The Mike Newspaper, November 7, 2012

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Editorial

THE MIKE

Letter from the Editor-in-Chief

This is your paper Help The Mike be the paper that you want on campus

News

Editorial Staff Editor-in-Chief Micah Gold-Utting

SMCSU Presents: ROCK & ROLL

The Penny Art Workshop

November 7 10:00pm - 2:00am

November 9 2:15pm – 5:00pm

Hockey Hall of Fame Induction Weekend

The Yellow Door

November 10

Exhausted of exams and electronica? Tired of tests and two step? Sick of sonnets and soul?

SMCSU has the solution for you.

Join them at the Brunny for live rock and roll performances from Womb, Mother Lead, Black Lady Soul, Kardiak Kids and many more.

Pennies are being phased out of circulation in the not so distant future. We will miss, though it is time for us to move on, explore a world where costs always end in a 5 or a 0. The Penny Art Workshop can help you create or purchase penny art.

The Hockey Hall of Fame

Get Crafty At Hart House

European Union Film Festival

Winter Woofstock November 17

Santa Clause Parade

November 15 11:00AM to 1:00PM

November 16

November 18 12:00PM

sports@readthemike.com

Hart House

Royal Cinema

Exhibition Place

Production Manager

This is an art attack, and this is an art attack. This is ART ATTACK! Relive your childhood during Thursday lunch and drop by Hart House do some arts and crafts.

A guide will show you how to complete the craft of the day. The bonus? Free tea and biscuits.

Why should film festivals only be an important thing to Torontonians when TIFF is in town? Gather your gang and celebrate the international aspects of culture at the European Union Film Festival.

Think its time Fluffy needs to meet her Soul mater? Think Jaws needs to show off his amazing legs to the gals in his Rudolph costume?

Then Winter Woofstock is the place for you. This two day festival has a doggy dating soiree, costume contest and special guest dog communicators.

If you’re in the need for an extra Christmas boost, grab a Starbucks Peppermint Mocha and cuddle up in the crowd to watch the Santa Clause parade! Floats, galore and Christmas spirit, an excellent happiness boost.

editorinchief@readthemike.com

Features Editor features@readthemike.com

right now will be old news, and there is no point in relaying it to you. This is the state of information and the atmosphere that student papers must print in. While much has been written regarding whether or not this is good, we at The Mike have accepted it, and thus, going forward expect less news reporting pieces from us, and more interest articles. This issue reflects that with our news section concentrated on the sinking of the Bounty which holds interesting historic significance, and the SMCSU election which is solely SMC based.

I think this leads to a more personal newspaper, and something students can really embrace as news for them.

So what does this mean for The

Mike practically? You can look forward to a living section that is more focused on campus and student interests, as it is this week with the highlights of individual student achievements, student favourite authors, and chocolate! The sports section will focus more on U of T students and U of T sports – while still bringing articles about all our favourite athletes. And the opinions section will be a little more fun.

This isn’t truly a philosophical change at The Mike, but rather something I thought I should express as it has been really taken to heart by the editorial staff over the past year.

It also translates into a staff that is really open to your ideas for articles

and to featuring the content that you ask for. All of our editors – Cam, Oksana, Sofia, Annum, and Lucy – are always excited to hear from you the reader, as am I. Furthermore if you want to get involved, give input, ideas, or criticism, shoot me an email at editorinchief@readthemike.com.

Hopefully we can work together to make this your newspaper.

The Brunny

News Editor

Cameron Anderson news@readthemike.com

Arts Editor Lucy Coren

arts@readthemike.com

Opinions Editor Oksana Andreiuk

opinions@readthemike.com

Living Editor Micah Gold-Utting Editor-in-Chief

Annum Roshan

living@readthemike.com

Sports Editor

Sofia Rizzo (interm)

Alekzia Hosein

The Mike is holding elections we are looking for a features editor and a sports editor • Features coordinates covers and centerfolds • Sports coordinates all athletic coverage Neither position requires prior experience with the paper

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Masthead

Vacant As I sit down to try to write this letter, the progressing US election is trying desperately to steal away my attention. It seems important to keep up to date with each change as it occurs as votes are counted. I was just interrupted by MSNBC calling the election for Obama. It seems early to tell but hopefully that stands by the time this goes to print.

Additionally, the basketball game is playing in the background. I can here the voices of the announcers calling the play as I watch states change colours on the map and I write this article. With all that going on, an writing as it happens, I am still concerned by the time you read this all the information I am gathering

THE MIKE

Senior Copy Editor Chelsea Misquith

Illustrations Editor Belinda Zong

illustrations@readthemike.com

Web Editor

The induction of the class of 2012 happens during the November 9th to 12th weekend! Autographs, picture opportunities, and a chance to celebrate and meet all your favourite hockey idols. Being inducted this year? Mats Sundin.

The Moose Show November 14 250 Front Street West

With the changing weather and the threat of the upcoming winter, we could all do with a reminder of the Canadian spirit. The Moose Show is an exhibit of Canadian fine art and cultural crafts, just the recipe needed to remind you that you can survive the cold

Bloor and Christie

Nora Agha

Photos Editor YouNa Kim

Writers Mia Rose Yugo, Marsha Malcolm Mark Matich, Victoria Marshall, Catherine Bredin

Copy Editors

Ellen O'Malley, Michelle Conklin, Najla Popel, Jo-Anna Pluchino, Jaclyn Didiano, Ramina Ghassemi, Josephine Tong, Christine Zelezny

Business Staff If interested contact editorinchief@readthemike.com

Business Manager Yasir Mustafa

business@readthemike.com

Ad Manager Vacant

Cam Anderson | News Editor

ads@readthemike.com

Ad Execs

LondoN

News Corp of the world has reported a sharp rise in profits, three times what the company made last year. The corporation’s chair is Rupert Murdoch, a highly controversial figure in the news industry, currently the centre of a phone hacking scandal.

Adriano Marchese Nicole Rocha Dennis Amoakohene Christopher Sivry

Washington

Obama wins the election.

BOD Alumni Rep.

New York

65 Toronto Hydro workers are leaving to help with the cleanup of Hurricane Sandy. The hurricane, which struck last week, has still left thousands without power and are in need of help. Acts of solidarity between the two countries happens often, especially during storms and forest fires.

Toronto

A 15 year old boy in has been denied bail after being arrested for a string of sexual assaults near Christie Pits. The denial has been surprising because of the accused's age.

New Delhi

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper had two of his armoured cars flown to India for his extended diplomatic trip to the nation. There has been mounting security concerns over Sikh extremism in the region.

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

Tragedy on the Bounty Hurricane Sandy sinks historic ship, unclear if negligence was involved Conran Cosgrove | Sports Editor Originally built in 1960 for use on the silver screen, in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, the HMS Bounty now lays at the bottom of the Atlantic. On her way from Connecticut to St. Petersburg, Florida, the ship began to take on water. The Bounty was only 90 miles from the North Carolina coast when the crew made efforts to load onto life rafts and await rescue.

Ironically, not more than two days prior to her sinking however, the Bounty’s Facebook page posted photos and statuses with confidence that, regardless of the inevitable brunt of Hurricane Sandy bearing down on her, that the 52-year-old tall ship would indeed pass through the storm unharmed if all went according to plan.

“Bounty's current voyage is a calculated decision...NOT AT ALL... irresponsible or with a lack of foresight as some have suggested.

The fact of the matter is...A SHIP IS SAFER AT SEA THAN IN PORT!” read the Bounty’s Facebook wall on October 27th. Not more than a day later the Bounty and her crew of sixteen were in trouble. At 11pm on the 28th, the same Facebook page posted messages of distress as the ship lost generator power and took on water. Without power to her two 375 horsepower engines and bilge pumps, the bounty would eventually succumb to the storm, forcing the ship’s 63-year-old Captain, Robin Walbridge, to abandon the ship to the storm.

According to the United States Coast Guard, the ship was subject to winds at over 40 miles

By Election increases ranks of council

Interested in

design?

email editorinchief@ readthemike.com to get involved

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Talent in Other Leagues: Derrick Pouliot Sofia Rizzo | Sports Editor

The new faces of SMCSU On November first and second, the St. Mikes College Student Union (or SMCSU) held its annual fall by-election. The results were posted on Friday November third.

Six new general councillors were added to SMCSU. New members include Juliano Sinopoli, Joseph Crimi, Sara Gonsalves, Housam Silim, Michael Kelly, and Nicole Rocha.

A general councillor is someone that assists SMCSU in the most appropriate way given a situation. This could mean attending events, helping out with the musical, or holding office hours. It is often considered a junior position,

THE MIKE

The Mike looks at athletes who are actually playing hockey

per hour and waves of up to 18 feet. As of November 1st, the only confirmed casualty is that of Claudene Christian, a claimed decent of the original HMS Bounty, of which the 1962 movie Munity on the Bounty starring Marlon Brando portrayed. Furthermore, the Bounty’s Captain is also missing and has yet to be found since the Coast Guard suspended their search for him.

It is no surprise that there is much debate as to why the Bounty even left harbour, knowing full well that Sandy was on a crash course for the Eastern Seaboard. Walbridge seemed confident that the ship could “ride out the storm” as long as they were able to reach the southeastern section of the hurricane.

In a video, later posted on YouTube revealed that the Bounty’s skipper took his crew to “chase hurricanes”. Words that now echo with disappear. The Los Angeles Times reported that the crewmembers were “ very concerned for their safety”, something that was to be expected with knowledge of taking an 18th-century modeled ship into the heart of “FrankenStorm”. It was made public earlier that same week Regardless, it is safe to say that the loss of lives has been the most tragic consequence.

There is a continuing Coast Guard investigation that is working to determine if there was any negligence or unlawful acts that contributed to the accident. Sadly, the ship may be too deep to be raised as the section of the Atlantic can surpass four kilometers deep. For now, the Bounty’s fate is beneath the waves.

Cam Anderson | News Editor

Sports

that allows councillors to gain experience before running in the Spring election and being appointed to a commission.

Typically the by-election is held for only 5 positions. This year, there has been 6 due to Athletics officer Olivia Rasekhi resigning over the summer, leaving council one member short. To fill the gap, SMCSU decided to add another vacancy to be filled during the byelection. One of the new general councillors will be appointed to the athletics, which is an unusual scenario. This means a first year student has the potential to lead a commission (in this case, the sports and athletics), something usually left to more seasoned members of council.

Although the majority of council is elected

OMBUDSPERSON

in the spring, the by-election is held in the fall for multiple reasons. A least one member of the by-election needs to be a first year student, giving frosh the opportunity to get involved with their student council—because they could not run for election last year.

SMCSU now has a council of 21 members in total. The main election in the Spring allows for SMUSU to choose a new president, vice president, and the members elected will be appointed to their respective commissions through internal decision; students vote who will be on council, and the council itself decides who goes where. For now, the council is set until 2013.

Confidential advice and assistance for students, faculty and staff of all three U of T campuses with complaints unresolved through regular University channels.

Visit www.utoronto.ca/ombudsperson.

For an appointment, call 416-946-3485 or e-mail ombuds.person@utoronto.ca.

You’d be hard pressed to find anyone— player or fan—with a sanguine disposition as the NHL’s work stoppage drags on. With the cancelling of the 2013 Bridgestone Winter Classic, the NHL’s actions are the antithesis of what hockey fans want.

However, there is a thread of positivity weaved into this story. In the event of a lockout, fans look to alternative leagues and begin to take note of talented, dexterous, and passionate young players. Case and point: Derrick Pouliot.

Drafted first overall in the 2009 WHL Bantam draft, Pouliot is a defenseman playing quality minutes with the Portland Winterhawks of the WHL. Recently the club has shed veteran players and Pouliot—almost effortlessly—has adopted the role of leader.

The skilful defenseman is of particular interest to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Selected eighth overall in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft by the franchise, Pouliot is expected to invigorate a defense that seemed feeble and lackluster throughout the postseason. The task is anything but daunting for the Saskatchewan native, who tallied eleven goals and fortyeight assists (fifty-nine points) in seventy-two games last season with the Winterhawks. His forty-eight assists makes Pouliot rated second among all WHL defensemen and fourth overall in points.

Despite falling to the Oil Kings in the final of the WHL playoffs, Pouliot contributed offensively and lead all defensemen with fourteen assists. His ninety career points ranks him 21st all-time among Winterhawks defensemen and his twenty-one points in the postseason are ranked 15th. Last season will only embolden the blue-liner, who currently has four goals and eleven assists (fifteen points), to perfect his skills and offensive capabilities.

After all, an offensively adept defenseman is a hot commodity in the NHL. Looking to the 2005 lockout, hockey’s completion changed and so too did that of defensemen. Puck handling and skating ability became integral parts of a blue-liner’s repertoire of skills, replacing hooking forecheckers which resulted in penalties. Vancouver Giants’ Brett Kulak highlights this shift: “It's changing from the really good defensemen being tough, bruising guys to puck-moving, more skilled guys. I was a forward when I first started hockey, and…I switched to defense. I just liked it better. You can see the whole ice."

While Pouliot is a few years away from making his NHL debut, he is a dynamic player ripe with finesse, poise, and potential. Considered a top prospect by the NHL Scouting Bureau, the former Moose Jaw Warrior is a good puck carrier with superior distribution skills, oftentimes setting up teammates to score.

He has impeccable vision and capitalizes on

opprotunites—even when shooting lanes are tight or clogged—resulting in goals or key passes. Pouliot netted the lone goal to secure a 1-0 victory over the Kelowna Rockets Friday night. To date, he is a plus twelve rating.

Effortless and smooth, he glides on the ice and makes the most of each stride, covering large portions of ice in a timely fashion. Pouliot is most effective in the neutral and defensive zones of the ice.

Mike Johnson, General Manager of the Winterhawks, described Pouliot as a “...really

a versatile defenseman…he makes a good first pass and can beat guys 1-on-1...We found that his defensive game translates well from the offensive and defensive point of view. He reads players and the play so well, has great vision and brings nice production to our hockey club."

Fans of the Pittsburgh Penguins should be excited to welcome this unique and proficient player to the roster. Derrick Pouliot’s story has just begun and is worth paying attention to— lockout or no lockout.

Optimism among the Blues The Varsity Blues continue their most succesful campain in almost a decade, hiccups and all Amanda Coletta | Contributor A 5-3 home loss to the Windsor Lancers at Varsity Arena on Friday brought the three game winning streak of the Varsity Blue’s men’s hockey team to a halt.

Having recently cracked the CIS top 10 (no.

9) for the first time since March 2004, the Blues have 11 points and one game in hand, sharing the top spot in the OUA East Division with UQTR. This loss not only means the Blues are now 5-1-1, but also marks the first time the men have lost in regulation time this season.

Following a scoreless first period, the Blues managed to pull ahead and led 1-0, 2-1, and 3-1 at different points throughout the game. But it was two late powerplay goals in the second period that allowed Windsor to level the score, before they managed to take the lead for the first time in the third period at 4-3, and then find the empty net in the last minute of play to seal the victory at 5-3.

Despite the loss, positive performances from key contributors to the Blues’ bright start to the season continued.

Toronto native Jeff Brown, who scored his fifth goal of the season, not only remains the team leader in scoring, but is also ranked 8th

overall in the league.

Blake Boddy of Scarborough, provided the assist to the second goal and continues to lead the Blues with 7 assists this season.

And Tyler Luikkonen, the second-year forward from Sault Ste Marie whose two goals and two assists helped Toronto defeat Ryerson last weekend and earned him the title of MBNA Athlete of the Week, helped Boddy assist Brown’s goal.

Not to be forgotten is Blues netminder Garrett Sheehan who continued his impressive campaign by making 25 saves on the night, ensuring that his 0.955 save percentage is good enough for first in the CIS. In a game that featured a total of nine penalties, both teams proved willing to capitalize on their man advantages. Ultimately, the six penalties and consequential 12 minutes spent in the sin bin had a large role to play in costing the Blues their lead and the possible two points.

The Blues will look to continue their quest for their first league championship since the 1992-93 season with another home game against Windsor Lancers, before hitting the road for a match against the Guelph Gryphons who are 3-4-1 following a 6-2 victory over the Wilfred Laurier Golden Hawks.

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Sports

THE MIKE

Still No Deal, Still No Hockey Stagnant CBA Talks Result in the Cancellation of the Winter Classic but Canadian Hockey Fans Still Have a Reason to Smile

‘

...The cancellation of the Winter Classic is just another nail in the 2012-2013 seasons’ coffin ...

’

Stephanie Posocco | Contributor After the cancellation of regular season games throughout the month of November, negotiations between the NHL and NHLPA are set to resume for the first time since Oct. 18th.

After reaching sufficient common

ground, the NHLPA has decided to return to the table and further discuss the Collective Bargaining Agreement with the NHL. The NHL’s decision (regarding the “Make Whole” provision) to shift the cost from the players share over to the owners share was a move the NHL made last week in order to resume talks of a new CBA with the NHLPA. The concept of “Make Whole” is

essentially a protection plan that will cover players’ salary reductions as they drop from 57 to 50 percent in the first year of a new agreement. This move has been called a “significant concession” by TSN analysts as it has resulted in a meeting between the NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly and NHLPA general counsel Steve Fehr.

Although the hopes of a full season have become a distant dream, negotiations resuming has provided a glimmer of hope for hockey fans.

However, this ‘glimmer of hope’ was conveniently revealed just one

day after the League announced the cancellation of the Winter Classic – many are left wondering if the return to the table is a media ploy to ease the pain of the Winter Classic’s cancellation or a legitimate attempt to regain a season.

The much anticipated Winter Classic was set to put our beloved Toronto Maple Leafs against an Original Six rival, the Detroit Red Wings, in a game that was to be the biggest in the event’s six-year history.

Organizers were expecting a record breaking crowd on New Year’s Day which would break the previous record of 104,173 spectators who took in the “Big Chill” NCAA game held at the University of Michigan in 2010.

Yes, the decision to return to talks is a step forward, however, the fact remains that we are left hockey-less as winter approaches. The cancellation of the Winter Classic is just another nail in the 2012-2013 seasons’ coffin and fans are growing impatient.

However, there is a certain event approaching which hockey fans can look forward to.

The World Junior Tournament is

set to open, as always, on Boxing Day. The tournament, a personal favourite of mine, showcases the most talented junior hockey stars and this year will cross the pond and take place in Russia.

If there is any bright side to this drawn-out lockout, it is that more of our young eligible NHL stars, who would normally have to decide between their NHL teams and the Junior Tournament, will be available to sport the beloved Maple Leaf at the tournament this year.

With the exception of one eligible player, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins who is playing overseas, all are playing for the respective junior clubs because of the lockout which makes them readily available to Team Canada.

Hockey Canada will announce their 22-man roster in a month’s time, just before training camp opens in Calgary from December 10-15th.

Cheer up hockey fans. A cancelled Winter Classic isn’t exactly an early Christmas gift but CBA discussions are resuming and the World Junior Tournament is sure to be a crowd pleaser. Things are looking up.

Living

THE MIKE

Are you feeling SAD? The Sartorialist How to combat Seasonal Affective Disorder

The best dressed from across campus

Joe Mangiapane | Contributor Waking up in the morning and cracking open the shutters to let the sunlight in has a euphoric effect on most of us. Staring outside the window on a rainy day, watching the rain mask its dreary mood for the day also makes us feel gloomy for the day. The effect weather has on our mind and mood is often underestimated.

The amount of sunlight, temperature, wind, and even air pressure, are all factors that we react to differently and they influence our mood and behaviour for the day. But can the weather exert an effect so strong that depression could be set into some vulnerable individuals? It appears the weather plays with our minds a lot more than we thought and can result in having Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). SAD is a clinical subtype of mood disorder consisting of recurring major depressive episodes that come about with a seasonal pattern, usually starting in the fall and continuing into the winter months. The disorder is more prevalent among populations living in higher latitudes that experience long dark winters (1-3% of the population). Symptoms of SAD include increased sleep, increased appetite, weight gain, and fatigue. What sets SAD apart from common classical depression is that SAD patients report symptoms such as hyperphagia (excessive hunger) and hypersomnia (excessive sleepiness) which are typically absent in clinically depressed people. How SAD is initiated seems to be a combination of factors including climate, genetic vulnerability, social culture, hormone imbalance and the decreased photoperiod of the winter months. So how

Avelenovsky | Flckr can we treat this form of seasonal depression?

With a number of pharmacological and nonpharmacological treatments available, clinicians usually prescribe a cocktail of treatments to yield better results. Bright light therapy seems to be the more popular treatment choice, working for approximately 80% of patients and displays few side effects. It consists of patients sitting in front of a fluorescent light box for 30 minutes a day. This treatment is thought to trigger chemical changes in the brain, manipulating the levels of dopamine, serotonin and overall hormone production. The only downfall to bright light therapy seems to be the inconvenience of sitting in front of a light box for an excessive period of time; obviously,

it can get boring. However another treatment that is believed to be effective and with multiple other benefits is (you guessed it!) exercise.

Exercise has long been effective in treating classical depression and may also be effective in combating SAD, even though the link between mood and physical activity is very complex and poorly understood. Physical activity, especially with friends, can do wonders for our health, and promote a positive self image to better our moods. It is a very effective treatment that offers fun and pleasure for patients to battle this disorder with almost no side effects and without drugs. For SAD patients, there does seem to be a light at the end of the tunnel (pardon the pun).

Micah Gold-Utting | Editor-in-Chief

Cincinati green, hut!

NFL

From the huddle to the clinic, Hilary Hart tackles health on and off the field

Atlanta is now the only undefeated team in the NFL. With a fairly forgiving schedule going forward, they seem favourites for now. Also Andrew Luck has come forward as potentially the most successful rookie of the year, with his Colts doing much better than RG3’s redskins.

NHL

The NHL continues there lock out and there is no hockey in sight. Discussions have resumed between the NHLPA and the NHL but there has yet to be any sign of either side willing to compromise. Both sides seem to be working on different assumptions of the opposition is looking for financially. Finally, in the continual downward spiral the 2013 Winter Classic has been cancelled.

MLB

Miguel Cabrera won the Player’s Choice award, selected by Major League players. This comes as little surprise considering he deftly won the Triple Crown this year. He beat out rookie sensation Mike Trout in the voting.

This accolade comes despite Detroit being swept in the World Series.

NBA

The season has started and while it’s still early, some trends are beginning to develop. The much touted LA Lakers have started out very cold, with poor results and a leg injury to Steve Nash. Both New York and San Antonio have started the season out dominantly with New York defeating defending champs Miami.

The Hot Corner

1. New acquisition Kyle Lowry has been absolutely dominant for Toronto, leading the team both statistically and on the floor. Landry Fields and Andrea Bargnani have both been fairly cold so far.

2. Manchester United has had a strong season so far in the EPL, now holding the sole leading spot in the league.

3. With the continuing NHL lockout, the OHL has garnered a much higher degree of attention and is now generating larger crowds and some worthwhile hockey.

4. Free agency has opened for the MLB, but the Toronto Blue Jays remain quiet so far. Josh Hamilton, Zach Greinke, and BJ Upton lead the class of available players.

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Joe Mangiapane | Contributor Women are leading the world in all fields of work; be it business, art, sports, or politics.

Each and every day women play a pivotal role in determining the future of our world, but the question is, where is the next leader going to come from? Well look no further, as SMC’s own Hilary Hart has showed that she too can be a leader and hopefully be an example for young women who aspire to have successful careers in professional health. Hilary is in her fourth year at the University of Toronto, majoring in Health & Disease, and minoring in both Psychology and Physiology. Aspiring to be a Doctor of Chiropractics, Hilary has been accepted to Palmer College of Chiropractics

in Davenport, Iowa for next fall, looking forward to opening up her own practice one day and working with athletes of all ages.

Hilary has always been actively participating on sports teams since she was a mere toddler and enjoys skiing in BC, figure skating, and hockey. She now participates in intramural flag football for SMC, and Powderpuff football.

Hilary is the Communications Officer on the UofT Powderpuff Football Executive Council and attributes her involvement in the organization to her older sister who played for the Powderpuff team when it was first founded 3 years ago. “She made me go to practices for the SMC intramural team and for Powderpuff, and, to be honest, I didn't think I'd like it at all.

But after playing for a few weeks and meeting some of the most amazing people through the program I was hooked. It was so nice to be on a team again; the girls are wonderful and we always have a good time together whether we're studying, going out, or practicing. The coaches also contribute a HUGE amount, as they are all players on the Varsity Blues team as well as students. We wouldn't be the players we are today without their hard work and dedication to us, and the whole women's football program at UofT”. Being a part of football has taught Hilary how to be organized and effective with time management aiding in her ability to juggle her school work. When school gets stressful and life gets busy, football is her stress relief.

“Just being outside, running around can really clear your head. My teammates also help a lot, they're such an amazing support system and we have so much fun at practices”. Being an ambassador for the sport, Hilary addresses the possible hurdles that may discourage students from participating in extracurricular sports.

It can be hard or a little scary for students to get involved here because it is such a big institution with a reputation of being extremely competitive. Many students that Hilary talked to during frosh cited academic work load as a major reason for not participating in sports.

She also thinks that the university needs to try a little harder and do a little more to promote physical activity around the campus, “I feel that the University could hold more events throughout the year, such as the ‘She's Got Game’ program they run during the beginning of the semester to give girls the opportunity to try out new sports at no charge." For Hilary, being active is extremely important, and playing for any sports team can seriously enhance your university life. The Powderpuff football team has made Hilary more active and confident, and has given her a family and a sense of community in this huge city, “I just really think being active and staying healthy is such an important thing to strive for, especially at our age, and there are so many other benefits of being a part of a team, it truly can change your life”.

YouNa Kim | Photo Editor Annum Roshan | Living Editor Dreary winter is now upon us. You can see the colour disappearing from the streets as everything becomes the same shade as our metropolis’ concrete, which is why I was so pleasantly surprised to finally see someone looking as fresh as spring.

Folks, I introduce to you our latest selection for the sartorialist, Clara Maria. A Peace and Conflict Studies major, Clara told us that she modeled in South Korea while she was there learning the native language. Her style can be described as edgy biker chic, judging by her studded boots and her quirky bag.

Clara’s forest green dress: Anthropologie Boots: Etsy.com Bag: South Korea Leggings: Vintage store I asked Clara who her style inspiration was, to which she responded with a cute smile saying, “I wear what I like; I don’t really have a specific style inspiration.” One can tell this girl is a trendsetter rather than a follower.

Her favourite store is Buffalo, and when I asked her what the one item in her closet was that she can’t live without, she replied, “I would say my jeans. I like the casual look, and they’re just so comfy.”

Her favourite designers include the ones in South Korea whom she worked with as a model, and according to her, “they were amazing! One of them was Kay Kim; she makes very odd clothes but I love them.”

We’re always looking for those that have a taste for fashion, so please email us at living@ readthemike.com if you know someone (or are someone) who would like to have their picture in the paper (because let’s be honest, who doesn’t love a little bit of glamour?)

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THE MIKE

Living

THE MIKE

Joanne Harris

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The chocolate wonders of the world

Beat the winter blues with these tasty treats

Magical Chocolate and a Whole Lot of Peaches I

remember the first time I picked up a Joanne Harris book. It was at my local library- a small, innocuous place that felt like my own personal cocoon considering how much I went there. By the time I had finished high school, I had read all the books in the fiction section, including what I like to think of as Joanne Harris’ ‘Trinity of Food Books’: Blackberry Wine, Chocolat (Yes, that is the book that got made into a movie starring hunky superstar Johnny Depp), and Five Quarters of the Orange. Ever since then, I have waited impatiently for every new book written by her. I vividly remember buying Lollipop Shoes the same day it came out, then BlueEyedBoy and most recently, Peaches for Monsieur le Curé. It slowly became a tradition; to mark the date of the book release on my calendar, wake up that day and squeal in excitement, and finally, buy the book and read it as slowly as I could to savor each and every moment of the literary goodness.

Then, as I re-read every book she’d written to enjoy them all over again, I realized how badly I wanted to meet this genius that penned such literary masterpieces, which in my mind surpasses even those of Shakespeare and Nabokov. Fortunately for me, Mrs. Harris was gracious enough to agree to an interview during her trip to Toronto. Read on to discover Joanne’s opinions on everything from the Fifty Shades of Grey phenomenon to her new book.

What gave you the idea for writing Peaches for Monsieur le Curé, and how different was it writing things from a Muslim perspective, considering your books usually have some aspect of Catholicism in them?

I wasn’t planning on writing this book quite the way it turned out. At that time, there was quite a lot going on in Europe about the Niqab. It was being banned in Holland and Belgium, and I knew it was going to happen in France. It wasn’t going to happen in England because we have a slightly different view on things, but I had written so much before about the idea of identity and perception, and I just wanted to write a story about the Niqab since it’s such an interesting topic. I’ve

seen things change [where I live], and I’ve noticed a lot of younger women wearing it [the niqab] while their mothers didn’t wear it, and I thought “Is it because they’re becoming more traditional or is it, for them, an expression of some kind of defiance?” So I went out and asked a load of people, and it was hard at first, talking to random strangers. So I went to a girls’ school whose headmistress I’m lucky enough to have known.

Everybody was very welcoming and after an initial bit of curiosity, everybody told me their stories and I collected a whole handful of them. I realized that everybody has different reasons and there are no generalizations that can comfortably be made about this, and that’s the last thing I wanted to do. Islam is complex, as are its followers. In England the papers have tried very hard to make me say, “Islam is this. The Niqab is that,” “This is how I’m going to fix everything”, as if Islam was waiting for me to understand and fix it. I’m just scratching the surface like everybody else. So I wanted to get back to people and what we have in common, and why we see such a massive difference in things that are generally quite small. I find it difficult to deal with.

You’re talking to someone who’s wearing it and you can’t see their face, and it’s difficult to communicate.

One of the things I would like to do is to wear it myself and see how people react. In France, even the Hijab is banned in schools, which I find to be a big mistake. It’s just a scarf; it doesn’t act as a barrier to communication.

Why make it into more than just a scarf? Why make it into a political or religious statement? Now they’ve created this rod for their own backs, by banning the Niqab, and making things ridiculously hard.

Your books are usually dominated by a female figure. Would you call yourself a feminist?

It’s a very broad term, and yes I do. But there are a lot of things about the feminist movement that I don’t agree with or believe in, but I believe in feminism in its purest form- not in a sense of despising/hating or fearing men, but in the sense that we still need somebody to stand up for women and their rights.

Your books have a little bit of everything.

What genre would you say they belong to?

I’m very resistant to genres. I don’t like the idea that books have to be categorized. I think mine are quite challenging to categorize because some of them are historical novels and some are psychological thrillers. Those terms aren’t broad enough to cover what I do.

I know your daughter figures very If you could raise one author from the importantly in your books. What role dead, who would it be? does your family play in inspiring you to I would bring Ray Bradbury back. Although he was write? very old when he died, he wasn’t old enough. As far A huge part. Before Anouchka was born, I didn’t write about families at all. It wasn’t a conscious thing.

When writers start out, they write either coming of age novels and vampire fiction. They are both about being young, alienation, and things that are forbidden, like sex. So that’s what I unconsciously wrote- a vampire novel and a ghost story. For me they were very young, me trying to find who I was in terms of my writing.

Then I had my daughter and I wrote Chocolat, which is a love story between a mother and her daughter.

All of a sudden I was writing about children and motherhood, and all of a sudden, these characters that I’d never thought about came to be.

I would ‘definitely say

there’s something wrong with the books world.

’

Chocolat was made into an Oscar nominated movie. How did you feel about the changes that were made to it?

I’m not saying I’m surprised; I knew they were going to change certain things, in fact I was pleasantly surprised, they got much closer to it [the book] as the screenplay progressed. They ended up quite close to my original story, although I would put some of the darkness back in.

Which one of your books would you like to see made into a movie next?

Holy Fools, It has so much action in it and it would be so much fun to see it as a movie. I always said it was Pirates of the Caribbean with nuns.

With winter quickly approaching, all that students really want to do is stay in bed all day consuming endless amounts of chocolate- or at least that’s what I want to do. For those of us without the luxury of sleeping in all day or a tropical winter vacation to look forward to, chocolate seems to be our only cure for the winter blues. So send your palate on a delectable world tour with these wonders of the chocolate world.

From Italy: Tartufo

If you didn’t think Italian gelato could get any better then check out this chocolatey bad boy.

Tartufo consists of gelato, shaped into a ball and dipped in melted chocolate to create an outer shell. For something even more decadent there’s “Tartufo di Pizzo”; Tartufo with a melted chocolate center, dusted with cocoa powder.

From the United States: Red Velvet Cake

Layers of spongecake with creamy vanilla icing in between and on top make this cake a surprisingly easy and popular desert. What makes this curiously coloured cake so interesting to see (and to eat) is its unusual red pigment.

Although now the red colour is produced through the addition of food colouring, traditionally its colour was the result of a reaction between vinegar and buttermilk.

as I was concerned, he should have lived forever.

I met him in fact, and he had so much left to say. He was one of those writers that kept writing right till the last minute, and I would have loved to see more of his work.

From Brazil: Brigadero

If you were left on an island with only 5 pieces of literature, what would they be?

Not to be mistaken for the typical chocolate truffle, this bitesized ball of joy is a popular Brazilian treat. Made by simply cooking condensed milk, cocoa powder and butter together, the brigadero can be rolled into balls and covered with granulated chocolate, or can be used as a topping or filling for pastries.

I would take Victor Hugo’s Les Miserablés- it's one of the books of my childhood that has followed me around forever. Mervyn Peak’s The Gormenghast series, the Complete poems of Rimbaud because poetry is something, I think, that you never get tired of. Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 because I need to remember why I have these books in the first place, and Nabokov’s Lolita.

From Germany: Black Forest Gateau

I’m sure that most, if not all, have tried this delectable desert or some variation of it.

Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte (now try saying that with a mouthful of cake), as it’s traditionally called, combines the rich taste of chocolate with the tart and tangy taste of sour cherries. To give this desert an extra kick, Belgium black forest cake is usually infused with Kirschwasser, a sour cherry liquor.

From France: Dacquoise

What do you think of books like Fifty Shades of Grey being the top sellers today? Do you think it reflects the deterioration of society?

Suffice it to say, I will not lambast a fellow author, I’m not sure I would say society’s degenerated but I would definitely say there’s something wrong with the books world. I’m not blaming E. L. James for this in any way, or anybody else. If we take the bestseller list as a sign of what people want to read, I think that the book world has gotten out of touch with what its about. If the public prefers to read sensationalist sex books – and I don’t think it was very sensationalist or indeed very sexy, but of course people thought it would be, otherwise they wouldn’t have bought it- or if people preferred to read books that are like The DaVinci Code, which aren’t very wellwritten but extremely sensationalist and plotdriven, or if adult readers would rather read children’s books like Harry Potter or Twilight, then there is something wrong with the world of literature. It is giving us a certain standard of books that people should want to read but people are actually attracted to something different. I blame snobbery personally- the fact that you should read certain things because they’re good for you and then other things because you like them.

Tuktuk Islam | Contributor

This French fusion desert combines the chewy-nutty taste of hazelnut and almond meringue with whipped chocolate cream. Dacquoise can also be paired with fruits to give it an even yummier flavour.

From Hungary: Dobos Torte

This delectable desert takes the usual chocolate cake and gives it a delicious and practical twist. Layers of chocolate sponge cake and chocolate cream are held together by a hard chocolate coating. Not only does this add an even greater texture to the cake, the chocolate coat locks in the cakes moisture for longer.

From Mexico: Chocolate Churros

As any regular patron of Kensington Market can confirm, Churro’s are absolutely awesome. This Mexican treat is made from frying dough into a tube and filling it with chocolate or caramel sauce. As if that couldn’t get any better, most of the churros in Kensington also have a mild cinnamon flavour that pairs nicely with any filling.

From Canada: Nanaimo Bars

Annum Roshan | Living Editor

Last, but certainly not least, is Canada’s own claim-tofame, the Nanaimo bar. Originating from Nanaimo, B.C. this multilayer desert was first invented in the 1950’s and has been a symbol of Canada ever since. The concept, simple but delicious, consists of three layers; first a layer of chocolate crumb, then a layer of vanilla or custard butter icing topped off with a layer of melted chocolate.

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Opinions

THE MIKE

You say tomato, I say potato

John Castellarin | Contributor There are many questions that cause of a lot of discussion in society. Subjects concerning politics and morality are generally the most debated, despite the fact that there are many other issues that are also of high importance but don’t garner nearly as much attention.

The question I am talking about specifically concerns tomatoes and potatoes: if you were forced to eradicate either tomatoes or potatoes from the earth, which would you choose?

Now this question may seem trivial but if you think about it, it’s a serious question and your answer, be it to keep the potato or the tomato, will have some serious implications. I must admit, this issue is of very high importance to me because I am caught in the middle. My mother’s family is from Ireland, a place where bbchistory.co.uk says potatoes “provided 60%

of the nations food needs in 1846” whereas my father’s family is from Italy where the tomato is revered so highly you would think it was a deity. Now before you make your decision, I will outline arguments in defense of both foods to hopefully provide you with enough information to make a well informed choice.

To start with tomatoes, there are a number of reasons why people may choose to keep them. The primary reason of course is the sauce that can be made. Imagine a world without pasta or pizza. These two provisions alone probably formulate 75% of the average UTICA members' diet, and I have to admit I’ve never met a person who dislikes either of these foods. Tomatoes are also a key aspect of many different types of salads, salsa, and are a popular garnish for hamburgers and sandwiches around the world. Tomatoes are, as we all know, a main ingredient in

ketchup, which is probably the most popular condiment the world has ever known. As George Costanza famously pointed out, "the tomato never picked up as a hand fruit, but I did see a kid eating one like an apple once at a house party, and he seemed to really enjoy it."

Now for the potato: the potato is, without a doubt, the most versatile vegetable around.

It is one of the only vegetables I can think of that is appropriate at breakfast lunch and dinner: Baked potatoes, mashed potatoes, French fries, hash browns, potato chips and gnocchi. The idea of having McDonald’s without fries seems wrong and I’m not sure I could survive without chips. Potatoes can generate electricity, which doesn’t really impact their taste, but if you need to charge your phone and happen to have a potato you might just be in luck.

Personally, I’d have to say if I were in a position where I had to eradicate potatoes or tomatoes from the world I would have to choose the tomato. The tomato is a bit more of a garnish whereas the potato can hold its own in and of itself. The way I see it, a world without fries is scarier than one without pizza.

Fortunately though it’s not a choice anyone can expect to make in the near future, but you never know. So go out and enjoy your ketchup chips while you still can.

The Commuter Relief line

To create a 6.4 Billion project, or to have passengers wait another 15 minutes for the next train coming.

Natalie Krikorian | Contributor On October 18, 2012, The TTC released a report about a plan called the downtown relief subway line, a completely new subway line. It would connect to the Bloor-Danforth line in two places, probably Pape Station and Dundas West Station, and then fly down along King Street to Union Station or around that area. The problem is this project is ridiculously expensive. It has been hypothesised that just building half the plan, as in a line from Pape station to St. Andrew station, would cost around $3.2 billion. However, maybe this investment will be beneficial in the long run.

As we commuters know, the Yonge-

University line is like an ant hill. During rush hours, you feel lucky to fit near the edge of the platform, not to mention even getting on that subway. To make matters even more unpleasant, once you are actually in a bumpy, overcrowded, speeding metal closed up space, you are getting elbowed, shoved, and stepped on by all the angry passengers. It is safe to say that these new lines are badly needed, and will make commuting more enjoyable, if possible.

I believe it is a good idea to create these lines, however, maybe creating lines in other areas should be considered too. I, for one, have to drive from Richmond Hill all the way to Don Mills station, and then go through a number of subway lines, which takes up a good hour and

15 minutes of my day. We students know how precise time is lately. Maybe it would not be a bad idea to have lines starting from Richmond Hill or Markham, instead of having commuters drive or bus to the nearest subway station that is still at quite a distance.

Not only is it rough to commute to the city, but think of the commuters trying to get to work or school outside the city. The gridlock is so bad in the mornings with all the new condos going up and new daily drivers added to the city, it can easily take 30 minutes just to drive one block up during the rush hours, especially when trying to get on the highway. Since when did going to work or school become the worst part of our days?

Bill C-309 Unmasked Control over protests masquerades as security

Opinions

THE MIKE

‘A New Hope’ for the Star Wars series Disney purchases Lucasfilm, more Star Wars to come

Michal Chwalek | Staff Writer Sometimes the only proper response to a new bill – such as say, a “mask ban” that carries with it a 10 year prison term for rioting with a mask – is confusion. Not anger because it gives yet more preemptive power to police to quell protests; not shock because the 10 years given for wearing a mask is 5 times longer than the maximum sentence given for rioting alone; no, just confusion, because as tabled, this bill is utterly useless. Rioting is already an indictable offense and our Criminal Code already has a section that bans the concealment of identity while committing an indictable offense. So I hope you can understand my confusion as to why our MPs are wasting their time and our money tabling bills that have no legal impact.

But that’s not exactly correct. The new Bill C-309 isn’t just restricted to riots but also extends to unlawful assemblies, which, for now, are considered minor offences. The bill was first proposed as a response to the Vancouver Stanley Cup Riot, and is meant to give police extra power in convicting the inciters of violence that form the core of such riots. A riot may be one thing, but determining the difference between a peaceful but impassioned protest and an unlawful assembly isn’t so easy.

The Criminal Code defines unlawful assembly in such a way that it seems to be a riot-precursor, a gathering with the potential to “disturb the peace tumultuously”, but in the end it’s not the code that determines where a protest ends and a riot begins, it’s up to city officials.

The way that an unlawful assembly is defined provides ample area for interpretation – at what point do shouts and chants and drums constitute a sufficient disturbance? What if the message of the protestors isn’t something that the neighbourhood wants to hear? The problem is that the police can decide these things for themselves, and with this new law in place, pre-emptively arrest protestors wearing masks, sorting out the guilt later at the station.

Then later in court, which is another expense, both for the taxpayers and the people on trial.

Will this new law help police officers contain the riots, preventing spread of damage? Will it help them disrupt the riots? Those are the most important questions to address – the police aren’t at the scene to make arrests; that is not their primary function. They are to limit injuries, limit property damage, and protect the neighbourhood from real threats – not an angry protestor in a Guy Fawkes mask.

Patrick Bucci | Contributor On the eve of Halloween, Disney struck a deal with George Lucas to purchase Lucasfilm Ltd., and, by extension, the entire Star Wars franchise. This hefty acquisition cost the Walt Disney Company an enormous $4.05 billion, an immense sum, but debatably reasonable for Lucas’ timeless sci-fi series. Buying large corporations has become an enduring habit of the Disney Company, which holds several distinguished names under its belt; ABC, Pixar, and Marvel, to name a few.

And now, with the news of the Star Wars saga being upheld by a different organization, there has come an understandable reaction of mixed excitement and anxiety from loyal and casual viewers of Lucas’ sci-fi classic. Having announced their intentions to produce a new Star Wars trilogy has resulted in further unease on behalf of admirers of the film franchise. As someone who’s watched Star Wars on countless occasions, I find myself equally affected by this

transition. With a deliberate storyline already crafted, it’s difficult to envisage how an amazing franchise can be extended by a new story that will be imagined outside of the mind of the original film’s creator.

However, to counteract these frustrations, C.E.O. and Chairman of Lucasfilm, George Lucas, has expressed reassurance in handing Star Wars to “a new generation of filmmakers”: "For the past 35 years, one of my greatest pleasures has been to see Star Wars passed from one generation to the next. I've always believed that Star Wars could live beyond me, and I thought it was important to set up the transition during my lifetime. I'm confident that...Star Wars will certainly live on and flourish for many generations to come.”

Of course, even with Lucasfilm’s support, maintaining consistency within the series will prove to be a challenge.

In the case of Marvel, Disney has done a tremendous job of bringing life to the brand.

After all, Marvel’s most financially successful

film, The Avengers, was produced well past the time Disney procured the superhero franchise.

The hesitation towards this decision is unsurprising, and should Disney (or any other company, for that matter) decide to purchase another much-beloved film franchise, a dithering reaction will be sure to follow. As true as it is that each company has a style and image to uphold, the movie-watching public should understand that the acquisition and usage of characters by an alternate company has been and will always be approached respectively and delicately to preserve and entice devoted supporters.

So, will the new Star Wars movies be worth watching? With three years of anticipation and so little revealed about the new films to satisfy my curiosities, it’s hard to say. As long as a Star Wars movie, new or old, could bring a certain believability and life into its characters, there’s not much more for which I could ask.

The most I hope for is that this resurgence of Star Wars films will truly strike back.

What is the future of newspapers?

With the world going digital, where does that leave print Natalie Krikorian | Contributor Extra Extra! Read all about it (on your IPad) - The movement of online newspapers: to charge or not to charge?

Due to advancements in technology, primarily due to the advent of the internet, society functions differently. Instead of buying CDs, consumers are now able to download music online for free. Instead of going to the movie theaters, consumers are able watch movies online for free. Instead of buying a magazine, book, or newspaper, it can read be online for free. What does this mean for these industries? How are they going to economically survive?

Many newspapers now have online versions of their editions. However, newspapers such as The Globe & Mail and soon The Toronto Star will charge for online subscriptions to their content. This is not unfair because the newspapers are a business and they need to make an income in order to survive.

Unfortunately, readers may turn to other news sources, which are cost-free.

The future of newspapers looks bleak as many have ceased publication due to

lack of readers, and a lack of profit. These discontinued newspapers indicate to the remaining newspapers that they need to adjust and improve in order to survive in today’s drowning economy. The new generation desires not to read on paper, they would rather read through technology. They do not want to pick up the latest paper, but they want to download it onto their blackberries and IPads.

A writer at a newspaper has got to eat, hence I think it is completely justified for them to start charging money for their work. Hey, if a person would pay 99 cents for crazy birds, maybe they will pay 99 cents for the latest news.

I do feel that this is the right direction for today’s journalism to gain a more powerful economic and professional standing. Every morning when I exit the subway station, I am greeted with a free newspaper. I cannot help but to wonder what it must be like for the newspaper industry to know that they have to give away their paper for free. They must feel downgraded. For their pride, and their families’, and for food in their bellies, I think they should charge for online versions of their newspaper.

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Arts

THE MIKE

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Where every move counts A review of soulpepper's Endgame

Lucy Coren | Arts Editor After a brief conversation with a few glasses of wine I felt just about ready to tackle Soulpepper’s newest venture, Samuel Beckett’s Endgame that opened this past Wednesday night. The title is taken from a part of a chess game when there are very few pieces left and the players go through the final moves knowing the outcome. And, truly, in the play there is an unsettling sense of cyclicality, that these characters go through the verbal and physical motions knowing that they will do the same tomorrow as they did yesterday and the day after as they did the day before. It is a terrifically frustrating play to analyze, as the playwright himself says so ambiguously that he’s “not interested in taking sides, but in the shape of ideas”. He provokes but does not pontificate. The play centers, literally, around Hamm, a character that is unable to stand and is blind. He sits in a wheelchair in the centre of the stage, and is entirely dependent on his servant, Clov, who is unable to sit. It would seem that their handicaps would result in mutual reciprocity but instead their relationship is one of abuse, animosity and compulsion—a curious exploration of that famous Hegelian dialectic of the master and slave. Now, I hesitate to project any philosophy on the text, as Beckett so explicitly detested his writing being subjugated to the philosophical trend of the time. However, he’s not here so shut your face and listen. Hegel, in trying to express the intangible nature of his dialectic approach to history, uses the example of the master and the slave. To make it more accessible I’ll use the example of two people who know each other passing in the street. A cognitive struggle goes on between

them, both desiring recognition from the other but neither willing to surrender it first. Whichever person surrenders first becomes the slave, and the other person, the master. This relationship can continue indefinitely during which the master becomes complacent and dependent on the slave, as the slave gradually emancipates himself from his master as he becomes increasingly proficient at tasks dictated to him until the roles can eventually become reversed. I believe this dialectic encapsulates the relationship between Hamm and Clov quite appropriately. On the day we meet them, Hamm undulates between abusing Clov and begging for his love and compassion, while Clov defiantly refuses Hamm and, although he is compelled to obey, attempts to leave.

In this production Hamm is played by veteran Joseph Ziegler who is typically stellar. Diego Matamoros plays Clov and captures the tradition of the downtrodden tramp beautifully. There are two further characters however who haunt the stage in garbage bins: Hamm’s parents Nagg and Nell.

Although they appear only rarely and briefly, they capture the real nature of the Theatre of the Absurd perpetrated by Beckett, as they represent perfectly the comedy that must be found in unhappiness.

They are played respectively by Eric Peterson and Maria Vacratsis. While Vacratsis is wonderful, it’s Peterson that steals the bins as he delivers a wonderfully devastatingly pathetic Nagg. He steals our hearts as he effortlessly captures the reduced devolved father of Hamm.

A large canvas curtain slowly and ostentatiously squeaks up into the ceiling revealing a tableau. Like an impressionist painting, the symmetry of the grey room is distorted. The

walls are bare save for two windows on either side, one submerged in water, and the other in earth which is occasionally penetrated by a stream of sunlight. The focus of the set is the wheelchair on which Hamm sits and it’s something straight out of a horror film: as Clov insouciantly takes off the sheet that covers him, we see that Hamm has a blood spattered handkerchief covering his face, the reason for which is later revealed.

Beckett’s Endgame is an existential ordeal, but one that I wholeheartedly recommend. Sail into the harbor of Schopenhauer with director Daniel Brooks who so delicately elicits the profound in this beautiful production. It runs at the Young Centre for the Performing Arts until November 17th.

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THE MIKE

Arts

Making a Night to Remember The Mike gets the Insider’s Scoop on Kelly’s Korner

THE MIKE

Arts

Passion, Pain and Politics A Review of the Frida Khalo and Diego Rivera Exhibit at the AGO

Alexandra Beamish | Staff Writer Performing at Kelly's Korner is a lot like starting university. You have no idea what to expect, how you will be received, or how the heck to get to, “What is it called again? Brennansomething?” As a young wittle froshie of 2011, I hadn’t a clue about anything of the sort, but was ready to assume a certain amount of agency in my University experience. “Get involved or be miserable” was number one on my bucket list, and what better way to do so by putting myself under a spotlight at the open mic night that is Kelly’s Korner?

My first performance makes for a good laugh. I managed to mix up the order of my piano sheet music pages, causing me to hit some pretty atrocious notes. What is astounding is that I did not let it faze me by stopping. I continued the piece until it was over, and proceeded to publicly laugh at the matter. People are not as scary as you’d suppose them to be. They really do appreciate someone who has the courage to take the stage and play for them. The audience was so encouraging that my slippery fingers vanished at that point. I was also able to utter complete and coherent sentences without a stutter, a rarity in the terrible public speaking experiences that constitute my experience. When you spend your time overanalyzing a situation, you really lose the value of how peaceful and satisfying it can be. At my second performance, I made sure to include page numbers!

Lucy Coren | Arts Editor I performed numerous times subsequently during the year, and became increasingly less nervous each time. It's amazing how much fun you realize you are having once you have gotten over self-deprecating thoughts. Wednesday, October 31st was my first performance of the 2012-2013 academic year. I thought I’d rattle things up a little by collaborating with two other Kelly’s Korner veterans, Vince Fuda and Chris Faria. It is highly gratifying to be working with other musicians who, once, were also performing at the open mic for the first time. There is a sort of mutual understanding; we had all been through the excruciating nervousness of a first performance before.

Please do not get me wrong; it is impossible to avoid the trembles. However, the driving force of my minor jitters is not anxiety, but the pumping adrenaline that consumes me before belting out a song.

If you decide to perform a complete set of original songs, I applaud you! It takes a certain boldness to unmask your soul in lyric and song to an audience of unfamiliar people. But do not be fooled! Although I took a musical approach to Kelly’s Korner, all talents are welcome!

Whether you are a master at slam poetry, a tap dancing phenomenon, want to crack a few jokes stand-up comedy style, or have an odd but intriguing talent you’d like to share, Kelly’s

Korner showcases an array of expertise.

Kids: do not be afraid to approach Joe Ianni, the Arts director at St. Mike’s! I cannot stress enough how supportive he has been throughout the journey of performing at Kelly’s Korner. As an awkward, selectively shy first year student, I was consumed with questions about the unknown. Joe was able to answer every one of them, took an active interest in the type of music I liked to play, and warmly welcomed me at every show I played. Kelly’s Korner hopes to see you at the next show, held every last Wednesday of the month in Brennan Hall on the St. Michael’s College campus, mesmerizing the crowd with your artistry.

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Andre Breton, one of the principle generators of the surrealist movement, described Frida Khalo’s arts as, “ribbon wrapped around a bomb”. It is just this sense paradox, this confidence met with crisis, this pain met with ecstasy that Frida elicits in her art and that the Art Gallery of Ontario so effectively establishes in their exhibit, Frida & Diego, currently running until January 20th, 2013.

Frida Khalo was born in Mexico in 1907, although she altered her birth certificate to say 1910 so that it would coincide with the genesis of modern Mexico with the start of the Mexican Revolution. She contracted

polio at a very young age which left one leg much thinner than the other until it was eventually amputated shortly before her death. When she was eighteen she was involved in a perversely slow but catastrophic bus crash which left her devastatingly injured; to list just a few of these injuries were broken ribs, broken spinal column, broken pelvis and dislocated shoulder. Most traumatic however, was an iron handrail that pierced her stomach and uterus; the legacy of this crash was not only recurring physical pain and prolonged hospitalization, but also that, although she could conceive a child, she could not bring it to term.

This tragedy I believe, led to her most powerful and unapologetically

real paintings.

There seems to have been a host of themes which inspired Frida to paint: politics, gender, nature; but the theme which struck me most was the desire for and loss of motherhood.

During her stays in hospital where her conceived child was invasively terminated, she painted some of her most surreal and disturbing pieces.

Her most poignant perhaps, is called, “Frida and the abortion”. Located in the third room of the exhibit, this sketch which is small and easy to miss, is a visual novel. It describes the dissonance between the powerful woman and the broken mother with a literal line drawn through her naked body. Tears stream from her eyes and her breasts into the ground, ironically

nurturing the earth beneath her. Odd plant life grows around her which could again be easily overlooked, but on closer inspection these plants are embryonic in design and depict little hands and male and female genitals—Frida did not know what gender her baby would have been.

Of her art Frida said, “I don’t paint dreams, I paint reality” and, terribly, this was her reality. Her desire to give life was never realized and that frustrated pain is so beautifully and so devastatingly reflected in her work.

Diego Rivera, twenty years Frida’s senior, was an established Mexican painter who had been classically trained in Spain and Paris; it is easy to trace his travels with his precocious appropriation of their stylistic schools, such as cubism and surrealism which are coherently displayed in the first room of AGO’s exhibit. Frida, in 1927, approached Diego with a selection of her paintings and asked if he thought she was gifted.

He replied that she certainly had talent. Their correspondence continued passionately from there until they married in 1929. Their marriage was a tumultuous one, as both Frida and Diego conducted extra-marital affairs; most famous perhaps was Frida’s affair with Leon Trotsky while he stayed in her home

in Mexico seeking political asylum.

Frida and Diego divorced in 1939 but remarried only a year later. Their second marriage was as troubled as the first but they remained together until Frida’s death at the age of forty-seven in 1954.

Perhaps my favourite feature of the exhibit was a video recorded by one of the couple’s friends of their everyday interaction. Frida and Diego are sitting outside their Mexican home and Diego hands her large flowers which Frida accepts and proceeds to interweave into her braided hair, piled on the top of her head. The next shot is a close up of Frida as she looks self-consciously at the camera. She dotes on Diego’s hand, first holding it to cup her face, then caressing it. At all times though, she remains aware that she is being watched and throws piercing glances at the camera.

When first experiencing Frida’s self-portraits (which compose 55 of her 125 paintings), it is all too easy to make superficial assumptions: she is austere, supercilious, aggressively “other”. However once reaching the end of the AGO’s modest but wonderfully orchestrated exhibit, the superficial is succeeded by the insightful: Frida was not simply a militant activist, she was a realist, an artist and a woman of overwhelming pain, passion and politics.

Parallel Plots and Cosmic Karma A review of Cloud Atlas Marsha Malcolm | Staff Writer The Wachowski siblings and Tykwer certainly had their work cut out for them when they set out to adapt David Mitchell’s multi-faceted novel Cloud Atlas. Having never read the novel, I was incredulous about how cogent a film could be when transitioning between multiple plots. However, I still had high hopes for this movie. All of the hype around it had me all but convinced that it was a cinematic magnum opus of our time. By the end of the three hour journey that is Cloud Atlas, some hopes were met while others fell by the wayside. The funny thing is that I was more than okay with this. As strange as this sounds, I’m sure most people who see this movie will agree.

The scope of the movie is concerned with six diverse storylines dealing with greed and redemption on a 19th century sea voyage, starcrossed English lovers in the 1930s, investigative journalism concerning an energy conspiracy in the 1970s, a bumbling London publisher’s last chance at love, a revolutionary clone in neo Seoul, and humanity’s desperate last gasp in a postapocalyptic future.

Naturally, a big cast of multi-

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talented actors was needed to bring life to the stories that comprise Cloud Atlas. Halle Berry, Tom Hanks, Jim Broadbent, Bae Doona, Hugh Grant, Jim Sturges, James D’Arcy, Hugo Weaving, and Susan Sarandon were phenomenal in their multiple incarnations throughout the film. Despite solid performances, the awkward makeup techniques employed to make non-Korean characters appear Asian, and transform Halle Berry and Bae Doona into white women was not as effective as casting ethnically appropriate actors might have been. The attempt to preserve continuity throughout the reincarnation process is admirable, but not a resounding success.

Nevertheless, the make-up team was able to transform Hugo Weaving into a shockingly believable female nurse- this alone might very well be worth the price of admission.

At its heart, Cloud Atlas deals with the universal themes of love, the human condition, and freedom in multiple ways. As much as the viewer wants to believe in the strength of the bonds on the screen, it never seems as if there is enough time for this emotional investment, except perhaps in one of the romantic plots featuring Tom Hanks and Halle Berry. In the

future, the pair end up saving each other long after Earth’s own chance at preservation has passed. A freed slave is endowed with a sense of his own non-mercantile worth, and hundreds of years later a clone is made to see that her life is just as

valid and meaningful as those of non-synthetic individuals.

In essence, this line that recurs throughout the movie sums it up quite nicely: “Our lives are not our own. From womb to tomb, we are bound to others, past and present.”

There is no way to escape being attached to others. Cloud Atlas shows us that to love is to lose.

However, losing isn’t all bad as long as you are willing to grow, change, and dare to live since you might just have to do so again in another life.

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Sudoku

(CUP) — Puzzles provided by Sudoweb.com. Used with permission.

Poetry Corner Joe Ianni | Contributor

caffeine, alcohol, sugar induced between me, myself and I a truce has been blend a cavalcade of carcinogens is my life giving breath is the life giving water my boy, my man, my elder between me, myself and I a barter has been made the truth in tribulation is always indecision am I always in decision

Horoscopes Scorpio | October 23 November 22

Pisces | February 23 March 22

Cancer | June 22 - July 22

I am a Scorpio, so people often assume that I make these the best ones, but that’s not true!

That would just be an insult to the integrity of astrology. Instead, I like to make these the most abstract, because that way I don’t accidentally predict my own future. That would freak me out.

Your future is really cloudy right now, so I can’t really tell you much. I think I saw some clouds in your future, but those might have been the same clouds which were blocking me from seeing your future. Such a Catch-22, eh? I think I see clouds, but the clouds might be blocking what’s really there. Maybe my crystal ball just needs polishing. Or whatever it is that you imagine I use to predict your future so eloquently.

The best part of winter is that the weather makes it almost necessary to skip class.You should buy a pair of footie pajamas if you haven’t already, and bundle up for the long, cold season ahead. Keep your toes toasty and your books closed, cause no one studies around Christmas! Kidding, they do.

Aries | March 21 April 19

I hope you’re having a great day Leo, because you deserve it.You’ve been a great person lately, so keep up the good work.

Encourage others to be nice; don’t be bitchy for no reason, continue to abstain from cocaine!

If you actually do cocaine, stop it.

I am quite strongly anti-cocaine.

I pretty pro-everything else though.

Sagittarius | November 23 - December 22 Always remember to use your talents for good. If you are a swimmer, swim for charity, not for evil. If you are a painter, don’t paint ugly things. I myself put my valuable writing talents into the noble art of astrological bullshit.

a habit, a bias, a custom between me, myself and I accustomed has one become

Capricorn | December 23 - January 22

the sentimentality of some is rooted in self-interest is routed by selflessness

This is your month Capricorn; I can see it in the stars. By that, I mean I googled a picture of stars because you can’t really see the stars in Toronto. It’s quite a shame actually; so much light pollution. I should go to nature more often.

this convention, this disposition, this inclination between me, myself and I a transition doth occur in practice I've perfected my propensity for lies my tendency to try try try

want us to feature your art? send poems, photos and drawings to Arts@readthemike.com

Victoria Marshall Future Seer

Remember how at the end of The Little Mermaid, she learns to love herself as both a mermaid and a human-maid? There is a lesson there. I think it’s that you should be happy with yourself, but it might also be that octopusmagic is trickier than it looks.

Maybe it’s both.

Taurus | April 20 - May 20 Christmas is coming, Christmas is coming! I can’t wait to get all decked out in eggnog and joy! Do you? Yes, I bet. Christmas is just fantastic. I hope I get presents this year. Not like last year…

Aquarius | January 23 February 22

Gemini | May 21 - June 21

Don’t take the advice of your peers right now; everyone is super competitive around exam season, whether they need to be or not. Watch your back, keep your eye on your sneaky neighbor, lift some weights. It’s a doggy dog world out there.

Do you Christmas shopping early this year, because something bad will happen to you, like an anvil or a piano from the sky, and you want to make sure you get your shopping done before your upcoming cartoon injury.

Leo | July 23 - August 22

Virgo | August 23 September 22 Look out for unexpected surprises this month Virgo. Not that there are any expected surprises coming your way, I just mean that there will be surprises, so you should try to anticipate them by preparing for the worst.You’ll thank me later. Or not. This could all just be terrible advice.

Libra | September 23 October 22 Libra, I hate my job. If you are currently looking to hire a sarcastic, mildly polite child who is twenty years old, studies pointless subjects, enjoys candy, you should probably re-evaluate the types of candidates you’re looking for. I’m really not employable.