nina’s unique story.

They are in love, they are UTM grads, and they deserve a great honeymoon. Let’s help them achieve that dream.

If you’d like to get published, this your chance. Submit your entries to Alain at features@ mediumonline.ca

MONDAY, JANUARY

5, 2009 THE MEDIUM 9

Creative Corner

The Field Course MARIANNE KALICH

While writing the final lab practical exam in my ‘Biology of Protista’ course, professor Amir approached me from behind. “I need to speak with you after the exam, so don’t leave”, he whispered.

I was nervous enough trying to identify these single celled creatures. I moved from one microscope to another and tried to concentrate on the exam questions.

Professor Amir was my favorite professor because of his easy going nature and ability to find fun in everything he taught. He smiled and nodded his head at me as I refocused my eyes on the tiny torpedo shaped creatures whizzing through the field of view. Everything looked like a Paramecium at this point.

“Yes, did you want something?”

Professor Amir asked when he saw me in the room after the exam ended, “Oh yeah, I remember now”. He nodded his head in a goofy way, his disheveled dark hair flying around. “I just wanted to ask if you had taken any Ecology courses somewhere else maybe?”

“No”, I replied, “but I was hoping to take the field eology course in Dorset this summer - at least I’ve applied for it”.

“Yes, I know. I’m on the committee to review the applicants. When your name came up, I said you’d be fine for it, but they told me you didn’t have the ecology prerequisite. I told them I didn’t believe that because I knew you knew plant names and stuff, so I pushed you through based on that. My butt’s on the line if you can’t handle the course now, so please don’t embarrass me.”

I felt honoured that he was even aware of what I knew in a class of 120 students.

When I was ten, my friend Kathy and I borrowed field guides from the library and searched around Lake Boshkung for

plants.

"Oh my goodness, this really cool one with the neat design on the leaves is an orchid, goodyera tesselata." I banged the book with my finger.

"And look, it's growing exactly where the field guide said it would, in dry woodlands," Kathy replied. "No wonder it didn't do well in our terrarium next to the sphagnum moss!"

We dug up mosses and lichens, rooted out ferns and delicate woodland plants and grew them in our small aquarium at home upon returning from her cottage, eager to know everything about them.

I felt I could handle the ecology field course. I would earn a half credit in just two weeks and I would make professor Amir proud.

August 22 arrived all too soon. My good friend Ron and I had to work at our summer jobs right up until the day the course began. I worked long hours as a teller in several branches of the TD bank, and Ron worked at a fitness centre. He taught some weight training, but mostly was hired to sell memberships to people who would probably never use the facilities despite needing the exercise. Both of us were glad for the escape from our jobs.

“This field course will be like the only vacation time I’ll get this summer,” Ron said. I agreed.

We drove up to the Dorset field station together in Ron’s old royal blue station wagon, arriving long after dark and later than the other students in the course. Ron found a room on the guy’s floor, but the girl’s dorm was full.

“That’s ok, Marianne, there’s plenty of room in the prof’s section. You can have the room right across the hall from Roy and me all to yourself,” professor Amir grinned. I was uncomfortable with the first-name basis everyone seemed to be on here at the field station. In my mind I still held professors in high esteem. Much like teachers throughout

my life, I never considered that they had first names or did mundane things like eat or go to the bathroom.

The field course was taught by four professors from the Toronto campus and two from the Mississauga campus where I attended the University of Toronto.

I joined 23 other students kneeling along the dock edge as Dave from the field station taught us how to paddle.

Surprisingly, the dock didn’t go anywhere with so many paddles J-stroking in the same direction.

We boarded our canoes and paddled out onto the lake to collect data. Like a mother duck taking her babies out for the first time, 12 canoes pointed each in a different direction bobbed behind two canoes moving smoothly in a straight line.

“Head toward that patch of purple flowering plants,” professor Barren shouted from his canoe. “It appears to be a clone-one single individual. Let’s see what the flowers tell us about this plant.” We picked every one of the more than three hundred pickerel weed flowers to look at what length the styles on the flowers were.

We collected from traps at sunrise.

We stood back to watch in case deer mice wanted to spring high into the air as the trap opened. The small creatures were identified, weighed, measured, recorded and ear-tagged before being released back into the wild. We set the traps again at the end of each day in order to possibly catch them again to help us figure out population sizes of each species. Lectures continued in the evening after dinner.

As I hoped, we identified flowing plants, trees, ferns, fungi, and insects on land, and algae, creatures that made up plankton, and fish in the lake. We set up a lab in a room of old benches and stools with microscopes, under which we could examine things we collected. We were all expected to do our own research pro-

jects which had to fit into the few daytime hours we had off. I chose to study insect eating pitcher plants and the live insects associated with them.

We slept in dormitory rooms. Each held two beds, closets, and desks.

Linoleum tiles covered the floors and small windows overlooked the treed grounds. We ate wonderful meals in a building that always smelled of fresh bakery and just brewed coffee.

Early in the first week as I rested after dinner, professor Amir wandered into my room.

“Hey Marianne, you seem to be doing great at this field stuff. I’m so glad,” he smiled. As we exchanged stories about how our summer had gone, professor Amir picked up things on my desk, played with them and put them down.

“So how do you know so many scientific plant names?”

My jaw dropped when I realized that professor Amir was tossing around my birth control pills. His eyes followed mine to his hands, and he realized what he was playing with. He quietly cleared his throat and put the pills down. “Uh, I think I’ll be going now,” professor Amir mumbled as he wandered across to his room and shut his door.

The next day I went to the women’s shared bathroom to shower at the end of a long day. I lingered a long time, as hot water eased my sore muscles. I came out of the shower to see a fully naked professor Mary Shay. This woman had the most enormous breasts I had ever seen. She wasn’t named ‘torpedo tits’ by the other students for nothing. Like everyone else who was relaxed and eager to chat about their summers, Mary yapped away to me. I hoped that I just looked red due to the hot water I had been in. I pulled my towel closer around my tiny body in the hopes that the professor would pick up a towel and do the same. She just stood there naked, comfortable as anything.

“So Marianne, do you normally get out canoeing as much as we do here?”

“N-no not really,” I stammered. She was short, so I had to look down to her.

I couldn’t avoid looking at her breasts.

She droned on and on. After what seemed like an endless time, she paused long enough for me to say, “I’d better run, I promised to meet Ron before the evening talk,” and dashed.

I became vigilant to avoid circumstances like the one with Mary, but managed to relax as the week wore on and into the final week of the course. I even gained a nickname - Fern - because of my love of those forest plants, and everyone felt like family by then.

“Fern, come play volleyball after dinner, we need a few more to make good teams,” Ron said.

“Oh, I don’t know, I’m not very athletic” I replied.

“Hey we don’t need athletes. It’s just for fun. What problem could you have with it?”

“Okay,” I said. It did sound like fun.

I arrived at the indoor volleyball court just as they were beginning to play, and they gestured to where I should stand.

“Oh no,” I thought, “right next to Rudi Boons, the ‘small mammal’ professor.

I’ll have to be careful.” The game got underway, and a long forgotten competitive streak ran through me. Confident that I could get the ball over the net, I jumped up and applied all the force I could muster. I felt something under my clenched hand that was too hard to be the ball, as I knocked over Rudi, smashing him on the head. A tangle of bodies, arms and legs, we ended up in a heap on the cold linoleum floor, Rudi trapped underneath me.

All I could do was thank God that the field course ended in another day. I was so glad that this professor beneath me was not from my campus and I would never have to take a course from him again.

your reality and seemingly not being able to do any thing about it: like acting in and watching a movie at the same time…How much you can do, all the fears anxieties, social standards that restrict you…can all easily vanish with a change in thought – realization without cita tion…Meditation All the wonders each per son is capable of:

Reaching the stars, no need to extend Like a drop of water in the ocean We are to this Earth The Sun us to the Galaxy The galaxy is to the Universe The universe is to Us Look within yourself and see all the possibilities to the extent that the word possibility itself misrepre sents what you are really capable of

Cures and conditions without medication Flight without avaiation Sight without visualization All the bliss without arrest No test causing stress Writing this message without a pen

…I feel so restricted, we feel so restricted Let’s end this restriction Let’s open our eyes to see that these shackles never existed Let’s no longer be restricted

Restricted JEFFREY SAAH

Why do I feel so restrict ed, why do we feel so restricted?

I think and think and reflect on this sometimes I walk and perform my daily operations bur still I feel restricted So restricted like the domain of a function, to the point where I cannot function to the true desires of my domain So restricted…restricted so that I cannot force myself to look into the eyes of another So restricted, afraid to raise my hand up during a lecture Where is this feeling

coming from? Who shaped my hand in this fashion?

As a baby these rules did not apply, everything was free for all, but as con sciousness grew, these shackles intensified… …So restricted that autonomous responses do not occur automatical ly – like the Bystander effect, my actions seem to be dependant on somebody So restricted that I can’t even feel these shackles and observe the ways oh my movements So restricted that when I interact with another I feel limited, normal

speech and personalities blur, I choke, freeze, pause, look away, stutter and hesitate. I just want to look directly and speak So restricted like a person who’s been hypnotized – tell them that their eyelids weigh a ton and surpris ingly that cannot open their eyes Restrictions like these are engraved into our uncon scious, where they are on constant display – buried so deep in the mind that vital perceptions is diffi cult to attain But the worse restriction felt is of knowing how much you can change

10 THE MEDIUM

MONDAY, JANUARY

5, 2009

Creative Corner

Biology Experience MARIANNE KALICH

”Things sure are different from this side,” I say to Ann, a university friend and now a coworker. “I thought lugging those nets, hip waders and sampling equipment around in the field was tedious when I was a student. It’s nothing compared to keeping track of it for fifty students at a time. Preparation takes so long, and equipment seems to break and get lost constantly.”

“That’s why you have a job,” Ann says, smiling and tossing back her whitish blonde hair.

“You know, it may sound silly, but the biggest problem I’m having is not the actual work, it’s calling our Professors by their first names.

It just doesn’t feel right to call Professor Maynard ‘Paul’. When talking to him, I just avoid using his name at all. I had no problems with professor’s names when I worked downtown in research, or in the other biology jobs I had. It’s just this place. Did you find it comfortable from the beginning?” I ask.

“I th i n k i t ’ s d i f f e re n t i n t h e research lab” Ann replies. “I’m not working so closely with the same profs I had as a student.”

“Yea h , b u t D e b b i e, i n t h e Paleon t o l og y l a b c e r t ai n l y h ad Riddel as a prof, yet she tells me she had no problems that way,” I say “m a y be I ’m j u s t t o o e a s i l y intimidated. I know Maynard sure intimidated me when I was a student.”

Professor Maynard’s long light grey hair sticks out like Albert Einstein. He is loud, overbearing and dramatic. A world renowned

Plant Ecologist, Professor Maynard studies plants in Japan, the Arctic, Poland and China. I remember his embarrassing personal comments in class. “ J a k s i e m asz?” Professor Maynard asks me in class how I am in Polish. “What, with a last name like that you never learned to speak Polish? Didn’t your parents teach you? It’s the key to learning other cultures. I learned it from my wife.

It’s not too late for you too,” he booms for all to hear.

I avoid him when on class field t r ip s , c h oo s i ng instead to jo in groups led by the teaching assistants. Sometimes there is no choice in who leads, like the day I went on the trip to Rattray Marsh.

“Oh my God, these hip waders are huge,” my friend Marilyn says to me. “And they smell of nasty rubber and stinky feet.”

“Mine are chafing against my right heel and inner thighs,” I say “I can feel blisters forming already.”

Our friend Pete sinks deep into the sludge and shrieks, “Phew what is that horrible gas smell?”

“How does Maynard move with s u c h a g i l i t y i n hip waders i n a swamp?” Marilyn whispers to me.

“I wish he’d slow down so I can take notes on what he’s saying,” I say to her.

After we trudge through muck, stumble over rounded rocks, wade along a shallow stream, we reach firmer ground and walk into a cattail marsh. The sky clouds over and a soft fog moves in. Cattails taller than anyone become maze-like and close in around us.

“I hope we don’t have to find our own way back,” Marilyn says. “I’m totally lost here, like we’ve been

walking forever.”

Finally we stop.

“Well here we are” Professor Maynard exclaims.

“Where are we?’ a shy mousy haired girl asks.

“Why, in the middle of the cattail marsh, of course. Weren’t you paying attention?” Professor Maynard’s

When the last student leaves, clipboard in hand, I look at the mess of my lab. I will have a couple of hours to sweep the back room floor and tidy up before the students and their mucky waders return. It should be enough time for me to try and fix last week’s broken scopes.. eyes narrow.

“B-but we’ve been in the cattail marsh for about twenty minutes” she stammers.

“Exactly, I wanted you to get a sense of how enormous this part of the marsh is. You can’t truly get a sense of that when you stay on the edge. Now we better hurry to get back before the bus leaves without us.”

He is right. I feel that sense of the enormity of the cattail marsh every time I see one.

Now at work in the lab, I lend smelly black rubber hip waders to the current students he ading to Rattray Marsh.

“Do we really need these?” a student asks. “What are we going to

see in the marsh anyway?”

“Oh, you’ll be surprised, marshes are neat,” I say. “Let me know what you think when you get back.”

When the last student leaves, clipboard in hand, I look at the mess of my lab. I will have a couple of hours to sweep the back room floor and tidy up before the students and their mucky waders return. It should be enough time for me to try and fix last week’s broken scopes.

The time passes quickly and I am surprised when the students return far more jovial than I expect. They are dirty and smell of swamp gas.

“Well, did you find the trip interesting?” I ask them. “Did Professor Maynard take you into the cattail marsh?” All the students laugh and grin wildly.

“You tell her,” a smiling blonde girl prods a tall skinny guy.

“Oh, we’ve got to tell you this one, it was great. We go into the cattail marsh and follow Maynard for a long time and…….” the skinny guy’s voice halts. Professor Maynard stands in the room.

Everyone becomes silent. The students return their waders and depart in a hurry.

I burst with curiosity as to what could have happened. Soon, the only people left in the lab are Professor Maynard and I. “Did something ha ppen out there?” I ask.

“Oh, yeah…something I’ve always feared would happen finally did today,” Professor Maynard pauses for a long time.

“And that would be….?” I ask.

“Well, you know how after the tour of the marsh, the stream, and the pebble beach, I like to take the group really far into the cattail

marsh? I make sure they’ve walked for about ten minutes…maybe you remember from when you took my course?”

“Yes, I remember vividly.”

“Well I had a coffee just before we got on the bus to go to the marsh, and I never had time to go to the bathroom, so after about five minutes of just walking, I really needed to take a leak. So I stopped there and told the class the spiel that I usually do, about how massive it is then told them to turn around and go back to the bus. They were walking ahead of me, so I figured they could find their own way out.

I took the opportunity to double back a bit so I could relieve myself in the marsh. I walked back a ways and stopped to be sure that they were far off and I couldn’t hear them. I unzipped and started to pee a huge stream. Man, I really needed to go. Then I heard a sound, like an animal, or a throat clearing, and it startled me into turning around before I finished. There, before me, was the whole class, staring.” Paul Maynard says, with open hands gesturing to his fly.

“I guess the path out of the marsh wasn’t obvious to the students.” I say, laughing hard. I never had trouble calling him by his first name again.

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Post online at the www.mediumonline.ca /blog

The ugly side of Father Christmas ALAIN LATOUR FEATURES EDITOR

The time of the year when we are supposed ly at o u r h ap p ies t an d kindest has just ended. Christmas trees, crowded stores, bearded old men dressed up in red suits, cheap signs announcing sales – it’s all gone now, giving turkeys and humans alike a moment of respite.

Twelve months of respite to be precise, during which some of us can go back to being our not-quiteso-cheerful selves.

Now I am not trying to be cynical. I do enjoy the holidays. They provide many of us with the opportunity (some would argue “obligation”) to spend time with friends and family. But the holidays do have a dizzying commercial spin to them, and as a parttime retail employee at the Eaton Centre (I won’t say which store, for fear of more customers), I can attest that the holidays can get pretty ugly.

The days before and after

Christmas – Boxing Day in particular – begin with hordes of galloping customers running back and forth, pushing one another, pestering my co-workers and me with loud questions ranging from what time it is to where such and such store can be found to where the ATM, bank, movie theater, food court, info booth, or lost grandson is. As the days wear on, they become zombie-like, meandering along the bright halls with glazed eyes, hypnotized, shuffling tired feet, carrying heavy bags crammed full with everything the mall has to offer.

“You should be happy,” my boss remarked once when I spent fifteen minutes trying to find a restroom where the toilets weren’t clogged.

“If people didn’t spend so much this time of the year, the recession would be a lot worse.”

He was right of course – things would get ugly indeed if people held on too tightly to their money.

But can a balance not be struck?

After all, what’s the point of having time off if we’re to spend it getting up at 5 a.m. so we can be among the first in a Future Shop or an Abercrombie & Fitch lineup?

I have stood in line for hours myself. But I was trying to apply for permission to leave my home

country permanently. My parents have stood in line for hours too.

But they were lining up for food. I remember thinking, over six years ago when I learned my family and I would finally leave Cuba, that I’d never have to stand in long lineups again. Yet many people in Toronto choose to do it, not because they are hungry or because they need a visa, but because that sweet fiftytwo-inch plasma is on sale.

Live and let live. That’s always been my motto. It shouldn’t bother me that most people choose to

The days before and after Christmas begin with hordes of galloping customers running back and forth, pushing one another, pestering my co workers and me with loud questions.

It hasn`t gotten much better.

stand in line for hours when they could instead be travelling or havi n g d i n n e r w it h t h e ir f a m i l y o r catching up with friends or making love or playing in the snow. But it does, and much of this is because these people don’t even look

happy while they’re doing it. And it makes me wonder whether we’re destined not to ever be happy with what we have, and to always crave for more, even when more is not truly necessary.

The most depressing part of it all was discovering that I am not

File Photo/Deca

immune to this sad epidemic. For example, I just found about something called the Sonos Multi-Room Music System. It allows you to listen to different songs in different rooms, with the music stored in your Mac or PC. Now if I could only find it on sale…

MONDAY, JANUARY

5, 2009 THE MEDIUM 11

Christopher Sa’d, Editor | sports@mediumonline.ca

2009 WJHC: Could you expect anymore from these kids?

CHRIS SA’D SPORTS EDITOR

Ottawa rumbled during the 2009 World Juniors Hockey Championship (WJHC) with one of the quickest and most entertaining competitions in IIHF history, mostly thanks to an exhilarating performance from Canada.

Enriched with a promising display of talent, the tournament has been touted as nothing short of successful by many. Every game at the Scotia Bank Place and the Ottawa Civic Centre has been filled with enough hitting, scoring and rude on-ice attitude for an electrify World Juniors atmosphere like never before.

As Canadians, it has been pleasing to witness the stability of Canada’s development program and the size of each player’s heart willing to battle through every game up to the last possible breath. Right up to the point where longtime rivals Russia knocked on the door, Canada did not disappoint with blowout after blowout of everyone else in their way.

And against Russia, they managed enough after a late scare to clinch the semi-final tie 6-5, a familiar score between the two hockey giants Canada over the last few decades. The 1987 Canada Cup series saw three games ending with that very same score line.

Canada took two of the three games to win the series.

How befitting it is that the CanadaRussia rivalry continues on to this day.

Russia head coach Sergei Nemchinov led a disciplined group of young players going into the tournament. No matter how tough the opponent, Nemchinov has successfully

inspired his team to fight back game after game.

“He’s a great young man,” said Canadian head coach Pat Quinn during an after game conference. “He covered our threats and he did a great job coaching his team against us. He should be proud of his team, they fought hard.”

Undoubtedly, it was the most heartbreaking game of the championships so far, with Canada needing a shootout to claim victory.

Russia responded to every Canadian goal with a goal of their own minutes after. Russia finally took the lead near the end of the game until Canadian winger Jordan Eberle dished in the tying goal during the last seconds of the game.

“It was a tough game and a tough goal to see go in the last seconds,” said Nemchinov. “It was really tough for all of us.”

At press time, Canada is scheduled to face Sweden in the gold medal

match.

“This is the best group of kids they have seen since ’81,” said Quinn. “We expect to find ways to improve our game for the gold medal match.”

It’s going to be another epic battle between two hockey dominant countries, both of whom adopt a rather similar style of play – grit and scoring, with inspiration drawn from a star centre. Canada boasts Mississauga-born John Tavares while the Swedes have Victor Hedman. Both players round off the top two NHL draft prospects.

Hedman holds the potential to grow into a Nikolas Lidstrom type defenseman – a solid and regular contributor.

So far however, Hedman has put in a less-than-stellar WJHC performance.

Various scouts and general managers such as Detroit’s GM Ken Holland and Chicago’s Assistant GM Rick Dudley believe there are a couple of other players to watch out for in the 2009 NHL draft.

There has been buzz about

Canadians Cody Hodgson and Erie Otter, while Slovakian goalkeeper Jaroslav Janus has also been touted as a hot prospect.

The rumor mill has been in full force as well, with talks of Pat Quinn coaching the Ottawa Senators and making the Scotia Bank Place a home away from home.

The tournament has seen record breaking attendances with a total of 456,000 fans from Dec. 26 to Jan. 5.

And this doesn’t include the exhibition games. In a business portfolio, this was definitely a money grabber.

It’s no surprise – we’ve seen Tavares slam pucks in the net from mid-air and possibly Canada’s quickest and most dedicated team ever.

Three players have scored double digit points thus far and Tavares is on course to break a scoring record stapled by Canadian Jeff Carter. And don’t forget winger Jordan Eberle’s history-making tying goal in the last two seconds of the Russia game.

12 THE MEDIUM

MONDAY, JANUARY

5, 2009

Huskies triumph with Donald Brown SAM LANE SPECIAL SPORTS CORRESPONDENT

The third edition of the International Bowl pitted an offensive juggernaut, University of Connecticut, against a feel good, overcome the odds, defence first, University of Buffalo.

The 2009 Bowl also featured the Huskies Donald Brown, an AllAmerican running back who torched the Buffalo Bulls for 261 yards and a major, and then promptly declared his eligibility for the NFL. “I'm going to pursue the NFL,” Brown said. “I know I told you guys earlier that I was coming back, but that was to eliminate the distractions from my team. We had enough internal distractions going on, and they didn't need that one as a burden as well.”

The leading NCAA rusher ended months of speculation by forgoing his final year to enter the next NFL Draft after the Huskies beat the Bulls, 3820.

“I just felt in my heart that it was best for me. It was one of the toughest decisions I've ever had to make in my life,” said the International Bowl MVP. Finishing his college year with more than 2,000 yards, Brown is expected to be a highly touted draft pick especially after his performance at the Bowl game.

“He's a stallion. He’s a triple-crown winner and we rode the horse all the way to the finish line,” said Connecticut head coach Randy Edsall.

“The team out there that will draft him, he’s going to make that team better.”

Connecticut committed no less than five turnovers in the first half, handing 20 points to the Buffalo Bulls, for a halftime score of 20-13 to the Bulls.

The second half told a much different story with a much more calm and collected Connecticut team coming off the blocks. Brown of course had much to do with the fight back.

Early reports indicated that Buffalo had sold over 11,000 seats but it was the undersized Connecticut faithful that roared louder than their rivals. On each UConn possession, and every time Brown, the diesel workhouse, powered through the defensive line, the cheers grew louder.

With a never say die approach, the Bulls made a late charge in the fourth quarter but on the 8-yard line Bulls quarterback Drew Willy was intercepted in the Huskie endzone. Dahna Deleston closed out the scoring with an electrifying 102-yard interception return.

“It was a tale of two halves,” said Edsall after the game. “The first half we shot ourselves in the foot with our turnovers.”

The Bulls were making their first Bowl appearance since 1958, after the team voted to skip the Tangerine Bowl because of segregation rules.

Many of the surviving members of that team were honoured on the field before kickoff on Saturday, one day after the Rev. Jesse Jackson, the U.S. civil rights leader, said the team's decision “was the greatest game never played.”

Any women interested in playing Ice Hockey for UTM for the Winter term please meet in Room 1118B at 1pm.

Pick up a copy of our Activity Guide today for more information regarding dance classes, instructional classes, swimming lessons and much, much more…

Above: The Connecticut Huskies posing for the cameras during halftime.

Below: The Huskies basked in glory.

Women’s Winter Sports Jan. 7 Jan. 12 Jan. 14

6:00-7:30pm Gym C 6:00-7:30pm Gym A/B 6:00-7:30pm Gym C

Ice Hockey (Div 1) Jan. 11 Jan. 18

10:30 -11:30pm Erin Mills 10:30 -11:30pm

Basketball (Tri Campus, Div 1 and Div 2)

Jan. 8 Indoor Soccer (Tri Campus, Div 2) Jan. 13 Jan. 15 Lacrosse (Div 1) Jan. 8 Jan. 13 Jan. 8 Volleyball (Div 1 and Div 2) Jan. 14 Jan. 15

6:00-7:30pm 6:00-7:30pm 6:00-7:30pm 5:00-6:00pm 6:00-7:00pm 6:00-7:30pm 6:00-7:30pm 6:00-7:30pm

Gym A/B Gym A/B Gym A/B Gym C Gym C Gym C Gym A/B Gym C

Coed Winter Sports Ultimate Frisbee

Jan. 7 Jan. 12 Jan. 14

5:00-6:00pm 5:00-6:00pm 5:00-6:00pm

Gym C Gym C Gym C

Men’s Winter Sports Jan. 7 Basketball (Div 2) Jan. 12 Jan. 14 Jan. 11 Ice Hockey (Div 1) Jan. 18 Jan. 13 Indoor Soccer (Tri Campus, Div 1 and Div 2) Jan. 15 Lacrosse (Div 1) Jan. 8 Jan. 13 Jan. 8 Volleyball (Div 1 and Div 2) Jan. 14 Jan. 15 Water Polo (Div 1) Jan. 7 Jan. 14

7:30-9:00pm Gym C 7:30-9:00pm Gym A/B 7:30-9:00pm Gym C 9:45-11:45pm Iceland 7:30-9:30pm Gym A/B 7:30-9:30pm Gym A/b 5:00-6:00pm 6:00-7:00pm

Gym C Gym C

7:30-9:00pm Gym C 7:30-9:00pm Gym A/B 7:30-9:00pm Gym C 7:00-8:30pm

Pool

Ball Hockey (Men’s) Wednesday, January 7th @ 12:00pm Room 1118B Ball Hockey (Women’s) Monday, January 9th @ 12:00pm Room 1118B Indoor Soccer (Men’s) Tuesday, January 20th @ 12:00pm Room 1118B Basketball (Men’s) Monday, January 26th @ 12:00pm Room 1118B Indoor Soccer (Coed) Tuesday, January 27th @ 12:00pm Room 1118B Volleyball (Coed) Thursday, January 29th @ 12:00pm Room 1118B Basketball (Coed) Thursday, January 29th @ 1:00pm Room 1118B Cricket (Men’s) Monday, February 2nd @ 12:00pm Room 1118B Let’s keep up the winning tradition!! If you played in high school, you can play for UTM! Get out to a try-out!

If you are unable to make any of these tryouts, but would like to participate, please contact Jack Krist (905) 569-4607 j.krist@.utoronto.ca or Louise Vanderwees (905) 828-3712 louise.vanderwees@utoronto.ca