FAST & A AFFO AFF AFFORDABLE OR Taking a look at new cars that leave marks on the road and not on your wallet. page 8
Monday, September 28, 2009
Volume 36, Issue 4
Library cancels 24-hour service SAALIHA MALIK NEWS EDITOR
On September 1, the Hazel McCallion Academic Learning Centre stopped operating 24 hours a day, five days a week, thus turning UTM into the U of T campus with the shortest library hours. Students have expressed their concerns with hours of operation since the learning centre opened in November 2006. UTMSU and student unions lobbied for 24-hour study space on campus for years, which led to library administrators launching the 24/5 Study Space Pilot Project in the 2006-2007 academic year. The Pilot Project received its funding from the Provost’s Student Experience Fund. The SEF, however, has now decided to forego the project, offering alternative hours. On the UTM library website, an update on the 24/5 Study Space Pilot Project reads, “Over the subsequent three-year period, we have been collecting data to assess student use of the space and our results do not support continuing this 24/5 service.” The Pilot Project originally offered 24hour study space for three weeks during the December exam period and for four weeks during the April final exam period. Over the last two years, the library hours have changed considerably to create a 24/5 study space on campus. The library has been open twenty-four hours
Matthew Filipowich/The Medium
Information and loans technician Lotta Nordfeldt locks up the library last Saturday at 9 p.m. a day from Sunday through Thursday. During the months of November and December it would close as late as 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. On behalf of students concerned about study space on campus, the UTMSU has campaigned for years for increased study locations. Alternative spaces with 24-hour access include the Meeting Place in the South Building, the open access lab in the CCT Building (CCT 1060) and CCT computing labs with T-Card access. Each, however, suffer from issues that make it less than ideal for studying. The CCT building broadcasts media from Blackwood Gallery on campus and the South
Building draws bigger groups without noise control. The computing labs, on the other hand, may be quieter, but are also considerably smaller. “The Library remains committed to supporting student success,” said chief librarian Mary Ann Mavrinac. “It will continue to provide U of T Mississauga students with a safe, secure and quiet space for study and learning.” Associate librarian and deputy chief librarian Ian Whyte added that the library will remain open late for students during the 2009-2010 academic year. “We can sustain support for extended hours of service, remaining open until 3 a.m. Sunday through Thursday during
the December and April study and examination periods, for the foreseeable future,” said Whyte, adding that the plans to end the 24/5 service were shared with the student union. “We shared our data on the 24/5 service in public meetings starting in the winter of 2009 of which UTMSU had representation. We met with the UTMSU President during the spring and summer sessions. On both occasions, the President communicated his understanding of the library's decision.” UTMSU President Joey Santiago disagrees. In a statement issued to The Medium, Santiago expressed his disapproval with the library’s decision to can-
cel the 24-hour service: “When meeting with the library administration I stated that UTMSU does not support this decision. Along with many students who use the service, I am quite disappointed that the University of Toronto has revoked such a necessary service that now leaves UTM as the only U of T campus without 24-hour library study space.” Santiago also raised concerns for safety of students who stay on campus late and must walk home or take the public transit. He also revealed that the data presented to the UTMSU indicated that the reason behind the decision to end the 24-hour service was a lack of funds. “With the amount of tuition and ancillary fees that students pay, I find it hard to believe that the University cannot allocate funding for a program that costs less than $100,000 a year,” said Santiago. UTMSU board member Sunil Shah, who pays over $11,000 in tuition fees a year, echoed similar sentiments. “As a university, it should be mandatory to have a place where students are able to study quietly,” said Shah. “If many other universities are able to provide this to their students, why has our campus stopped?” Shah referred to universities such as York University, which offers 24hour study space five days a week on the first floor of the Scott Library for much of the fall and winter terms. Further details about the library’s hours, including regular hours of service for the 2009-2010 academic year, can be found online at the library’s website.
Students Get School’d at second pub SAALIHA MALIK WITH NOTES FROM STEFANIE MAROTTA
The Blind Duck was packed last Thursday night when hordes of students lined up for the second pub night of the year In bold departure from previous years, UTMSU VP Campus Life Andrew Lalla decided to hold the Get School’d Pub Night a week after the first. Traditionally the second pub night is held months after the first pub due to poor ticket sales. This anomaly occurred due to the buzz surrounding the main attraction of the pub night: an appearance and performance by home grown Canadian pop sensation Danny Fernandes. All 500 tickets were sold out and students scrambled to get their hands on spare tickets. By midnight, with Fernandes’s performance imminent, fifteen dollar tickets were being sold for up to twenty-five dollars each. Inside, pub goers danced the night away with drinks in hand. The security
Edward Cai/The Medium
Danny Fernandes performs at the Blind Duck. staff took extra precaution, presumably due in large part to the presence of a celebrity at UTM. Camera flashes lit up the Presentation Room as students lined up to have their pictures taken against a red carpet style backdrop from UTMSU. Shortly after midnight, the MC for the evening, E.N.G, took over the stage to
hype up the audience. The students, mostly the ladies, rushed to the stage in anticipation of the main event. The dance floor became crowded as E.N.G. took the chance to mock Kanye West’s stunt at the MTV Video Music Awards and shouted out at the crowd, “Hey, Ima let you finish, but UTM has Danny Fernandes!”
Fernandes made a grand entrance by pulling up in a black Cadillac Escalade outside the Blind Duck. Escorted by his security through the sea of fans, Fernandes hit the stage hard, stating he was happy to be home. Screams made him almost inaudible. Blind Duck security surrounded the stage to ensure none of the star struck students got out of hand. Fernandes came onto the stage with backup dancers following his cues. Fernandes started his set with the song “Private Dancer” and then followed it up with his first hit single, “Curious.” Fernandes then stopped the music and serenaded the audience by singing the first few lines of “Fantasy.” Then the backing track went on and Fernandes went into a full rendition of the song. Fernandes and his dancers got the audience involved by encouraging them to sing and dance along during his entire performance. After the show, fans had the opportunity to meet Fernandes and have pictures taken. The night ended in high spirits as students left the Blind Duck. Second-year
student Marina Stojanovic expressed her excitement for upcoming events. “I was really surprised to see how well the pub night was organized. It was my first pub night and my friends and I had an amazing time.”
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INSIDE Safe sex with Sue PAGE 3
TIFF in closing PAGE 6 A student’s guide to cars PAGE 8 Formula One crashes PAGE 12