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Editorial
THE MIKE
Letter from the Editor
It's still cold out, give us a break We are coming up to an exciting time in the school year. There are a bunch of important dates and events happening and on the way: the Olympics are already occurring, Valentine’ Day is either just coming or has just passed (depending when you read this), and reading week is (almost) upon us. There seems to be a consensus among students and professors that we have both barely gotten into the semester, and are ready for a break. I have had many professors juggle things to ensure that we actually get some amount of time off on reading week (even at the expense of more condensed due dates on either side). I think this trend probably has to do with the weather. The degree of cold and snow this winter has been so high that addressing it is almost pointless. Everyone has already experienced it to such a degree
that there is not much that need be added. But I think it has contributed to everyone wanting a little respite. It is interesting that people have gotten so worked up about this year’s winter. Not that it hasn’t be bad, but the shock people have responded with is interesting as even if it has be difficult, it shouldn’t be surprising. It is winter in Canada, when it’s not cold it should be startling. Overall though, the coming break should be well earned, even if it’s by sheer endurance rather than investment in school. Valentine’s Day is also happening. I don’t remember it being this cold for the day of romance. But I guess that is an excuse to heat it up. I find people’s Valentine’s Day routines interesting. For a day that is ragged on for being very commercial, people seem to all have unique ways to approach it; ways that tend to be set
enough not to be swayed by a little advertising. I know a lot of people who simply go out for dinner with their significant other, some people who stay in and cook, and very few who do anything overly elaborate. My fiancée and I stay in, eat butternut squash soup, and drink tequila. Traditions come about in odd ways. For all the criticism that the holiday gets, it is much like any other event: it is very easy to make your own. The entire social approach to Valentines is oddly (and unsurprisingly) cyclical: sometimes it is cool to be legitimately into it, then it is cool to be opposed to it, then it is cool to be opposed to being opposed to it. It’s weird how these social events become almost as political as they are commercial. I think all in all it is easier to just let your approach to these things develop naturally. Moving on from Valentines, I
would be remiss if I didn’t mention that the application for next years staff positions on The Mike have been posted. If you think you may be interested in getting involved editorially, please apply. I’m sure if you ask anyone who has done it they will say that it is a very rewarding and educational experience. I know I have been blown away by my time working here. Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately) a lot of our staff is graduating, so there will be tons of opportunities to get involved. Until next time, enjoy your respite and perhaps the weather will give us a break as well.
90s Party: Couples Edition
PORN PAJAMA PARTY
Reading Week
February 15
February 17
February 14
Come As You Are, 9:00PM
Anywhere
Alekzia Hosein
Johnny Jackson
managingeditor@readthemike.com
"If you wanna be my luva // you've gotta get with my friends// make it last forever // friendship never ends". Party it up with your valentine and friends at a 90s themed party! It's the Spice Girls ultimate love advice
Valentine's Day didn't go well? Want to feel like you're a part of something? Attend a porn pajama party, and relive a youth you were too young to experience.
Did you know February 17th is the official start of reading week? And its family day? It's a sign. Leave campus, and see the sights. Preferably of Mexico, or Cuba.
icefest
February 19
Women's gold medal hockey Game
living@readthemike.com
Glad Day Bookshop
February 20
Bloor-Yorkville
Sports Editor
Sometime clothing is restrictive, especially during yoga. Attend this event, and participate in clothing optional yoga for women.
CBC Broadcasting Center, 10:00AM
Check out some amazing local icesculptors at this event. Sculpting ice is not all fun and games, however there are fun and games at this event! Make sure to wrap up warm though, cold weather is expected (and hoped for!).
Editor-in-Chief Micah Gold-Utting
editorinchief@readthemike.com
Managing Editor News Editor Fatima Syed
news@readthemike.com
Arts Editor Louis Train
arts@readthemike.com
Canadian international auto show February 18 Metro Convention Center
Once a year, a car show of epic proportions rolls into the Metro convention center, and puts your life into high gear. Don't swerve. Let the collision happen, and improve your week.
Opinions Editor Michal Chwalek
opinions@readthemike.com
Co-Living Editor Franco Recchia
sports@readthemike.com
Senior Copy Editor Chelsea Misquith
Dare to be bare
Illustrations Editor illustrations@readthemike.com
SMC students are invited to join The Mike's Board of Directors
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Editorial Staff
Vacant
Interested in getting involved?
THE MIKE
Masthead
Curtis Panke
Micah Gold-Utting | Editorin-chief
News
Web Editor
Not to hedge our bets or anything, but seeing as the women's team has been more successful than the men's hockey team in recent history, setting up a public broadcast of the game seems intelligent.
February 22
Communication and conflict workshop February 25 Brennan Hall, 1:00PM
Learning how to deal with conflict, and effectively communicate are important life steps to maintaining your happiness. Attend this workshop to help build those skills.
Annum Roshan
Photos Editor Vacant
Writers Catherine Bredin, John Castellarin, Peter Galka, Emma George, Joe Magiapane, Mark Matich, Regan Mcneill, Melissa Morgado, Saad Shah, Alex Wichert, Christine Zelezny
Copy Editors Diane Tam, Jesse Maione, Mark Recto
Business Staff
Apply by email to editorinchief@readthemike.com
Business Manager Yasir Mustafa
business@readthemike.com
Ad Manager Stefano Tesoro
Emma George | Staff Writer
ads@readthemike.com
Ad Execs
plymouth
An overbearing sister has been sentenced to prison after canceling her brother's wedding by impersonating his fiancee. Ann Duffy was found guilty of fraud, and was also handed a lifetime restraining order from the couple..
Adriano Marchese Nicole Rocha Dennis Amoakohene Christopher Sivry
Vietnam
The creator of the app game "Flappy Bird", Mr. Dong Nguyen has pulled the game from the Playstore and the Appstore, explaining that he wanted to return to his simple life. The game, launched in May 2013, had risen in popularity recently, disrupting Mr. Nguyen's "simple life:".
BOD Alumni Rep.
Oum Albouaghi
Algeria has declared three days of mourning after a plane crashed in the Oum al-Bouaghi province, killing 77 people on board. There was one survivor, a soldier, who is being treated for head injuries in a local hospital.
Majuro
After being adrift at sea for many months, a man from El Salvador washed ashore in Majuro, Marshall Islands. The man is expected to make a full recovery and return home to his family, when he is strong enough to fly.
woodside
Famed child star, turned political mastermind, Shirley Temple passed away age 85, in Woodside, California. Temple, who retired from acting at age 21 went on to be the Ambassador to many countries, including a position in Czechoslovakia..
Vacant
Board of Directors BOD Student Reps.
Andy Lubinsky
BOD College Rep. Steve Hoselton
@readthemike The Mike is the Official Bi-weekly Student Newspaper of St. Michael’s College in the University of Toronto, publishing since 1947. The Mike has a circulation of 2000, delivered to over 40 newsstands across the University of Toronto: St. George Campus and is published by The Mike Publications Inc. The Mike is printed by MasterWeb Inc on recycled newsprint stock and is a member of Canadian University Press. Copyright: 2012 The Mike Publications Inc. All Rights Reserved. All editorial inquires should be sent to editorinchief@readthemike.com. The Mike reserves the right to edit all submissions
looking to contribute? drop us a line! editorinchief@readthemike.com www.readthemike.com 416-926-7272 • 81 st. mary st. • toronto on • m5s 1j4 •
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THE MIKE
News
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What is the landlord and tenant board? COMMUNITY LEGAL SERVICES AND PRO BONO STUDENTS CANADA | THE INTERROBANG (FANSHAWE COLLEGE) LONDON (CUP) — Most tenants in Ontario who rent houses or apartments are in leases covered by the Residential Tenancies Act. The Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) is in charge of enforcing this law. If you have a maintenance concern that your landlord is not addressing, if your landlord wants to evict you, if you have been charged an illegal deposit, or for any other dispute about tenant rights, the LTB will be the place to settle that dispute. Who Will Hear And Decide My Case? An LTB case will not be in a courtroom or heard by a judge. It is a special tribunal that hears only about landlord and tenant matters. Your case will be heard by “Members” who are appointed by the provincial government. Members may be lawyers, community legal workers, arbitrators, business people, social workers or others. Because a Member deals with only tenancy disputes, they have a large amount of special knowledge about the Residential Tenancies Act. The role of the LTB and the Members is to provide information about the Residential
Tenancies Act and resolve disputes. Often, tenants and landlords can get information from the LTB and resolve disputes on their own. For the resources and information available from the Landlord and Tenant Board, you should visit ltb.gov.on.ca. Scheduling A Hearing Tenants and landlords are both allowed to apply to the LTB, requesting that an LTB Member make an “Order” for the landlord or tenant to do something. The forms to apply are available on at ltb.gov.on.ca. Some examples of orders that a Member might grant include: an order to fix a leaky toilet, an order that a tenant be evicted, or an order that the landlord return an illegal deposit plus interest. When you have filled your application and filed it with the LTB, you will be given a Notice of Hearing. You then must “serve” that document on the other party by giving them a copy, and then file a Certificate of Service with the LTB that says when, where and how you served the other party with the proper documents. A failure to serve your adversary properly may mean that you have to start all over from the beginning. On your hearing date, you get the chance to present your case to the Member by bringing documents and witnesses. The other party will bring their own documents and witnesses to
present their case. You will be given the chance to ask questions to every witness, and make a closing statement, before the Member decides your case and makes an Order. The LTB Mediation Service On or before the hearing date, the LTB can provide a Mediator to help you resolve the dispute. Mediation is voluntary, so both the landlord and the tenant must agree. A mediator can help you guide your discussion and focus or narrow the issues to the specific legal dispute instead of other personal problems. This can help you craft your own solution. If you reach an agreement, the mediator can help draft a legally enforceable agreement for you. If you do not reach an agreement, anything said during mediation is confidential and cannot be used at your hearing. Complaints About The LTB A decision that you disagree with at the LTB can be appealed through the court system or through the LTB Review procedure. However, if you have a complaint about the conduct of the Member or the Mediator, there is a separate complaint process. The information about how to file an appeal or complaint is available from your closest LTB office and online. For more information on tenant rights and rental housing laws, and to find application forms to enforce your rights, visit the Landlord
2014-2015 Staff Elections Interested in getting involved? and Tenant Board website at ltb.gov.on.ca or call 1-888-332-3234. This column was written by the Community Law School (Sarnia-Lambton) Inc., and Community Legal Services and Pro Bono Students Canada at Western University. It provides legal information only. The information is accurate as of the date of publication. Laws change frequently so we caution readers from relying on this information if some time has passed since publication. If you need specific legal advice please contact a lawyer, your community legal clinic, Justice Net at 1-866-919-3219 or the Law Society Referral Service at 1-800- 268-8326.
10 dating tips From students for students Alekzia Hosein | Editor at Large University of Toronto can feel like the loneliest place in the world. But you don’t have to be alone. We’ve asked some UofT students what relationship advice they would give to other UofT students. Here’s what they responded with: “Don't date a boy named [redacted]. He's in law school and he can go suck a [redacted].” Psychology major “Don’t ever date a guy who has his piloting license because one day he will take you out flying to impress you and unfortunately he will impress you. So basically he’s raised the bar too high for any mortal man and you’re doomed to spinsterhood or being a weird cat lady (ed: or gentleman)” Environmental studies major “We can now make babies out of our own bone marrow. Why are you still reading this, ladies?” Art history major “Guys will always put their boys first. Even if it means staying up until 4:30am playing FIFA with their friends online and falls asleep on your date the next night.” English specialist “Enjoy the freedom that comes with being single and savour the purpose that comes from a mutually loving relationship. “ Communications (UTM) “If someone loves you, they will like you
even if you haven't shaved your legs in three months.” Communications (UTM) “At UofT, find someone who has the same sleep schedule as you and stick with them... they are few and far between.” Equity major “Find a boy who studies archaeology and challenge him to explore some unchartered territory.” English specialist “Never use the excuse that you're too busy for someone. If you think there's a future, and being with them makes you happy, always make time, even if it's five minutes out of your day. Don’t waste your time on someone who says he's too busy for you, it's not a matter of prioritizing but rather managing your many priorities equally.” English specialist “Learn to embrace yourself before you claim to love another.” Psychology specialist “Don’t date, relationships suck.” Political science major “If you’re going to sleep around, talk to your partner about it. If you can’t talk to your partner about it, don’t do it.” History specialist “Don't date a boy named [redacted]. He's in law school and he can go suck a [redacted].” Psychology major
go to http://bit.ly/1fY3I3b • Editor-in-Chief: Responsible for the management of the content for The Mike. Duties include checking the cohesive nature of the paper, reviewing the content submitted for suitability, managing coordination between section editors, being responsible for the non-production related duties of The Mike and being responsible for The Mike as a whole.
• Web Editor: Responsible for collecting and managing web content and for basic maintenance of the website. Content can include articles printed in The Mike, but position is also responsible for the collection and management of new web-specific content.
• Production Manager: Responsible for the layout and aesthetic look of the paper. Organizes workflow for production days • Editor-at-Large: Responsible for developing larger from start to finish. Production days are Mondays and Tuesdays. stories for the centerfold and cover, in addition to thematic management of the Mike. For example, content could include special event features, such as Halloween or Valentine’s • Senior Copy Editor: Responsible for overall copy editing of the Day themed pieces, or a piece that would take further paper and overseeing copy editing sessions on production days. development, such as a program review or coffee shop review. • Illustrations Director: Responsible for collecting illustrations • News Editor: Responsible for collecting and managing content and comics forThe Mike,while coordinating with the section editors. related to international and campus news concerning students. Example: Content could include information about impending strikes, protests that happened on campus, or pieces about • Photo Editor: Responsible for coordinating with the other universities. Also responsible for the News in Brief section. production manager to acquire photos to complement the articles. • Arts Editor: Responsible for collecting and managing content • Business Manager: Responsible for creating the year’s related to the prolific arts scene in Toronto. For example, budget in cooperation with the Editor in Chief. Manages content can include play reviews, show previews, or other advertisement team and maintains business contacts. art news such as gallery openings, or Kelly’s Corner reviews. • Ad Manager: Responsible for coordinating the Ad Executives, • Sports Editor: Responsible for collecting and managing content while seeking new advertising partners. Commisson-paid position. related to both professional sports and varsity sports. For example, content could include game reviews, strategy reviews, Varsity Blues results, or larger articles talking about sports scandals, or • Ad Executives: Responsible for building team struggles. Also responsible for the Sports in Brief section. relationships with advertising partners, and finding new advertisements. Commission-paid position. • Living Editor: Responsible for collecting and managing content related to student lifestyle. For example, content can include food reviews, trend reports, recent scientific The Mike is always growing its team of designers, discoveries, and interviews with people leading interesting lives. photographers and writers. If you want to get involved, please do not hesitate to email the relevant section editor, or Micah Gold-Utting at the editorinchief@readthemike.com . • Opinions Editor: Responsible for collecting and managing content related to the opinions section. For example content can include opinions on news, popular beliefs or other topics.
Applications close March 12th
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Sports
THE MIKE
Score a touchdown with your Valentine How to celebrate Valentine's Day with the fan in your life Emma George | Staff Writer Valentine’s Day puts a lot of pressure on couples to cough up the extra cash to purchase a magical red-themed item that somehow can express their love and gratitude for their companionship and support. But sometimes, there just isn’t enough money to purchase the item or experience that your loved one would want, especially if they’re a sports lover (I’m still holding out for Liverpool F.C. seasons tickets!). Sports fans are tricky beings, and often have multiple leading lovers in their lives (I’m sure you’re number one though! …. or a close number two to whatever sports team!). Here is a useful guide of simplistic gifts that show your valentine you’re prepared to practice polyamory, and that there are no hard feelings towards their torn affections. 1) Set up your TV, set up some chips and salsa, select a historical game of the sports team in question and invite your Valentine over. Sharing adrenaline fuelled snacking, and showing interest in your valentine’s favourite sport will always score you brownie points. 2) Set up a game of their favourite sport (even/particularly if you don’t normally play)! Whatever sport your valentine is a fan of, rally your roommates, and go outside and have some fun! 3) Pledge your allegiance to their sports team, through rhyme. A celebratory dance (either original or parodied off of the team) should also be included, and performed for your valentine. Too shy to show off ? Write it in a card. 4) Make your own fan shirts. Jersey’s are expensive, especially if you’re not sure about the stability of the relationship. Take a white
T-Shirt, and either with fabric paint or fabric markers, neatly trace the team’s logo (putting it in the corner, or with some stylization makes it look artistic rather than cheap and ripped off). Repeat for your valentine. Matching shirts mean you’re on the same team, and thusly the same page! Right…? 5) Purchase tickets for a sporting event for the both of you to attend. Be it a Blue Jays game, a TFC game, a Raptors game, or a Marlies game; make the splurge. Even if you’re not sure about the happenings of the game, the lively atmosphere of sporting events will get you into the spirit! 6) Ask your valentine to explain the history of their team, the reasons as to why they support that team, and who their favourite player is. Actually listen! Pair listening with homemade sugar cookies iced in the teams colours? Best Valentine ever. 7) The Toronto Raptors, Toronto Football Club, and the Blue Jays all wear red on Canada Day. Connect with the Valentine’s day spirit by gifting Toronto region sports merchandise. It fits most of Valentine’s traditional requirements. 8) Watch a sports movie. There are a ton of very interesting sports documentaries (Knuckleball for one is fantastic!), but there are also a lot of Rom Coms (For the Love of the Game…. it’s so terrible it’s perfect). Extra points if the film is about the sport they love. 9) Still stuck? Perhaps look past their sports fandom. Treat them to a nice date, a foot massage, or even a nice homemade dinner. Just do not schedule it for when their team is next playing.
THE MIKE
Sports
Top of the pack
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Why Kevin Durant deserves the 2013-2014 MVP award Peter Galka | Staff Writer Last April, Sports Illustrated published an issue revealing a cover photo of a slender and lanky basketball player who has been more recently described by one of the world’s most famous analysts as nothing more than a “complimentary star.” This player is definitely not your typical gaudy, and outspoken NBA star. In fact, he even chooses to tattoo his upper body in places that aren’t easily visible when covered by a white blue and orange basketball jersey (a gesture practiced based on the fact that his ink is personal to him). The issue also included a direct quote from the cover-boy that reads: “I’ve been second my whole life. I was the second-best player in high school. I was the second pick in the draft. I’ve been second in the MVP voting three times. I came in second in the finals. I’m tired of being second…I’m done with it.” Can you guess who this seemingly meek and subordinate mystery man could possibly be? That’s right, the wiry and feebly built baller in question here is none other than “The Durantula,” “The Slim Reaper,” Kevin Wayne Durant.
When Russell Westbrook opted to undergo surgery on his knee on December 27th, The Oklahoma City Thunder were destined to drop in the standings in a Western Conference that is more competitive this year than a beauty contest between Sam Cassell and Chris Kaman. In addition to that, at this point of the season, KD was on pace to finish 2nd (or lower) once again in an MVP race that features a certain front-running player in Miami whom I’ve heard is also pretty decent at this game called basketball. So any knowledgeable fan would predict that at this point, a team whose “Westbrook-less 3rd scoring option”, Reggie Jackson, averaged barely over 5 points per game last season will probably sink deeper than Barry White’s voice in the West standings. What happened instead shocked the entire basketball universe. In the 21 games of Westbrook’s absence, Durant has propelled the Thunder to a 15-6 record, good enough to not only halt a possible descent, but actually cement them as the bona fide top team in the conference with breathing room to spare (3.0 games up on 2nd place San Antonio as of February 4th). What the Thunder
have done collectively over the past 5 weeks is impressive, but not as impressive as what their super-stud small forward has done individually over that span. In the last 21 games, KD is averaging over 35 points, has scored over 30 in 17 of those games (including 14 straight within that span), and has enjoyed scoring binges greater than 40 in 4 of those games as well. Simply put, Kevin Durant right now is hotter than the inside of an over-microwaved pizza pocket and there’s no sign of him cooling down anytime soon. The pinnacle of this stretch of outer-worldly play showcased a matchup between KD and the aforementioned Miami mega-star (and former 2013-2014 MVP race leader) on the Heat’s home court. Although LBJ did his thing, it was Kid Clutch who prevailed in the end whilst proving that not even the best player on the planet could contain his pull up threes, off balance runners, and timely dime-dropping. It was a weird feeling, and I even had to pinch myself a couple times, but King James in this game actually looked defensively…dare I say… hopeless against the multiple-time scoring champion; a novel feeling indeed. So Mr. Durant, if it is the
top spot that you crave, then your patience is about to pay off, because no other man in this league that we call the NBA is providing us fans with the absolute wizardry night-in and night-out as you are this season. You are no longer the only person
who is “done” with Kevin Durant being #2, because when the new commissioner Adam Silver presents the league MVP trophy to the most deserving player come this season’s end, the whole world will be “done” with Kevin Durant being #2 as well.
Cleared for takeoff Do the Winnipeg Jets have enough fuel for contention?
Curtis Panke | Sports Editor
NFL
Approximately 700,000 people attended the Seattle Seahawks Super Bowl parade following their 43-8 victory over the Denver Broncos.
NHL
The Maple Leafs snap an 11 game losing streak against the Vancouver Canucks with a 3-1 victory on Saturday (Feb. 8) before the NHL Olympic break.
MLB
The Atlanta Braves sign their first baseman Freddie Freeman to an 8-year $135 million, the largest contract in Braves history.
NBA
New Orleans Pelicans centre Anthony Davis will replace Kobe Bryant in the all-star game for the Western Conference.
Soccer
Toronto FC is reportedly close to signing Brazilian goalkeeper Julio Cesar on loan from Queen’s Park Rangers in the EPL.
Alex Wichert | Staff Writer It’s a Tuesday night in Raleigh. The Winnipeg Jets roll into town to take on the hometown boys, the Carolina Hurricanes, in a match between former Southeast Division rivals. It’s a meaningful game for many. Recently hired head coach, Paul Maurice, makes his first trip to Carolina since being dismissed by the Hurricanes on November 28, 2011. Captain Andrew Ladd, Carolina’s 4th overall pick in 2004 and Stanley
Cup winner with the Hurricanes in 2006, scores his 8th goal and 16th point in 20 career games against his old friends to open the scoring in the second period. And 6’3”, 230-pound role player Chris Thorburn, one of the Jets’ hardest working players, pots his 36th goal in his 516th NHL game – his first game-winning goal since 2008-09. Yes, there are many positive takeaways from the Jets’ eventual 2-1 victory over the Hurricanes. The most important part of the night, however, is the two points.
“Everyone understands their role and we’re playing as a team,” Thorburn said. “With winning comes confidence, and confidence is a dangerous thing. We’re riding with it.” A short time ago, however, the Jets were absolutely not riding any waves of confidence or momentum. Winnipeg was floundering in a very competitive Central Division, playing teams such as Chicago, St. Louis, and Colorado on a nightly basis. It was looking like it would be another season of disappointment and, for fans, another season of hearing about but not seeing the great potential in this young Jets club. That is, until head coach Claude Noel was relieved of his duties and Maurice took over. Noel was a positive leader in the Jets dressing room but it appears as if a fresh bench boss was just what Winnipeg needed to get them going. The club is 7-3 in their last ten games and now sit just two points back of Vancouver and Minnesota for a wild card spot. “We’ve made some pretty big strides,” said Maurice. “There’s still a lot to cover. It’s what we want our team to look like. We want to define what the Winnipeg Jets’ game is. And that’s going to take a long time to do. “We’re big and we’re fast and we’re young. And we want to use that. We
want to be aggressive with our size and our speed.” Can the Jets use those attributes to make the playoffs, though? They certainly have offensive prowess, with the aforementioned Ladd being complemented by players such as Bryan Little, Blake Wheeler, Mark Scheifele, and Evander Kane. On the backend, Winnipeg has a solid group of youngsters that are led by Zach Bogosian and Tobias Enstrom. Ondrej Pavelec, despite criticism, remains a reliable goaltender who is still only 26 and will continue to improve. And Dustin Byfuglien, the Jets’ hybrid defenseman-forward, provides Winnipeg with a unique weapon that is rare in the NHL. The personnel are in place, but it’s going to take at least 95 points to even challenge for a playoff spot in the West. With 61 points after 59 games, Maurice’s troops will be looking for 34 points over their next 23 games. That’s not impossible, but it’s going to take some winning streaks to do it. Nevertheless, Captain Ladd doesn’t want the improbability of the task to cool his teammates’ jets. Said Ladd, “We know what’s ahead of us and we know we’re going to have to string a bunch of wins together, but I think that’s an exciting challenge for this group.” When asked about the challenge
that lies before them, the rest of the team agrees with Ladd. They’re staying optimistic, but the real test will be maintaining momentum after the Olympic break. After a full two weeks off, it will almost be like a fresh start for the teams. Some will stumble coming out of the lateFebruary gate while others will take off, bolstered by the rest. Four Jets, Olli Jokinen (Finland), Michael Frolik (Czech Republic), Wheeler (U.S.A.), and Pavelec (Czech Republic) will be representing their countries in Sochi; all four are key players for their NHL team and run the risk of injury or fatigue by competing overseas. When it comes to the Winnipeg Jets’ fate this season, many factors and variables lie in the way of a clear picture. The group has been one of the league’s hottest teams as of late but nothing is guaranteed when every organization contains some of the best talent in the world. If they can keep winning, the Jets will look back on Maurice’s hiring as one of the turning points in their season. They’ll cite their young legs and their proven leadership as reasons for their success. And, as they continue to climb the standings, they’ll look to jettison the competition and cement themselves as a team that belongs in the top eight.
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THE MIKE
THE MIKE Here are some Valentine's Day cards to cut out and give to people you like to various degrees. Because seriously, who wants to pay real money for a card.
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Arts
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Arts
THE MIKE
The Annex still reads
Rescuing reality
We take a look at the bookstores that stretch along Bloor street
What does Bar Rescue have on offer?
If we look at the stretch of Bloor Street between Bathurst and University as a reflection of the desires and demands of the students who walk it every day, we can draw a few interesting but obvious conclusions: that UofT students love drinking, that we love sushi, that we like our clothes ugly and to smell like incense, and that we love to read. Someone walking east from Bathurst would encounter, in order: Seekers Books, Book City (though not for much longer), BMV, The Labyrinth, Willow Books, and the Bob Miller Book Room. I have spent many hours in each individually, and far too many hours in all in total, so I do believe myself qualified to say what’s what when it comes to the bookstores on Bloor.
Louis Train | Arts Editor
Book City
Book City is the only store on this list that can’t honestly refer to itself as a discount bookstore. Its prices are almost always the highest – except now, of course, that a going out of business sale has them cutting 30% off all items. Speaking of its past status, Book City has been the best-curated of the Bloor bookstores. The people who run it have excellent taste, which they worked into an eclectic but coherent mix of popular fiction, literary fiction, and books about art and culture. When I’ve need to find one particular book, I’ve always been able to turn to Book City. Unfortunately, no book store has a better selection than Amazon which, even with shipping, charges about as much as or less than Book City.
The Labyrinth
BMV
Seekers Books
If you’d like to listen in on a conversation about Eastern-spiritual Marxism, this place may be for you. The vibe is lazily counter-cultural; it gives the impression that the store may have been radical in a previous generation but is now stuck repeating old, non-revolutionary clichés. Books about spirituality, avant garde art, and post-modernism greet are prominently displayed. They smell as bad as they read. But for all its effort to be unique in a market that does admittedly demand a niche, Seekers’s stock is actually pretty generic. Most of it is used, but in good shape; my best purchase so far has been a hard-cover anthology of Dr. Suess in nearperfect condition for under $20.00. There’s also an impressive CanLit section.
When I was in high school I used to trek downtown just to go to BMV. A veritable cathedral of used and overstock content at excellent prices, the walls of BMV seem to sing as you enter. They have books of every genre, including a floor dedicated to graphic novels and comic books (their music and video selections aren’t anything worth writing about, but that’s not why we go there). Colourful novels, art books, novelties, and cook books adorn the displays at the entrance, making the atmosphere alive and exciting. The only demerit is that, for its massive quantity of stock and wide variety of genre, there never seems to be very much within one genre. The CanLit section is tiny, as is the poetry section, and though there are several rows of fiction, many great authors are woefully underrepresented. If you’re looking for something, go to BMV; if you’re looking for something specific, go somewhere else.
The Labyrinth is an awkward hybrid of a typical comic book shop and a more sophisticated graphic novel store. The abundance of figurines and trading cards speaks to the former, whereas a strong selection of art books support the latter. This confusion is the main reason I don’t go visit this tiny shop anymore – if I want comics, I’ll go to Silver Snail or Paradise Comics; if I want graphic novels, I’ll go The Beguiling or BMV.
Willow Books
Almost every single book smells as though someone was just brushing cigarette ash off of it. The books may be cheap, but the selection is terrible and the quality is poor. Willow Books subsists by conning naïve UofT students into believing that there’s something edgy about buying from the dive bar of bookstores.
Bob Miller Book Room
I sometimes wonder if Mr. Miller is somehow blackmailing UofT teachers into ordering their required books through the Book Room. That is, after all, pretty much their entire business: mandatory readings, so expect a lot of classics and very little fun. Of course, the UofT book store is substantially better; they are more likely to accept returns, they rent textbooks, they buy textbooks back, and they have a much better used selection. They would be even better if all the businesses that went to Bob Miller went to them, but a fella can only dream.
There’s a loud, arrogant voice in the back of the mind of every arts writer warning him about certain topics such as advertising design and reality television. This voice popped out when I decided to write an article about TV’s Bar Rescue, a reality show that holds the dual demerits of being both about bars and on Spike, the salaciest of the salacious channels. Fortunately, I was able to shut it up. Bar Rescue follows Jon Taffer, a so-called ‘bar expert’, as he travels America aiding failing bars. We don’t challenge his credentials – we don’t challenge anything he says, which is mostly to do with his tremendous size and aggressive, authoritative tone. Taffer enters the businesses, identifies all that it’s doing wrong – this can range from inefficient seating to a horse defecating on the floor – and berates the owner and staff until they make the place efficient and profitable. (The paperwork, which I imagine is overwhelming, is never depicted; nor is the process in which the owners, who are always surprised by Taffer’s appearance, supervise the installation of video cameras in their establishments a few days before). Taffer usually also makes major changes to the bar, such as an interior renovation, new kitchen utilities, and often a new name and brand. Bar Rescue works so well because it uses combines the successful elements of other reality shows. We love watching real people in stressful situations (so did the Romans, mind you) so we love to watch small business owners weep about their debt while a miniature giant
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tells them they’re not trying hard enough. Servers get fired, cooks get shoved, and we’re catharting out our aggression. Yeah, right. Then there’s the Americana. Bar Rescue travels across the USA, observing an effective sample of the population: owners of restaurants and bars, and those who frequent them. The same thing that compels us to watch Duck Dynasty and Here Comes Honey Boo Boo and the Real Housewives of Schenectady also draws us to karaoke bars in California and Tex-Mex joints in Arizona. It might be the same feeling that British anthropologists got travelling through Africa and staring at people through binoculars – so wrong, so full of othering and all that course reader crap, but so good. That’s how they talk in Tucson? Are they really that into horses? Motorcycles? False nails? But Bar Rescue’s real claim to fame, and its only major distinguishing feature, is the promise of bar science. It’s a real thing, according to the narrator, and it’s what separates the successful pubs from the flops. Bar science dictates how to lay out a menu and what direction your seating should face. It tells you how to serve a shot and how selling food will affect your drink sales. In short, it’s the allure of a peak behind the curtain, and in this case it’s a curtain we stand in front of often. Everyone goes to bars, or at least everyone watching Spike, but how many of us can say we understand how they run? Only those who watch Bar Rescue, that’s who. Bar Rescue returns to Spike March 19th.
Under the feminist microscope Female characters in video games ANGELA ESPINOZA | THE OTHER PRESS (DOUGLAS COLLEGE) NEW WESTMINISTER (CUP) — Of the many games that came out in 2013, several of them featured crucial female characters, such as BioShock Infinite’s 19-year-old Elizabeth (Courtnee Draper), The Last of Us’s 14-yearold Ellie (Ashley Johnson), and The Walking Dead’s seven- to nine-year-old Clementine (Melissa Hutchison) in seasons one and two. Each character shares some extremely important traits as personas and as characters that we, the player, have to invest in for well over 10 hours per character. For one, they are all escorts, which means the player is required to have them at their side for much of the game’s length. In past decades, the concept of an escort in video games had been an absolute nightmare. Previous games didn’t just make you walk around with various characters; they forced you to protect them from everything their designated game had to throw at them and you. Hours were wasted in order to keep often uninteresting if not terrible non-player characters from dying. The idea was that you were putting effort into caring about them, but they were a nuisance when all you wanted was to beat the game. What’s special about Elizabeth, Ellie and Clementine is that, through fantastic writing, the player legitimately cares about them.
They are all developed, intriguing and simply wonderful characters the player genuinely becomes attached to. Furthermore, they actually contribute to helping the player throughout their respective games: Elizabeth collects materials for you, Ellie fights and kills by your side and Clementine seeks and finds many paths to get you out of dire situations. What perhaps makes them even better is that they are all different. Most different is Elizabeth, who is not unlike a hopeful and wide-eyed Disney princess — which I feel, in her case, is a good thing. Ellie and Clementine share some similarities in being children of the apocalypse, both being as tough and brave as they can be to impress their caretakers (the player); but whereas Ellie is old enough to crack a dirty joke or an awful pun, Clementine is still a little girl who is not yet hardened from just how evil the world can be. They all have their own reasons for causing the player to care about and love them, but what matters is that this bond the player forms is shared amongst hundreds of actual people. But, while there are a lot of positives about our three heroines, they all come with the exact same, larger-scale problem. Elizabeth, Ellie and Clementine, all of whom are difficult not to love, are still merely sidekicks. To be fair, in season two of Walking Dead, Clementine is the protagonist (which I think is the greatest design decision anyone has ever made), but for now I’m looking at season one. Yes, these
three females are the centres of their respective games and stories. However, in each game, you are playing an older man — BioShock Infinite’s Booker DeWitt and Last of Us’s Joel (both Troy Baker) as well as Walking Dead’s Lee Everett — who protects the women and escorts them to safety. There may be less of an in-game threat to the females, but the setup remains the same. They all have their own reasons for taking on the role of guardian, and they are also very different characters, but the fact is you are playing as men, aided by helpful women. That said, I still think all three games are amazing in their own right, and this is largely because of the excellent stories and characterizations. The strong females don’t end at just the leads either — each game has several interesting and likeable female
characters as well as unlikeable female characters, especially in Walking Dead’s case. What’s important about these unlikable females is that they are not unlikeable because of their gender, but rather that they are terrible people, which is an actual issue not often tackled. I’m not going to pretend that 2013 games like Grand Theft Auto V didn’t hold the desecration of female characters as an ultimate goal in their games taught me anything, it’s that, for the first time as a female gamer, I felt like women — good or evil — could be fairly represented in multiple games. And those three being the critically acclaimed blockbusters that they were (all three garnered various “Game of the Year” awards), I feel we’re going to see a lot more faithfully created female characters in the future.
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THE MIKE
Will you be mine this Valentine?
Living
Darr's Diary: Entry #3
It is with a shaking finger I type these words for you my friends. Why am I trembling you are so kind to ask? Not fear but excitement! That and an ounce of coffee running through my veins. Nay my fellow companions the cause is not mid-terms-- those tests just leave you with an emptiness that only ice-cream and tears can fill. This excitement comes from the day that every single soldier should not dread! *Da dum Drum drum!* Yes the dreaded V-Day! A whole day devoted to love! What monster wouldn't enjoy that? Maybe it's because I’ve only ever been in love twice. Once was when I had the brilliant idea of opening my own Willy Wonka factory but JUST for ice-cream, and the second time was with a girl who broke my heart when she told me I was lactose-intolerant. That and she didn’t like the idea of calling it Darr’s Dairy (seriously, I don’t see it). So you can see that I have a holistic view here. Valentine's Day is the day where you get to celebrate love. For couples this sounds like the day where you show your love for each other, and for singles this is the day they consider listening to that dark voice inside their head that says "just do it, it won't hurt". Well it won't. Just do it. I really enjoy this time because it forces me to muster up some courage, and get rejected as if I just played one-
on-one with Lebron James. But still, it's thrilling to ask out that girl or guy you've been eying. Honestly, listen to that dark voice (I imagine it sounds like Bale's Batman) and try to move out of your comfort zone. If that's not your jive, well consider going to a speed-dating event. It's chill, it's easy, and I hear SMC is hosting one soon. As for you couples. Honestly no matter what you think, V-Day is a nice way to show some love to each other. Yes I've heard all the arguments: it's hallmark day, it's just another cliché , we should celebrate our love everyday blah blah yabadaba don't. Yes, you do love each other every day but doing something special every now and again strengthen bonds. Plus, you don't celebrate your birthday and every day you live your birth. Sorry, that's just science. Valentine's Day might just feel like 'all's fair in love and war', but it's not war, and sure it's not fair. But that's what makes the pursuit of love worth the challenge. Because when you find that someone you'll have beaten the odds. Now if you'll excuse me I'm going to go eat a whole tub of cheese-flavored ice-cream. For the record the only rings you should be considering are the Olympics. Bring home the gold Canada! Win or lose we love you so-chi mu-chi.
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THE MIKE
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THE MIKE
Opinions
Boys will not always be boys How far are we along in truly accepting trans individuals
THE MIKE
Opinions
Crunchy or smooth?
An answer to the controversial debate
Saad Shah | Staff Writer
Pregnant on life support Do you let a brain-dead mother carry a baby to term?
Melissa Morgado | Staff Writer In a strange turn of events, a second family has found itself in the unique position of having a pregnant mother on life support. Following the case in Texas, where a judge ruled that the woman should be taken off life support as per her living will and family’s wishes, a woman from British Columbia is currently in the same condition and is also sparking debate, but of
a slightly different nature. The Benson family in British Columbia is planning to keep the mother on life support to the point, and only to the point, where the baby can be delivered by caesarean section. The two cases may elicit different reactions from their families, but they do share a similar contention: the importance of the wishes of the mother versus the life of a child. This issue has been popularized again and again in
bioethics debates about rights to life and the moral statuses of fetuses. It could reasonably be argued in Benson’s case that the wife would have wanted to stay on life support, given that the child will appear to be born healthy in contrast to the numerous medical problems attributed to the Texas baby. But how can we really know for sure? Are the doctors really honouring the wishes of the dead wife, or is this simply what the husband wants? Losing a significant other is traumatic enough, so the husband might understandably want to keep his child alive to avoid losing everything. Whether or not this is enough to warrant keeping a dead body functioning through technology is a different question altogether. The differing positions on these issues depend on the importance people place on the children. The popular debate between pro-choice and pro-life supporters exemplifies this the best. Some people believe all life, particularly the life of a fetus, is sacred and should be treated as such. Those that are attributed with religious beliefs might take some issue with the situation as a whole, considering that the woman is functioning only
John Castellarin | Staff Writer A great way to get to know someone is always to ask him or her questions about themselves. When meeting someone for the first time, I like to ask people about their hobbies, what they’re taking in school, as well as their credit card information and full billing address. Nothing too crazy because you don’t want to intimidate the person, but ideally you’d like to learn enough so that you can make a decision regarding their character. But once you’ve known someone for a long time, you may start asking deeper questions until you finally
get to the heavy stuff. When I say heavy I’m not talking about religious beliefs or political affiliations, I’m thinking beyond that. Only once I’ve known someone for a really long time will I dare to ask them about their peanut butter preference. Crunchy or smooth? It’s an issue that many people, including myself, are very passionate about and could continue to talk about for a very long time – so if you’re allergic to nuts, you may want to stop reading here. Dr. Elon Griffith If you ask me, there’s Dentistry no question. Smooth Cosmetic & General peanut butter is one hundred percent the way Call: to go and the416-923-3386 fact that crunchy peanut butter is or email: drgriffith@rogers.com even available upsets me deeply. Before we get
DENTAL CARE 25 Charles St. W. Toronto ON M4Y 2R4
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through artificial means and thus playing God. On the other hand, pro-choice advocates (such as myself) might have a completely different view altogether. The fetus can realistically be viewed in a number of ways, two of which are as an extension of the woman’s body, or simply as the woman’s property. In these cases, it certainly seems unreasonable to force a dead body to continue to function artificially so that a fetus can come to term, particularly in cases concerning an advanced directive outlining resistance to life support if it were ever relevant. In the Texas case, the husband stated that he knew his wife would never want to be kept alive on life support. In the Benson case, we simply don’t know, yet have no choice but to take the word of her husband, her de facto spokesman. It may be true that the woman would have wanted to stay alive had she been able to predict becoming brain-dead while pregnant, but we simply cannot know for sure. In effect, the existence of a fetus makes this all a very delicate issue, and we remain completely ignorant of what the woman’s wishes truly would be.
YONGE ST.
bathroom, for which the parents of the student sued the school board, which resulted in the court announcing two laws; one requiring separate bathrooms based on gender and the other prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation. For Jazz in particular, she wasn't allowed on the girls’ soccer team because there were concerns she might hurt someone or she needs to play with boys because she's developing like one. These examples are meant to display the fact that it is still difficult for society to accept transgendered children. Like anything out of the ordinary, be it interracial marriage or gay rights, it will take time and effort on the part of the parents of these children and society on the whole to ensure that these children are able to grow up and live the lives they desire.
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DENTAL CARE Dr. Elon Griffith Cosmetic & General Dentistry
Call: 416-923-3386
or email: drgriffith@rogers.com 25 Charles St. W. Toronto ON M4Y 2R4
BLOOR ST. W. CHARLES ST. W. Our Office
YONGE ST.
The topic of transgendered children living lives of their choice is fairly new and is still a highly debated topic. As children it is relatively easy to assimilate with their preferred gender by putting on the attire of the gender they want to live as since they don’t yet have any obvious secondary sex characteristics. They haven't yet entered puberty and so haven't faced as much discrimination in society as their adult counterparts might have experienced. However the issue for transgendered children which arises, as it did for Josie and Jazz, is over which bathroom to use or which sports team to join. Recently in Portland, Maine, a ruling by the highest court stated that school officials violated state law by not allowing a transgendered fifth grader to use the bathroom of her choice. She was made to use the staff
BAY ST.
expressing a desire to be living as somebody of the opposite gender at such an early age it just goes to show that they are born that way. It’s true children are not mature enough to make life changing decisions about their bodies, but they have the cognition to realize who they are and who they want to be; they know inherently what is safe and unsafe, when they feel hungry or thirsty, and by the same token they know who they want to play with and if they want to play with dolls or trucks. This is not to say that gender is not a social construct – after all, the ideals of masculinity and femininity are a product of the society we live in and differ from society to society. The point is that only the activities and the social aspect of gender are societal constructions; what a person wants to be is dependent on what his or her brain directs.
BAY ST.
The first thing the doctor or midwife announces to new parents is the gender of the child. It is deeply engraved in societies everywhere that children born as males will grow up to be men and children born as females will grow up to be women. However, as most of us already know, that is not always the case. Gender Identity Disorder, which is still a relatively grey area in psychological and biological research, is the significant discontent some children experience with their biological sex. Children born with one hundred percent male parts, for example, have shown complete disregard of their biological gender and chose to live their lives as girls from a very early age. From the day we are born our parents start conditioning us according to the gender roles society has prescribed to be ‘masculine’ for boys or ‘feminine’ for girls. For transgendered children, however, this is stressful and often causes depression as they try to break free from the societal norms to follow the gender role that their brain feels is right for them, regardless of the body they are in. The cases of two American girls, Josie Romero and Jazz, who were both born boys, have been documented in detail and show how these children transition from being born male to living completely as females from as young as six years of age. In both the girls’ cases they are fortunate to have parents who are extremely supportive and take the necessary steps to ensure their child can live exactly the way they want to. They discovered very early on that their child did not want to live like a boy regardless of the fact she was born biologically male. It goes to show that gender is more about what our brains dictate than the genitalia we are born with. It has been argued that transgendered children are simply going through a ‘phase’ but in my opinion if they are
into it, let’s think about what crunchy peanut butter is: smooth peanut butter with big pieces of peanut in it, or basically, an incomplete job. There’s no way crunchy peanut butter is actually a separately made thing. It’s probably just smooth peanut butter that was never finished because everyone at the plant clocks out early on Fridays. So really crunchy peanut butter is nothing more than a by-product, and the fact it costs the same as smooth is a complete joke. Could you imagine anyone saying, “Wow this lumpy apple juice is so great! I love the huge chunks of apple in it?” Of course not, but for some reason crunchy peanut butter is considered socially acceptable and I will never understand why. Even if you can get past crunchy peanut butter from an ethical standpoint, practically speaking, crunchy peanut butter is not viable at all. Have you ever tried to make a sandwich with it? It’s next to impossible. If you try to spread it on anything but toast all you’re going to end up with is a hand-full of peanuts and massacred pumpernickel. Furthermore, on the subject of spreading, it doesn’t make sense to me how crunchy and butter could be used in the same label. You never hear someone say, “Man when I go to the bar, I’m crunchy as butter”. Although in many cases this may be more accurate, the fact of the matter is, butter is smooth and anyone who says otherwise should read a book. Now the question remains, when you come across a person who prefers crunchy peanut butter what should you do? Although after reading this you may be inclined to never speak to them again (an inclination that is completely reasonable), I think you should take the high road and try to help the person see the light. The argument for smooth is so much stronger than crunchy that after a short conversation, anyone with a brain should come to his or her senses. However if this person in fact lacks a brain and continues to eat the crunchy variety, just throw in the towel and stop talking to them. You’ve got enough friends anyways.
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THEMOCK
Sudoku
(CUP) — Puzzles provided by websudoku.com. Used with permission.
Comic's Corner ANTHONY GOERTZ | THE GATEWAY (UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA)
Horoscopes Aquarius | Jan 23 - Feb 22 I thought about writing about Valentine’s Day, but decided that I should also write about the winter olympics, because they come four times less frequently. Most countries don’t really care much about the winter olympics, but you’re from Canada, so you kind of have to. However that means you have no plans for reading week this year, it’s four times less pathetic that you’re staying at home to watch TV.
Pisces | Feb 23 - Mar 22 If you need a break from studying, consider picking up a pair of skis and a rifle. If that sounds too dangerous, write a letter to the Olympic committee. Or try coming up with your own sport combining unrelated things. Most of the higher prime numbers don’t have official competitions yet and there are very few documented combinations of bocce ball and wakeskating.
Aries | Mar 21 - Apr 19 In 1932, sled-dog racing was an Olympic sport. While I think it’s cool and that dogs should be more involved in the Olympics, I don’t know if they should compete. What is the line between sled-dog racing and regular dog racing? Are animals tools for our entertainment? How do we make sure that teams treat their dogs well? Life is not so black and white. Take a step back and look at things from all perspectives.
Taurus | Apr 20 - May 20
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Do you have any regrets in life, Taurus? Stop dwelling on the past and look toward your future. If you lost someone you care about, you don’t have to forget
about them. Recount the lessons you learn and keep them in mind. You will heal and you will do better for yourself. Gemini | May 21 - Jun 21 You often try to surround yourself with positivity, but sometimes it's hard to shake the niggling feeling that something will go awry.And sometimes it's hard to keep your head up when everyone around you is down. Make a list of your best accomplishments and remind yourself of them everyday.You have so many more accomplishments coming your way.
Cancer | Jun 22 - Jul 22 Summer is coming soon. But before that you'll have midterms and essays and exams.You can always drop a course or four if things get stressful.You're more than a student.You're a person too.
Leo | Jul 23 - Aug 22 If your parents are still forcing you to live a certain life, consider why they're doing it. Do they want the best for you or are they really trying to control your life for their own pleasure? Maybe try talking to them about it. Maybe grow up.
Virgo | Aug 23 - Sept 22 If you find yourself making the same mistakes over and over again, you're probably not completely finished learning from your mistakes. If you regret things you continue doing maybe you are too harsh on yourself.Don't let other people determine what is right for you.
Alekzia Hosein Future Seer Libra | Sep 23 - Oct 21 Libras are known for their strong minds and alluring personalities.You might consider yourself enigmatic, but to some you're just puzzling. Open up, even if you're not sure what's on your mind, just say what thoughts have crossed it.
Scorpio | Oct 23 - Nov 22 All work and no play makes Scorpio a dull girl. If you can't find any time for yourself, learn to schedule it.You'd be surprised how many hours you have in a day. I've never seen the Shining. But I've seen the Simpsons' spoof and as far as I'm concerned, that's just as good as reading Cliffs' notes for a novel I didn't read in time for the lecture.
Sagittarius | Nov 23 - Dec 22 Sometimes my mother calls me and tells me about the new dollhouse furniture she's bought. I think she knows I don't care but she also knows that thinking about her mundane stories is better than thinking about any other problems I have at that time. People have weird ways of showing you that they care. Just tune into them and appreciate them for what they are.
Capricorn | Dec 23 - Jan 22 You may hate everything now but things won't necessarily get better. Now that you've experienced hardship, your perspective is tainted by reality. Politicians have lied. People hated the Spice Girls the same way you hate Kesha. Your bitterness isn't a life choice. It comes with maturity.