Vol 37 issue 10

Monday, November 15th, 2010

Volume 37, Issue 10

Will you pass a summer U-Pass?

The student union, UTMSU, is campaigning for the addition of a new summer U-Pass. For the past four years, full-time UTM students have had access to an eight-month U-Pass, valid from September to April (inclusive) of the academic school year. The new summer UPass would allow students who are enrolled in summer classes to access the Mississauga Transit services, too. Although a fee increase of $30 to the eight-month U-Pass is included in the referendum, this part has not been as explicitly advertised or promoted.

The current U-Pass costs every full-time student a fee of $99.14 (which is included in tuition fees).

UTMSU is supporting the referendum and the included U-Pass fee increase, which would bring the new cost of the 8 month U-pass to $130 for every full-time student and yield a total cost of $215 for every student enrolled full-time during fall/winter session plus either part-time or full-time in the summer session.

Vickta Bhatt, president of UTMSU, expressed her enthusiasm in a l et t e r t o The Medium: “Your student union would like to recommend that you vote yes in the upcoming referendum to keep the eight-month regular year U-

Drew Dacai/The Medium

Pass for $130 and to introduce a new summer U-Pass open to only summer school students who are registered part-time and full-time for $85!”

Note that because the current UPass actually costs $99.14, Bhatt’s statement is mistaken. Since students cannot opt out of the UPass, every full-time student would have to pay the new, higher price of $130, and that’s without an increase in the services offered.

The U-Pass is an important service to many students. and the summer one would be, as well. “I know lots of people who take summer school courses, myself included. Having to pay for transportation is a big thing for some individuals, especially if they live far away or are juggling a job to pay for the tuition the following year,” commented Fred Besik, a thirdyear student.

The U-Pass would still be among the cheapest in all of

Ontario.

Currently, Brock University charges students $290, Niagara College charges $280, while Trent, Ottawa, and Carleton charge $250 for their summer UPasses.

“I think it’s important that students are aware that the summer U-Pass essentially affects every non-driving student on campus.

Tuition fees, textbooks, or even having a social life already takes a damper in our pockets and with the opportunity to have a summer U-Pass it would be a complete bonus,” said student Hilary Receno. “ The voting will take place next week from November 23 to 25, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the Davis Building, CCIT, and the North Building. In the meantime, UTMSU representatives will be available to answer questions regarding the referendum.

Students are asked to bring their T-Cards to voting stations.

Drew Dacaii/The Medium

UTM remembers the fallen KATHERINE LUCZYNSKI NEWS EDITOR

Hundreds of faculty, staff, and students sporting poppies on jackets, coats, and bags gathered outside the William G. Davis building on November 11 to commemorate the lives lost during the Korean War and the First and Second World Wars.

A procession, led by professor

Scott Munro on bagpipes in traditional Scottish dress, began the ceremony. UTM’s new principal and vice-president Deep Saini, UTMSU president Vickita Bhatt, and VP External Munib Sajjad followed in the procession, escorted by Campus Police and members of the Erindale College Special Response Team (ECSPeRT).

“Today we remember those brave men and women [who lost their lives in World War I],” said Len Paris, Police Services Manager, who

began the call to order. “We remember why we must work for peace every day.”

The usually bustling entrance to the Davis building was silenced throughout the ceremony even with the crowd of people.

“We are gathered here on the eleventh day of the eleventh month at the eleventh hour for those who sacrificed their lives for our freedom and democracy,” said Saini.

Saini spoke about the ultimate actions of freedom of expression,

including examples of people speaking out in Iraq and the election of candidates to the Canadian government.

“Think about how many countries don’t have the amount of freedom that we take for granted,” said Saini. “They [in WWI] volunteered to fight for freedom. They laid down their lives for peace. There are brave men and women risking their lives in the most dangerous places of the world. Let us not forget them, even for a minute.”

Remember continued on page 3

Taste of Chihuahuah PAGE 3 Equus Debut PAGE 5 Morning Glory

PAGE 6 Step-up your interview PAGE 8 OHL over USSR PAGE 11

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2 THE MEDIUM

NEWS

MONDAY, NOVEMBER

15, 2010

Show your pride LARISSA HO ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

UTM’s second annual Pride Week was held last week and was a collaborative event hosted by both OUT@UTM and UTMSU. The week provided information, resources, and a sense of community for LGBTQ youth. The events were created especially to reach out to students who may be in need, and to eliminate their sense of isolation and loneliness.

Bobby Diaz, OUT@UTM social coordinator, is also the main co-ordinator behind this year’s Pride Week. In a message to members of the OUT@UTM Facebook community, Diaz called it “a one-of-a-kind week oriented to the LGBTQ community and their allies at UTM”.

“Pride Week is important to have at UTM in order to increase visibility for LGBTQ students and to create a safe positive space on our suburban campus,” said Diaz. “Through UTM Pride Week, everyone will be made aware of LGBTQ issues and rights movements that bring us to our current state of affairs, and will hopefully get all students, staff, and faculty to talk about LGBTQ life today.”

“Pride week aims to create a safe positive space for UTM students to interact and create communities,” said Kumari Giles, UTMSU VP Equity. “For many LGBTQ-identified students, finding support is hard on our campuses, especially when faced with seemingly opposing views. The most important part of Pride Week is to have visibility and to encourage dialogue.”

Pride Week kicked off on Monday with a 10-minute “Pride Flag”-raising outside the Student Centre. All were welcome to attend the event, which concluded with a speech from Diaz. The rallying cry of this event was “to see thee rise, strong, free, and proud!” A presentation of the “LGBTQ Rights Movement: Past, Present, and Future” and “Pansexual Speed Dating: Eat, Meet, and Greet” followed in the Presentation Room of the Student Centre.

“Who knows, maybe while marching around campus with our Pride Flag and OUT@UTM banner, we’ll reach out to one person who thinks they’re alone and [who] will approach someone or have an outlet to turn to,” said Hilary Receno,

financial administrator and secretary at OUT@UTM. James Lott, OUT@UTM’s external liaison said, “If nothing else, I hope people get a sense of community out of the Pride Week events, because it can be very lonely thinking you are the only LGBTQ person on campus.”

The events on Tuesday started with “Trans Tea Time” in the Board Room of the Student Centre. Students talked about “hard-hitting trans issues” while enjoying tea and scones. The day ended with a queer film, Priscilla: Queen of the Desert, shown in the Presentation Room.

On Wednesday, art from OUT@UTM members was featured in the CCT link in an event called “OUTarts on display” and gave members of OUT@UTM and their friends to showcase their creative sides.

The day ended with “GLOW AND FLOW: Queer Sex Discussion and Oral Sex Tutorial” in the Council Chambers, located on the second floor of the Davis Building. All students were welcome to

“Pride Week aims to create a safe positive space for UTM students to interact and create communities.”

—Kumari Giles

participate in this event which presented plenty of opportunities for discussion as well as the chance to “improve technique”.

Thursday’s events began with “An Informational Presentation on Bullying and Homophobia: It Has Got to Stop!” in the Davis Building, CCIT, and the Student Centre. The event was a discussion of the harmful and long-lasting effects of bullying in any form.

“As with most prejudice, bias against lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and/or transgenders, is often based on negative stereotypes and lack of information,” said Diaz. “To stop homophobia, like all other forms of discrimination, is a long haul, but it is a battle worth fighting for.”

“On campus, although overt displays of homophobia are rare, most homophobia is exhibited through homophobic comments,” said Carla Carbonell, volunteer coordinator for OUT@UTM. “Using the ‘other F word’, or referring to something one means as silly or weird as ‘gay’, or comments like ‘no homo’ still perpetuate homophobia, and most times the user of these words or phrases doesn’t know what they are saying is homophobic, or don’t mean it.”

That night, the event called “Active Dialogue: Queer and Religion” was held in the Dean’s Lounge in the North Building whose slogan was: “Can homosexuality and religion coexist? That is the question!”

To finish off the event-filled week, all were invited to “shake, rattle, and roll!” at Classic Bowl Mississauga at the final event, called “Queers and Allies Go Bowling!”

The planning that OUT@UTM and UTMSU’s put into the organization of Pride Week resulted in a successful series of events that not only increased the visibility of OUT@UTM, but reached out to students who were not aware of the issues that LGBTQ youth face and perhaps were not aware that OUT@UTM existed.

“One of the things I aim for as the LGBTQ coordinator of the student union is to reach out to other students, help break stereotypes, and educate those who are willing to listen,” said Diaz. “As I jokingly presented in an orientation training on equity, not all gay men are Lady Gaga enthusiasts (but I’m sure some are), not all bisexual individuals are confused, etc.”

OUT@UTM, the first LGBTQ group at UTM, was founded in 2002. According to their website, outatutm.com, OUT@UTM functions as “a support group, a social circle, and an outlet for fun.”

When it was founded, OUT@UTM reached out only to LGBTQ students, but now it reaches out to everyone.

“I hope that UTM students learn something what it means to be queer, the struggles and rewards that come with the identity, and the implications this has in one’s life,” said Diaz. “The struggles of one group are our struggles. Everyone should all strive for equality of all human rights, this includes LGBTQ people. Alone and divided we are weak. Together and united we are strong.”

U of T’s Sexual and Gender Diversity Office website, which offers resources for students, staff and faculty, can be found at lgbtq.utoroto.ca.

Campus Police weekly summaries November 4 – November 10, 2010 November 4, 12:01 a.m.

Off-Campus Crime Campus Police assisted Peel Regional Police with locating a student involved in an off-campus crime.

November 4, 5:24 p.m.

Fraud Campus Police investigated a fraudulent parking permit that was displayed on a vehicle.

November 4, 11:05 a.m.

Mischief Campus Police investigated damage to a door at the Central Utility Plant.

November 4, 10:24 a.m.

Mischief Campus Police investigated mischief to a damaged wall at the Parking Office. Campus Police interviewed the female responsible for the damage.

November 4, 10:45 a.m.

Theft Under $5,000 A female reported her wallet stolen from the Library.

November 5, 10:50 a.m.

Theft Under $5,000 A female employee at the Bookstore reported that her cell phone had been stolen while she was conducting her work-related duties.

November 5, 2:25 p.m.

Medical Call Campus Police responded to a female student that fainted inside a CCT Building classroom. Campus Police and ECSpeRT responded and provided assistance to the female student.

November 6, 10:45 a.m.

Recovered Property An employee of the RAWC retrieved a bong that was left inside the facilities.

November 7, 7:19 p.m.

Fire Call Campus Police received a report of a garbage fire near the Student Centre.

The fire was put out with a fire extinguisher.

November 8, 5:05 p.m.

Motor Vehicle Accident

A female student reported damage to her vehicle that was parked in lot 8.

interpol.int

The former UTM student is thought to be hiding in Uganda or Bangladesh.

KATHERINE LUCZYNSKI NEWS EDITOR

Interpol, the world’s largest police organization has issued a warrant at the Ontario Provincial Police’s request for an arrest of Salman An-noor Hossain, a former UTM student accused of advocating and promoting genocide.

On July 8, Hossain was charged with two counts of advocating genocide and three counts of promoting hatred. The 25-year-old is now believed to be overseas, which will mean the cooperation of police around the world.

“We have, for a number of years, pointed to the fact that Salman Hossain was a dangerous, hateful man,” said Bernie Farber, head of the Canadian Jewish Congress in an interview with UPI.com. “We are very relieved to see that international policing have placed a high priority on his capture.”

Hossain began online posts about the extinction of Jews three years ago.

Hossain started the website filthyjewishterrorists.com where he openly called for the mass murder of Canadian Jews.

This is the first time anyone has been charged with promoting genocide under Section 318.1 of the Criminal Code.

In response to the OPPs charges, Hossain wrote on his website, “It has very little to do with calling for the revenge slaughter of the Jews and their allies. Of course by calling for their extermination and genocide, I did the right thing.”

“I am inciting Muslims and other antiWestern forces who are reading this that should I in any chance get taken down, you will have to push forward the mission of bringing in foreign troops to exterminate the Jews and their allies,” the website further stated.

Hossain also blogged that he would “cheer the death of Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan”, reports CBC news.

“This is a guy that is very committed to what he wants to do. Very committed to his hatred of Jews,” Farber told CBC. Hossain was born in Bangladesh and spent part of his childhood in Ghana. His parents made the move to Canada where he studied at UTM. Police now believe that Hossain may be hiding in Uganda or his childhood home of Bangladesh.

Canada does not have an extradition treaty with either country, but if the fugitive is caught, the federal government can use other diplomatic avenues to have Hossain returned to Canada where he will be jailed.

Hossain’s website is no longer available for viewing.

NOTICE OF REFERENDUM The University of Toronto Mississauga Students’Union will be conducting a referendum of its general membership on November 23rd, 24th and 25th, from 9am to 6pm. Polling stations will be present in the North, CCIT and William G. Davis building. The referendum will concern the U-Pass program. The question being asked is the following: Referendum for Full-Time Students:

November 8, 9:45 p.m.

Trespass to Property Act Campus Police investigated a group of men at the Kaneff Centre. The group did not have authorization to be in the building after hours and were asked to the leave.

The 8-month Universal Pass (Upass) is an unlimited bus pass for all Mississauga Transit routes starting September 1st –April 30th inclusive. The 4-month Summer Universal Pass (Summer Upass) is an unlimited bus pass for all Mississauga Transit routes starting May 1st – August 31st inclusive. It applies to all full-time undergraduates at the University of Toronto Mississauga as defined by the University of Toronto Office of the Registrar.

November 9, 12:35 a.m.

Theft Under $5,000 A male student completed an Online Citizen’s Report with the Campus Police reporting his missing wallet.

The Board of Directors of the University of Toronto Mississauga Students’Union will supervise administration and distribution of the full-time undergraduate 8-month and 4-month Upass.

November 10, 4:20 p.m.

Theft Under $5,000 A female student reported the theft of a laptop from a North Building classroom. The laptop was later recovered.

November 10, 4:56 p.m.

Theft Under $5,000 Campus Police received an Online Citizen’s Report from a female student reporting the theft of her belongings from the Recreational, Athletic and Wellness Centre changeroom.

The cost of the 8-month Upass (fall-winter) is $130.00 (September 1st – April 30th inclusive) and the cost of the 4-month Summer Upass (summer) is a one-time fee of $85.00. There will be an additional administrative fee of $1.50; this cost is primarily for student wages in the distribution of the Upass. The cost of the Upass will not increase by more than 9% annually without a referendum.

Question: Are you in favor of a mandatory dedicated increase to the UTMSU fee for an 8-month universal bus pass (Upass) as described in the preamble?

Question: Are you in favor of a mandatory dedicated increase to the UTMSU fee for a 4-month Summer universal bus pass (Upass), applicable only to full time students registered in the summer session, as described in the preamble?

Referendum for Part-Time Students: The 4-month Universal Pass (Summer Upass) is an unlimited bus pass for all Mississauga Transit routes starting May 1st –August 31st inclusive. It applies to all part-time students at the University of Toronto Mississauga as defined by the University of Toronto Office of the Registrar.

The cost of the 4-month Upass (summer) is a one-time fee of $85.00. There will be an additional administrative fee of $1.50; this cost is primarily for student wages in the distribution of the Upass.

The cost of the Upass will not increase by more than 9% annually without a referendum. The Board of Directors of the University of Toronto Mississauga Students’Union will supervise administration and distribution of the part-time undergraduate 4-month Upass.

Question: Are you in favor of a mandatory dedicated increase to the UTMSU fee for a 4-month Summer universal bus pass (Upass), applicable to only part-time students registered in the summer session, as described in the preamble?

MONDAY, NOVEMBER

RUDEC recruits on campus JEROME JOHNSON

UTM’s Generation of New Leaders Club held a general meet-and-greet session last Tuesday in the Student Centre.

“In the army they train you to psychologically break you down, in order to build you back up as part of a unit,” said Mazin Hassan, the founder of UTM’s Generation of New Leaders Club. “If you come back alive, you’ll adapt really quickly. It’s designed to make you lead.”

Inspired to volunteer for a worthy cause, Hassan had come across a magazine ad one day last autumn featuring RUDEC (Cameroon’s Rural Development Centre) and was immediately awestruck by the natural beauty of the African countryside. Up for the challenges and rewards of participating in such a meeting of cultures, Mazin contacted RUDEC and from there UTM’s branch of the organization was born.

RUDEC is based out of the hamlet of Belo, situated in the Bamenda Highlands, not far from Cameroon’s capital city Yaoundé in central Africa. Belo’s Chiamba (Joshua) Anyeah founded the not-for-profit organization in 2005 to help address the social ills of rural poverty, unemployment, child orphanhood due to AIDS/TB, and a lack of opportunities facing Cameroon’s interior regions.

The main project’s volunteers can assist in include making bricks at the local masonry factory, lending a hand at the tea plantation, or teaching math, English, French, or physical education to local children. Soccer is the national pastime and the kids of Belo enjoy playing it, many with aspirations of one day being on the national team.

RUDEC thrives on an ongoing exchange of new ideas and fresh perspectives as to how to make their operations more efficient. Impressed by Mazin’s initia-

tive, for instance, Staples Canada has pledged to donate arts supplies in time for the next excursion (summer 2011) so that kids can express themselves.

“You look at the world differently,” Mazin continued. “It’ll teach you to reevaluate who you are and what you stand for. You’ll see it in kids. That will be enough to propel you to keep doing the same thing. You’ll form bonds. You will form friendships and relationships that will last a long time. It fosters a sense of global community.”

In order to be a good leader, one must first have certain attributes. Learning how to compromise is one of them. Though not exactly “roughing it”, volunteers will be without many comforts throughout their stay, whether for two weeks or a month-long tenure.

Electricity comes and goes, and local water must be boiled before consumption as a precaution against digestive tract illnesses. Walking barefoot is not advised. A week in advance of the departure date to Cameroon (via a layover in Paris or Zurich), volunteers will be vaccinated and given malaria pills. There will be a doctor on-call throughout the entire stay as well Generation of New Leader’s CFO Dovile, who will provide emotional support.

U of T professor Michael Khan will also be around to address any concerns the volunteers may have during their first week in Belo. It’s not recommended that volunteers bring valuables such as laptops or cell phones. There will be periodic opportunities to have full telephone and Internet access. A cooking and cleaning staff will be hired for the duration of the trip, which will also help out the local economy.

Right now, CAD $5 is enough to feed a group of four people at any Cameroonian restaurant.

Budgeting for just 10 to 15 people, there might not be adequate accommodations for everyone on the site (lodging is either in a private house cabin or with a family). One

project the Generation of New Leaders is interested in doing is building temporary dorms so that it’s easier to house the growing volume of new recruits to RUDEC from around the world.

One benefit for the students is learning how to deal with things and creating your own way to cope, as employers are increasingly looking to hire individuals who can be challenged often. “[RUDEC] takes you out of your comfort zone. Makes you not afraid of challenges, problems. If you see something wrong, you fix it. You can’t just walk away.

In university you can drop a course; it’s so easy for us to eliminate our problems. But this you cannot drop, delete it from your hard drive,” Mazin said.

Mazin spoke highly of the numerous waterfalls surrounding Belo, of the indigenous tribesmen with their lively ceremonies, and of the opportunity to incorporating fun time for sightseeing, trekking, and off-road dirt biking.

UTM/TV will be documenting the whole experience.

The cost to participate in RUDEC is around $3,500 which is all-inclusive roundtrip for airfare aboard Air France or Swiss Air, VISA, vaccines, food, and accommodations (including two nights at the Hilton Yaoundé), entertainment and field trips, as well your contribution to funding the projects of the club. Fundraising or getting a business to sponsor you is what’s recommended. RUDEC appreciates donations of any size.

If you have the time, money and parental consent to participate in the RUDEC experience, the deadline to apply for next summer’s trip is by November 29, 2010. For more information, students are asked to check the Generation of New Leaders on Facebook, or contact Mazin Hassin at utmnewleaders@hotmail.com and/or bballpoet4@hotmail.com. Students may also apply to RUDEC directly by visiting rudec.org.

A taste of Ayy Chihuahuah

Edward Cai/ The Medium

The Meza family provided all the food for the event.

STEFANIE MAROTTA ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

Last Wednesday and Thursday, the Organization of Latin American Students hosted Taste of Latin America. Passersby detoured into the Presentation Room at the Student Centre at the sight of sombreros, Dora the Explorer, and fajitas.

OLAS members, complete with exaggeratedly large sombreros, provided plates of rice, chicken and beef fajitas, and Caesar salad at $5 for members and $7

for non-members. Attendees indulged in the savoury feast while watching music videos on the projection screen by Shakira, Kumbia Kings, and other Latin American artists. Students took turns breaking down a Dora the Explorer piñata full of candy.

“We want to expose people to Latin American culture. It’s interesting—the food, dancing, the music, everything!” said Oscar Meza, an OLAS member.

“You know, Shakira is pretty popular and Spain won the world cup, so everyone has Spanish fever. This is the largest member-

ship the club has ever had.”

Meza, and his family made the food for the event. The Meza family runs a Mexican restaurant called Ayy Chihuahuah in Bolton, Ontario.

“The food was a big incentive for me and probably for most students,” said the UTMSU VP Internal, Gilbert Cassar. “I really admire the music and culture.”

In the past, OLAS hasn’t been particularly active. This year, they hope to hold plenty of events, develop a strong presence on campus, and host a Latin pub night near the end of the year. The club will hold a Latin event every month that will include food tasting, movie days, and dancing at salsa nightclubs.

OLAS invites all students to join in and enjoy just one aspect of the various and diverse cultures on the UTM campus.

“I love the Latin vibe and I love to dance,” said Sunil Shah, president of OLAS, after he had displayed his samba skills around the Presentation Room. “I don’t have a Latin background, so I want to emphasize that you don’t have to be Latin American to enjoy and appreciate different cultures. I think it’s important to enjoy what our campus provides and experience as many different cultures as possible.” Shah said that he first became intrigued three years ago by Latin dance and the friendly and vivacious vibe that OLAS members exude.

OLAS has also been in contact with professors from the Department of Languages. Apart from food-tasting and dancing, Shah expressed his desire to provide students with educational material and events on topics such as Latin American politics and economics.

So far, OLAS members have gone to El Rancho Nightclub in Toronto to party for Halloween and enjoy weekly salsa lessons in the Student Centre. Students interested in enrolling in salsa lessons or becoming members can check out the club’s Facebook page, OLAS @ UTM.

15, 2010 THE MEDIUM 3

NEWS

Lest we forget the fallen

Edward Cai/ The Medium

Remember continued on cover

The first Remembrance Day was held on Monday, November 11, 1918, at 11 a.m.—the eleventh day of the eleventh month, at the eleventh hour.

Originally called Armistice Day, November 11 commemorated the end of the First World War, at the time called “the war to end all wars”.

From 1923 to 1931, Armistice Day was held on the Monday that fell on the week of November 11 until MP Allan Neill introduced a bill to hold the Armistice Day on a fixed date and rename it “Remembrance Day”.

Bhatt was called to read Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae’s poem “In Flanders Fields”. McCrae, who graduated from the University of Toronto in 1894 and later received a bachelor of medicine degree from U of T in 1898, fought in World War I but did not live to see its end. McCrae died in Base Hospital in 1918, only months before the war’s end.

“In Flanders Fields” was first published in England’s Punch magazine in December 1915 and

quickly became a symbol of the sacrifices made by the men and women fighting the war. The poem continues to be read at Remembrance Day ceremonies every year. The poem’s popularity sparked the use of the poppy as a symbol of remembrance.

Saini and Sajjad laid wreaths with the word “remember” written across white ribbons, around the podium set up across from the entrance to the Davis Building.

The Canadian flag that hangs on the flagpole outside the Davis Building was lowered to halfmast during the readings of McCrae’s poem and remained at half-mast during the two minutes of silence that followed the reading.

Traffic was stopped on the Inner Circle Road for the duration of the two minutes of silence.

The flag was then raised to full-mast to the sound of “Reveille” playing over the speakers.

Len Paris wrapped up the ceremony and invited those in attendance to reflect on the day’s events over refreshments served in the Meeting Place, outside the former Campus Police office.

Annual General Meeting 2010 What is an Annual General Meeting?

The Annual General meeting of the Union is held in the Fall session of each year as set by a majority vote of a Board meeting.The meeting discusses the requirements set out and described in the Act and shall include the following: a. receiving the financial statements and the auditor’ s report; b. appointing auditors for the ensuing year; c. amendments, if any, to the Bylaws unless previously approved; and, d. the Board shall also include other items on the Agenda as described under Procedural Policy of the Union.

When and where are the proxy forms available?

November 15th - 26th between 9 am to 5 pm in the Student Centre (room 115).

The deadline to submit proxy forms is Friday November 26th in room 115.

Annual General Meeting 2010 Monday November 29th, 6 pm Spigel Hall For more information on the agenda and the financial documents, please visit utmsu.ca.

4 THE MEDIUM

OPINION

MONDAY,

NOVEMBER 15, 2010

Dear Editor,

EDITORIAL This week, I received a letter from UTMSU President Vickita Bhatt regarding the campaign for a summer U-Pass, Ms. Bhatt says “vote yes in the upcoming referendum to keep the eight-month regular year U-Pass for $130.”

I then referred to the notice of referendum printed on page 2 of this week’s issue of The Medium which states “The cost of the 8-month Upass (fall-winter) is $130.00 September 1st-April 30th inclusive”.

A little puzzled, I decided to do my fact-checking. Sure enough, both on the UTM website and on my ROSI invoice, the cost for the U-Pass actually adds up to $99.14 not $130 as Ms. Bhatt suggests.

Considering that UTMSU is holding a referendum to increase the current 8 month U-pass fee from $99.14 to $130 this information has not been clearly advertised. In fact, I would say that the details of these increases have not been advertised at all. When Ms. Bhatt says she recommends you “keep the eight-month regular year U-Pass for $130” it is misleading because it does not suggest a fee increase when in fact there is a proposed fee increase of 30% for all students, not just summer students.

I hope it’s not intentional, otherwise it seems like students are being misled, and the referendum’s wording is trying to hide the fact that it includes a fee hike for the current eight month U-Pass. In any case, UTMSU certainly didn’t think it was worth mentioning.

Another issue that I had with the notice was that it states that for the summer U-Pass there is a “one -time fee of $85”. What UTMSU fails to clearly state is that this $85 (For students registered in summer classes) is on top of the proposed fee increase of $30, to the eight month U-Pass which is a total proposed increase of U-Pass fees of $115 for the summer U-Pass to be available and a total fee of $215 ($130 +85) for all students who plan to use the U-Pass for 12 months. Since the eight month U-Pass that all students are required to pay for is increasing by 30% I assume that this increase is to alleviate the cost of the summer U-Pass, and that all students are contributing to the overall costs of having a U-Pass for summer students. Instead of just charging summer students more, everyone will now have to pay $130 for the eight month U-Pass. The student union hasn’t shared how they got to these proposed fee increases and they also have not clearly shared what the fees are increasing from.

The actual text of the referendum mentions the increase, though it doesn’t say from how much, and uses the words such as “dedicated” and “mandatory”. It also turns out that the U-Pass fee would be subject to increases by 9% annually without notice or vote, which means up to an additional $11-19 annually.

Why couldn’t UTMSU just explain the facts? They are proposing a 30% increase on the eight month U-Pass and a 117% increase in U-Pass fees for the 12 month U-Pass more than doubling the cost of current cost of $99.14 for eight months to $215 for 12 months. The summer U-Pass is actually costing students more for four months in the summer than it cost students for eight months now.

I’m not saying you should vote no. I think the U-Pass is a great service but looking at the facts it will cost every student $130 instead of $99.14 for an eight month U-Pass and summer students are not really getting a deal when using the pass for an additional four months is costing them $85 on top of $130 for September-April, totalling to $215. I think you should know what you are voting for and hopefully this week’s issue of The Medium helped you understand.

Saaliha Malik

Yours,

4

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The University of Toronto Mississauga Students’ Union has provided an amazing U-Pass service for the past four years, which provides unlimited transit for students for the eight-month regular academic year for one flat fee.

W i t h j u s t ov e r 9 , 0 0 0 U T M s t udents picking up their U-Pass this year, the need for UTMSU to maintain this service is essential.

Ridership for the U-Pass has increased by 300% rather than the expected 50%, according to Mississauga Transit. From the initial conception of the program, three new bus routes to/from UTM have been added, namely the 110, 44, and 101. On behalf of UTMSU, we are proud to bring you “I HEART U-PASS” at UTM! Your student union would like to recommend that you vote YES in the upcoming referendum to keep the eight-month regular year U-Pass for $130 and to introduce a NEW Summer U-Pass, open to only summer school students who are registered part-time and fulltime, for $85! We have one of the cheapest U-Pass programs in all of Ontario, among cities comparable in size. Your elected executives and other students like you who Dear Editor, I write to you in disappointment, shock, and absolute fury. I enjoy Rihanna’s music as much as the next person- and though I might not admire her comeback after the Chris Brown fiasco, I’ve now more reason to feel annoyed.

I don’t know what possessed me a few nights ago to go over her older videos on YouTube- and there it was. In Hard, at 1:57, “Inna Lillah wa Inna Ileyhi Rageoon” (“To Allah we belong and truly, to Him we shall return"”) stands out clearly in bold Arabic letters.

It’s not problematic the first time you see it, unless you hate Rihanna anyway. The video has her performing dubious but overtly sexual acts in mud, on cannons, and war trucks (whatever they’re properly called), all of course semi-naked with R-rated lyrics tumbling out of her pretty mouth.

And that’s okay. Her video, her music, her body.

The line painted on a wall in the middle of a desert is from the Holy Quran: “Who, when afflicted with calamity, say: "Truly! To Allah we belong and truly, to Him we shall return."” (2:156). My outrage on having this line in an overtly sexual video with absolutely no relation to what Rihanna is saying stems not only from the fact that it comes from the Holy Quran, not even as much that as a Muslim, this is the word of God to me, but also because this line is used by Muslims- and even non-Muslims- when loved ones pass away; at funerals, at terrible moments in people’s lives to console one another. It is blasphemous, offensive, disrespectful and intolerably ignorant to have this line associated with

sat on the negotiating team will be out from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day from November 15 to 25 to answer your questions!

So why should you support the U-Pass?

• You only pay for the summer U-Pass if you are a summer student!

• You save an average of $990 over the year on transit!

• You support the environment by being more sustainable!

• You don’t need to worry about buying tickets and having change!

• You have unlimited access to Mississauga Transit buses on any route at any time! ...and more!

UTMSU has been working for you, and now is your chance to make a difference.From November 23 to 25 between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m., bring your T-Card to the South, North, or CCIT, and vote YES to keep your eight-month UPass, and get a NEW summer UPass.

Heart your U-Pass—vote YES.From your student union, the University of Toronto Mississauga Students’ Union (UTMSU).

In solidarity, Vickita Bhatt President of UTMSU Rihanna finally managing to afford Louis Vuitton and girls from high school trashing her behind her back. And even though this might not be as overt, I realize this is not the first time anyone has wrapped up sexuality and religion: Madonna, with her Like A Virgin and Ray of Light videos, created much controversy and greatly upset the Christian and Hindu communities respectively.

Sacrilege sells, I understand. But if you’re good, you’ll sell without offending a third of the world’s population, and without abusing your source of inspiration. And some people may not care- and this might not really be an issue, since it’s only part of the background. But it’s always the beginning. At that moment, I felt my religion being ridiculed, and reduced to the equivalent of make-up and toy guns- the same way many Christians probably felt when Madonna danced half-naked around a burning cross. Forget decency. There has to be respect.

There has to be an understanding that religion should not, cannot, and will not be used as a marketing strategy in pop culture. You are offending institutions which define people’s entire lives- this is more than race, sexuality, creed, gender, disability. I speak as a Muslim when I say that my religion defines me- every little action that I do, every step that I take, I am conscious of my religion before anything else. And for anyone, anyone at all to even casually abuse that, whether meaning to or not, is not okay. It is never okay.

Peace, Mariya Hassan

Join the debate or start one of your own!

Write a Letter to the Editor and submit it via e-mail to editor@mediumonline.ca no later than Friday at 5 p.m.

Letters cannot exceed 500 words.

www.mediumonline.ca 3359 Mississauga Road, Room 200, Student Centre, Mississauga, ON, L5L 1C6 Phone: 905.828.5260 Fax: 905.828.5402 Advertising: 905.828.5379 EDITOR IN CHIEF Saaliha Malik editor@mediumonline.ca NEWS EDITOR Katherine Luczynski news@mediumonline.ca ASSISTANT NEWS Stefanie Marotta A&E EDITOR Nives Hajdin arts@mediumonline.ca ASSISTANT A&E Colleen Munro FEATURES EDITOR Amir Ahmed features@mediumonline.ca ASSISTANT FEATURES Mariana Comito SPORTS EDITOR William Robertson sports@mediumonline.ca ASSISTANT SPORTS Michelle Duklas Chris Callahan COPY EDITOR Luke Sawczak PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR Edward Cai photos@mediumonline.ca DESIGN EDITOR Brent Hartford WEBMASTER Gary Li DISTRIBUTION Sandes Samararatne Waleed Malik BUSINESS MANAGER TBA ADVERTISING MANAGER TBA BOARD OF DIRECTORS Marc Bressler, Paul Donoghue, Yasmeen Husain, , Michael Di Leo, Sarsour Mansour, Mariana Comito, Matthew Filipowich COMPLAINTS Comments, concerns or com plaints about The Medium ’s content should be directed to the Editor in Chief who can be located at the email address above.

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MONDAY, NOVEMER

15, 2010 THE MEDIUM 5

Nives Hajdin, Editor | arts@mediumonline.ca

Holocaust hits home

Theatre Erindale’s A Child of Survivors explores Bernice Eisenstein’s tragicomic memoir

It has been over six decades since the atrocities of Holocaust came to an end, but the memories are still lingering. How could they not? The effects of the horrific genocide not only changed the lives of its survivors, but of their children as well.

One such child of Holocaust survivors is Bernice Eisenstein, who provided Theatre Erindale with the permission to stage an adaptation of her renowned memoir, I Was a Child of Holocaust Survivors. With Eisenstein in the audience on the opening night of Theatre Erindale’s latest production, A Child of Survivors, the third-year ensemble of Theatre and Drama Studies had a lot resting on their shoulders. Yet, under the direction of Ralph Small, the cast managed to produce an extremely authentic and heartfelt performance, balancing fond memories with painful ones, all the while tastefully blending humour into a serious topic.

The audience is immediately thrown into the bustling streets of Kensington Market, the hub of the Jewish community in downtown Toronto for many decades in the early 20th century. The young Bernice (Brittany Kay) befriends the audience as she introduces her family, reveals the traditions of her Jewish heritage, and appeals for answers: what has happened to her parents’ eyes? Their memories of the Holocaust have become just as real for Bernice, who tries to understand what her parents Regina and Ben (Jessica Allen and Jake Maric) went through all those years

ago. The play moves back and forth throughout Bernice’s life, focussing on her family during her teenage years as well as life in adulthood, yet a trace of her childlike wonder always remains. Allen and Maric portray the happier times of their life, as depicted by their slow-motion marriage to signify the past, yet they also represent the parents that emerge from the Holocaust, before bringing Bernice into the world. In a matter of seconds, the stage is transformed from a scene of rapture in the familiar Jewish neighbourhood, into one of a haunting location, as the ghosts of murdered Holocaust victims emerge in identical white masks amidst a heavy cloud of smoke, sounding eerily like the release of gas into the air. Kylah Thomson and Julio Ospina play Regina and Ben during harder times, as they experience marital problems as a result of Ben’s loss of money through gambling, all the while trying to raise the teenaged Bernice (Tanya Filipopoulos). She is still looking for answers that others are trying to forget, and we learn of her strained relationship with her father. Yet there is a deep sense of resolution as the adult Bernice (Heather Dennis) comes to the aid of her parents (Emily Johnston and Adam Cresswell), now in their old age and more fragile than ever as the memories of the past are almost too much to bare. Revelations are made, relationships are strengthened, and lives are altered in profound ways.

The large company of 23 actors and actresses at first seemed slightly overwhelming, as they are all onstage together at many points, yet all of them added something of their own to the mix and delivered a very strong combined performance. One of the adaptation’s greatest successes is the way in which comedic elements are fused into the plot, something that many might view as too

risqué when addressing such a theme.

Though the accounts of the Holocaust are real, grim, and in no way trivial, the decision to lighten the mood in a satirical way proves to be an appropriate one, as it offers a different perspective on the subject. There were moments of sheer hilarity, such as Brandon Gillespie’s fuming outbursts as Hitler during a roundtable intervention of the segment “I’m obsessed with the Holocaust”, Brenna Stewart’s translations of Yiddish into English (authenticated by her copy of “Yiddish for Dummies”), and the games like “Jews vs.

Nazis” played by the children.

There are many cleverly-crafted references to pop culture, such as when Ben (Maric) suggests the Maple Leafs will go on to win 10 more Stanley Cups, or when he (Creswell) has a standoff with an SS officer (Jack Morton) à la The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly, that ends with the German officer exclaiming “Scheisse! That was fast,” as he falls to the ground. But of course, there were moments of extreme grief and mourning as well, such as when a newborn baby is shot by a German officer, or when Regina and her family give a particularly emotional account of their traumatic experiences in the concentration camps, and the indescribable liberation they felt when they were freed. They will always be reminded of the horrors they experienced by the serial numbers branded on their arms as a sign of their identity, yet the strength they acquire through supporting each other is enough for them to carry on.

Performances by Alison Blair, Alanna Boucher, Charlotte Cattell, Hannah Drew, Amelia Kurtz, Olivia Lloyd, Nicholas Marinelli, Michelle Nash, Amanda Piron, Eitan Shalmon, and Christopher White were all equally entertaining, sincere, and impressive; not only

Jim Smagata

Bernice tries to escape her parents’ quarrels (foreground, L to R: Heather Dennis, Tanya Filopopoulos, Brittany Kay). was the cast responsible for learning a number of Yiddish phrases in addition to their lines, but they mastered singing and dancing sequences as well that added another dimension to the performance.

Theatre Erindale’s adaptation of Eisenstein’s memoir is very inspirational, and above all, it stresses the importance of family in dealing with trauma and loss.

Though only a child, Bernice is aware that even though she didn’t experience it, the

Holocaust has affected her life and has made her into the person she has come to be. Such cataclysmic events like the Holocaust can never be forgotten no matter how hard one tries to escape the memories, but with the help of others, accepting the past is the first step in moving towards the future. A Child of Survivors runs November 16 to 20 at Theatre Erindale; for tickets, visit theatreerindale.com .

Gods and chains at Hart House

Equus makes its debut in Toronto following its highly successful run in London’s West End LUCY ZEMLJIC

The case of Alan Strang is a strange one.

His crime seems unspeakable, his motives an enigma. Yet his sentence is the same as those of countless others: to be evaluated, treated, and cured by modern psychology. But what is it that brings this teenage boy to brutally blind six horses at the stable where he works?

Equus, the groundbreaking play by Peter Shaffer, offers not only an answer to this question, but offers a jarring and thought-provoking journey into the passions and the psyche of a disturbed young man as well as the psychiatrist who attempts to cure him.

Under the direction of Elenna Mosoff, Equus premiered last Friday night at Hart House, telling the jarring and controversial story of a young boy’s sexual awakening, psychological demons, and above all, his intense passion.

“Afterwards, he says, they always embrace. The animal digs his sweaty brow into his cheek and they stand in the dark for an hour like a necking couple...”

Martin Dysart, a child psychiatrist, sits alone in darkness. When the lights come

back on, court magistrate Hesther Salomon tells the doctor, “I’ve just come from the most shocking case l ever tried...”

Alan Strang ends up in Dysart’s office, and thus begins his treatment with the famed child psychiatrist. What ensues is a look into the twisted, passion-filled world of a boy with a strange sexual and religious fascination with horses, and the aging psychiatrist who attempts to help him while wrestling with his own feelings of dissatisfaction in life.

From the very first words he utters, Peter Higginson gives a commanding performance; his calm, composed portrayal of the aging and disillusioned psychiatrist Martin Dysart, offers a perfect opposition to the frantic outbursts of Jesse Nerenberg as the disturbed Alan Strang. Nerenberg himself seems to bear it all on the stage, literally and metaphorically. His explosiveness and vulnerability is palpable; the entire stage is alive with his frenzy.

Although at times his outbursts seem exaggerated, they are undoubtedly what the part calls for, as the disturbed mind of Alan Strang is surely a place of equal explosiveness. Thomas Gough, as the boy’s father, Frank Strang, delivers an

impeccably natural performance, reflecting the stern attitude and worries of many a father against his son. Claire Acott plays Alan’s mother, and she echoes her son’s emotion with her own kind of worried frenzy. Although her performance seems contrived at times, it is perhaps necessary to match the intensity of Nerenberg’sperformance.

Even before the play starts, the element that draws the most attention is undoubtedly the set design. Row upon row of metal-chained swings fill the stage; at first glance, without any actors on the stage, the set looks like something out of a shady club. Metallic wire horse heads hang in the background, and the entire scene sets the tone perfectly for the overarching theme of sexuality and sexual perversion. During the entire play, all the actors sit in the background on swings, watching the action unfold.

Behind them, five shirtless men stand silently with the wire horse heads over their faces, playing the part of horses and mirroring the boy’s own disturbed psyche. They are constant reminders of Alan’s obsession, and this fixation is ultimately mirrored onto the audience as well. The strong sexual overtones are relentlessly conveyed throughout the

piece, and though this might prove to be too much for some audience members, it reflects the vital themes of the play with intensity and force. However, the metallic swings seem to both add and subtract from the performance; they serve as constant reminders of the chains and constrictions of our own society. The avantgarde style offers a new kind of space within which the actors move, as its openness enables the audience to see every bit of action going on. However, the metal swings are somewhat of a distraction at times, as they draw the attention away from the plot. The lighting and sound are perfect compliments to the frenzied performance of Jesse Nerenberg; strobe lights seem to mirror the frantic state of his mind. Piercing sounds and heavy breathing of horses and clacking hooves seem to offer a perfect soundtrack to the vital scenes of the play.

Equus offers a look into the impassioned mind of a disturbed young man, and the constricting world of normalcy in which he lives—and, ultimately, in which we all live. The avant-garde set design and commanding performances of Nerenberg, Higginson, and others, seem to be a mirror of our own society, of our own unrelenting need for

Daniel DiMarco

normalcy, and what we ourselves do to those individuals with too much passion to exist in our world of psychological chains.

Equus runs from November 12 to 27 at Hart House Theatre; for details, visit the Hart House Theatre website at harthouse.utoronto.ca/arts.

Mature content warning: Equus contains full-frontal nudity, coarse language, and adult situations.

6 THE MEDIUM

MONDAY, NOVEMBER

15, 2010

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Make a date with Due Date HEATHER MARTIN

First Todd Phillips gave us The Hangover, and now he delivers Due Date, an off-the-wall buddy-comedy about two extremely different men who take a road trip and get into all sorts of hijinks. Sounds a lot like John Hughes’ 1987 film Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, doesn’t it?

Well, for the most part, it is. Except we need to remember that Phillips is nothing like Hughes and if you think you can predict what will happen in this absolutely outrageous movie, you’ve got another thing coming.

It should be made perfectly clear that the main characters are definitely not buddies, as Peter (Robert Downey Jr.) stresses to Ethan (Zach Galifianakis) on more than one occasion. The two play your typical polar-opposite pair who have been thrown into the traditional road trip scenario shortly after being thrown off of a plane, heading from Atlanta to LA; Ethan Tremblay travelling to Hollywood to fulfil his dream of becoming an actor, and Peter Highman making the trek home from a business trip in time for his wife’s C-section. With no hope of finding his lost wallet or a rental car, the high-strung expectant father accepts a ride with the naïve, overly open actor on a road trip

across the southern states. As expected, shenanigans ensue.

Yes, the plot still sounds a lot like Trains, and on paper they seem rather similar. Except Phillips took the idea of Trains, dropped it on its head, got it high, and beat it up.

While John Hughes was brilliant at pulling dramatic moments out of comedy, Trains is not nearly as hilarious as Due Date, which is all right because Phillips isn’t going for the touching moments—he’s going for the “OMG! WTF?” moments.

The director’s fingerprints are all over this movie, from the bizarre situations that Peter and Ethan land in, to the zany characters themselves. He even has a cameo as drug-dealer Juliette Lewis’ tenant.

While the humour is unmistakably the same ridiculous, vulgar fun apparent in The Hangover, the characters in Due Date manage not to end up in as much trouble—even though they break about 40 laws!

There are car crashes, high-speed pursuits, drugs, theft, violence (Downey’s character goes through hell physically), and they get away with all of it. Well, of course they do—it’s a movie, after all. But what is most enjoyable is that instead of the John Hughes ending where both men resolve their differences and become buddies, these characters don’t change! All right, so stressedout Peter mellows slightly and

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This scene probably didn’t have too many retakes. learns to control his temper a little better, but that’s all. He still only just tolerates Ethan, whose own character growth is also rather minimal. Nevertheless, it wouldn’t be realistic for both men to have a personality overhaul in just a few days, though that’s not to say that what happens in the movie is realistic in the slightest. Yet even in a ridiculous comedy, the depth of a charac-

ter is important.

Peter is definitely not your average “straight man”, regardless of what Downey’s deadpan sarcasm would have you believe. The character is not a nice man—there are incidents involving unruly children and desk clerks which prove this— but he is willing to go through anything to be with his wife for the birth of their child. Ethan, by

extreme contrast, is the most preposterous character—take his acidwash skinny jeans, for example— and yet there is a real vulnerability about him, which Galifianakis lets out in strategic bursts throughout the film. Both actors are watchable in anything, and in particular, their partnership with Phillips in Due Date is what keeps audiences gasping for breath between laughs.

Morning Glory has that zing KATHERINE LUCZYNSKI NEWS EDITOR

Everyone remembers a horrible job they had, where their work wasn’t seen and they weren’t respected. Those are the jobs people want to forget about, but they’re also the jobs that prepare us for the “real world”—a place where you can’t afford to pick and choose when it comes to paying for your livelihood.

Morning Glory examines the life of Becky Fuller (Rachel McAdams) as she searches for a new job, after she is let go from a company from which she thought she might receive a promotion. Her old job at Good Morning New Jersey had her as a producer, and her dream was to become an executive producer at The Today Show—a prestigious role at a huge company.

Fuller goes to her mother for support, only to be told that her childhood dream is now becoming an embarrassment and she should find something “real” to do.

But one thing you need to know about

Becky Fuller is that she doesn’t give up.

Fuller sends several copies of her résumé to all the morning shows in the New York area and finally gets a callback for an interview at Day Break, a show that’s losing its viewers and completely falling apart behind the scenes.

The new job title is a step up from her old position, and after being denied the executive producer position by Jerry Barnes (Jeff Goldblum), he changes his mind and offers Fuller the job under the condition that she can increase the show’s ratings.

The first day on the job proves difficult. The show, the cast, and the producers are disorganized in comparison to Good Morning New Jersey. The show’s hosts, Colleen Peck (Diane Keaton) and Paul McVee (Ty Burell), prove to be entirely different from what they convey on TV. Peck, who has been with the show since it began, has extremely high demands, while McVee sleeps with and cheats on all of the women on the show.

After firing McVee on her first day, Fuller hunts for a new co-host and even-

tually coerces Mike Pomeroy (Harrison Ford) into the role, a news anchor with 40 years of experience who refuses to play nice. Between name-calling everyone on the set and refusing to say the word “fluffy”, Pomeroy makes Fuller’s full-time gig a problem. Barnes tells Fuller that she has only six weeks to raise the viewer ratings, a task that proves difficult due to the show’s disorganization and Pomeroy’s refusal to do his job. At the same time, Fuller falls for Adam Bennett (Patrick Wilson), who has worked with Pomeroy in the past and helps Fuller along the way.

The rest of the film follows Fuller’s attempts at raising the ratings while trying to juggle a relationship and handle the crazy co-hosts. McAdams shines as a stressed television producer trying to make her breakthrough at The Today Show, while the banter between Keaton and Ford as co-hosts makes a strong comedic performance. Morning Glory will make you reconsider that crappy job and enable you to find the good in it, even if you can’t recognize it right away.

popculturenerd.com

Becky Fuller (Rachel McAdams) fails to charm her stern co host Mike Pomeroy (Harrison Ford).

MONDAY, NOVEMBER

15, 2010 THE MEDIUM 7

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Christopher Plummer tempts as Prospero Stratford Theatre’s production of The Tempest made a second debut on Cineplex screens ADAM ERB

This past summer, The Tempest was a big hit at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival; it was so successful that it was recently picked up by Cineplex for an exclusive screening on November 6, followed by two encore screenings on November 10 and 14.

Filmed during a live performance, the play begins with Antonio, Gonzalo, Alonso, Ferdinand, and Sebastian on the deck of their ship, sailing through the eye of a storm with thunder and lightning striking all around. Ferdinand gets ejected from the boat and is presumed lost and drowned by the survivors. The next scene shows Prospero

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The 80 year old legend shows no signs of slowing down.

(Christopher Plummer) and his daughter Miranda, discussing how she must wait for the arrival of a man who has braved the storm of the sea, and who has overcome his own trials in order to ask for Miranda’s hand in marriage. Prospero created the storm in order to throw Ferdinand—the Prince of Naples—from the boat and to swim to the island, of which he is the grand wizard that commands all of the elements around him. (A wind spirit named Ariel must obey the command of Prospero in order to receive its own eventual release from its master’s grasp.) Prospero was denied his title as the duke of Milan by the seemingly captured journeymen, and they are unaware that they eventually become marooned on his island. Caliban, his half-fish, halfhuman servant, befriends two weary travellers and tries to persuade them into killing Prospero so that he too can earn his freedom. At the end of the play... well, you’ll just have to see it for yourself!

“The Lightning has struck. Enjoy the sublime illumination. This is the funniest production of The Tempest you will ever see,” said The Toronto Star.

Being a nerdy English student on a student budget, I was excited to hear that I could see a play like The Tempest for $20 at the local theatre instead of shelling out hundreds to go see it live. Don’t get me wrong, live is infinitely better. Many film critics were sceptical about the release of a play on the big screen, and their scepticism is justified.

Many things could go wrong with the taping of a play; the lighting could be wrong, the actors could be turned

The vibrance of Caliban (Dion Johnstone) isn’t lost onscreen. away from the camera (as they perform to the audience, not the camera) and the intrusiveness of the multiple cameras could throw off the actors. In reality, the production fit perfectly within the venue of cinema. Christopher Plummer, being a professional Hollywood actor and an active player in contemporary Shakespearean theatre, adds a level of professionalism that may not have been as resonant with a different actor as the lead.

The Stratford Theatre, in southern Ontario, was first established in 1832 and was part of the county of Perth.

The theatre’s namesake, English village Stratford-upon-Avon, was the birthplace of William Shakespeare.

In an interview with The Globe and Mail, Plummer said, “I hate, for the most part, filmed stage productions. It puts a barrier between the audience immediately, so I’ve shied away most of my life from this sort of

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thing. I haven’t seen the finished product of The Tempest, but I saw the rough cut and I think it also works there.”

Plummer was born in 1929 in Toronto, Ontario, and started his acting career in 1953, when he played a minor role in the TV series Studio One. His first big movie debut occurred in 1958, when he played Joe Sheridan in the movie Stage Struck.

Some of his newer roles include parts in A Beautiful Mind, The Lake House, and Syriana, with voice acting in the animated films Up and 9.

Plummer tends to favour the roles of evil characters, and he has been quoted for his belief that “the devil is more interesting than God”.

If you’re interested in Shakespearean theatre, or are just curious about The Tempest in general, don’t fret; this filmed play will be broadcast on Bravo! in early spring 2011.

Conan: same show, different channel COLLEEN MUNRO ASSISTANT ARTS EDITOR

“Welcome to my second annual first show.” If the first few episodes of Conan O’Brien’s new show are any indication, it’s clear that he is not ready to forget about his recent spat with NBC anytime soon. But with all the media attention surrounding him recently, perhaps it’s not surprising.

After hosting NBC’s Late Night for 16 years, O’Brien inherited The Tonight Show when the previous host J a y L e n o s t e p p e d d o w n i n 2009. However, after O’Brien and Leno (who continued on the network with his own primetime talk show) both floundered in the ratings, NBC introduced a plan to restructure their schedule.

T h e p l a n pr o p o s e d t h a t L e no would move his 10 p.m. show back to The Tonight Show’s usual 11:30 timeslot. Meanwhile, the network planned to bump O’Brien (who would keep The Tonight Show title) a half hour later to midnight.

All this came a mere seven months after O’Brien started his new hosting job at The Tonight Show. Unhappy with deal, O’Brien split from the network. In the final weeks of his short-lived Tonight Show, O’Brien continuously bashed the network. He created outlandish skits with the supposed purpose of costing NBC as much money as

possible. The final episode aired on January 22, 2010.

In the nine months since then, O’Brien has headlined his own summer tour, acquired nearly 2,000,000 Twitter followers, and rebooted his television show on basic cable. His new show, simply titled Conan, premiered last Monday.

With his first monologue, O’Brien took jabs at not only NBC, b u t a ls o a t h i s new home, TBS. (The show airs on Comedy and CTV in Canada). “I’m already number one in TBS’s key demographic—people who can’t afford HBO,” he joked.

But it turned out that O’Brien wasn’t far off with his pronouncement of being number one. The show’s premiere garnered impressive ratings. In the United States, Conan pulled in 4,150,000 viewers on its first night, beating timeslot competitors Leno and David Letterman. (Conan airs at 11:00 p.m. in the United States, but at 12:00 and 1:00 a.m. in Canada.)

His ratings dropped significantly for the following three nights, but O’Brien still remains strong among younger viewers.

His first week of shows included guests such as Tom Hanks (who popularized O’Brien’s “Coco” nickname the last time he was on his show), Michael Cera, Jon Hamm, Seth Rogan, and Glee’s Lea Michele. On the premiere,

Jack White performed a cover of Eddie Cochran’s “Twenty Flight Rock” with O’Brien. White and O’Brien are close friends, and considering that The White Stripes’ only live performance since 2007 was on the finale of O’Brien’s Tonight Show, it seemed like an appropriate choice.

While the first two episodes were heavy on self-conscious humour, it seems like O’Brien has quickly settled back into his usual late-night routine. The biggest change from O’Brien’s previous show to Conan is probably that sidekick Andy Richter now joins O’Brien on the couch for the whole show (as he did when he was originally on Late Night with Conan O’Brien in the 90s). With his previous band intact (minus drummer Max Weinberg) and the return of the “Masturbating Bear” character in the first episode, the show seems familiar, in a very good way.

With all of the media coverage surrounding the so-called “LateNight Wars” (with many media outlets pitting O’Brien against Leno), Conan lacks some of the shambolic charm of his original Late Night show. Before his spat with NBC, O’Brien and his show seemed more laid-back and personal. Now, O’Brien has something to prove, and though he may be slightly more polished and selfaware, it’s still the same Conan O’Brien.

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MONDAY, NOVEMBER

15, 2010 THE MEDIUM 8

Amir Ahmed, Editor | features@mediumonline.ca

How did that get there? part 2 LUKE SAWCZAK

Chewing Gum

Oh, it’s you! Hello again! So you’ve come back for more fascinating Histories of Everyday Items? That’s great, because I just happen to have some for you. This week I give you the thumbs-up sign, the aquarium fish, and chewing gum. Enjoy!

The Thumbs-Up Sign It’s hard to tell where the “thumbs-up” came from originally, but it’s just about everywhere now. In most of the world, it means “good” or “well done”, though in Bangladesh and Thailand it’s more like the middle finger. In fact, in many Middle Eastern countries it’s rather like saying “Up yours, pal!”.

First, we all know the popular (but not fully supported) idea that in Roman times, the gladiator looked to the crowd and if they were giving the thumbs-up, their victim lived and if they were giving the thumbs-down, bad luck. In medieval times, it was supposedly used to seal business deals (and, according to some, eventually came to mean the more general “Yo, totally, bro!” among knights). By World War 2, the military had seized it for pilots to sign to the crew that they were ready to go, and soon TV kids all over America were imitating them and now those kids are your parents.

However, the one that gets my twothumbs-up is anthropologist Carleton

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Depending on where you’re from, this picture is either nicely positive or pretty darn rude.

Coon’s 1954 theory. When he observed apes giving each other the thumbs-up sign in Gibraltar, he—very naturally—assumed that they were engaging in “a mutual celebration of opposable thumbs”. Cool story, bro!

Aquarium Fish The Romans did some crazy stuff, including being the first to keep fish inside houses: traditionally, they kept sea barbels (a kind of carp) in small marble tanks under guest beds, presumably as a prank when they tried to use the bedpan in the night. But when

that joke got old, the practice disappeared until in 14th-century China the emperor’s porcelain smiths decided to produce some large porcelain tubs for holding goldfish.

It wasn’t until the 1850s that it really took off. Dr. Ward, inventor of a glass cage often used for birds, thought it would be fun to keep toy fish in it; before long, someone realized that real ones would make better friends and the hobby of keeping fish-tanks skyrocketed in the U.K. Twenty years later, the Germans came up with the official name for it and began forming aquarist clubs and societies. What

made it the standard office curio for dentists’ offices worldwide was the popularization of electricity, which made it much easier to aerate the water (without which fish somehow manage to suffocate).

Finally, in the 1950s, the plastic shipping bag was invented, and it became very easy to ship fish from one end of the ocean to the other so that people could finally “catch ’em all”.

Nowadays the hobby of keeping fish, which is nearly as exciting as watching paint dry, is one of the most popular— it’s only behind stamp-collecting. No, seriously.

Hold on. What’ve you got in your mouth? Spit it out now, young man!

Almost every culture in the world has, at some point, had its children subjected to this kind of complaint from the schoolmarm. Yep, the Aztecs chewed chicle (you guessed it, Chiclets) and the Native Americans nibbled on hardened spruce tree sap, while the Greeks masticated the gum of the mastic tree (which, by the by, turns out to be a great way to lower your cholesterol). But the oldest is from 5,000 BC in Finland; birch bark tar—a fantastic antiseptic, according to our egghead friends at Wikipedia—was found with little tooth imprints in it. Not finished. I guess they, like our modern old wives’ tales, told their children not to swallow the gum or it wouldn’t leave their stomach for seven years?

The modern stuff came around in the 1860s when Mexico started picking up whatever was lying around in the hopes that they could export it.

They were trying to pass off chicle as a rubber substitute. That didn’t fly, but it did manage to become popular as a gum. (Perhaps it didn’t make it as a rubber substitute because someone thought it was meant for eating.)

Soon, the military heard of it and also appreciated it—since World War I they’ve issued it to all their soldiers to “improve concentration”. Just like it does in classrooms!

Staying warm and saving energy

Tips for job interviews

NAZIFA ISLAM

MARIANA COMITO ASSISTANT FEATURES EDITOR

We’re all guilty of it. When winter rolls around, we crank up the furnace and revel in the warmth as our thermostats threaten to explode.

Unfortunately, doing this harms us and the environment a great deal. All those CO2 emissions from your appliances do add up and Canada already creates 17.2 tonnes of CO2 emissions per capita per year (United Nations statistics). So, in doing your green part and keeping CO2 emissions low, here are some tips from energeychoices.co.uk to help you stay cozy and guilt-free.

• A degree for success: lowering your temperature just 1 degree can lead to 3% savings on your energy bill (American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy). That means money left over to repay your thriving OSAP loans!

• Layers, layers and more layers: though you might be tempted to just pull out grandma’s old cable-knit cardigan, remember that layering lots of thin materials leads to more warmth. And you won’t smell like mothballs.

• Exercise: for the couch potatoes, this is scary stuff, especially when it’s cold and all you want to do is stay right where you’ve been for the past three days. But a quick jog around the

gym will increase your body temperature and also get some of that blood circulating. Alternatively, a jog to the kitchen for a cup of hot chocolate isn’t so bad.

• Eat right: finally, a crowd-pleaser!

Make sure you get some hot nutritious meals and drinks. And if you’re living on residence, instant soups are a great way to go.

• Sleep tight: tightly ticked in warm clothes and socks, that is. If you’re bundled up at night, you can turn down the temperature and set it to increase on Auto about half an hour before you wake, all warm and toasty.

• Close the windows: this one might seem obvious but you’d be surprised how many people open their windows for a quick breath of air… and forget to close them. All while the heating is working overtime to make up for that winter draft in your room.

•Wash clothes in cold water: you should do this all the time anyway, but in the winter the saved energy can go to heating your home instead of your clothes.

• Switch: energy saving appliances can save you money and are easy on the environment. A drawback is that this is not really feasible for students unless you have a few grand lying around.

• HUGS. That’s right, cuddle for warmth (only with people who approve; strangers do not count).

Interviews are a very important aspect in getting that dream job. Are you nervous about what to say, or how to dress? Don’t be, because I have decided to let you in on a few little secrets on how to impress and seal the deal. Follow these simple guidelines and you can forget about the sweaty palms and nervous stuttering that happens during all intense interviews.

Do research on the company.

Prepare ahead of time and research the position you are applying for.

Ask questions about the company in general, and make sure you have details that can carry on a conversation with your interviewer. This will show that you’re interested in the position and committed to getting the job.

Try to be somewhat personal.

Ask your interviewer personal questions about his or her experience with the company. Everyone likes to talk about themselves, so this will make them feel that you have gone beyond the limit in your research and that you want to gain new

knowledge about your future employer and the “valuable” experiences they have had already.

Do not ask about the pay.

Seriously, don’t ask about the pay.

This could be the worst possible mistake any one can make. During an interview, do not ask anything even remotely related. Instead, when you receive the callback (which you will after following these guidelines), ask politely about the salary and then decide whether or not to take the job.

When you receive the call back this means you have the job and now you can respectfully accept or decline the offer.

Dress to impress.

Dress accordingly for the job. If this is a career position, then dress conservatively, and in business attire.

Blazers, dress pants, tie, and dress shoes are appropriate for men.

Women, you can wear a blazer and dress pants too, or go for a black sheath dress. Don’t wear very high heels, and not a lot of makeup or bright nail polish. Guys, easy up on the aftershave and cologne, and girls, don’t get spray-happy with your perfume. Also remember: the higher the position, the darker the outfit (navy blue, grey, black).

Follow up If you have an email address, then give a short thank you response to your interviewer. It shows that you are interested in the job and have taken the time to go the extra mile to show this. No need to be fancy, just a quick thank you for taking the time to meet with you.

Presentation When meeting the person for the first time, keep visual contact and give a firm handshake. Be polite and keep a positive mentality. Remember to smile, and be friendly. No one likes talking to a robot with no personality. But always remember to be professional. No one wants to guess that you had a late, drunken night with your buddies yesterday.

Handshakes If you direct your palm slightly pointing towards the sky during a handshake, this means you are here to serve. Palm down means that you are in a position of authority.

I hope these tips will help you at your next interview. Remember that if you stay calm, dress to impress, and go prepared, you got nothing to sweat.

So strut your stuff and get that job!

MONDAY, NOVEMBER

15, 2010 THE MEDIUM 9

FEATURES

The (disgusting) things we eat CHRIS ALI SARVGHADI It should come as no surprise to read that some of the things we eat are not very healthy; I say things because, frankly, a lot of it just isn’t food. There’s a general realization that much of what we consume is in fact awful for our health: full of preservatives, colourings, and all sorts of other nasty additives, and yet a company like McDonald’s is still the largest owner of real estate in the world. Why, then, are we still so compelled to continue consuming these products? Some have suggested clever marketing, with brand names being indoctrinated into the human subconscious through years of advertising; others suspect addictive substances contained within the food itself.

Perhaps it’s just laziness, the convenience of purchasing a meal that’s already been prepared.

Even the preparation itself is something we don’t like to put a lot of thought into, like what happens exactly in the process of an animal becoming a gray-brown patty of exact burger-sized circumferential specifications. Recently, there have been some images and videos floating around the web, detailing the appetizing process of “mechanically separating chicken”, which is used to create chicken nuggets. All of the actual chicken is gone before the process even begins; the leftover carcasses—bones, ligaments, tendons, etc.—are blended into a pink paste which is disinfected with ammonia (commonly found in bathroom cleaning products), and coloured, flavoured, and scented with additives to make it seem like— well, food. Perhaps I’m old-fashioned, but I’ve always thought that food was disinfected via high temperatures, also known as cooking, rather than being bathed in chemicals. Anyway, the treated carcass paste is then cut into little nugget shapes, ready to be

wikipedia.com

Oh God! Get them away from us. deep-fried and served. One could imagine that if huge profits are being made off the refinement of chicken carcasses, then perhaps sim-

All of the actual chicken is gone before the process even begins; the leftover carcasses— bones, ligaments, ten dons, etc.—are blended into a pink paste ilar practices are being applied to other meats as well.

Among other things, there is also an unnatural inclination to consume junk food. Soft drinks contain an average of 10 teaspoons of sugar or sugar equivalent, and are so sweet that phosphoric acid is needed to make the drink palatable. Oddly enough, most of the nutrition-deficient and sugar-laden junk food we eat doesn’t even have sugar in it; it’s

too expensive. In order to cut production costs, most companies have turned to a cheaper alternative: high-fructose corn syrup. Studies have shown that for the human metabolism, HFCS is even more harmful than sugar. Worse yet, some have shown that many samples of HFCS contain traces of mercury, which is highly toxic.

Despite the facts and figures, these treated, packaged, canned, wrapped, sealed, preserved, and mechanically separated foods are still being sold with massive success.

How bad can it really be, you might say? After all, people eat these things on a daily basis and yet are still living and breathing. The human body has an amazing capacity for survival, it’s true, and sustains itself through a great deal of punishment and nutritional lack. Still, the physical concerns are clear; the World Health Organization classifies coronary heart disease and stroke as the leading causes of death throughout the

globe, both of which are highly correlative with poor dietary choices.

More startling, perhaps, is recent research which has shown that poor dietary choices, in addition to physical disease, can also lead to a wide variety of mental illness. Dr. Hyman, author of the recently published book The UltraMind Solution, writes: “The average American consumes literally pounds of hormones, antibiotics, food chemicals, additives, artificial sweeteners, and MSG each year. Each one of these toxic chemicals has been shown to harm the brain.”

Hyman suggests that most psychological issues, from laziness to depression to autism, can be linked to nutrient imbalances caused, in large part, by the things we eat. Hyman focusses on the functions of many different vitamins and minerals in his studies, but let’s focus on one in particular: magnesium. “The list of conditions that are related to magnesium deficiency is very long,” he writes. “There

are more than 3,500 medical references on magnesium deficiency.” You may suffer from a magnesium deficiency if you experience any of the following: “anxiety, autism, ADHD, headaches, migraines, chronic fatigue, irritability, muscle cramps, insomnia, palpitations, angina, constipation, fibromyalgia, asthma, kidney stones, diabetes, obesity, osteoporosis, high blood pressure, menstrual cramps, and more”.

One study of hospitalized patients, published in the Journal of Intensive Care Medicine, concluded that if you are magnesium-deficient, you are twice as likely to die. Well, where does dietary magnesium come from?, you might wonder. First of all, the typical North American diet is not only magnesium-deficient, it actually actively depletes it from our bodies.

“Magnesium levels are decreased by excess alcohol, salt, coffee, sugar, phosphoric acid, antibiotics, etc.,” says the study. Now, what provides magnesium? Dark green vegetables, halibut, nuts, and beans. There are certainly big names pushing for the sales of alcohol, coffee, junk food, and sodas, but who is marketing the veggies and nuts? Most people I speak to actually try to avoid nuts because they’re high in fat—when in truth dietary fat, especially the healthy kinds, has absolutely nothing to do with the accumulation of bodily fat.

(By the same logic that misleads people to thinking that eating fat makes fat, eating brains should make brains.) Not only, then, are nutrientdepleting foods heavily suggested by marketing and availability, but the foods that do have these nutrients are actually avoided... Spinach? Gross.

The whole picture is quite frightening when you start to think about how our diet is shaped by social influences, that there are powers that could be directing your subconscious towards foods that cause physical illness and mental instability, and that there are entire industries which depend financially on illness for their success.

The city life weekend ASHLEY NGUYEN

Are you the student at UTM who has been on our campus for years but has never been so bold as to venture to the city? Do you take the downtown shuttle bus just to get to class on our affiliated campus? Or perhaps, you always head to the same spot (say, Brunswick House)? If you’re looking for something different or something new this weekend, get a little adventurous and see more of the city. Find your own mood among the following scenarios: People-watching by Trinity Park Queen Street West is known for its shopping strip, but head further west after Spadina Avenue during the day and you will find a culture for the youthfully hip. Trinity Bellwoods Park is a short walking distance getaway from city life. Often, people

finish their downtown excursions and head to the park for a picnic or to read. Across the street and along the strip, you will find many unique and trendy boutiques. Also available are local bars and cafes where you will find the same crowd.

A date on Bloor Street This one is for the couple looking for a casual, convenient, and relatively cheap date. The street is filled with sushi restaurants, bars and cafes. The crowd varies from the U of T population to locals. One plus is that it is walking distance away from the shuttle bus stop. You will find restaurants such as Big Sushi, where a bento box (easily replaced with all the different rolls) will be about $11. Ce Fiore, an Italian frozen yoghurt store and Aroma Espresso Bar, originating from Israel, are all noteworthy. For example, snow ice and aroma iced coffee are guilty pleasures.

Night scene on College Street College Street, in the nighttime, is filled with all different types of people and all different types of fun. Little Italy is the perfect middle ground between a club and a casual college bar. The strip of bars on the street varies from billiards (Andy Pool Hall) to dancing venues (Mod Club).

Overall, the dress code is mostly the same and most places don’t have cover. Pasta dinner at around 8 p.m. and bar-hopping after is a sure plan.

Fancy in the Distillery District Be sure to bring a camera to this one.

Distillery District is a historical site with a twist of modern art. If you’re in the mood to play fancy, get dressed up and take pictures! The district is filled with brick-lined streets and old brick buildings. The decorative lighting and contemporary art on the streets make it appear more 2010 and less Oliver Twist age. The price range

is a bit higher but if you are willing to pay for a fancy night, head to The Boiler House, where the architectural interior is modern yet classy, and where a live jazz band plays at night.

If your budget is a little less, head to the art galleries and be sure to stop at Soma for a shot of their famous spicy hot chocolate.

Get active at High Park High Park is Toronto’s west-side Central Park. Although a bit of a travel west from the shuttle bus stop, it is still worth the TTC fare. The beautiful park has many different trails, playgrounds, a mini zoo, and a beautiful lake. Activities such as tennis, soccer, baseball ,and more are all welcomed at the park. It is also just across the street from the Lakeshore West. On this nice weekend, strap on a pair of shoes, bring along rollerblades, pack a novel and a lunch, and enjoy the outdoors of the west side of Toronto.

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10 THE MEDIUM MONDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2010

FEATURES

Creative Corner

Can peace be for sure?

LARISSA HO

Lieutenant Colonel Powell knew just what he’d say When the men came together to pray that day So beautiful, blue, warm, and clear

It had been chosen to remember those they’d held dear They were now weathered, frail, and grey But never would they forget the men who lay Now dead in Flanders Fields.

They’d gathered here many years ago Assembled in uniform, they stood row by row, Some wanted peace—others wanted more More freedom, more independence, and more choice They were willing to fight if it gave them a voice.

The boys felt lonely, anxious, and tired And it felt worse with every shot fired.

The old men remembered when the colonel once said: “We’re going to do our job and get out fast; I promise you when we leave, I’ll be last.

So hold tight, boys—or should I say men— It won’t be long till this war is at its end.

Soon you’ll be home, you’ll be with her.

Nothing lasts forever, that’s for sure.”

So in the end, both sides lost The reasons I went were not worth the cost.

Today we have families; some others do not We are alive, though we all fought.

We’ve tried to tell the world, war is in vain I know for sure in my heart, it has no gain

We tell them, when all is said and done, We have all been beaten, no side has won.

Have we done our job? Is the future secure?

Some things may last forever, can peace be for sure?

A sad haiku MANSOUR MELKOUMIAN

I guess we’re all stuck as the people that we are fucking, friggin’ hell

Life RAMSEY CARDOZO

Death has always been something that I have questioned —something that I use to deny would ever happen within my family. However, the reality of life itself is that death is a definite part of it. It will happen to all of us at one point or another. As human beings put on this earth, not by choice, but by some miraculous power, we truly must cherish the moments we have.

We must indulge ourselves not in the extraneous things but in our families and in the people we love. We mustn’t abuse the time we have with people, because every last second with that

person counts. We cannot live our lives wishing we had sent that one letter in the mail, or wishing we would have taken the time simply to learn what a person’s favourite colour was.

We must take advantage of the time the people we love are with us here on Earth, laughing with them or just sitting in silence enjoying one another’s company.

That’s the time that counts. We must lead a life of good relationships, for we know not when they may suddenly be taken from us. I do not wish to live a life of regret, for I’d much rather be remembered as a beautiful individual. Not for what she owned or what she looked like, but because she

gave even when she had nothing to give… Someone who would sacrifice, even though she did her entire life.

Someone who would stay on the phone, even when there was nothing left to talk about. Someone who would feed another, even when there wasn’t enough food in the fridge for herself.

Someone who would be loved and appreciated by all simply because she was a good person. The mortality of human beings is what makes life so beautiful. For we have one life to live, as far as we all know. And so it is our duty, our prerogative, to make this life worth living—not only for ourselves but for those around us. We must try our very best to lead a beautiful life.

The Thistle SERKAN YILDIRIM

Under the thistle of her grave there is an ever-doubting melancholy present and in vehemence a solemn yet proportional basic act of kindness gave her a rise. I can’t say, at least for now, but there is a potential risk instilled to bridge the remaining facts of her life.

If it were any different, the soon-after would be crucial to identify as a waste, and on that notion I observe that all the gleaming hindrances will stay the same. I can see the strife in overworking an idea that has been repeated many times before, and if it is to be renewed, then what better time than now to reconnect the abating factors?

A lot of us will learn to walk in this life, but there are some that need not fall in order to walk. By then an expression that is intensely repetitive and awfully misjudging is created. I’m among the people, and it was never easy to be with them as much as to be among them, because there are too many sides and unnecessary variables involved. And in remaining with particulars as such, a miscreant and total clung flutters about to receive the commencement in faith, to take the risks not in moderation but as obsessions—that is beyond unwell. The general topography of such a field is unbearable; it contains a picture that’s happily framed, and due to the real nature of its contents many of us come to the discretion that it is the truth.

However, in the case of her rise under

a thistle, I can state that it is too real to be true. Wherein my speculation of her boundaries in the realm of the living, and which by her possessive qualities can be categorized as actually true?

A being is hard to define: there is either an excess or a lack of words in progress and it fluctuates on the battered, shattered, conquered ideals of society. As I am going through with all the propriety in mind, I have an image of a scene that has taken a large part of my life. It was the image of her dehumanization, the smells, sounds, and visual feelings that emerged from her wakefulness delivered a harsh blow.

The sight of it—I’ve squandered what little faith left in me. She appears under the effects of bluish hues like a corpse. And assuredly it is corpse kindred to suit the hunger of my soul.

As this curious expenditure is long withstanding my emotions at bay, I am now enveloping options. It is far too risky with the boundaries of hope to remain with her, the victor in vice.

In distant thoughts she will remain, for I cannot desire to understand and capacitate her willingness along with my own bodily existence. It is clear that I have to abandon all will. Along with her image of dehumanization, a tree-like thought is born; I am suddenly experiencing a visual perspective of options aforementioned. And I cannot derail my thoughts or energy on anything else. I am overcome by choices.

They repeat in a constant pattern, like old records that have sustained care-

less treatment over their lifespan.

I associate many things with her— the dead, the late. Sudden noises at night, the infrequent restlessness, old photographs on edges of windowsills, the creaking sound that a floorboard makes, and none of them frighten me or ruin a sense of calm. I was, at least, for once indistinguishable from her.

For once, I held things together in hopes of accruing a character trait that is readily awaited even after the diminishing soul. Yet now I cannot seem to stand the sight of her, and the thistle that represents her. Although the thistle was not to blame for a given number of problems, in particular the life-eliminating factors that wish to imitate the little life we do have remaining, it represented simple and a most effective resentment. On a less formal note, that thistle is the object or symbol of illusion; it paints a pretty picture only to mislead the persons of interest. In the case of her rise to the occasion, a character trait that resembles condescending overture as such of a minion decayed in confidence is to be avoided. I too have tried avoiding greatly the mistakes of my resentment, but I can’t afford to push her back no longer. The gap between our bridges, although it crumbles, still remains intact. In the physical I’ve attained measures to close that gap, I have failed in all successive attempts and she exists out in the world along with my unwillingness to accept her. I will not yield as others have.Within the course, greater shadows await.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2010 THE MEDIUM 11

William Robertson , Editor | sports@mediumonline.ca

Cowboys: a year to forget CHRIS CALLAHAN ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

Expectations were high for the Dallas Cowboys heading into the 2010 season.

Following an 11-5 performance in 2009, the Cowboys set their sights on the Super Bowl this season. The fact that the Super Bowl will be played in Dallas this season put added pressure on the Cowboys to achieve that goal.

But just halfway through the year, the team has already lost their opportunity to become the first team ever to play the Super Bowl in their home stadium.

The Cowboys started off the season with an abysmal 1-4 record. Their playoff hopes were not yet flattened but the team desperately needed a winning streak to get back in the playoff picture.

With the season on the line, the team put in another underwhelming performance in a loss against the Giants. In that game, quarterback Tony Romo fractured his left clavicle and will now be out for six to eight weeks. The devastating injury virtually solidified their place in the cellar of the NFC East division.

The Cowboys have done nothing to indicate they have any hope of saving the season since that time, as their record now stands at 1-7, the secondworst in the entire NFL. Desperation did not bring out the best in the Cowboys. In fact, many have questioned the effort from their players this season. They have often looked disinterested and confused, and have allowed for far too many penalties and costly mistakes in crucial situations. It’s for these reasons that head coach Wade Phillips was fired following their most recent loss.

This season has been a monumental

fall from grace for Dallas. After all, the pre-season expectations for the team to be a Super Bowl contender were not guesswork; the team is incredibly talented. The Cowboys were a force to be reckoned with in 2009, putting up the eighth-best point differential in the NFL and dominating the Eagles in their first playoff game. So what went wrong in 2010? The short answer to that question is that the team has drastically regressed in every area from last season.

Even before the injury to Romo, the passing offence lacked the explosiveness it had in previous years. Romo looked timid and adverse to risk, contributing to his lowest average yards-per-attempt record in his seven-year career. Romo’s favourite target from a season ago, Miles Austin, has also seen a decline in his production with just two touchdown receptions through eight games.

The struggles go well beyond the offensive side of the ball, as the defence that played a massive role in the successful 2009 campaign has been horrendous this year. In 2009, the Cowboys allowed the second-fewest points in the NFL. In 2010, the Cowboys have allowed the second-most points in the NFL. This shift from a dominant defensive team to one of the worst in the league was another factor in the firing of Wade Phillips. Phillips, a defensiveminded coach, wasn’t able to fulfill the lofty expectations on that side of the ball this year.

This season has been a complete disaster for the Dallas Cowboys. The star quarterback is out with an injury, the head coach has been fired, and playoff aspirations have been crushed just halfway through the season. Maybe Cowboys fans can at least take solace in the realization that things simply can’t get any worse.

boston.com

Tony Romo (above) will be out for six to eight weeks with a broken clavicle, cementing the Cowboys’ position in the basement of the NFC East.

Team OHL too much for Russia

This past week and continuing this week will be the SUBWAY® Super Series, which serves as a precursor for the World Junior Championships as the young stars try to impress coaches, scouts, and other staff, vying for a spot on this year’s junior team.

Last Thursday, Team OHL took to the ice in London, Ontario as they battled a highly talented Russian team who, earlier, were able to record a pair of victories over Team QMJHL. The Russian team may have felt a little extra pressure since Russian legend Vladislav Tretiak (three Olympic golds, 10 World Championships) was named their honorary captain and looked in on the action. Team OHL was led by Calvin de Haan, who was named the captain the day before the game. “It’s a real honour to be named captain of Team OHL. Everyone is a leader in there [the dressing room]; to be picked is a true honour when any one of the guys could have been selected,” de Haan said.

From the opening puck drop, it was evident that Team OHL wanted to hit

the Russians to make them panic with the puck. Sam Carrick of the Brampton Battalion spoke of Team OHL’s game plan after the game, explaining, “We did not want to lose to the Russians.

We knew our game plan was to throw the body on them and shut them down. They [the coaches] said to play your role out there; my role is a physical player and I knew I had to get in front of their goalie and screen him a little bit.” Carrick’s hustle paid dividends as he opened the scoring just 4:02 into the first period.

The physicality of Team OHL had the Russians on their heels in the first period and they were able to pepper goaltender Igor Bobkov with 26 shots in the opening stanza. This resulted in a 2-0 lead heading into intermission as the Russians looked fatigued from the beginning and penalties were a constant problem throughout the game.

The Russians seemed to find their legs in the second period as they shut down Team OHL but were unable to muster any offence and headed into the second intermission with the score still at 2-0. Erik Gudbranson, the Kingston Frontenacs’ defenceman and a prospect for the Florida Panthers, showed why he was drafted third overall as his physical play stalled the Russians at every opportunity—they looked hesitant to go to his side of the

ice. Following the morning skate, fellow sports journalist Tieja MacLaughlin caught up with Gudbranson and asked him about how they plan to defend against the Russians’ speed: “You hit them, and you hit them hard. We obviously know that they’re extremely skilled and it’s a different style of game when we play them. It’s not a Canadian style of game, but we’re going to bring it... you’ve got to hit them hard and make sure they know what to expect from us.”

Gudbranson lived up to his word as his physicality and his assist in the third period earned him player of the game honours for Team OHL. On the other side, Russian goaltender Igor Bobkov earned player of the game for the Russian squad, turning away 46 of OHL’s 50 shots on net.

Team OHL was able to score twice more in the third period as Taylor Beck and Christian Thomas rounded out the scoring securing the victory for Team OHL at 4-0. The shutout was split between Scott Wedgewood and Scott Stajcer as they were able to collaborate to turn away 27 shots in the victory.

Despite the poor performance and the loss, Team Russia still leads the series 2-1. Game four of the series takes place tonight in Sudbury as Team OHL will look to tie the series at 2.

POSTGRADUATE CERTIFICAT ES Financial Planning Global Business Management Human Resources Management International Development International Marketing Marketing Management Public Administration

MONDAY, NOVEMBER

15, 2010THE MEDIUM 12

SPORTS

Varsity Blues men’s soccer wins OUA final in shootout The Medium’s sports journalist, Michael Skrzyniak, catches up with goaltender John Smits to discuss his performance in the OUA final against York If you haven’t heard of John Smits, you might want to check out YouTube and the performance he had against York in the final of the OUA championship final. Smits helped lead the Blues to victory against the York Lions in a penalty shootout and helped the Blues earn a top seed in the CIS National tournament which took place this past weekend. The Blues had an extremely strong showing in the tournament, eventually losing to the UBC Thunderbirds in the semifinal. They battled for the bronze yesterday at the Varsity Centre.

After the OUA final, I was able to catch up with John before the start of the most hyped-up tournament U of T has been a part of in a long time.

The Medium: How nerve-racking was that shootout against York?

What goes through a keeper’s mind in that situation, knowing it’s all on the line?

John Smits: Believe it or not, that is when I was most calm during the game. As a goalkeeper, the training you get is mostly shot-stopping, so standing 12 yards in front of the

ball seemed routine to me. I have also played high-level and have experienced countless shootouts (more than I can remember). My experience with those shootouts and my surprisingly high success rate has told me to never change a damn thing, and just go out there and enjoy myself, which is exactly what I did. I was also fortunate enough to begin the shootout with a mental edge over the competition. The penalty save in the 37th minute not only boosted my confidence, but also disorganized the other team.

Their mental battle was already lost.

T M : In the 37th minute York received a penalty shot; what do you think or say to the defender who committed the foul? Do you feel like you get any extra “swagger” after bailing out a teammate? And don’t lie!..

JS: With the U of T men’s soccer team, we all play as a family. When I need to be bailed out, my team in front of me steps up. When my teammates need some assistance, I’ll step up so they can catch a breather.

When the game is moving at a fast pace, and the other team is in a position to hurt us, we all mutually

Varsity Blues soccer quarter final in review ADAM KOZAK

The U of T men’s varsity soccer team got off to a blistering start to the 2010 CIS men’s championship at Varsity Stadium on Thursday evening.

The UQAM Citadins came out quick and aggressive, making two early slide tackles and being very physical right off the bat. The boys from Québec dictated the play in the beginning but their early progress was soon thwarted. In the first real chance for the Blues, striker Noro Gooden made a perfect cross from the endline to set up the first of three goals by veteran Alexander Raphael in the ninth minute. Immediately after the goal, the ball was played back to the UQAM goalie who made a mess of it, the ball slowly going wide of the net. Just like that, the early momentum from UQAM was lost.

An early battle was brewing between UQAM’s Marvin Omie and Noro Gooden. Omie was being very physical and was getting the better of the OUA First Team All-Star in the early goings, as the referee was intent on letting the boys play. But that soon changed. After receiving a pass, Noro Gooden fended off Omie and gave a bouncing through ball for Geoffrey Borgmann, who made no mistake to bring the Varsity Blues up two nothing. Geoffrey Borgmann celebrated with the great crowd on hand, full with clappers and a fan with a megaphone. It was a great atmosphere as fans were excited to cheer on their Varsity Blues.

At half-time the game was twonothing. Two-nothing can be a dangerous lead sometimes, and with a very fast and very physical side like UQAM, this game was far from over. The Varsity Blues still had

plenty of work to do.

Despite a slow start to the second half from both sides, a great chance was granted to Nicolas Bertrand of UQAM after the Varsity Blues defender misplayed a long ball. The chance was marvellous, as he only had the keeper to beat. From just outside the 18, a low hard drive was just barely saved by the foot of John Smits. It was a great opportunity for UQAM to quiet the large and energetic U of T crowd and to get within one goal of U of T, but they squandered it.

After that chance, U of T really showed why they were OUA champions. They were winning the majority of possession and showing a lot of skill, especially in the attacking third. Both teams had comparable defence and midfield, but the Blues were much more willing to make runs down the sideline and to really go after UQAM. Alexander Raphael scored two more goals to earn a hat trick, and Noro Gooden got himself in the goal column after setting up two goals in the first half.

They scored three goals in the second half to and won the game 5-0.

The Blues played UBC on Saturday and eventually were defeated 3-0 in the CIS semi-final.

They appeared in their second consecutive bronze-medal game yesterday against the Saint Mary’s Huskies as they lost to York in the other semi-final. The team was clearly disappointed, having been eager to play for the CIS Championship in front of their home fans. The team played hard and represented U of T excellently throughout the whole season, not just in these games.

The results of yesterday’s bronze edal game can be seen in full at varsityblues.ca. Regardless of yesterday’s outcome, the Varsity Blues deserve congratulations for a great season.

agree that we must do what is necessary to impede them from scoring. It was unfortunate that our defender cleaned out the ball as well as the opposing striker, but nothing could be said because every one of us on that field would have committed the same foul. The only thing I was thinking after that foul was, “I’m still not going to let you guys burn us.” After bailing out my teammate, I don’t expect anything but a handshake. Any swag I get afterwards is given to me rather than me just appearing from nowhere. [Laughing], does that make sense?

TM: Nationals is kind of like March Madness, it’s win or go home...

Does that pressure keep you more focussed or tense? Maybe both?

JS: It definitely makes the matches more intense, and reminds us never to lose focus. The pressure gauge is obviously extremely high, so the team that can manage the best composure will be successful in this tournament. It will be a tougher battle for our boys, though, because in front of the home fans there is a lot more on the line and a lot more factors that can distract you from

our team goals.

TM: The success that teams and individuals get, such as yourself and the Blues have been receiving, can sometimes take away concentration from the bigger goal. It must be hard when everyone wants an interview or a photo shoot... How do you guys stay focussed? What are your coaches saying to you in times like this?

JS: Every team experiences mental adversity at one time or another.

We all agreed that how we handle this adversity and overcome it will lead to success on the pitch. All our teammates don’t think about the photo shoot or the next interview or the media that will come when we win. It will all come naturally as we keep on being successful on the pitch—and being successful and enjoying our football is the only goal our team is focussed on. Our U of T men’s soccer team knows the media can always be overwhelming, so we have an extra mental training coach as part of our staff, who takes care of “mental training packages” for our teammates. It’s not a pseudoscience, but it mostly deals with staying focussed on areas and

assignments on the pitch, and the key being visualization during our free time on technical areas of the field that we need improvement on.

In the end, it all comes down to staying focussed and confident.

TM: That YouTube video from the shootout was pretty phenomenal— but seriously, was that toe save lucky, maybe a reflex? How do you explain something like that?

JS: The toe save was not lucky. I’ll admit, the penalty shot could have been taken better, but I managed to cover the right areas of the net and the York striker happened to hit it in those areas. My philosophy when dealing with penalty shots has been covering as much space as I can in the areas I know they’re shooting [at], and make the save every time the ball enters that area. I don’t think it matters if it was a reflex or not, but the point is I got my body behind the ball and managed to keep it out of the net.

I would like to personally thank Smits and the rest of our men’s soccer team for taking the time out of their schedules to let us interview them for The Medium.