Vol 38 issue 20

STYLE & PROFILE March 12, 2012 Volume 38, Issue 20 www.mediumutm.ca

Unity dominates elections Students First and independent candidate Tanoli fall behind by large margin STEFANIE MAROTTA NEWS EDITOR After a highly contentious election of procedures violations, demerit points overturned by the Elections and Referenda Appeals Committee, and uncertainty among UTM students, each executive candidate from Team Unity was elected to represent members of the University of Toronto Students’ Union.

According to the unofficial results, only about 10% of UTSU’s membership turned out to vote.

The vice-presidential candidates from Unity received approximately double the votes received by those from Students First. Independent presidential candidate Rohail Tanoli received about 300 more than the presidential candidate from Students First, Brent Schmidt.

The Board of Directors was split between Team Unity and independent candidates.

EDWARD CAI/THE MEDIUM

A campaigner for Unity discusses the slate’s platform to a passing student.

Team Unity included three incumbents: VP External Shaun Shepherd and VP Internal Corey Scott of UTSU, and VP External

Munib Sajjad of the UTM Students’ Union.

UTMSU volunteers and employees campaigned at the Mis-

sissauga campus on behalf of Team Unity, passing out flyers to students wondering what it is UTSU does at the satellite cam-

pus.

“I had many unresolved questions that I wanted Unity campaigners to help me with,” said Robert Seredynski, a fourth-year environmental studies student at UTM. “As I searched for these answers, Unity campaigners began redirecting me to other members. In the end, my questions on Unity’s platform remained unanswered. Unity’s only solution for me was to email them. Unfortunately, this did little to help as the elections drew to a close.”

Students at UTM pay about $60 each year in tuition fees to UTSU, which is based at the St. George campus. UTSU manages the health and dental plan for students at the Mississauga campus. They also claim to lobby for initiatives alongside UTMSU, including parking fees and food diversity.

Elections continued on page 3

EPUS to negotiate U-Pass According to unofficial results, 14% of eligible students voted in referendum LORI-LEE EMSHEY ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR Part-time UTM students voted last week in favour of getting the U-Pass for summer 2012.

UTM’s part-time student union, Erindale Part-time Undergraduate Students, held a referendum last Tuesday through Thursday to ask all current part-time students to vote on whether they wanted to participate in the U-Pass service and associated fees for the coming summer session. They voted in favour of the part-time summer 2012 U-Pass and for a possible eight-month U-Pass for 2012/13.

According to the unofficial results, about 14% of part-time students turned out to vote in the referendum. Of these, 90% voted in favour of the summer U-Pass,

Pub offers non-halal UTMSU respondeded to a student complaint, and now offers both halal and non-halal options.

Medium News, page 2

A representative vote?

There’s a link between the political process and student apathy.

Medium Opinion, page 4

SAP Fashion Show Months of practice pay off for burlesque-inspired performers.

Medium A&E, page 6

Sustainably sustainable?

EDWARD CAI/THE MEDIUM

EPUS tried to get the word out to as many part-time students as possible. with only 6% voting against.

Meanwhile, 93% voted in favour of the eight-month U-Pass and 6% voted against. EPUS will ratify the results at their next

meeting.

EPUS will communicate the results of the referendum, including voter turnout and percent in favour, to Mississauga Transit. If

Mississauga Transit finds their results satisfactory, they will agree to provide the part-time U-Pass.

U-Pass continued on page 2

Brad Allen discusses the annual Green DAZE at UTM. Medium Features, page 8

Raptor on campus Andrea Bargnani answers UTM students’ questions.

Medium Sports, Ppge 10

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«NEWS THE MEDIUM 12.03.2012

UTM discusses ethics The Muslim Students’ Association hosts Islam Awareness Week MUDEEHA YOUSAF The annual Islam Awareness Week, hosted by the Muslim Students’ Association, was held last week. This year’s theme, “Building Ethical Societies”, promoted harmonious living for everyone.

“The theme for this year was really easy to come up with,” said Marwah Mushtaq, a member of MSA and a third-year political science student. “Everyone wants to live peacefully, regardless of your religion.

We’re just trying to spread this message to our fellow students.”

Islam Awareness Week is the club’s largest event. The days consisted of discussion with passing students, information booths, and free food.

“The henna booth and Arabic calligraphy was my favourite part of the experience,” said Nicole Tian, a psychology student. “It’s interesting to know there is an aesthetic quality to the religion, [a quality] I never knew existed.”

Guest lecturers were featured every evening to discuss this year’s theme. MSA welcomed faculty, students, and other members of the community to attend. Topics of discussion included the ethics of interaction, self-reform, and mindfulness of others. Students welcomed guest lecturers Lee Weissman, Shaykh Faraz Rabbani, Fahim

AYMAN KHAN/THE MEDIUM

For three nights in a row, MSA hosted speakers to discuss ethic, self-reform, and mindfulness.

Alwan, and Dr. Bano Murtuja.

MSA streamed these lectures live for the first time this year.

“We hope that students of all backgrounds can engage in proactive discussion through our event and that the psychological barriers that exist

because of our differences will be broken down,” said Abdur Rafey, the president of MSA. “We hope to inspire and equip people to use their intellects, education, moral principles, values, and skills to build their societies upon an ethical foun-

Nominations now open for the 2012-2013 school year

dation. We work all year round, facilitating different events and services on campus that are geared towards both Muslims and the greater community.”

The week of events came to an end with public prayer on Friday.

Board of Directors: five student Director positions For more info & election packages visit mediumutm.ca/elections

The Medium is holding its 2011-2012 Annual General Meeting on Tuesday, March 20, 2012 at 5:00 pm in DV3093 For more info, visit mediumutm.ca and click on the Board of Directors tab

DOAA ROHILLA Due to a recent student complaint, the Blind Duck Pub now offers non-halal food options.

The pub is owned and operated by the UTM Students’ Union. Recently, UTMSU received an email concern about the availability of non-halal options. In response, UTMSU introduced non-halal options for the two most popular food items on the menu: chicken fingers and burgers.

“UTM is a very diverse community,” said Shane Madhani, the manager at the Blind Duck Pub. “We try our best, given our space limitations, to cater to all of our students’ needs.”

About five years ago, the Student Union started receiving student suggestions about introducing halal options at the pub. Their response was to add four halal options to the menu.

Over the years, the demand grew and UTMSU increased the number of halal options available. Currently, 16 of the 35 options on the Blind Duck’s menu are alternatively available as halal.

They also received suggestions for making vegetarian dishes more available. Even though UTM’s demographic for vegetarian options is not as large, UTMSU responded by increasing the availability of these dishes. Currently, 16 of the 35 menu options are vegetarian.

Part-time students vote in favour of U-Pass Election continued from Cover

Editorial Board: Editor-in-Chief, News Editor, A&E Editor, Features Editor, Sports Editor, Photo Editor

Pub offers non-halal

If they approve it, part-time students will pay an obligatory $86.70 for the U-Pass. For the summer session, any student taking 1.0 credits or less is considered parttime.

“Mississauga Transit understands where we’re coming from; they’re on our side,” said CherriAnn Valentine, the president of EPUS. She believes that giving all students a U-Pass would eliminate the problem of students selling their unused U-Pass to ineligible students.

“At the beginning, voter turnout was a little dry, but we [were] really pushing, trying to reach out to students,” said Abhinab Chakraborty, the VP Part-Time Affairs for UTMSU. To maximize voter turnout, EPUS arranged mail-out ballots for part-time students who could not make it to campus during the voting times. Both EPUS and UTMSU reached out to students through email, Facebook notifications, and in-class announcements.

Valentine explained it was im-

portant to raise awareness about the referendum with full-time students as well, because they may be considered part-time students during the summer, when the results of the referendum will take effect.

EPUS reformed in September of last year, about four years after the organization had disbanded.

With the help of the Association of Part-time Undergraduate Students (the part-time student union at St. George, which represents members on all three campuses) and UTMSU, that is exactly what happened.

“It took some convincing [the administration] that the organization was on its feet, but it still gained recognition on campus,” said Valentine.

EPUS has also been working on other part-time student issues to ensure all their members’ needs are met. Recently, EPUS worked with the Early Learning Centre and on parking fee increases.

“The U-Pass is an issue, but not the only issue,” said Valentine.

“Parking wouldn’t be as much of a problem if we had the U-Pass. Even if I can’t fix all the problems, I want to get the ball rolling.”

12.03.2012 THE MEDIUM NEWS

Opposition loses by a landslide Election continued from Cover “UTM is not as heard as it could be within the executive sometimes, or when it comes to the UTSU world, or at St. George itself,” Sajjad said.

“I think that UTM should be part of greater U of T, because sometimes UTM students are stuck in their own bubbles here. [UTSU] works with UTMSU and provides institutional knowledge.”

Tanoli spent a day campaigning at UTM, asking students whether they felt that UTSU still has a place at the satellite campus. Students First went relatively unnoticed.

Like many student elections of the past, this one came down to the wire with regards to demerit points. Presidential candidate Shepherd and VP Internal candidate Scott both accumulated 29 demerit points with the rest of their executive candidates at 24. A

candidate is disqualified once they receive 35 demerits.

The Trinity College Meeting passed a nearly unanimous motion to call for Lo’s resignation.

They expressed their dissatisfaction with Lo in a letter to viceprovost Jill Matus, claiming that he failed to remain impartial.

While the Elections Procedures Code provides guidelines for the number of demerits allocated to certain violations, the penalty is ultimately at the discretion of the Chief Returning Officer, Daniel Lo—the person responsible for overseeing the election

this year.

The Trinity College Meeting passed a nearly unanimous motion to call for Lo’s resignation. They expressed their dissatisfaction with Lo in a letter to vice-provost Jill Matus, claiming that he failed to remain impartial.

On the final day of elections, the Elections and Referenda Appeals Committee— the highest appeals board of UTSU elections—overturned 21 demerit points from Team Unity. This move reinstated Team Unity’s Board of Directors candidates and reduced the demerits against executive candidates to less than 10.

The CRO released more complaints on Saturday and issued a few demerits to executive candidates on Unity.

Lo would not comment on the proceedings of the elections.

The results must be ratified

by UTSU’s Board of Directors to be made official.

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»Are you taking summer school?

Mazin 4th year, economics

Anca 3rd year, economics

“Of course. I’m trying to graduate. I swear, it’s more fun studying in the summer.”

“Yeah, I’m taking it at St. George. I might have a job downtown, so it’s easier.”

Kairun 3rd year, political science

Faizan 2nd year, biology

“No. I’ve done it for the past three years, so this is my summer off.”

“Yeah. I want to fast-track, so I’m taking one credit.”

Students hold event celebrating women UTMWC and WGSAG bring International Women’s Day to campus The UTM Women’s Centre and the Women and Gender Studies Action Group celebrated International Women’s Day in the Instructional Centre on Thursday. International Women’s Day is a worldwide event that celebrates women and the progress of equality and empowerment.

There were booths to spread awareness of female accomplishments and of how women are portrayed in the media.

Siddiqa Dalal and Suzie Price discussed the importance of breaking the stigma of feminism and talked about dispel-

ling the myths of the movement.

The importance of the message of women’s rights was also stressed in the presentation, at which Dr. Joan Simalchik of the Women’s Centre, Deep Saini, the principal of UTM and the vice-president of U of T, and Karen Tackas, the executive director of Canadian Crossroads International, discussed the importance of female empowerment around the world.

Simalchik stressed the importance of International Women’s Day as a celebration of women and their contribution to global peace. Saini reflected on the same topic, confessing,

“Women play a significant part in my life.” He shared a story of the oppression his mother had faced in India.

Tackas discussed important female contributions and events over the past year. CCI works in seven African countries and Bolivia, and also organized the Girls’ Empowerment clubs in Swaziland, a program in developing countries that informs women and girls of their fundamental rights and teaches them independence and confidence.

Tackas launched a fundraising campaign on Thursday to raise $50,000 for 200 girls to go to the clubs.

Students chatted with speakers in IB 140.

Woman goes to the polls to vote, told she’s dead

TA union ratifies tentative agreement with university

Town hires Brazilian Batman to patrol for crime

Former prime minister’s son to box a senator

Obama responds to criticism about gas prices

The 84-year-old Maureen McCloskey went to vote in an election in Fall River last week and was told that she is dead. Apparently there was a mix-up with the new city census and she was put on the deceased list. An avid reader of her local newspaper, she commented, “I didn’t even see my name in the obituaries. I’m alive and kicking.”

Last week 1,797 Unit 1 members of CUPE 3902, the union that represents TAs and sessional lecturers at U of T, voted on the tentative agreement with the university over the last two weeks. Of these, 1,197 (67%) voted in favour of ratification and 600 voted against. The union has been negotiating since the summer for concessions such as better pay and benefits. The contract expires in April 30, 2014.

Officials in Taubate, Brazil hired a former soldier to dress up as Batman to patrol the streets of crimeridden neighbourhoods. The details have yet to be worked out and officials haven’t yet released whether the Brazilian Batman will fight crime with the traditional comic book hero’s tools or whether he will be armed with more modern weaponry to prevent murder crimes and drug trafficking.

Liberal MP Justin Trudeau will enter the ring with Conservative senator Patrick Brazeau in this year’s Fight for the Cure in Ottawa to raise money for cancer research.

Trudeau has been training for the past six months in preparation for the fight on March 31. The trainer working with both fighters says they seem to be evenly matched.

Obama stressed his administration’s commitment to exploring alternative energy and increase fuel efficiency. “I’m going to keep doing everything I can to help you save money on gas, both right now and in the future,” Obama said on his Saturday Internet and radio address. This comes after Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney claimed on Thursday that Obama is partially responsible for high gas prices.

Source: CBS Boston

Source: cupe3902.org

Source: Huffington Post

Source: The Toronto Star

Source: CBS DC

HARLEEN RANDHAWA

AYMAN KHAN/THE MEDIUM

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12.03.2012

MEDIUM OPINION Editor-in-Chief » Michael Di Leo

What representation means This week, I’m going to write about the UTSU elections, my thoughts on the controversy that has ensued (see cover article), and the implications, as I see them, for students. I should also add that no, I am not happy about writing this.

I would much rather congratulate the members of SAP for their show last week, or urge students to take part in one of the many environmental initiatives happening on our campus this month. I would also rather work on one of my final

papers due this week (how about an extension, professor Miller?), but instead I find myself dragged into the massive tide of shit that has cropped up over recent allegations of fraud concerning the CRO in UTSU’s elections.

Without commenting on the nature of the situation, I would like to point out to all those involved that, regardless of the circumstances under which the elections took place, the message that students across both of our campuses

are receiving is that this is what life is like at the student union.

Which may very well be true, but the discussion only serves to shut the union off from normal, nonpolitically-savvy students.

The union and the students in the sphere of student politics should be more concerned by the fact that only around 10% of students actually took to the polls.

Can you imagine if that happened in, say, a provincial election? People would be furious. Not only

UTMAC falls flat Dear Editor, I am writing this letter because I would like to express my disappointment with this year’s University of Toronto Mississauga Athletic Council. Throughout the year, I observed that events held by the UTMAC were poorly advertised and I only knew they were happening because I stumbled upon them. For the events that I did participate in, I found that they were inadequately promoted, lacked motivational incentives, and for the most part, the events were disorganized.

UTMAC’s website says: “Leading UTMAC in 2011-2012 is a fresh new executive team looking to bring a new look and a big change to you athletic experience at UTM this school year.”

The first thing I noticed about this statement was the grammar mistake, which reflects the lack of attention to detail that the council has put into their events throughout the year. Secondly, the only big change I noticed in my athletic experience was that it was not as exciting and I was not provided the oppor-

tunities that previous councils have given students. The atmosphere at home games was not at all what one would expect from a university crowd: games lacked adequate promotion, resulting in few fans present, and no cheering section. This year, I was only aware of one home game that was promoted by UTMAC. I was disappointed in my experience of this game because posters were posted only two days before the game and the mascot was not even present. In the years preceding, fans were pumped up at games with chances to win prizes and the opportunity to get free pizza and great t-shirts. UTM Intramural sports teams were very successful this year, and there were numerous championship games, which would have been a great opportunity for students to show school spirit and support their peers. There were no promotions for these events

by UTMAC and therefore the championships went unnoticed by the UTM community.

UTMAC is given sufficient funds every year (including

$4.30 from each student’s tuition payments), and if they spent these funds on items/events that student athletes actually cared about, people would be more likely to vote them back for next year. The UTMAC website also has office hours posted, which is a great chance for students to get to know their athletic council.

However, only once out of the numerous times I have gone by the office has there been a representative present. The council is not upholding their duties to the student body.

With the upcoming elections, I believe it is important to draw attention to the paramount role UTMAC has in promoting recreation and athletics to the students at UTM. I would like to see a council voted in next year that is ready to take on this tremendous responsibility.

UTMAC should be providing exciting, well-organized, and well-advertised events for UTM students in order to promote school spirit and the athletic experience.

—Ingrid Meldrum

would it call into doubt the results of the election, but it would chip away at the legitimacy of the organization in question. How can a group claim to represent all students when only a small minority had a say?

I think that we should look at the election turnout not so much as a natural occurence, but rather as a symptom of the mass politicization of the union process. While our student government may have good intentions, especially with

regards to inclusivity, the excessiveness of their argumentation across all fronts only serves to turn students off.

There needs to be a dramatic rethinking of the way we as students are represented and what role we see our union playing in the future, otherwise I can’t see things getting any better.

YOURS, MICHAEL DI LEO

Campus Police on theft Thefts of laptops, cellphones, and wallets occur frequently at places of high congregation. UTM has many such places, but one location, the library, seems to present an ideal environment to thieves. More thefts occur at the library than at any other location at UTM. From January 1 until March 5, Campus Police investigated 30 incidents of theft at UTM. Eleven of those occurred at the library.

Thefts are either planned by thieves, who set out to take what do not belong to them, or crimes of opportunity—unattended items that may sway the conscience of someone who would not otherwise steal.

Thieves are community and noncommunity members, men and women alike. At the library, they operate at any hour it is open to the community.

It is heartbreaking to deal with students after they lose their belongings. Thefts make them feel violated and add stress and worry to their already busy lives. Laptops are expensive. A year’s worth of academic work, class notes, essays, and personal files compound the loss further. Cellphones are also dear to their owners. Contact numbers that were readily available are suddenly gone. Wallets, of course, have mon-

ey, credit cards, and pieces of identification that are not easily replaced.

Stolen credit cards have been used by thieves to buy goods and services elsewhere. Stolen identification can be used to commit fraud and identity theft.

Students need to be less trusting of the environment around them, not because UTM is not a safe community—it is—but thefts occur, either by design or by opportunity.

There is no reason to panic but there is good reason to be vigilant.

At any place of congregation, have what is valuable to you within sight. Laptops are designed to be carried, so carry them. Wallets and cellphones fit nicely in pockets and portable bags, so keep them on your person. Why give a professional or a would-be thief an opportunity to wreak havoc on you?

Campus Police investigate all theft reports in a competent manner, but recovery of stolen items is expectantly low. You, as a community member, can assist by taking the simple step of watching over what is yours. This is a joint effort between the community of UTM and the Campus Police in its simplest and most effective form.

—Cpl. Charles Helewa

12.03.2012

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MEDIUM A&E Editor » Nives Hajdin

Drama students exit stage left Theatre Erindale’s 20th season takes its final bow with Stage Door COLLEEN MUNRO ASSOCIATE A&E EDITOR This past year, Theatre Erindale celebrated its 20th anniversary season with the theme “The Power of Performance”. And the final play in their lineup, Stage Door, feels like the perfect ending to the season.

Stage Door is set in 1930s New York, and it follows the lives of several young aspiring actresses. It tracks their comings and goings in the “Footlights Club”, the boarding house in which they live.

They chase down Broadway roles, try to make it to Hollywood, form friendships and relationships, and deal with the very real possibility that their dreams might come to an unfortunate end. Stage Door is simultaneously funny, touching, and hopeful, and it’s also a strong

finish to a great season from Theatre Erindale.

The main character in the ensemble cast is Terry Randall (played by Hannah Drew), a feisty actress whose love for the stage is testes by her lack of roles. She befriends a mysterious newcomer to the Footlights Club, Kaye (Hailey Gillis), and also forms a relationship with an aspiring playwright, Keith (Fraser Woodside).

At the same time, she and her friend Jean (Amelia Kurtz) are courted by Hollywood, and Terry must decide whether it’s worth ignoring her love of live theatre for the allures of the silver screen.

Stage Door, despite being set in 1936, still feels relevant in many ways. Many of the experiences of the characters feel timeless, and the humour and charm of the play is surprisingly modern. The crew,

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directed by Heinar Piller, do a great job of capturing the time period through set design, costumes, and hairstyles. Lighting is also used effectively to set the moods and to highlight different characters at various moments. While Stage Door is very long and doesn’t follow a traditional narrative arc, there was enough human interest in the play’s characters to hold my interest. Even the minor characters are distinct and entertaining.

This is the largest cast Theatre Erindale has ever had, yet Stage Door never feels crowded.

In terms of standout performances, Hailey Gillis brings an understated maturity to her role as Kaye, a woman with a mysterious past. From her first moments on stage, Gillis makes it clear that Kaye is out of step with the rest of her excitable peers. It’s a quieter performance, but Gillis brings nuance that makes it memorable.

Hannah Drew also effectively conveys Terry’s hunger for the stage, and her friendship with Kaye is one of the most engaging parts of the story.

Lindsay Middleton’s performance as Judith, an outspoken resident of the Footlights Club, is

different, but equally good. Judith is a character with a big heart and a razor-sharp sense of humour, and Middleton balances both. Her style of comedy feels very natural, and she provides several of the play’s funniest moments.

Stage Door focusses more on the female characters, but it does also offer some fun roles for the male cast. The men pop up frequently as various suitors and industry professionals, and it sometimes feels like the men are darting in and out of the Footlights Club just as often as the women. Among them is Jake Maric, who plays David Kingsley, a charming Hollywood studio agent many of the women see as the ticket out of obscurity.

The character goes in some unexpected directions, and Maric makes the transitions feel seamless and believable.

At various points, Fraser Woodside’s playwright character, Keith, can be genuinely charming or completely insufferable (or, more often, some combination of the two). Woodside portrays both sides very well, one moment giving an impassioned speech that makes you understand why Terry falls for Keith, and the next mo-

ment making him so selfish that you wish she hadn’t.

In a lot of ways it’s great to have such a large cast. The Footlights Club feels like the bustling metropolitan respite it’s supposed to be.

There is genuine electricity in all of the comings and goings on stage.

However, perhaps because of the large cast, there are a few moments in Stage Door that feel a little muddled. In a couple of the scenes where the majority of the cast is on stage, conversations don’t flow quite as smoothly between characters as they should. It can start to feel a bit jumbled. However, these moments are few and far between, and for the most part, the cast and Piller do a good job of making sure that the transitions from one conversation to another are natural.

Stage Door celebrates everything to do with Broadway and live theatre, and it’s clear that the entire cast has a genuine love for it, too. This is a lively, often funny production, and seeing that many cast members will graduate from Theatre Erindale at the end of year, Stage Door is certainly a strong note for them to finish on.

Stage Door runs until March 18 at Theatre Erindale.

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«ARTS THE MEDIUM

12.03.2012

STYLE & PROFYLE

BY ARISTOTLE ELIOPOULOS PhOTO BY EDWARD CAI

Last weekend, the UTM fashion club Style and Profyle held its 10th annual Fashion and Dance Show in the Blind Duck Pub. This year’s theme was burlesque. The event raised money for the Marvelle Koffler Breast Centre at Mount Sinai hospital.

As an ode to the musical and film Chicago, the show opened with the Catherine Zeta-Jones version of “All That Jazz”, featuring fun and flirty flapper dresses, cigarettes, shimmies, and jazz hands, the girls’ faces decorated with heavy eye makeup and red lips that showed exuberance and high energy.

To the soundtrack of Cher’s “Welcome to Burlesque”, the Style and Profyle executive team (Jessica Zurawicki, Emily Podgorzec, Ani Kilibarda, and Nerissa InnissBoston) welcomed everyone, telling them about the fun and excitement of the show they were about to experience.

The night featured a variety of

musical numbers. Keeping in mind the burlesque theme, the Style and Profyle girls gave most of the night a soundtrack of the ballads and highenergy hits of Christina Aguilera.

With sequinned bow ties, miniature top hats, fishnets, and short shorts, the girls strutted to a medley of Aguilera’s “Show Me How to Burlesque” and Rihanna’s “We Found Love” that pleased the crowd. The girls then moved and wiggled to Aguilera’s “Ain’t No Other Man”, featuring pops of red, lace, and silk in a segment inspired by business-casual style— perfect for the spring weather on the horizon.

The Style and Profyle group also took the chance to inject some culture into the event with the Pussycat Dolls’ remix of “Buttons” for their belly-dancing medley. This was only the beginning, soon followed by beaded shirts in pink and orange that recalled the style of the best of Bollywood, and the sultry, hip-gyrating routine that evoked the Caribbean

and the sounds of the islands.

With the help of the charismatic hosting duo, Adrian Beattie and Mark Snetzko, the show moved along rapidly, with the two men playing off each other and enacting a skit in between the various outfits and dance routines. The hosts always kept the audience entertained and involved as the models changed between sets.

Throughout the night, the team kept the crowd happy with an array of topical Top 40 hits and remixes enjoyed by the diverse audience.

A crew of eight women danced to Michael Bublé’s “Feeling Good”, clad in pink and red boas and blowing kisses to the audience, who whistled and hollered. It may have seemed sensual, but the routine definitely appealed more to the various female Bublé fans in the crowd.

The GG Squad also wowed the crowd with backflips, jumps, splits, and foot-stomping in an armyinspired dance routine featuring

camouflage pants, black tanks, and attitude. The crew of male dancers moved to a dubstep-like remix of various Drake songs mixed with machine gun samples, chainsaws, and soldiers yelling, evoking a gruesome battle. The song’s bassline perfectly synced to the boys slapping the ground, and the routine remained one of the most playful, entertaining, and surprising moments of the night, and thrilled the crowd right before intermission.

The night stayed playful as the males of the show collaborated to present a delightfully humorous lipsync performance of the Backstreet Boys’ “Quit Playing Games with My Heart”. Sporting suits from Tip Top Tailors, the boys excited the crowd with the campy ’90s moment. Their efforts to exude sexuality put a smile on the face of everyone in the audience.

Some of the most enjoyable moments of the night veered a bit from the burlesque concept. The aerobic

performance of patterned stockings and pastel crop tops set to Gwen Stefani’s “Yummy” alluded to the ’80s workout tapes of Jane Fonda and Suzanne Somers, and the highwaisted, neon American Apparelesque attire worn by the models in the disco set drew energy from the crowd as they jived to The Miracles’ “Love Machine” and Patrick Hernandez’s “Born to Be Alive”.

Even though some of the dancers missed their marks and some of the models briefly faltered, the high energy, fun, and general good vibes made the night a success, with the effort the group put into it becoming increasingly more evident every minute. The girls of Style and Profyle ended their show with Christina Aguilera, Lil’ Kim, Maya, and Pink’s “Lady Marmalade”, and each dancer, model, and coordinator for the show came out from behind the stage to give the audience a farewell.

The night was a success, with a good cause at its centre to boot.

Help recognize teaching, research and staff service excellence at U of T Mississauga Submit a nomination and have an outstanding faculty, teaching assistant and/or staff member recognized for their excellence. The winner in each category will be recognized at a reception convened ! by the Vice-President and Principal in the fall and will receive a special award plaque.

Nominations from groups and individuals are invited for four awards: • Teaching Excellence Award for Faculty • Teaching Excellence Award for Teaching Assistants • Research Excellence Award • Staff Service Award Nominations from students are encouraged.

To nominate an outstanding faculty member, teaching assistant, and/or staff go to http://www.utm.utoronto.ca/governance/awards for important information on how to assemble a nomination package.

Deadline for submissions: Friday, May 18, 2012

12.03.2012 THE MEDIUM A&E

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7

Freshly pressed: throw these records on Chiddy Bang—Breakfast ANDREA AMBROGI After releasing a handful of mixtapes since 2009, Chiddy Bang are back with their very first real album, Breakfast. It’s a happy mix of rap and pop that stays true to their sound without being boring.

The album opens with “Intro”, a mellow, bob-your-head-and-jam kind of song. It’s a great opener; it gives you a sense of where this album will take you and then it takes you running in the opposite direction. The title track, “Breakfast”, is as close to hard rap as we’re going to get on “Breakfast”. It’s not Kanye or Jay, but it’s not bad. It’s followed by “Handclaps & Guitars”, which is the same kind of rap, with a side of guitar and a whole lot of “Hi, I’m here to get stuck in your head for the rest of the day”.

“Mind Your Manners” (feat. Icona Pop) is also another song that you’ll be humming long after you turn it off. It’s an upbeat number with excellent production and layering that uses Icona Pop’s high vocals to their fullest potential. “Ray Charles” follows and starts with a soulful choir line that drops into a bouncy bluesy rhythm.

There are flourishes of brass in the mix too—and if that doesn’t get you excited, then there is something seriously wrong.

“Does She Love Me?” is a something for The Weeknd fans listening to “Breakfast”. It’s a nice smooth song

to clean your palate for “Run It Back” (feat. Shirazi) and “Out 2 Space” (feat.

Gordon Voidwell). “Whatever We Want”, a throwaway that the album would have been better without, leads into “Interlude”, a nice musical break done in the same style as “Intro”. “Interlude” sounds out of place, but it seamlessly bridges the beginning of the album to the end.

It seems to be all uphill after that.

“Happening” is a get-up-and-dance track and is bound to get stuck in your head. “Baby Roulette” will get your foot tapping with its Super Mario undertones and summer-tinged sound.

“Talking to Myself” slows everything down nicely. It sounds like an extension to “Baby Roulette”, and unless you check the song listing on the album, you’ll probably end up thinking that it is. The repetition is a little upsetting, but it’s a smooth piece that’s easy on the ears. The album closes with “4th Quarter”, another throwaway. A choppy wannabe hardcore rap song, it leaves a sour taste in your mouth after the sounds of “Interlude” and “Baby Roulette”.

If Kanye West and The Weeknd had a baby, we’re pretty sure it would be Chiddy Bang. They are not yet quite as masterful as Kanye or as smooth as The Weeknd, but they’re halfway there and they get an A for effort. This is a great album for the summer, so be sure to have it on deck for when the weather heats up. MMM½

Andrew Bird—Break It Yourself COLLEEN MUNRO ASSOCIATE A&E EDITOR When you think of rock stars, you probably think of electric guitars, attitude, and debauchery. You’ve got Robert Plant, Mick Jagger, Kurt Cobain—all the usual suspects, and then some. You probably don’t think of mild-mannered men from the midwest who whistle and play the fiddle.

But while Andrew Bird may not look or sound like your typical rock star, his latest album, Break it Yourself, makes a compelling argument in his favour.

It’s hard to pinpoint one style, but like Bird’s previous work, Break It Yourself combines elements of folk, rock, and baroque-inspired melodies. However you want to classify it, Bird’s music is certainly distinct. He takes simple melodies and dresses them up with a string break here and a xylophone flourish there, sometimes making him sound like a livelier Sufjan Stevens.

This album from Bird is largely more of what he’s offered before, and if you’re a fan of his previous work than you’ll probably like Break It Yourself quite a bit. However, the album is also accessible enough to appeal to new listeners.

Bird has been releasing music for over 15 years, and while some musical acts with that kind of longevity begin to phone it in on later albums, Break It Yourself shows vitality and sounds like it could be an artist’s first album.

Songs like the first single, “Eyeoneye”,

BELLAUNION.COM/PHOTO

offer some grit that has been missing in Bird’s earlier work. His usually refined, dignified vocal style often makes it seem like he’s afraid to cause too much of a ruckus, but on this track, there’s an unexpected sense of anger. Bird sounds bitter—and maybe he’s going to finally cause a scene about it.

I would have loved to see Bird explore this side of his music a bit more on the rest of the album. The more prominent electric guitar and the crashing drums on “Eyeoneye” work beautifully with Bird’s quiet intensity. And while there are elements of a grittier sound on this album, he mostly sticks with his usual stately style. Bird is an expert at that kind of music, no doubt, but on an album that is just over an hour long, a

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bit more variation would have made it even stronger.

The album’s greatest strength is perhaps the building of tension and its eventual release (such as the end of the sprawling album opener, “Desperation Bleeds”). Bird’s music seems understated on the surface, but a closer listen reveals plenty of pent-up emotion that he occasionally allows to boil over.

Break It Yourself runs a little long, and begins to drag in the second half.

But it’s hard to criticize Bird’s style, because he does it so well. It may seem like an unassuming, lightweight fare, but there’s a fantastically dark undercurrent running through this album. Bird just picks his moments carefully to let it come out. MMMM

8

« 12.03.2012

MEDIUM FEATURES Editor » Larissa Ho

Sustainably sustainable Brad Allen gives the lowdown on the annual Green DAZE at UTM Larissa Ho features editor Each year, most universities have some kind of environmental awareness campaign. UTM is no different.

In March, the UTM Environmental Alliance is holding Green DAZE, a month of environmental events to encourage the entire campus to get environmentally active.

The UTM Environmental Alliance is a hub intended to connect all the environmental organizations on campus.

It includes the Green Team, a group of environment-conscious students who volunteer at or are employed by the UTM Environmental Affairs Office.

The other organizations that are part of the Environmental Alliance are SAGE, BikeShare, the Ministry of Environment, Urban Agriculture Society, Residence Green Team, Cycling Club, and Campus Roots. The Alliance was established in 2010 by Rohit Mehta with the aim of

uniting the eight major groups working on environmental campaigns across campus by providing a forum for collaboration.

Brad Allen, UTMU’s sustainibility coordinator and a member of the Green Team, says Green DAZE is a way to get more students involved in environmental campaigns than have been so far.

“Kind of drawing attention to the fact that some of these issues are serious, and to only designate such a short period of time, we thought: why not dedicate a whole month?” explained Allen. “It would give us room, we wouldn’t be competing for times for events, and it allowed more exposure for some of the issues that these events were talking about.”

This past summer, Allen took on a research position with the Green Team.

One of his projects was to connect universities across Canada by video-conference so that students from different universities could listen to a speech made at a host university and then have a short

question-and-answer period.

“I thought it was pretty hypocritical of us to have a speaker travel by plane and to spend such a carbon footprint to talk to students about environmental responsibility. It’s not really, in a sense, their fault. […] With the new buildings being constructed and new technologies, videoconferencing became a viable option, where we could watch a speaker—say, David Suzuki—where we wouldn’t have to go anywhere and we would still have the benefits of seeing him.”

A number of different schools were interested. However, almost every school eventually had to drop out. One school’s speaker did not want to be recorded, while another school lost funding and consequently lost their speaker altogether.

It came down to UTM and UBC. UTM’s speaker is Bob Willard, who is talking about the business case for sustainability, and describing an effective approach for companies and organizations to become more sustainable.

“I think, especially with our generation, the environmental movement is pretty big. And allowing students a new perspective of language and dialogue to communicate with companies and organizations of how it will actually benefit them to make changes in terms of sustainability—it might be along the lines of what they may be looking for in their future career,” said Allen.

Though the Alliance is going to pay Willard to have the talk at UTM, when Allen first proposed the idea of using video-conferencing to Willard, the latter was so impressed that he was willing to do the talk for free.

“I thought that was so awesome,” said Allen. “That’s the type of incentive and motivation that I think is lacking in the environmental movement. To say that what I have to say is so important we need to fix the environment, and then charge an absorbent amount of money, is kind of counterintuitive to the message. It’s like, what’s more important here?”

“There’s so much biodiversity and ecological importance on their ecosystems, and if those fail, it’s not, like, just that our economies and our way of life is going to suffer. All of life is connected to the workings of the ocean,” Allen added. “If that system fails, all systems fail.”

So, are we getting closer to a point where people are more environmentally friendly?

“I think that as fragile as the economy is, and as fragile as the environmental ecosystems are, we’re going to get to be point where there’s going to be more jobs in the economy for environmentally minded individuals and organizations, and there’s going to be real pressures in the environment—where there’s going to be real consequences in people’s faces,” said Allen.“Mostpeople’sideasonitare,‘I’mnot going to do anything about it until it knocks on my door.’ That’s unfortunate, and by that point it might be too late and beyond restoration. But I think we’re getting closer and closer to that point.”

»

12.03.2012 THE MEDIUM FEATURES

9

The case for tying the knot early Part one of a three-part series discussing marriage among young people Valeria Ryrak I never thought I’d be writing this. Not only because I usually don’t manage to find any time for extracurricular activities, but because I had no idea that the topic even existed on campus.

Here’s how it began: I’m sitting in class on a day when this single detail is the only thing that stands out. The girl behind me, whose name I don’t know, is planning a summer wedding.

I eavesdrop some more. Covertly observing her out of the corner of my eye, I am enthralled. She doesn’t appear to be much older than myself—which means she’s in her early 20s—and yet speaks about the time when she will pledge her eternal love and devotion to a man with such surety and determination that I remain shocked, missing half the lecture.

The reason is, of course, that I thought I was witnessing a true rarity of our time. The 2003 census by StatsCan found that Canadians’ average age of entering a heterosexual marital union for the first time was 30.6 years for men and 28.5 for women. I was incredulous. People had boyfriends, sure. People lived together in common-law relationships—at least,

those who could afford it. But rarely—exceedingly rarely—did one hear the word “marriage” thrown in. Or so I thought. Until I called my friend Larissa, that is.

Her story was similar: she knew several people our age who were in various stages of engagement or wedding planning. My own curiosity set various other obligations on fire, and the idea for this article was born. If you’re going to be talking to people about their private life, then you need to have a reason. This article was mine.

So here it is. The structure is simple: three stories from three different people, the goal of the investigation being to find the underlying similarities of the three scenarios that seemingly led to marriage like a road sign. A scientific investigation this is not; the people I spoke to were picked because either I or Larissa knew them personally. We aimed for quality of insight, not diversity of interviewees, but we got the latter by sheer luck.

The first story is Fatima’s. I’d known Fatima for over a year, though we were more classmates and acquaintances than anything else. When life’s unending responsibilities had kept me from seeing her over the winter break,

I mentally exclaimed “Enough!” and arranged to meet her for coffee one afternoon.

Fatima was married, had a small daughter at home, and had another baby on the way. When she brought it up one day last year outside our shared classroom, I was surprised, if only moderately so. Fatima was a Muslim (of Turkish background), though born in Canada. This is how they do things, I thought—or some of them, anyway. Religion and conservatism often go hand in hand in the public eye. But what I discovered in these interviews is that many young people from all faiths (or lack thereof) and backgrounds are tying the knot way before Canadian statistics would tell them to.

I decided to chat with her about her life in hopes of gaining some wisdom from a young woman who is able to juggle family life, pregnancy, and full-time study. To me, she was superwoman, and I wanted to be one too.

Fatima was 25, actually—not quite “my age”, as I had assumed. But she’d gotten married even earlier than I had guessed: at 17, after a faultless six months of courtship, to a young man eight years older than her of similar

cultural and religious background.

When I asked her why she decided to get married after not even a year of dating, Fatima replied that there was nothing to dissuade her from marriage at that point. She’d known the woman she now knows as her mother-in-law before being introduced to her son, and the two got along auspiciously. Fatima said that she knew his family’s values and they coincided with her own. She had always wanted to have a family and have children, so when she met her husband, the 17-year-old girl just “went with the flow”.

Maybe some people are born more introspectively acute, more mature, more instinctively in touch with what is good for them. When I was seventeen, I could never have identified my Prince Charming, not if he was standing right in front of me. I probably would’ve run in the opposite direction screaming. Romance I was saving for... maybe when I turned 40, I thought. Yup, that sounded good.

I asked Fatima how she was managing school and a household. Her reply: when you find yourself in a position to have to manage something, you always find a way. But she did offer the advice that—if you can—keep school and motherhood separate. But

I can assure you, readers, she’s doing just fine. Like I said, a superwoman.

Two other things absolutely rocked my world during our “girl talk”. One of them was what Fatima said about love. “Love? It’s complicated,” were her cliché words—but the example she gave afterwards raised the quote to its full stature. She said she loves her husband more now than she did when they first married. We all know how that mind-numbing, stomachturning, heart-rending affection we love so much is supposed to start to decrease after the fourth year of a relationship (to be statistically specific). Fatima and her husband have just had their 10th wedding anniversary… and the love is still growing.

The other was an anecdote.

Fatima told me about her friend at Harvard who recently had a baby.

She’s a mathematician, and has devoted most of her life to success in the field. Then came the baby, along with all the anxiety of a change in lifestyle. But she summed up what it did for her in a few short words: “The baby has made life fun again.”

“Fun”, that is, in the sense of wonder. Amazement.

I, too, am left in wonder, as I’m sure, dear reader, are you.

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»12.03.2012

MEDIUM SPORTS Interim Editor » Anna Bediones

Sitting down with Andrea Bargnani

EDWARD CAI/THE MEDIUM

The Toronto Raptors superstar’s appearance at UTM attracted a multitude of fans for a question-and-answer session in the packed Davis Building lecture hall.

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ISAAC OWUSU ASSOCIATE SPORTS EDITOR Last Tuesday, Toronto Raptor Andrea Bargnani made a visit to UTM. The seven-foot Toronto Raptors centre towered over everyone before seating himself at the front of the packed Davis Building lecture hall. Joined by his striking professional volleyball player girlfriend Nabila and his father Roberto, the smiling Bargnani seemed very comfortable visiting UTM. His younger brother Enrico is also a business student at U of T Rotman.

Bargnani, nicknamed “Il Mago” (Italian for “The Magician”), sat in front of the starstruck UTM crowd, for an event that included a question-and-answer session hosted by the Department of Language Studies and the Italian Club of Erindale. Deep Saini, principal of UTM and vice-president of U of T, was in attendance and seemed to enjoy himself.

Currently nursing a calf strain, Bargnani took his appearance in front of the at-capacity crowd in room 2080 as an opportunity to interact with his diverse UTM fanbase. He fielded questions from UTM students regarding his injury and potential return, his teammates and his opponents, and even about Primo pasta, which he famously endorses.

A review of notable questions and answers: Outside of your Raptors teammates, which player would you most want to play with?

There are so many veteran players in the league: there’s Kobe (Bryant), there’s LeBron (James), there’s Dwight Howard—there’s so many of them.

When are you coming back?

To U of T? Whenever you’ll have me! [Laughs] No, but I’ll be back out there soon. I have a few injuries, but I’ll be back soon.

Which individual player gives you the hardest time on defence?

Tim Duncan in my first year. It’s always Tim Duncan—he’s always hard to guard. There’s Zach Randolph from the Memphis Grizzlies.

Dirk (Nowitzki) too.

What’s your favourite NBA moment that you have been a part of?

We haven’t really won, so I’m sure the best one is yet to come, but my first year—when we won the Atlantic Division championship— that was my favourite memory so far.

Who was your favourite player when you were growing up?

I would say (Manu) Ginóbili, because he used to play in Italy, so I always watched him growing up.

What do you personally think of Jeremy Lin? I think it’s a great story, and it’s really good for basketball right now—and stories like that are good for the NBA. How has living in Toronto changed your life?

I love big cities, so the transition from Italy was pretty easy for me.

I loved Toronto from my first year.

How did you get into the NBA? The draft. [Laughs] What is a regular week like for you?

There is no “regular” week; sometimes we even play five times in seven days. So there’s no weekly schedule. We’re in the gym every day, even when we don’t have a game we’re in the gym. On the days where there are games, we go in the morning and shoot around.

How long have you been playing basketball?

I’ve been playing since I was six.

My mother and father always wanted me to play sports. I have always been interested in it and now I’m in love with it.

What’s the significance of the number seven?

My uncle used to wear #7—the brother of my mother. I love #7; it’s my lucky number.

Did you play soccer as kid?

I played soccer as kid, in school.

Were you any good?

No, no. [Laughs] That’s why I play basketball.

What’s your favourite soccer team?

Lazio, but I don’t really follow soccer.

Do you watch any other Toronto sports or follow any athletes?

I like to go to the games, but I don’t follow any. I like the soccer games, and I was at the hockey game last week. I like the Leaf games.

Who are the most inspirational figures in your life?

My family: my mother and my father.

Which players on the team are you closest to?

Everybody. We’re a close team. I enjoy being around everyone: Jose (Calderon), Demar (DeRozan)… everybody.

I have you on my fantasy basketball team. Somebody proposed a trade for you. What will you say to not make me do that trade?

I would say you are the GM, I’m just the player.

Who do you think is better, LeBron or Dwayne (Wade)?

Why does that matter? They play on the same team now.

Do you actually eat Primo?

[Laughs] That’s a good question...

» 11

12.03.2012 THE MEDIUM SPORTS

“How are we selling exercise?”

Research symposium hosted by the University of Toronto questions the cost of advocating healthy lifestyles MICHELLE DUKLAS ASSOCIATE SPORTS EDITOR Andre Picard, a writer for The Globe and Mail and the keynote speaker for the University of Toronto’s “Physical Activity: The Best Medicine?” symposium, took the stage at Isabel Bader Theatre last December.

Picard was quick to concede that he does not have a scientific or health-related background. He does, however, have a background in communications. He has also written two books: Critical Care: Canadian Nurses Speak for Change and The Gift of Death: Confronting Canada’s Tainted Blood Tragedy.

He threw a statistic at his

Last stop: finals Men’s Div 1 basketball continues its pursuit of a championship title after eliminating PHE in the semifinals, 70–53 ANNA BEDIONES INTERIM SPORTS EDITOR On Tuesday night, UTM Blue travelled to St. George for their semifinal game against PHE. Earlier in the regular season, UTM Blue came up short against PHE with an 80–71 loss. Ranked first, PHE looked to repeat another win over UTM, who were ranked fourth.

The team was full of energy and enthusiasm and were determined to stay in the running for Div 1 champions, and this translated into their game. The Eagles took a 30–23 lead in the first half and cruised through the remaining two quarters.

On the defensive side, one of the keys was to shut down PHE’s leading scorer, Anthony DiGiorgio. UTM managed to hold him down to a mere three points, all of which were scored from the free throw line. On the offence, UTM’s secret (or perhaps not so secret) weapon was Fedja Kuljanin, who dominated the low-post game with 30 points.

Next Wednesday (March 14), UTM will face Woodsworth for its first Div 1 championship match since the 2008/09 season.

For those interested in attending, students will be allowed to join the team on the bus, which will depart from the

audience: in 2011, pharmacies sold Canadians $32 billion in pills. Then he asked, “How are we selling exercise?” After all, obesity costs the Canadian government between $4.6 and $7.1 billion every year. This includes both direct healthcare and indirect costs, such as loss of productivity.

In 1973, a ParticipAction ad that ran on Canadian television announced that the average 60-year-old Swede is healthier than the average 30-year-old Canadian. The ad only ran six times, but it had a lasting impact on many Canadians.

The vast majority of people get information about health from TV and newspapers, but more

and more people now look to social networks like Twitter and Facebook for information.

Picard said that the stories we see on talk shows or reality shows emphasize the need for willpower, intervention, and commercially available products like Jenny Craig or Weight Watchers.

Shows like The Biggest Loser portray exercise as a necessary evil.

Paradoxically, health shows on TV make us avoid losing weight because it looks unattainable. It doesn’t look fun.

This mindset is encouraged from a young age.

Picard joked about how the people who come to events like the symposium are usually already physically active and

come to hear about how great it is.

So what can we do to change this idea of exercise? “Stop saying the word ‘exercise’,” Picard advised. He suggested that we use the words “move” or “be active” instead, because they don’t have negative connotations.

He also put greater emphasis on urban planning. Most cities are built with car-friendly designs and limited sidewalks; there are relativey few special bike lanes.

And regular roads don’t have tolls, so there’s no incentive to walk anywhere. Meanwhile, it costs money to swim at most local community centres.

Ironically enough, tax credits go to the healthy and wealthy.

There’s a growing divide between the rich and the poor. The same thing happens with exercise.

Those who can “afford” it are healthy and wealthy. People with lower-income jobs used to do manual labour, but service jobs and sitting are the norm now.

Exercising should be an escape from these jobs, not a chore.

Picard noted that everyone says that time is the problem; no one has enough time. Picard dismissed it as an excuse. He said that the problem is leadership.

There are no models of physical activity, especially in politics. In his opinion, Pierre Trudeau was the last active prime minister.

It was Trudeau’s idea to run the ParticipAction ad back in the 70s.

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UTMSU – has got You! The UTM Students’ Union represents all undergraduates at the UTM campus. U.T.M.S.U provides important services such as the U-Pass program, book bursaries, club-funding, book exchange, Tax Clinics and other discounted services. Your students Union also represents students to the University administration and government, advocates for students’ rights and connects students to work on common goals, campaigns and social programming.

Do you need help filing your Taxes? We can help you.

UTMSU TAX CLINIC APPOINTMENTS AVAILABLE NOW Please visit: http://taxclinic.utm.utsu.ca UTMSU TAX CLINIC | 14th March 2012 - 13th April 2012 | Student Center RM 100

Appointments are available daily, between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. from Wednesday, March 14th to Friday, April 13th 2012.

The Community Volunteer Income Tax Program is a program that allows people with lower incomes to receive help with filing their taxes. Since most students fit into the low income category by virtue of being a full-time student, we offer this FREE service on campus to our members.

Who Can Use this Service?

Full-time undergraduate students can use this service, FREE of charge. WE ONLY FILE 2011 TAXES. Please have all previous years taxes up to date. This service benefits students earning 30K or less annually.

How do I book an Appointment and When?

At the UTM campus, students can start booking appointments immediately. The on-line system allows students to book appointments one week in advance. Appointments are available daily, between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., beginning Wednesday, March 14th, 2012. Please go to the Appointment Booking section and follow four easy steps: Step 1 - Confirm the campus for your appointment, UTM or St. George Step 2 - Choose the day and time for the appointment Step 3 - Enter your personal information Step 4 - Confirm eligibility requirements and that your documentation is ready Upon successfully booking your appointment, students will receive a confirmation email with the date, time and location of their appointment and a reminder of documentation to bring.

Please be advised, this system allows you to book one appointment only. If you need to cancel your appointment for any reason, please provide 48 hours notice by email to taxclinic@utmsu.ca Please note: All taxes are EFILED at the end of the business day. If you do not wish for your taxes to be uploaded to the CRA site, please let our volunteers know.

Documentation to Bring to Tax Clinic Appointment

1.

All T4 (statement of Remuneration Paid) slips: you will need to get these slips from your 2011 Employer(s).

2.

All T2202A forms: these are the tuition receipts that you download off ROSI. *If you did not file T2202A for Tuition and Education for prior years, an adjustment must be filed to that tax year. Bring in previous year documentation.

3.

International students need a SIN Number or an ITN Number to file their tax returns. If you DO NOT HAVE A SIN # you need to apply for an Individual Tax Number.

Please fill out the application for a Canada Revenue Agency Individual Tax Number (ITN) for Non-Residents http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/E/pbg/tf/t1261/t1261e.pdf and send it to the International Tax Office. If you have booked an appointment and you do not have a SIN or an ITN # please cancel it. Apply for an ITN number and we can file your tax returns only when you receive the number.

4.

International students need a SIN Number or an ITN Number to file their tax returns. If you DO NOT HAVE A SIN # you need to apply for an Individual Tax Number.

Please fill out the application for a Canada Revenue Agency Individual Tax Number (ITN) for Non-Residents http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/E/pbg/tf/t1261/t1261e.pdf and send it to the International Tax Office. If you have booked an appointment and you do not have a SIN or an ITN # please cancel it. Apply for an ITN number and we can file your tax returns only when you receive the number.

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All T5 (Statement of Investment Income) slips relating to interest earned.

6.

All T4RSP (Statement of RRSP Income) slips: these slips are sent if you have cashed out any portion of your RRSP. 7.

2010 Notice of Assessment/Reassessment: this is the form to bring if you have carried forward tuition credits from past years. You will have received this in the mail last year.

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Rent receipts: bring in all 2011 rent receipts from residences or off-campus housing. Proof of rent can include a letter from the landlord, a receipt, or your cancelled cheques. A lease is not a valid proof of payment.

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Charitable Donations: bring in any receipts for charitable donations or donations to political parties made from January 1, 1999 until December 31, 2011, that you wish to claim on your 2011 taxes.

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Transit Receipts: A receipt for a monthly pass (Metropass, Go Train, VIA RAIL), a TTC weekly pass, a Go Transit 10-pass or 2-pass may qualify as well.

11.

Residency: if you have not been a resident of Canada since January 1, 2011, please bring documentation showing when you first landed in Canada. Your tax return must specify the number of days you have been in Canada.

12.

International students need a SIN Number or an ITN Number to file their tax returns. If you DO NOT HAVE A SIN # you need to apply for an Individual Tax Number.

Please fill out the application for a Canada Revenue Agency Individual Tax Number (ITN) for Non-Residents http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/E/pbg/tf/t1261/t1261e.pdf and send it to the International Tax Office. If you have booked an appointment and you do not have a SIN or an ITN # please cancel it. Apply for an ITN number and we can file your tax returns only when you receive the number.

For more information please visit UTMSU Tax Clinic Website: http://taxclinic.utm.utsu.ca/ or send us an email at taxclinic@utmsu.ca

Also, please visit our students’ union website at www.utmsu.ca or contact Ms. Neghan Alim – vpinternal@utmsu.ca if you have suggestions on cost-saving services.

Also, visit us on www.utmsu.ca/ and visit us on: www.facebook.com/UTMSU or follow us on Twitter @myUTMSU Please note that, at the time of this publication, “University of Toronto Mississauga Students’ Union” and/or “UTMSU” refers to the Erindale College Student Union, Inc. (“ECSU”).