October 27, 2014

Vol. CXXXV, No. 8

27 October, 2014

The University of Toronto’s Student Newspaper Since 1880

Health support precarious Students question exhaustibility of birth control coverage, physiotherapy THE FUTURE OF URBAN TRANSIT?

Two PhD students at U of T have created a new alternative to getting around in the city: the car-bike hybrid pg.21

Push for proxy power ahead of UTSU AGM Students allege poor communication, inaccessible system Iris Robin

ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR

For the second time in recent years, colleges, faculties, and student groups across campus are mobilizing to collect proxy votes for the University of Toronto Students’ Union (utsu) Annual General Meeting (agm).

The efforts come amidst criticism of the manner in which signatures on proxy forms

are verified, and the amount of personal information required on the form.

The proxy system allows students who cannot attend the meeting in person to give their vote to another student who can attend the agm, with each voter permitted to carry up to 10 proxy votes.

In order for the proxies to be valid, students wishing to carry proxies must pick up a proxy form in person from the utsu or University of Toronto Mississauga Students’ Union (utmsu) office. Each form must be embossed with an

official seal, and be completed legibly by the member looking to proxy a vote.

“A NUMBER WAR” Eric Schwenger, newly-elected president of the University College Literary and Athletic Society (ucLit) said that the proxy system is necessary in order to meet accessibility concerns and to provide students who cannot attend the meeting with the chance to vote.

CONTINUED ON PG 9

Alex McKeen

ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR

In the heart of midterm season, students are concerned about more than just papers and exam results. Though health care is frequently taken for granted, some students are finding it hard to access the care they need.

The University of Toronto has a network of insurance plans and service options available to students depending on their enrollment status, faculty and campus.

Full-time undergraduate students, professional faculty students, and Toronto School of Theology students at the St. George and Mississauga campuses are covered, by default, by a Green Shield Health insurance plan administered by the University of Toronto Students’ Union (utsu).

Part time students are covered through the Association of Part Time Undergraduate Students (apus), while utsc students have a plan through their own students’ union.

International students are not covered by the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (ohip) and are required to purchase the University Health Insurance Plan (uhip).

According to May Nazar, spokesperson for Ontario’s Ministry of Training Colleges and Universities, said this is because international students have a temporary immigration status which puts them outside of the scope of the Ontario health system.

“It is the responsibility of individual colleges and universities to ensure that international students have a health insurance option,” Nazar said.

UNEVEN BIRTH CONTROL COVERAGE Many students cite access to safe, reliable birth control as a top health concern.

This has specifically been an issue for women looking to use a progesterone coated intrauterine device (iud).

The device, which works by releasing the hormone progesterone from inside the uterus, is described by Toronto-based gynecology clinic Meridia Medical Group as “the safest form of birth control” in preventing pregnancy. However, it does not prevent sexually transmitted infections.

CONTINUED ON PG 8

INSIDE Comment

Features The communities within

Arts & Culture In conversation with David Cronenberg

Sports Blues basketball: rookie-veteran Q&A

Different TAs provide varying degrees of support

Exploring the diverse cultural landscape of U of T

An interview with the Canadian filmmaker on his film Maps to the Stars

Two team members discuss the team, the game, and DJing

PG12

PG16

PG14

PG25

The TA advantage

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VARSITY NEWS

Vol. CXXXV, No. 8

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news@thevarsity.ca

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VOL. CXXXV, No. 8

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arts & Culture editor Sarah Niedoba

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science editor Jasleen Arneja

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illustration editor Julien Balbontin illustration@thevarsity.ca Video editor Jamieson Wang

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Associate Design Editor Vacant

An afternoon in Kensington market. shahin s. imtiaz/the Varsity

Submit your photos to photo@thevarsity.ca.

Associate Photo Editor Vacant Associate Senior Copy Editor Vacant Associate News Editor Iris Robin Alex McKeen Associate Comment Editor Victoria Wicks Associate Features Editor Vacant Associate A&C Editors Daniel Konikoff Jacob Lorinc Associate Science Editor Nadezha Woinowsky-Krieger Associate Sports Editor Reshara Alviarez

WHAT’S GOING ON THIS WEEK ON CAMPUS MONDAY WOODSWORTH INCLUSIVE AND RAINBOW TRINITY PRESENT: AN ASEXUALITY DISCUSSION AND SOCIAL Waters Lounge Woodsworth College, 7:00–9:00 pm Come out and meet people at this discussion and social event as part of Asexual Awareness Week.There will be snacks. All bodies welcome.

Associate Web Developer Ishan Thukral Contributors Reshara Alviarez, Jasleen Arneja, Sasha Boutilier, Jeffrey Chen, Emily Colero, Emma Compeau, Sampson Coutts, Aleksandra Dolezal, Nabi Dressler, James Flynn, Claire Fox, Emma Kikulis, Wan Xian Koh, Prathishtha Kohli, Daniel Konikoff, Andy Li, Jacob Lorinc, Sofia Luu, Haman Mamdouhi, Tamim Mansour, Alex McKeen, Joshua Miller, Linh Nguyen, Sarah Niedoba, Will Power, Madison Prezioco, Arco Recto, Andrew Richmond, Iris Robin, Jeffrey Schulman, Kasi Sewraj, Caroline Shim, Aidan Slind, Michael Strang, Stanley Trievus, Corey Van Den Hoogenband, Alex Verman, Catherine Virelli, Sandy Wang, Brittanney Warren, Hannah Wilkinson, Nadezha Woinowsky-Krieger Copy editors and Fact Checkers Salena Berry, Karen Chu, Hannah Lee, Jane Lee, Joanne Lee, Manshu Li, Malone Mullin,Lauren Park, Sean Smith, Maria Sokulsky-Dolnycky, Jonathan Soo, Suhas Srinivasan, Michaela Vukas Photographers and Designers illustrators Kawmadie Julien Balbontin, Khaiam Karunanayake, Dar, Victoria Dawson, Jasjeet Matharu, Rene Sheng, Vanessa Brittany Gerow, Michelle Wang, Mike Wong, Gu, Elena Iourteva, Timothy Law, Mallika Makkar, Helena Mari Zhou Najm, Priyanka Sharma, Cover Ann Sheng, Jessica Song, Photo courtesy of Jennifer Su Jonathan Lung

Business Office Business Manager Karen Zhou business@thevarsity.ca Business Associate Vacant Advertising Executives Anna Afshar anna@thevarsity.ca rachel@thevarsity.ca Rachel Choi The Varsity is the University of Toronto's largest student newspaper, publishing since 1880. The Varsity has a circulation of 20,000, and is published

by Varsity Publications Inc. It is printed by Master Web Inc. on recycled newsprint stock.

Content © 2014 by The Varsity. All rights reserved. Any editorial inquiries and/or letters should be directed to the sections associated with them; emails listed above.

The Varsity reserves the right to edit all submissions.

Inquiries regarding ad sales can be made to ads@thevarsity.ca. ISSN: 0042-2789

TUESDAY ACE TORONTO’S ASEXUAL AWARENESS WEEK WORKSHOP U of T Grad House, 66 Harbord Street, 12:15 pm Organized by Toronto’s local meet-up group for people on the asexual spectrum. Come along if you know aces, work with aces, or think you might be ace yourself – or if you just want to know more!

WEDNESDAY 21 SUSSEX OPEN HOUSE 21 Sussex Avenue, 4:00–7:00 pm.

Get to know the 50+ clubs and offices housed at the 21 Sussex Clubhouse in this Halloween-themed open event.

THURSDAY THE NEWSPAPER PRESENTS: THE EVE OF HALLOWS’ EVE 256 McCaul Street, Suite 106, 10:00 pm.

A Halloween party hosted by the team at the newspaper. Stop by for a drink, some treats, and some cool prizes. Costumes optional.

FRIDAY HART HOUSE OF HORRORS HALLOWE’EN PARTY Hart House, 7 Hart House Circle, 8:30 pm–1:00 am, $15 The biggest Halloween event on campus.There will be psychics, DJs, dancing, a carnival, magic and movies, refreshments.

THE EXPLAINER

Halloween edition The Varsity presents some places in Toronto to watch out for ghosts in time for Halloween.

University College: During the construction of the iconic building, two builders Reznikoff and Diabolos allegedly fought to the death over the love of a woman. When Diabolos came out victorious, Reznikoff was seen to haunt the college until 1890.

1 Spadina Crescent: The building on the edge of campus has been riddled with lore since a University of Toronto lecturer was murdered there in 2001. Since then, a 29-year-old woman has fallen to her death at the site, reportedly in the search for ghosts.

Gooderham and Worts Building, the Distillery District: James Worts, co-founder of distillery company Gooderham and Worts, drowned himself in a well following his wife’s death by childbirth. His ghost has repeatedly been sighted since his untimely death in 1832.

Trinity College: Trinity students are advised to watch out for the ghost of John Strachan, founder of the college, on the anniversary of his death on November 1. Don’t be too concerned — witnesses claim that Strachan’s ghost just wants to “check up” on his beloved college.

The Royal Ontario Museum: Staff and guests of the museum have seen the presence of Charles Currelly, the first director of the museum, wandering around the East Asiatic Collection.

On occasion, an unidentified young girl has also been spotted enjoying the museum’s shows.

Correction: The article “In conversation with Ari Cohen” published October 22 contained incorrect information about the filmmaker.

The Varsity regrets these errors.

An article from October 20 incorrectly said that the UCLit would be filing for continuance under the Canada Not-for-Profit Corporations Act. In fact, the UCLit will be transitioning to Ontario’s new Not-forProfit Corporations Act. An ad for the University of Toronto Students’ Union Annual General Meeting that ran on page 21 in the October 6 issue of The Varsity mistakenly cut off information about proxy forms and preregistration. The Varsity regrets the error.

var.st/news

VARSITY NEWS

MONDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2014

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Ministerial mandate letters released Letter to Minister of Training, Colleges, and Universities emphasizes job preparation, improved post-secondary education quality and accessibility Aidan Slind

VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR

Three months after receiving a mandate from the people of Ontario, Premier Kathleen Wynne has issued mandate letters to ministers in her cabinet.

While such letters, which give ministers and their departments instructions going forward, have long been a part of Ontario political life, the events of September 25 were different.

The letters were published publicly for the first time, a move in line with Wynne’s emphasis on transparency.

Reza Moridi, a nuclear physicist who serves as Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities, was challenged by the premier to lead from the often-referenced “activist centre” while looking through the “lens of fiscal prudence” with an eye to a balanced budget by 2017–2018.

The letter centres on preparing young Ontarians for the job market through programs, giving more high school students job experience, and placing an increased emphasis on the trades, while also improving the quality and availability of post-secondary education across the board.

Moridi highlighted his government’s record on the issue of availability and affordability, pointing out that average student debt for fouryear programs has declined by 20.9 per cent since 2000–2001.

“Ontario offers one of the most robust student assistance programs in Canada… Once all government supports are factored in, the students with the greatest need pay substantially less and virtually no student pays the full sticker price,” Moridi said.

Ontario publicly issued mandate letters for the first time. HELENA NAjM/THE VArSITy

When asked how he would follow through on the letter’s pledge to make Ontario “North America’s leading jurisdiction for talent, skills and training” and draw international students, the minister implied that the government’s plan would be sufficient to realize this goal.

“These goals will help us ensure our colleges and universities are providing quality and innovative programs that speak to their strengths as an institution, through differentiation,” he said.

Moridi also mentioned the Ontario Youth Entrepreneurship Fund, another major part of the Liberals’ plan that aims to provide young Ontarians with access to investment and mentorship.

New Democratic Party (ndp) Training, Colleges and Universities critic Peggy Sattler saw it differently, and said that the government has

not accounted for some of the logistical problems surrounding monetary assistance.

“We know the Ontario system of financial aid is overwhelmingly complex and difficult to navigate. To just assume students will figure out where to go to access which pots of financial aid creates more barriers for students already having to overcome barriers to access to postsecondary education,” Sattler said.

Ontario has the lowest per-student funding and the highest tuition fees in Canada.

On the jobs front, Sattler was also concerned that Wynne’s government will not do enough to crack down on unpaid internships, which have been an ndp priority since before the election.

For his part, Progressive Conservative Training, Colleges and Universities critic Garfield

Dunlop saw the potential for fiscal issues and lamented a lack of specific dollar amounts in the letter. “[The biggest] problem we have today is funding levels. Where is the money coming from?” Dunlop said.

Dunlop also questioned the government’s commitment to transparency and accountability given their record on Ornge and the gas plant scandal.

Dunlop also said that publishing the mandate letter limited Moridi’s capacity for independent leadership. “It’s been dictated to him,” he said.

Glen Jones, professor of education at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education and expert on federal and provincial university policy, looked on the administration’s goals more favourably.

“I think that the letter itself should be respected as a unique way of signaling government priorities emerging from the premier’s office and increasing transparency. We now know the Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities’ marching orders from the premier — and this is the first time that these mandate letters have been released,” he said.

Jones also praised the Ontario Liberal government’s efforts to increase access to post-secondary education, saying they have the best record of any administration in four decades.

“I am not sure that there is much [for university students] to disagree with. The letter sets out a series of goals that have already been articulated by government, but it also identifies goals like access and student financial support as key priorities,” Jones added.

Other stated aims in the letter include transferring funds from the least to most effective employment training programs and working with employers to assess the job readiness of graduates.

GSU Litigation Committee reaches settlement with CFS Union set to hold contentious referendum on defederation Hannah Wilkinson

VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR

After a prolonged battle, the University of Toronto Graduate Students’ Union (gsu) Litigation Committee has reached a settlement in their case against the Canadian Federation of Students (cfs).

The settlement will allow the gsu to hold a referendum on the question of their cfs membership status. The vote will take place between November 24 and 28, 2014, with the campaign period beginning on November 10.

Since September 2013, members of the gsu have been fighting for the chance to decertify from the cfs. The initial goal was to hold a vote on the question of defederation within the academic year.

The gsu has no formal position on its status as a member of the cfs, nationally or provincially.

Members of the gsu submitted a petition to the cfs last September but received notice from the cfs that their petition had been rejected just weeks before the referendum to vote was scheduled to take place.

In order to be valid, the petition had to have had the support of no less than 20 per cent of its membership — in the gsu’s case, more than 3,000 signatures. According to cfs bylaws, the gsu cannot hold a referendum to vote without the petition.

In response to the petition’s failure, the gsu formed a Litigation Committee to review the

petition process and shed light on the alleged problems they encountered. The Litigation Committee took the cfs to court over the matter, reaching a settlement two weeks ago.

The petition had failed as numerous signatures were deemed invalid. According to cfs bylaws, the signatures on the petition must be attached to current students, the names must legible, and the signatures must be “unique.”

The cfs claimed that multiple signatures did not meet requirements.

In order to properly examine the petition, the cfs needed an official list of students that were members of the gsu. However, due to privacy policy in place at U of T, the viceprovost did not release this list. The cfs hired a third party, Deloitte, to investigate the petition thoroughly.

The investigation concluded that multiple signatures were from non-members of the gsu.

The petition was then deemed unacceptable as it fell just short of the required 20 per cent.

In July 2014, the gsu posted an open letter that announced that they were seeking legal counsel on the matter.

After further investigation, it emerged that many of the names deemed invalid by the cfs were allegedly acceptable by their standards.

This meant that the petition was once again above the necessary 20 per cent.

Due to this, the Litigation Committee decided to take the cfs to court. A settlement was reached two weeks ago, but the Litigation Committee declined to comment on the matter.

The GSU is a founding member of the CFS. jESSICA SONG/THE VArSITy

A report on the settlement will be presented at the gsu’s next general meeting.

As of last September, the gsu was one of some 15 student unions looking to decertify from the cfs.

The Litigation Committee has been dealing with both the national and provincial offices of the cfs. As of press time, Alastair Woods, chairperson of the cfs-Ontario, did not respond to requests for comment.

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Vol. CXXXV, No. 8

VARSITY NEWS

news@thevarsity.ca

UTSU criticized for alleged AGM misinformation Some students told that union will dissolve if controversial board motion does not pass Alex Verman

VARSITY STAFF

Despite efforts by representatives of the University of Toronto Students’ Union (utsu), misinformation and bewilderment about the motions on the table at the upcoming Annual General Meeting (agm) continue to pervade campus.

Confusion has centred on the nature of the motion to establish new articles of continuance for the utsu. In light of the change in legislation under which the union is incorporated, articles of continuance are necessary for the union to exist as a legal entity and must be submitted by an established October 15, 2015 deadline.

With the articles of continuance, the utsu is also looking into potential alternative organizational structures. Bylaw amendments appear as a single motion on the agm’s order of business, with the controversial proposal for the new structure of the Board of Directors chief among them.

Some student leaders and groups have raised concerns that several utsu representatives allegedlycirculated information suggesting that the current motion is the only option for developing a legally compliant board structure.

One course union executive, who requested to remain anonymous, allegedly received text messages in which a utsu representative appears to claim that certain student organizations could cease to exist, or have their funding cut, if bylaw amendments do not pass.

BRITTANy GEROW/THE VARSITy

Contrary to the alleged misinformation, the survival of the union does not ride solely on a “yes” vote to this particular motion at the agm.

Rather, the union would have to try to pass the same or a different board structure at a meeting later this academic year.

“At [the agm], utsu must adopt bylaw changes to be compliant with the Canada Not-for-Profit Corporations Act, and if it does not it risks losing its status as an incorporated entity,” reads a post on the University of Toronto Mississauga Muslim Students’ Association (utm msa) Facebook page.

Commenting on that post, Zach Morgenstern, utsu director for Victoria College, at-

tempted to dispel some of the notions that were communicated to students. “I just wanted to confirm, that if the board structure motion fails (which is quite possible), it will be possible to organize another general meeting in the next 365 days to address the problem, so there’s no need to panic about utsu collapse right away,” Morgenstern wrote.

Similarly, a post on the out@utm Facebook page suggests that the consequences for voting “no” to the motion is a step towards dissolution of the utsu. “On October 29 there will be an agm by utsu about a motion. It’s a pretty long story, but what I’d like to point out is that

there is also a possibility that utsu may be disbanded,” reads the post.

While it is correct that the bylaw changes must take place, some argue that it is misleading to suggest that passing the current proposal at the agm is singularly decisive in its stakes for the union’s survival.

The utsu has attempted to keep students abreast of the motions being voted on at the AGM. Both utm msa and out@utm commented that they received their information from the University of Toronto Mississauga Students’ Union (utmsu).

“In the case where those bylaw changes are not adopted and the motion fails, utsu will have to organize another meeting to discuss the issue and make any amendments within a year or else it will lose its status as a registered organization,” said Bilal Rifai, senior advisor of the utm msa and a member of the utmsu Board of Directors, adding: “I don’t see anything wrong with what we posted.”

Yolen Bollo-Kamara, utsu president, communicated the urgency of passing compliant bylaws at the agm, but was careful to note that the union’s survival does not rest solely on a “yes” vote to this particular motion.

“If the proposal is not adopted at the meeting, we will have just under a year in which to pass a Board structure that is compliant,” reads an official statement by the utsu.

The statement was written by Bollo-Kamara following a meeting of the executive committee.

Millennials focus of Open Access Week International event informed public on the presence of transparency in academia hashtag #OA. Facebook events were created to communicate various event details, and Instagram users were invited to share their experiences via photos.

Also promoting Open Access is a new free app, Open Access Button. The app was created in November 2013 by a group of volunteer students and researchers frustrated by the copyright restrictions inhibiting them from accessing journals for their own research. The app searches the web for free academic journals so the user can avoid paywalls and aims to create free copies where they don’t yet exist.

“The purpose of the theme, Generation Open, is to stress the importance for young researchers or future researchers to become aware of and get involved in the issues regarding publishing and access,” said Cancilla.

Brittaney Warren

VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR

In recent years, copyright regulations have been under fire for creating costly barriers to published materials and for lack of adaptability to changing technologies. In 2012, amendments to Canada’s Copyright Act saw the Supreme Court expand their definition of fair copyright practices to include research, private study, education, parody, and satire.

The revision allowed educators to share short excerpts with their students. A short excerpt may include up to 10 per cent of a copyright-protected work, one chapter of a book, one article, a single poem or musical score, or a full entry from a work of reference such as an encyclopedia.

This expanded definition has resulted in a conflict of interest between Canadian universities and Access Copyright, a not-for-profit organization representing authors and publishers.

There is a worldwide movement to make academic journals more accessible to researchers by fostering discussion around the benefits of easy, free access to published works.

One such movement is Open Access Week, an international event dedicated to informing the public on transparency in academia. The University of Toronto held a series of information sessions, film screenings, and symposiums as part of the week.

KICKING-OFF “GENERATION OPEN” The World Bank and the Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition hosted the university’s kick-off event last week.

The theme for this year’s Open Access event was Generation Open. According to the 2011 census conducted by Statistics Canada, millennials make up nearly 27 per cent of the Canadian population.

ACCESS DENIED U of T spends $14 million on journal subscriptions annually. jENNIFER SU/THE VARSITy

The event was live streamed on the World Bank’s website and hosted by Meredith Niles, a post-doctorate research fellow at Harvard University. In the opening remarks, Niles spoke of several organizations participating in the event across dozens of campuses, including Open Access Nepal and Open Access Nigeria.

There was a particular focus on early career researchers and students, with topics on the support roles of institutions and how open access relates to young scholars throughout their career paths.

José-Marie Griffiths, a panelist who serves as vice-president for academic affairs at Bryant University, said that institutional mindsets are slow to change and highlighted the leadership role that young people can have. “Early career researchers will push, and need to push, to educate broader communities about the issues and environment that we are living in today,” Griffiths said.

The sessions also focused on the influence early career researchers can have on the future development of published research.

“As future leaders, [early researchers] hold the power to shape what publishing in academia will become, so educating younger generations on their options in publishing new research and what academia could look like in the future with a more open and inclusive academic environment could enable them to make a huge impact,” said Nelly Cancilla, copyright outreach librarian at the University of Toronto.

PLUGGED IN In keeping with the youthful theme of the event, social media tools were used to promote Open Access 2014. Twitter users live-tweeted the kick-off webcast, posting their questions and comments in 140 characters or less with

In 2013, U of T failed to renew its copyright license with Access Copyright, citing an “inability to secure a license at a reasonable price.” The university now acts independently of Access Copyright in its copyright dealings.

While the licence cost students $27.50, an annual fee they no longer have to pay, some students reported a significant increase in the price of course packs since the cancellation of the licence agreement.

Access Copyright has challenged the amendments to the Copyright Act, most notably through a lawsuit filed against York University in 2013. The outcome of the lawsuit will affect how higher learning institutions are able to implement the recently adopted fair dealings guidelines, something that the University of Toronto is monitoring.

“I’m not in the position to comment too broadly on the ongoing litigation, but I will say that the case is certainly important and we are keeping our eyes open,” said Cancilla.

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VARSITY NEWS

MONDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2014

5

In conversation with the Honourable David Onley Former lieutenant governor of Ontario discusses new role at UTSC, accessibility, legacy province. The architects had accessibility in mind and that tradition has continued. All these years later — while it has expanded dramatically in the physical plan and the number of students — it’s still a remarkably accessible facility. There is an audit about to get under way… to see what [accessibility] changes could be made, so I will be involved in that process.

Within the context of utsc, we have a structural and historic commitment to accessibility.

In the accessibility office, there is a commitment that extends right through the hierarchy of utsc. It is my hope that utsc can continue to be a leader and lead by example in this regard… oada was passed nine years ago, and the tenth anniversary will occur around the time of the Pan Am and Parapan Am games. It will be a time to reflect how far we have come and how much further we have to go.

Joshua Miller

VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR

Earlier this month, the Honourable David Onley took up his new post as senior lecturer in utsc’s Department of Political Science. Onley previously served as the twenty-eighth lieutenant governor of Ontario. The Varsity sat down with Onley to discuss his new role at utsc, his public service legacy, and his accessibility advocacy work.

The Varsity: After your tenure as one of Ontario’s longest-serving lieutenant governors, why return to UTSC? David Onley: I live physically close and, because I am a graduate from Scarborough College 1975... it seemed like a logical thing. Georgette Zinaty, [utsc executive director, development & alumni relations,] and I met and there was a discussion of “maybe you should consider teaching.” It was far enough on the horizon that it gave me serious time to think about it. At that point, I had no idea my term [as lieutenant governor] was going to be extended to September of 2014. That led to a series of conversations with former [utsc] principal [Franco] Vaccarino. I attended different U of T functions and met with U of T president Meric Gertler. President Gertler eventually asked if I would be the school’s ambassador to the Pan Am/Parapan Am Games.

TV: What will you be teaching and what would you like students to learn from your teachings?

DO: It will be a political science C-level course on the vice-regal office in Canada. We had toyed around with the idea of teaching a course on Ontario politics but, after some discussion, realized that the best use of my experience would be to focus on the vice-regal office and not just the provincial lieutenant governor’s office…[I]t is the vice-regal office and British parliamentary democratic structure that is the biggest separation point between ourselves and the Americans. Canadians have always had a vice-regal representative in the country going back to Champlain. I want to trace it forward, showing key moments in our

David Onley served as lieutenant governor from 2007 until 2014. FILe PHOTO:BeRNARDA GOSPIC/THe VARSITY

history. Vice-regal representatives have made decisions that changed Canadian history.

TV: Looking at your career in journalism, what have you learned from the experience and how have you benefitted from it?

DO: Certainly, the capacity to speak before an audience in television for 22-and-a-half years helped develop that skill set in speaking with general public and, as a reporter, in dealing with government. I graduated from U of T with an Honours ba Specialist certificate in political science, with a personal interest in Ontario politics. From an early age, in terms of my career, I had this interest in politics but became nurtured during my university years and was able to apply it in many ways in my time at City tv. In a way, it really did prepare me for the office of lieutenant-governor.

TV: You will be serving as the university’s Special Ambassador to the Pan Am/Parapan Am Games. What does this role entail,

and what would you like to achieve?

DO: The role is still being defined, but I have already had the opportunity to show people around the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre. I am going to represent the University of Toronto at events leading up to the games. One of the responsibilities is to be physically here [at utsc] during the games themselves. It is a phenomenal complex. I have had the great privilege of attending the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London Paralympics and have seen the aquatic centres in both countries. The Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre is on the same podium as the two venues.

It is… a world-class facility.

TV: Beginning January 1, 2015, the Ontario Access Disability Act (OADA) will require private and non-profit organizations to implement accessibility policies. What could be done to improve accessibility on campus?

DO: I chose to attend the utsc campus back in 1970 because, back then, it was easily the most accessible post-secondary facility in the

TV: Looking back on your service as the twenty-eighth lieutenant governor and the legacy of those who came before you, what would you like to be remembered for?

DO: I set out from the beginning to enhance the relevance of the office of lieutenant governor to the community and culture. The office gets flooded with hundreds and hundreds of invitations, so one need only accept those invitations, show up, and be physically present. Then, you have represented the office to different communities. But are we relevant to the culture? That is the key question and that was what we needed to do as an office. We embrace[d] social media, and reach[ed] out to community groups who have never been at the lieutenant governor’s office. Yet, they too were fundamentally a part of the culture: the Chinese Canadian community, members of the Southeast Asian community, representatives from Latin American groups who have a presence here in our culture. Physically making the Lieutenant Governor’s Suite accessible through the province’s building and installing of an elevator inside the suite. Prior to me, there was a high degree of inaccessibility in the office.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity and length.

Cost for Goldring Centre event raises eyebrows November 6 event could cost up to $40,000 Caroline Shim

VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR

An event designed to thank those who have collectively donated $31 million towards the construction of the Goldring Centre for High Performance Sport could cost up to $40,000, according to a source within the Varsity Blues.

The event is planned for November 6 and is paid for by sponsors. As the budget includes a small gift for each guest, the cost could vary according to the final number of attendees.

Sarah Baker, the director of public relations and communications for the Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education, said that significant new gifts will be announced at the event, which is also an opportunity to attract new funds.

The Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education and the Goldring Centre Campaign Cabinet are currently searching for more supporters to reach the $27.5 million remaining fundraising goal necessary to complete the project.

The Goldring Centre is scheduled for completion in January 2015. Once completed, the Centre will be used as one of the venues for the 2015 Pan American Games. It will also serve

as the only research-intensive centre for high performance sports in Ontario.

The plan for the Goldring Centre includes sport science laboratories for teaching and research, a sport medicine clinic, a strength and conditioning centre, and a 2,000-seat international standard field house for basketball and volleyball. It will also house athletic programs to provincial and national sports organizations that are in partnership with U of T, including drop-in recreation, intramural sports and Varsity Blues training and competition.

Baker emphasized the importance of donors in the University of Toronto and in realizing the project. “It is appropriate and important for the university to recognize and thank donors for their generosity,” she said.

The November 6 event will not be the first time that the university has held a high-cost event for the benefactors of the Goldring Centre. On January 31, 2012, 300 guests gathered at the Varsity Centre dome for the Goldring Centre groundbreaking ceremony.

In 2006, Warren Goldring, a U of T alumnus and the building’s namesake, made an $11 million donation to establish the centre.

Ontario’s Ministry of Training, Colleges and

The university broke ground for the project in April 2012. PRIYANKA SHARMA/THe VARSITY

Universities stepped in with a $22.5 million investment in 2011.

A significant part of funding also comes from other benefactors, including Accenture Inc., Alex Chiu Annual Golf Tournament, C.A. Delaney Capital Management Ltd., EllisDon

Corporation, and the Davenport family.

The $58 million centre will be the fourth and final phase of the $98 million Varsity Centre renewal. The previous three phases included Varsity stadium, Varsity dome, pavilion, and arena renovation.

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Vol. CXXXV, No. 8

VARSITY NEWS

news@thevarsity.ca

Housing costs high, conditions poor Lack of affordable housing downtown leads students to seek out alternative, sometimes unsafe, housing Michael Strang

VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR

The cost of off-campus housing continues to soar in Toronto. University students are paying more and more for unsafe lodgings that are often located within dangerous, poorly managed, or over-crowded units.

According to a recent survey conducted by the City of Toronto, the average monthly cost of renting a one-bedroom apartment in the city is around $1,010. Apartment rent costs have risen about one-and-a-half times faster than inflation since 1990.

Based on these statistics, the tenant would have to earn about $40,000 per year to afford a stable lifestyle after taking into consideration costs for transportation, food, and heating.

Earlier this month, Vital Signs, an annual civic report card from the Toronto Foundation, reported that Toronto’s youth unemployment rate is around 17.6 per cent. Ontarians who work minimum-wage jobs for 20 hours per week earn about $11,440 annually.

As a result, some students are forced to take increasingly drastic measures to ensure they are able to make ends meet and maintain their living conditions.

Within the university, the issue of access to safe and affordable housing is not new. As it prepares to expand and increase student enrolment, more students will find themselves in situations where landlords may exploit them.

STUDENT PERSPECTIVES Dryden Rainbow, a fourth-year student, said that while she has always felt safe in her house on Bathurst Street, most housing problems are caused by the transient nature of the spaces.

“People live there for a year or two — four years max — meaning most tenants feel no obligations to maintain the house. This leads to structural issues that you might not even be aware of when you view the house or decide to rent, as they are hidden from view,” Rainbow said.

Rainbow emphasized that students should know their rights, as it is easy for landlords to take advantage of students’ ignorance.

A fourth-year student, who asked to remain anonymous, said that, when looking for housing last year, one landlord indicated that he would only rent to heterosexual couples.

Although the student did not end up renting from that landlord, she said that the experience with the landlord she chose has not been much better.

“My actual landlord last year kept on telling me not to cook Indian food because curry makes the walls smell, and her husband would walk in at any hour without notice,” the student said.

ann sheng/The VarsiTy

Meghan Peterson, a fourth-year student, lived in a poorly maintained apartment in the Spadina Avenue area in her second year. “We spent $500 [plus utilities] a month to live in a tiny termite-infested basement apartment.

When my roommate moved her bed on the day we moved out, she found a puddle of water underneath her bed from a wall that had been leaking all year,” Peterson said.

When Peterson expressed concern over holes in the ceiling that turned out to be caused by termites, her landlord covered them up and instructed her to keep a dehumidifier on.

Peterson initially moved into the apartment because it was late in the summer and she was afraid that she might be unable to find anywhere else to live. “For $500 a month in other cities in Ontario, we probably could have had a larger home. But for us, we ended up in a tiny basement with no windows,” she said.

Peterson added that it is difficult to gauge how much an apartment should cost, due to the variety of living spaces available in Toronto. “Sometimes it’s hard to tell if you’re being ripped off or not — especially as a naive second year who has barely lived off residence,” Peterson said.

Kalyna Onufryk, also in fourth year, echoed

Peterson’s sentiment that safe, affordable housing is more readily available in other Canadian cities. “We don’t really drink out of the tap anymore because the water is very cloudy and has a funky taste. It has a lot of mineral deposits in it,” Onufryk said, adding: “It’s just not clean.”

Onufryk pays $1,075 per month but said that the conditions do not reflect the price. “The place is nice but looks run down,” she added.

Onufryk said that her biggest concern is the lack of university-supplied student housing.

“If you want an affordable place, you need to move further away or move into somewhere that is not sanitary,” she said.

Some students opt to live at home and commute multiple hours per day because there are not many affordable downtown options. “I know someone who is commuting from Oshawa and someone from Hamilton. Those are not easy commutes,” Onufryk said.

CITY INITIATIVES Tammy Robbinson, coordinator of strategic communications for the City of Toronto, said that students having issues with their housing units should first speak to their landlord.

Robbinson also recommended that students with concerns report landlords and unsafe living conditions to the city, and approach the landlord-tenant board with complaints.

Earlier this year, The Varsity reported that 11 students had been living together in an apartment of less than 3,000 square feet.

While U of T has expressed its plans to build more housing units for students, these plans are still years away from fruition. As a result of the growing pressure of housing demands, both the university and the city are entertaining new strategies.

According to a City of Toronto report, the overall supply of rental housing units did not increase between 1996 and 2006. Rental demand is projected to increase by 20 per cent by 2031.

The report also said that 21 per cent of renters — 100,000 households — were paying 50 per cent or more of their income on shelter in 2001.

Althea Blackburn-Evans, U of T director of media relations, acknowledged the increased demand for student housing.

“The University of Toronto is committed to ensuring our students have a great experience during their studies — that includes access to high quality housing that provides safety and support to the young people who live there.

There is a growing need for student housing across all three U of T campuses,” she said.

Blackburn-Evans also laid out a plan as to how the university intends to solve the issue of student housing on all three campuses.

“The University is…working with The Daniels Corporation as a partner on a proposed project to build a residence for students at the corner of Spadina and Sussex Avenues, immediately adjacent to the St. George campus. That project is currently going through a wide-ranging consultative process, involving the local city council, city officials and neighbors in the affected areas,” Blackburn-Evans said.

U of T offers a number of services to help students find housing, including online apartment search listings and a program through which students may find roommates. The online database connects students to housing options and also allows them to search advertisements by location and tailor their search according to a set of preferences. The City of Toronto has also introduced a series of strategies aimed at alleviating the strain of student housing.

According to Robbinson, the strategy is a four-step consultation process involving research and community input. A report with preliminary findings will then be forwarded to an executive committee, culminating with recommendations from the executive committee in December 2015.

LGBTOUT endorses proposed UTSU board structure Emily Colero

VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR

lgbtout held an information session on Tuesday, October 21 in advance of the University of Toronto Students’ Union (utsu) Annual General Meeting (agm). The goal of the event was to discuss how proposed utsu board reforms could give lgbtq communities the chance to become better represented within the university.

Due to a shift in federal non-profit laws, the utsu is passing articles of continuance that demand the submission of new bylaws. The utsu is now exploring alternative modes of representation on the Board of Directors and is looking to enshrine these in the new bylaws.

Yolen Bollo-Kamara, utsu president, explained in a presentation at the consultation that if the board structure proposal is approved, college and faculty positions would be replaced with directors in charge of different equity issues, including a director for lgbtq communities, students with disabilities, racialized students, international students, women, indigenous students, mature students, sustainability, commuter students, and the Transitional Year Program.

Campus groups would appoint some of these positions, and others would be elected. BolloKamara said the argument for multiple representatives for equity issues is that there are too many equity issues at the university for the utsu vice-president, equity to handle alone.

The proposed board structure is not without its controversies. Multiple student leaders and societies have expressed concerns that colleges and professional faculties could lose direct representation on the Board of Directors. lgbtout took issue with the fact that reform proposal contains identity-based positions, such as “lgbtq director.” Those present for the presentation discussed other possible names such as “lgbtq+,” the plus sign representing others in the community who may not identify with lgbtq such as asexual or pansexual, or “lgbtqq,” with the additional “Q” representing “questioning.” lgbtout, along with Queer Slam and Queer Writes, published a statement in support of the proposed structure — contingent on changing

the titles of the positions to reflect the fact that the directors represent issues, not identities.

Under this suggested change, the directors would be renamed “lgbtq issues director” as opposed to “lgbtq director.”

“We believe issues directors on lgbtq, commuter, racialized, gendered, indigenous… issues could positively influence how the utsu plans programming. This change can build equity into the utsu’s dna,” the statement read. lgbtout executwives said that the current college system severely overlooks the issues of equity that matter to accessing education. lgbtout executives also said that the new structure will promote intersectional representation.

var.st/news

VARSITY NEWS

MONDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2014

7

The state of the clubhouse Key student facility suffers from disrepair, lack of accessibility ahead of upcoming audit Claire Fox

VARSITY STAFF

Deffered maintenance at key University of Toronto buildings is overwhelming. The university’s total cost of deferred maintenance has soared to $505 million as many key student facilities, including the Sussex Clubhouse, go unmaintained.

The Sussex Clubhouse, which houses over 50 student societies, as well as a number of communal spaces, is one such space in dire need of repair.

In February, The Varsity reported that the average Facilities Condition Index (fci) at U of T averages 14.1 per cent. The fci is a measure of a building’s condition and is determined by a third-party audit of the deficiencies of the property.

An fci of 10 per cent indicates a building or property portfolio in poor condition. The 15.1 per cent fci of the St. George campus has not increased since the 2012 report, but is higher than the average at other U of T campuses.

According to Ron Swail, assistant vice-president of facilities and services, the Clubhouse has not been audited since 2005–2006. At that time, the Clubhouse’s fci stood at 13.7 per cent.

A re-audit of the state of the Sussex Clubhouse building will take place in November.

Although utm and utsc have both seen a decrease in their liability, the total deferred maintenance at the St. George campus has increased to $435 million. Swail attributed the increase to the re-auditing of several buildings at the St. George campus.

Swail said that the deferred maintenance on buildings has continued to grow across the entire Ontario post-secondary education

The Clubhouse is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. victoria dawson/tHe varsity

sector, sitting at approximately $2 billion.

“The U of T liability continues to grow because we do not have the necessary resources to rectify the issue across all buildings.

Over the past the past 11 years, however, the university has made significant progress in addressing deferred maintenance by consistently increasing funding allocated to this issue,” Swail said.

Since 2005, provincial funding for deferred maintenance budgets has decreased at the same time as U of T funding for deferred maintenance has dramatically increased.

The Ontario Liberal Party’s recent budget pledged $500 million over 10 years towards deferred maintenance on university campuses.

Andrea Watson, volunteer/finance coordinator at the Sexual Education Centre (sec),

said that, although the sec has had to deal with certain accessibility problems, they have only had minor maintenance issues.

Watson said that accessibility issues sometimes hinder service-users from accessing the sec office. “It is incredibly frustrating when people with disabilities are not able to access our office,” Watson said.

Watson added that the building’s elevator has often caused accessibility issues, going out of commission for weeks at a time. “On the best of days, the elevator is genuinely unsettling to use — it is very small, slow to respond, shaky, and often stops at incorrect floors. Despite a renewed commitment to accessibility in the past few years, our elevator problems severely hinder sec’s accessibility to service users and volunteers with a wide range of disabilities,” said Watson.

Swail said that the elevator is very old, but is on the list for a full retrofit within the next one to three years. “During the past summer, this unit was breaking down on a frequent basis and we determined the generator needed replacing. Once the new generator was installed, this elevator has run relatively problem-free,” Swail said.

“While we are prepared to undertake a full modernization of this unit, doing so will result in the elevator being out of service for several months. Given the full occupancy of the building, we feel that retrofitting the elevator building next year will cause significant inconvenience to the occupants,” Swail added.

Swail said that the university is inclined to wait to retrofit the unit until some of the student groups move out in the coming years, so that the inconvenience of the retrofit affects fewer people.

Stabbing reported at origami club event Students could face charges following violent altercation at F.O.L.D. Emma Compeau VARSITY STAFF

Two unnamed male students were reportedly involved in a violent altercation at a f.o.l.d. (Flying with Origami, Learning to Dream) event on October 10.

Scissors were reportedly used as weapons in the altercation.

The event was a modular workshop held

by the student group in Sidney Smith Hall, and was planned with the intent of teaching students how to fold hexaflexagons and firework origami designs.

The altercation was the result of personal matters unrelated to the club and allegedly escalated from verbal exchanges to physical violence. Witnesses tried to intervene and an ambulance was called. The two students went to the police station and could face charges.

Susan Cui, f.o.l.d. president, declined requests for comment. “The situation is still under investigation. At this moment we cannot release any information and will be unanimously declining an interview,” Cui said.

Althea Blackburn-Evans, U of T director of media relations, also declined comment on the incident. “As the matter is before the courts, the University will not comment [on] the specific allegations. The University is

committed to a safe campus environment,” Blackburn-Evans said. f.o.l.d. was founded at the St. George campus in 2007 with a mission to promote the entertainment and educational values of origami.

Since the alleged incident, f.o.l.d. has continued to host on-campus events, including a Halloween-themed workshop and an origami night in collaboration with the Centre for International Experience.

A look into the U of T Crisis Management Plan The Varsity examines university policy in light of the Ottawa shooting Tamim Mansour

VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR

Toronto has seen an increase in visible police presence in public institutions and spaces, including on public transit, since last week’s shooting in Ottawa.

Toronto police chief Bill Blair said the city would be increasing its security presence as a precautionary measure.

Meanwhile, security at the university has been business as usual, despite political presence on the St. George campus.

Queen’s Park, the seat of Ontario’s legislature, has stood on the north end of University Avenue for 121 years. The building sits on land leased from the University of Toronto. The university’s Emergency Pre-

paredness and Crisis Management Plan lays out procedures to ensure consistency in emergency planning and response across all three campuses and the many faculties, departments, and institutions that make up the university.

Following the report of a campus emergency, campus police contacts the On Call Executive, a position that is rotated weekly amongst senior leadership of the university’s campuses. The On Call Executive decides whether an emergency is best handled locally, or if it constitutes a universitywide crisis.

The university defines a “crisis” as “a situation that may significantly affect the University’s ability to carry out its academic and business activities or damage its reputation.” If a crisis is declared, the On

Call Executive activates the Crisis Management Team (cmt), which is composed of the same members as the On Call Executive Team, to assume control of the response to the crisis.

The Crisis Management Team has at its disposal three campus-specific Emergency Response Teams (erts), a Community Support Team, and Specialized Support Teams.

Althea Blackburn-Evans, director of media relations, said that the university has a variety of specialized personnel at its disposal. “At the University of Toronto, we have many skilled employees and specialized services that can provide particular expertise in the event of a crisis or critical incident.

These employees regularly undertake professional development to ensure that their skill set is current and they are able to uti-

lize proven best practice,” she said.

Blackburn-Evans added that the university also works with municipal emergency responders in the event of a crisis. “In a situation such as that which occurred in Ottawa, the relevant Municipal Emergency Service Providers would attend and direct University services to assist if needed,” she said.

The University also maintains a comprehensive communications plan that utilizes multiple communications tools.

“The University has available a variety of tools to disseminate messages including but not limited to social media tools, websites, landline messaging, emails, text and sms messages, desktop messaging, and display screens across campus,” Blackburn-Evans added.

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Vol. CXXXV, No. 8

VARSITY NEWS

news@thevarsity.ca

Athletic Centre criticized for alleged discrimination Student claims mental, physical discrimination contradicts Positive Space policy Nabi Dressler VARSITY STAFF

Taped to the desk at the Athletic Centre (ac) was an email with Zack Nelson’s name highlighted and boxed. By his name, someone had scrawled, “ANGER ISSUES!” The publicly viewable message made note of the ac’s suspension of Nelson, a second-year master’s student in East Asian studies.

Managers removed the note at the beginning of October after Nelson’s fiancée, Sangee Nahm, a third-year undergraduate English and visual studies student, reported it to managers.

Nahm said the note’s message resonated with her because of her mental disability.

“I was surprised that no other staff member pointed it out, that it was not appropriate to write something here, because it’s in the public view,” Nahm said, adding: “Even if [Nelson] gets his membership back, I’m not planning to go back there myself because I feel very unwelcomed at the Centre.”

“These days, anyone can take a picture. Anybody can disseminate that anywhere. That can be harmful to anybody’s reputation, especially if the allegations are not true, which they aren’t,” Nelson said.

Nelson’s suspension arises from several incidents he has had with a specific staff member at the ac. At first, Nelson was allegedly accused of giving personal and group training to friends, one of whom asked him for some advice on his form. Later that week, the staff member allegedly approached Nelson and asked him if he had a question because he was looking in her direction.

CONTINUED FROM COVER The progesterone-coated iud costs around $420 and lasts five years. In the utsu insurance plan, $250 per year is allowed for oral contraceptives and contraceptive device claims.

This is enough to cover more commonly used birth control methods such as the pill and the shot, because the cost of these methods is distributed over several years. The one-time cost of an iud, however, means that the student must pay the difference between the insurance coverage and the cost of the device upfront.

Yolen Bollo-Kamara, president of the utsu, said that contraception and reproductive health coverage is a crucial aspect of the utsu plan, but that the $250 limit is a matter of compromise.

“The plan provides basic coverage for a number of procedures and services in order to meet the diverse needs of the membership while remaining affordable,” said Bollo-Kamara.

Jennife Poole, a third-year bioethics and health studies student, said that the plan’s limits constitute a notable omission, and that all methods of birth control should be evenly accessible. “Not everyone is the same; everyone has different lifestyles. It can be hard to take the pill every day,” she said.

Poole made the transition to the Depo-Provera shot after a recommendation from a physician at Health Services based on her lifestyle.

“You can’t pick and choose between which method is covered,” she added.

Erin Bionda, a third-year Rotman commerce student, echoed Poole’s remarks. She said that it is reassuring to take a pill every day, but it is not without its risks and sideeffects. “It can be a challenge to find a pill that works well with your body,” she said.

Bionda switched pill type three times due to side effects. She cited this as evidence of the importance of options.

Rachel Costin, public relations representative at the U of T Sexual Education Centre, said that the university has a responsibility to thor-

The AC houses the only Olympic-sized pool in downtown Toronto. file photo:carolyn levett/the varsity

Eventually, an argument escalated between Nelson and the staff member, which resulted in his suspension according to Nelson. A letter mailed to Nelson’s as well as his parents’ homes cited Nelson’s disrespect and hostility towards the staff member.

“Let’s say I had a real personality problem.

You don’t make fun of that… It could be any issue that a person has, and then to draw atoughly take care of its students’ health needs, which includes providing a variety of birth control options.

“There are people who can’t take the pill because of side effects or can’t use the patch or anything like that...” Costin said.

“It would make them more responsible if they covered more than just the standard forms,” she added.

ATHLETIC TREATMENT A WAITING GAME Some students also cited rehabilitation therapy as an issue.

For Catelyn*, a fourth-year English specialist, the convenience of Athletic Centre (ac) physiotherapy sessions has been undermined by the burdensome process leading up to actual treatment.

Rehabilitation therapy at the ac is available on an unlimited basis for students who have paid their athletics incidental fees. For the 2014–2015 school year, that amount is $314.14.

When Catelyn went to University Health Services this September with a dislocated shoulder, she thought she could get a referral directly to the David L. MacIntosh Sports Medicine Clinic, which is associated directly with the University of Toronto Faculty of Kinesiology.

However, she discovered that she wouldn’t receive physiotherapy treatment there until she consulted with a doctor at the same clinic.

The clinic has a mandate to treat sport-related injuries in the U of T community.

When Catelyn called the clinic, she was told it would take a month to get an appointment. Having used this route for physiotherapy treatment before, she decided it wasn’t worth the wait. “I knew from experience that after that appointment, it would probably take another month just to get to see a physiotherapist,” she said.

About one-third of the clinic’s therapy appointment times are set aside for varsity athletes.

Catelyn describes herself as fortunate for

tention to it and draw attention to it negatively is just very disrespectful and it’s just outright bullying, and this is bullying done by U of T staff members,” said Nelson.

“The fact that the letter was put up in the first place, it just reminds you of a bad high school drama that you watch on tv; ‘Okay, we’re going to tape a letter to a guy’s locker and write something about him,’” Nelson said.

“When you post a letter, highlight someone’s name, and make an accusation on the basis of some mental disability, that doesn’t seem to be in line with Positive Space policy,” he added.

In a meeting with managers to resolve the situation, Nelson says he shared his side of the story, and Nahm also expressed her concern with how the ac handled the issue.

“I felt that [the managers] were very sympathetic to my side and were actually willing to make things better there,” Nelson said.

“The Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education strives to always provide a welcoming, inclusive atmosphere for all students and members in our facilities in keeping with the university’s policies, guidelines and statements on equity, diversity and excellence. It is our goal that all users of our facilities feel that they can participate in our programming free of bias or discrimination, and are treated with dignity and respect,” said Sarah Baker, director of communications for the Faculty of Kinesiology.

Baker declined comment on specific elements of the incident, saying she was unable to “discuss the details with those not directly involved in the situation.”

Nelson — who began working out at the ac in 2006 — wants to retain his membership and work out at the venue again.

Nahm, who began working out at the Athletic Centre with Nelson last July, does not plan on returning.

“In general, a lot of people don’t treat others who have mental disabilities as they treat someone with physical disabilities, and they really shouldn’t make the decision based on what they see outside,” said Nahm.

BY THE NUMBERS 150,000,000

The estimated number of women in the world who use the intrauterine device.

$279.66

Per-student incidental fees paid to UTSU for health and dental coverage in 2014—2015

$125

Cost of 60-minute physiotherapy session at off-campus clinics

$120

Cost for one year supply of lowest cost birth control pill purchased from University of Toronto Health Services

having been able to access treatment at a physiotherapy clinic off-campus. She has a private health insurance plan that covered the cost of this treatment.

Due to the closeness of the off-campus clinic, and the fact that the doctors readily accepted her referral from Health Services, Catelyn said she saw no advantage to using the university’s health system. “It was so much easier,” said Catelyn of her off-campus health care experience.

For students that rely on the utsu health insurance plan through Green Shield, however, this option may not be financially viable.

A session with a physiotherapist is covered up to $30 per visit under the utsu plan, and is capped at 20 visits per year. A 60-minute session in downtown Toronto can cost $100 or more, leaving students to pay the rest out of pocket.

Even though athletics incidental fees cover treatment itself, the David L. MacIntosh Sports Medicine clinic can also prove expensive for students. There is a $60 annual administration fee, and summer membership is extra for those who aren’t in summer school.

Poole cited her reliance on the utsu plan and her awareness of the ac’s services as major

factors in her decision to seek treatment at the David L. MacIntosh clinic.

Poole started receiving treatment in the summer for a hip flex strain from running.

As she was not registered in summer courses, Poole had to purchase an AC membership for a $90 charge. She waited only a week for her initial appointment, but has since noticed that the volume of patients is higher in the fall semester.

Once connected with a physiotherapist, Poole said that the treatment was highly beneficial, and her physiotherapist was knowledgeable and professional. She also had no trouble scheduling enough appointment time.

“There was a while where it was really bad so [my therapist] had me coming in two, three times a week,” said Poole.

According to Catelyn, the resources that the AC provides should be more easily available to students. “I think it is something that universities should be providing for their students.”

She expressed concern that her own experience with physiotherapy on campus is reflective of a broader access problem. *Name changed at student’s request.

VARSITY NEWS

var.st/news

NEWS IN BRIEF Apparent ISIS supporters target student union website

New website allows students to anonymously rate peers’ contributions to group work

MONDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2014

9

— Iris Robin

Video game critic faces death threats

German universities’ tuition now free

On October 14, Anita Sarkeesian, a feminist cultural critic, was forced to cancel a speech planned for Utah State University (usu) after receiving death threats.

“This will be the deadliest school shooting in American history, and I’m giving you a chance to stop it,” said the anonymous email, which was sent to usu administration.

Sarkeesian said that, under state law, campus police could not prevent people with weapons from attending the speech.

The threats were part of the broader “GamerGate” movement, a campaign to highlight alleged ethical problems among gaming journalists.

According to a survey conducted by the International Game Developers Association, game development is still male-dominated. The survey found that around 21 per cent of video game developers in the study were female.

The broader video game industry, however, is quickly changing. The Entertainment Software Association estimates that 48 per cent of video game users in the US are female.

All German universities are now tuition free, even for international students.

Although a 2006 constitutional court ruling decreed university tuition fees compatible with Germany’s commitment to universal education, individual states gradually dropped the greatly unpopular ruling, with Lower Saxony the last to follow.

According to Gabrielle Heinen-Kjajic, Lower Saxony’s minister for science and culture, the decision was taken “because [they] do not want higher education [to depend] on the wealth of…parents.”

However, each individual state’s decision to end tuition fees was largely due to public and student outcry. By 2013 the number of people in the German state of Bavaria opposed to university fees consisted of 15 per cent of the population, enough to force the state’s premier to scrap tuition fees entirely.

Germany now ranks fourth — after America, the uk, and Australia — among popular destinations for further education, according to topuniversities.com.

With files from cbc News

With files from The New York Times

With files from The Independent and The Guardian

— Andrew Richmond

— James Flynn

On October 13, apparent supporters of isis, the militant group, hacked the University of New Brunswick Student Union (unbsu) website, displaying messages like “I love you isis” and “This is a time…of the elimination of America and the allies of the infidels.”

The site was taken down two hours after the hack.

It was “just an act of vandalism. It’s no threat to anyone on campus,” said Greg Bailey, unbsu president.

“Canada sites have been targeted because they are within the group of the coalition against the Islamic state,” the hackers explained in an email to the cbc.

The hackers, supposedly called “Team System Dz,” are “part of an Algerian Technology News Website” whose goal is peacefully spreading the perspective of Arab youth.

Saint John-based web design company ICS said that a number of its customers were hacked by the same group. A unb analyst said that this isn’t out of the ordinary given the lack of governance of the Internet, and the preponderance of vulnerable websites.

Stefano Cerone, a York University graduate, founded tworp.com, a website for students to rate their peers’ performance in group projects,, after a team member on a group project did not fulfill his responsibilities.

The site’s name, is an abbreviation of “team work problems.”

Users of tworp.com can give classmates a rating of up to five stars for their dependability, teamwork, and work ethic.

Reactions to the site have been mixed.

Some critics have voiced concerns about the potential for abuse and online shaming, as well as the potential long-term impact on a student with a bad review. Others have applauded the project for its role in forming richer academic solutions and helping students acquire crucial teamwork skills.

With files from The Toronto Star

— Andy Li

CONTINUED FROM COVER However, Schwenger recognized that the system has its drawbacks. “The current system... becomes less of a matter of ensuring students can have their votes heard and more of a disproportionate proxy battle where the real issues are lost in a number war, which is a real shame,” he said.

Student leaders at Trinity College urged students to attend the agm, and to proxy their votes to ensure their voices could still be heard if they could not attend. “We believe it is important for all students to be engaged in student government, particularly when there are decisions being made that have the potential to make a major impact on students,” said Tina Saban and Connor Anear, co-heads of Trinity College, in a joint statement.

Mathias Mermel, co-president of the Faculty of Music Undergraduate Association (fmua) circulated a letter to all students of the Faculty of Music on October 14, informing them individually that the utsu agm was taking place and encouraging them to attend. “I also told them that a vote would take place that, should it pass, would see the college/faculty representation removed in favor of a structure that would manipulate representation on the utsu and potentially misrepresent our constituency,” Mermel said. “[The proxy system] has serious challenges in that it favours well-organized groups over actual student engagement,” said Ben Donato-Woodger, lgbtout public relations coordinator, adding: “We filled two proxy forms because we came on board rather last minute... We explained why it would give lgbtout members a better utsu.”

“NEITHER THE SYSTEM NOR THE TIMELINE” COMMUNICATED BY THE UTSU Mermel took multiple issues with the proxy system and said that he was unaware that the utsu had released voter proxy forms, and that he found out two days before the deadline by chance via the utsu website.

“Like the AGM itself, neither the system nor the timeline for proxy forms was communicated to us by the utsu,” Mermel said.

Saban and Anear shared Mermel’s concerns about the period of time in which students were required to pick up the proxy form, collect signatures, and return the forum to the utsu or utmsu office. “Our greatest concern was that there was a fairly limited time to collect proxy votes,” Saban and Anear said,

noting that the Thanksgiving break took up a portion of the proxy period.

“This limited time period, combined with the fact that students had to sign proxy forms in person and pick up and drop them off in person at the utsu office, meant that students, particularly those who live off campus, had constraints placed on their ability to vote,” they added.

Yerusha Nuh, a member of the University Affairs Board, Governing Council, took issue with the delay in the dissemination of mass emails advertising the agm. According to the utsu’s bylaws, notice of the agm must be provided to members 21 days in advance of the agm via email. The Varsity obtained correspondence wherein Nuh expressed her concerns to Yolen Bollo-Kamara, utsu president. Nuh also alleged that only a subset of the utsu’s membership received emails about the agm. In response, Bollo-Kamara stated that the utsu does not have access to the membership list and needs to coordinate with the university in order to send out a mass email and said that she was unsure why only a subset of the membership received an email. The Varsity confirmed that emails pertaining to the agm were sent out, but on different dates.

In an email to The Varsity, Bollo-Kamara said that the agm was advertised in print media across campus, displayed on poster boards, social media, and on the utsu website. “The utsu put out the notice of the Annual General Meeting and the availability of proxy forms on September 30, the day after our Board of Directors chose a date for the agm,” she said.

“NOT OPENLY ACCESSIBLE” “The current proxy system [the utsu] has is not openly accessible,” said Teresa Nguyen, president of the Engineering Society (EngSoc).

Nguyen said that EngSoc proxies are available online for student convenience.

“If their elections needed to be online, why can’t their proxies? The Provost mentioned online is a key component of making things open and accessible,” she added.

Mermel echoed Nguyen’s concerns. “It should also be noted on the grounds of equity that providing proxy sheets via the utmsu office — which I might add has a unique funding relationship with the utsu — and not via other colleges [or] faculties is unfair…

The existing voter proxy system and the requirement that a student register for the agm, logistically prevents 50,000+ students from voting,” Mermel said.

Bollo-Kamara explained that the utsu uses personalized forms signed out from their of-

reasons, to verify identity and to minimize the risk of fraudulent proxy collection. “It is only used for the purpose of proxy verification, and then it is destroyed,” Bollo-Kamara said.

Proxy forms are verified by staff members who are bound to a privacy contract given to the utsu by the university administration in order to access the utsu’s membership list.

Proxy forms are void if the proxy holder is not a member of the utsu. Individual proxy votes are void if information is missing or incorrect, as stated on the proxy form.

ALLEGATIONS OF MISINFORMATION ON BOTH SIDES

Khaiam dar/The VarsiTy

fice to minimize the risk of fraudulent proxy collection, and to ensure that each student holding proxies is accountable for the signatures on it.

Nuh raised concerns with the amount of information that was specific to utm. “How were utm students supposed to know about the proxy procedures on the utm campus if there was never any announcement made? Moreover, it is also unfair to St. George students as it is now open to interpretation whether utm proxy forms were submitted according to the utsu’s official procedures as there was no utm-specific procedures in the first place,” Nuh said.

“HIGHLY UNNECESSARY” PERSONAL INFORMATION REQUIRED According to Saban and Anear, several students also expressed concern that their phone number was required to proxy their vote.

“This seems highly unnecessary and there was no explanation provided for it,” the Trinity heads said.

“The fact that students were required to list their library card number on the proxy form also created an unnecessary difficulty,” they added, remarking that the library card number is not explicitly listed on new TCards and that the proxy forms did not explain what the library card number was.

Bollo-Kamara stated that the information on the proxy forms is collected for security

Allegations have also surfaced that representatives of the utsu have contacted clubs and course unions in a bid to increase the number of proxy votes in favour of the bylaw amendments. The Varsity received a report claiming that at least one course union on the St. George campus received messages saying that the utsu will dissolve if the proposed bylaw amendments are not passed at this agm.

Additionally, club executives at utm have allegedly circulated information to their membership containing similar information.

Members of the utsu executive, in turn, have alleged that people who do not have the full background have been disseminating false information, which they said causes confusion for students trying to understand the issues. Several information and consultation sessions among individual groups and divisions took place over the past week.

Woodsworth College, the ucLit, and lgbtout are among the colleges and student groups to have hosted such sessions. The ucLit and lgbtout invited members of the utsu executive to speak at the open meetings.

Trinity College is set to hold its information session on Monday, October 27.

Mermel said that he corresponded with Bollo-Kamara regarding a meeting between the utsu and the fmua executive and claims that he never received a reply after suggesting that they meet in September.

Mermel criticized the early efforts to investigate alternative Board of Directors structures. “The Investigating Board Structures document produced by Nzube Ekpunobi [in] 2013 makes no recommendation of creating an identity-based structure in place of the college structure, yet this document is cited as being the rationale for the current proposal,” Mermel said.

The agm is scheduled for 6 pm on October 29 in the oise auditorium.

Comment

VAR.ST/COMMENT

27 OCTOBER 2014

comment@thevarsity.ca

Good education is expensive Before we all jump for Germany’s free universities we have to ask ourselves if it is worth it Jeffrey Schulman VARSITY STAFF

The recent announcement that Germany would make higher education free of tuition provoked a pronounced reaction on campus. Our student radicals jumped on the occasion as a chance to argue that the same ought to apply in Canada.

These students are just as greedy as Wall Street fat cats. The greed of thousands of dollars returned clouded their wisdom and judgment.

Nowadays, between edX and public libraries, it’s possible to get a serviceable education for free. Those math functions work the same way no matter how large the bill for learning them.

Increasingly, major firms are ceasing to care how expertise is acquired just so long as their workers are competent. Frankly, that engineering degree is, arguably, a four-year multi-thousand dollar boondoggle.

The real way elite education works is not in the classroom. Where universities are most successful is as a sort of intellectual matchmaker. What an institution like U of T is good at is joining together interested thinkers, reminding them of interesting issues in classes, and then creating the casual social settings where important issues are discussed in depth. Surely nobody is naive enough to think that properly structuring a paper is how we acquire knowledge.

Invariably, the most memorable and thoughtprovoking things are not a part of a normal curriculum. Learning how ‘e’ in today’s English is often a collapsed form of the diphthong ‘ae’ was a far more useful part of last year’s Medieval Latin 200 than any number of texts I’ve already forgotten. That sort of casual anecdote cannot be provided any other way.

There is the crux of good education: it is immeasurable. Any of its obvious constituent elements, from books to friendship, can be had for free — yet, no formula can replace a real education. Real education is extraordinarily expensive and produces few obvious benefits, yet it is necessary to produce better citizens.

The cost of a good education comes in many forms. There, is of course, the cost of living,

BRITTANY geRow/THe VARsITY

which is substantially heightened for an education of the top quality — freedom from work and financial concerns are necessary for someone to devote all of their time to academic thought.

Professors must also maintain their livelihoods, and a conversation with a good one is worth not only their salary but also those of countless other mediocre ones.

Likewise, good education requires facilities.

It requires books bought from the store. It’s really like any sport — it can be done cheaply, but at the highest level, it requires great expense.

Each cost of education seems excessive and unnecessary but, when combined, they are all somehow necessary. All of these costs help foster a certain kind of environment in which intellectualism ceases to be a matter of work or duty and becomes both natural and casual.

Count the hours of your day that are spent on duties and the hours spent on casual parts of life. It is only when something reaches the same level of naturalness that it can become sufficiently essential to life, that it surpasses being a chore and becomes a part of you who are. Learning that way is expensive, but it is undoubtedly the best way to get an education.

Of course someone has to pay those costs.

There is no sensible way to equate university with job training; preparation for work can be learned quickly, cheaply, and often on the job. The only value of an undergraduate degree in the labour market is as a symbol of class or of monetary and temporal commitment to doing that job. Slowly, everybody is realizing that the costs of education don’t come back to you as money — the return on investment is in character.

So who should pay these high costs? If education is to be done properly, someone must.

There is indeed good reason for society to invest in young people. Plenty is already spent on the old, so surely the young are equally worthy.

However, expecting any government to pick up the entire cost is unreasonable. Free education would encourage uncurious students to attend university regardless of whether they are actually at a phase in their lives to appreciate learning. Worse, it would create a series of perverse incentives.

A friend of mine in the Czech Republic tells me how underfunded free education is there.

It’s politically easy for the government to cut, which results in under-paid professors and improperly maintained facilities. Nobody who gives up five years of his or her life wants to en-

dure that. Likewise, free tuition also provides an incentive for students to live at home — the cost of residence gets larger in relation to the whole as tuition prices decrease. The advantages of living with likeminded thinkers seem mundane while doing finances, but their advantages are incalculable.

Of course, if the state fully funds the best higher education, which taxpayers should pick up the bill? Should the elderly who live on pensions pay for students’ lives and education? It seems unfair to ask the childless who aren’t sending off any students, so who does that leave? We would still be asking affluent parents to fund their children’s education and subsidize the education of the poor. The only difference between charging some tuition to more affluent families and doing it through the tax system is that the latter will result in damaging cuts to education and an excessive focus on job training and economic payout. Saying no to tuition fees is the same as saying no to education itself, and in that the German government threatens a grievous harm.

Jeffrey Schulman is a second-year student at Trinity College studying classics.

The long shots in Toronto's mayoral race With reasonable policies, how is it that alternative candidates have not been a bigger part of the discussion?

Sasha Boutilier and Stanley Trievus

VARSITY CONTRIBUTORS

With the mayoral election occurring today, most media attention has been tightly focused on the three leading mayoral candidates: John Tory, Olivia Chow, and Doug Ford. Yet, a quick visit to the City of Toronto's website reveals that there are in fact an astounding 67 candidates running for mayor.

The two most recognizable names outside of the three front-runners are Morgan Baskin, a recent high school graduate, and Ari Goldkind, a criminal defense lawyer.

Yet, electoral politics at the municipal level in particular tend to attract people from an extraordinary array of perspectives and backgrounds, and this is certainly true of the Toronto mayoral elections.

Beyond Baskin and Goldkind, some candidates’ plans have merit in addressing specific issues. However, others are highly questionable or plainly offensive, such as Don Andrews, who is the leader of the Neo-Nazi Party

of Canada, and Sketchy the Clown, whose candidacy has been based entirely on a satirical parody of Rob Ford.

Morgan Baskin is the youngest candidate in the Toronto mayoral race and initially received substantial media attention, registering for the race at the age of 18 while she was still in high school.

Baskin’s campaign has focused on unifying the typically apathetic youth vote. Her policy is shaped around creating a greener, more integrated Toronto in which barriers to business are eliminated and where technology can spur innovation with a focus on the growth of a shared economy.

Baskin frames her relative inexperience in politics as a strength, instead offering fresh perspective and new ideas that a scandal-embroiled city hall desperately needs. In particular, Baskin emphasizes she is a non-partisan listener with the ability to bring constructive compromise to city hall.

Baskin’s policies on transit, housing, and taxes are less clear-cut. In place of concrete policy she emphasizes consultation with experts and partisan compromise. She believes politicians’ main role should be one of “sober

second thought.” However, she remains clear on the need for transit reform, arguing that the city needs to build what has already been planned, and not to replace existing ideas with long-term alternatives.

Currently polling immediately behind the big three in the mayoral election with around three per cent support is criminal defense lawyer Ari Goldkind. Goldkind has continually battled against being labeled a fringe candidate, instead striving to define himself as a reasonable, principled candidate with a balanced and detailed policy.

Goldkind has continued to press ahead, releasing an ambitious and detailed new transit plan entitled “More than a Map” this past Wednesday. As the name suggests, Goldkind’s plan goes beyond flashy graphics offering actual details of financing and long-term planning.

He and other candidates have criticized John Tory’s SmartTrack plan in particular for neglecting details that will substantially increase the cost of his plan.

Goldkind’s 21-page transit plan offers a clear and detailed contrast to those of other candidates, including detailed cost analyses and

funding options for each stage of his 15–year plan. In particular, Goldkind’s plan is distinguished for its focus on alternative revenue streams such as tolls on the Gardiner Expressway and the Don Valley Parkway.

Baskin’s non-partisan listening attitude and Goldkind’s straight-forward, detailed-oriented policy both offer a refreshing change from a scandalaized city hall and an extended electoral campaign defined in large part by reiteration of the same criticisms of the same ideas again and again.

As both these candidates illustrate, leading candidates by no means have a monopoly on robust policy or helpful attitudes to move our city forward. Perhaps it is time to address how our electoral system and media prevent these candidates from gaining the same level of coverage as their competitors.

Sasha Boutilier is a second-year student at St. Michael's College studying political science and ethics, society, and law.

Stanley Trievus is a second-year student at Innis College studying political science and history.

var.st/comment

VARSITY COMMENT

MONDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2014

11

What can U of T do to improve its mental health services?

The Question

Aside from a change in provincial funding, how can we fix the perennially struggling CAPS? jENNIFER SU/THE VARSITy

CAPS is only the beginning of effective treatment, and students need to be engaged Catherine Virelli

VARSITY PRODUCTION MANAGER

With good reason, discussions of the University of Toronto's mental health resources usually focus on the Counselling and Psychological Services (caps), a service that caters to students with mental illnesses, offering treatments from experienced clinicians that range from pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy to group therapy sessions. caps has increasingly come under fire in recent years for its apparent inability to effectively serve the number of students that seek its services. Admittedly, many of its procedural problems are due to a lack of adequate funding, which is reflective of a broader provincial shortcoming in terms of mental health funding.

For example, the service’s wait times for counsellor availability are decided on a case-by-case basis and are dependent on the severity of a given student’s case. While such lengthy interim periods between initial consults and actual appointments are undoubtedly frustrating for students seeking help, such waits are a reality for many individuals seeking external psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy as well.

One issue with caps that can be rectified feasibly involves the minimal extent to which students are actively involved in charting the course of their mental health treatment. According to an email interview conducted in February 2014 with Janine Robb, executive director of Health & Wellness, the process of matching a student to a therapist is largely based off of the counsellor’s initial clinical assessment of a patient’s case. From there, the student’s treatment is planned. However, the student does not usually have very much personal involvement in the decision, nor do they receive background information as to the credentials and personal experience of their clinician.

One alternative system to consider is currently being used by counsellors at Ryerson’s Centre for Student Development and Counselling (csdc).

“In our centre, the philosophy is to match all students to care as quickly as possible,” says Sarah Thompson, clinical coordinator at the csdc. According to Thompson, one of the counsellors at the csdc is responsible for community resources to which students may be referred to if they cannot be seen in the near future. All students who contact the csdc are set up with an initial appointment for one in-person counselling session, the aim of which is to equip them with effective coping skills and strategies that they can use while waiting for their next appointment. For students whose cases are considered severe, the wait time for this initial appointment is usually a matter of days. For others, it usually takes up to two weeks. caps could be greatly improved by exploring ways in which the service could effectively communicate to students the nature of the therapies it offers, particularly the pros and cons of each, and the areas of expertise of its clinicians. Additionally, caps should explore ways in which students can be equipped with effective tools to see themselves through the period leading up to their next treatment. The centre’s referral system might also be improved by creating a database of universityaffiliated institutions and treatment options that can be shared and discussed with students, with steps taken to ensure that all students are more informed and confident about their future treatments. Students currently seeking services can visit caps’s website, familiarize themselves with the services offered, and do some background research in order to have more of a say in their treatment.

Catherine Virelli is a third-year student studying psychology research and English. She is The Varsity’s production manager.

Sometimes getting help is just about having somebody to talk to Prathishtha Kohli

VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR

I have written about mental health in the past, both as a person who has visited caps, as well as someone who has had conversations with other students who have attempted to reach out and receive help. In every instance, the response towards the University of Toronto's mental health services have been overwhelmingly negative.

If we look at the responses to the student led "How Does U of T Make You Feel?" campaign, or even at the disconcertingly long wait-lists for caps, it is clear that something needs to be done to alter the way in which mental healthcare is handled at U of T. The first thing we need to understand is that discussing mental health is not something to be ashamed of. Loyola University in Maryland, for example, started up a "Let's Talk" campaign that ensures students are able to access resources and find outlets for their concerns without the stress of having to visit trained professionals.

U of T needs to adopt a similar tactic. Set up rooms around campus where trained graduate students and young professionals from camh can sit for office hours during the week and students can drop by to discuss any issues they may be facing.

Ensuring that the trained counselors have access to resources they can pass on to students would be necessary to ensure that students are able to contact professional practitioners if required for more serious disorders or symptoms.

It would also be beneficial for U of T students if these counselors came from a variety of backgrounds, both international

as well as domestic, as there are various cultural issues and culture-bound disorders that come up with students who are assimilating not only into university life, but also to life with less family support.

Another important aspect of implementing better mental health support is ensuring that it is accessible at any time. Mental health issues do not affect people during working hours alone.

A website called 7 Cups of Tea provides people with training in becoming better listeners so that they can interact positively with those in need on the website.

Such a system would be of immense help to U of T. With a community as large as ours, it is easy to feel incredibly isolated and trapped within oneself. Creating a website where any student or young professional can be trained to listen, and any other student can anonymously log on and talk about their distress, is a potential alternative to boost the support students are given without requiring them to be physically present.

These potential systems would better mental health support for students across campus and are easily accessible and surprisingly simple to co-ordinate. They would create opportunities for student leaders and young graduates as well as provide the student body with a free and simple way to talk about mental health.

Sometimes, the problem can be as easy to solve as simply talking to someone who will listen.

Pratishtha Kohli is a third-year student at Woodsworth College studying psychology and criminology.

12

VARSITY COMMENT

Vol. CXXXV, No. 8

comment@thevarsity.ca

Do you know how your TA affects your grades?

Your teaching assistant’s approach and engagement has everything to do with your success Emma Kikulis VARSITY STAFF

Tutorials are the bane of every undergraduate student’s existence; just when you think you’ve nailed down your class schedule and allotted enough free time for study and extracurricular activities, professors sneak in supplementary tutorials with the aim of providing a more individualized approach to lecture material.

There are not always participation marks for these mandatory tutorials, but the emphasis professors place on the importance of attending these sessions is so pressing that you not only feel guilty skipping them, but also get the impression that your overall grade in the course will suffer if you are not privy to such vital, supplementary information.

Such is my experience, anyways, when it comes to these pesky onehour, bi-weekly tutorials for a prerequisite sociology course. Many humanities courses don’t offer the opportunity for students to choose a tutorial section on ROSI at the time of course enrolment, and instead offer a more informal signup on Blackboard the second or third week of class. Hav-

TIMOTHY law/THe VarsITY

ing been subjected to these tutorials before, I didn’t have high hopes that they would provide me with any additional knowledge. I wasn’t surprised when my tutorial consisted of the TA reading off a set of PowerPoint slides for nearly an hour while half-heartedly attempting to generate a general discussion of the exam material.

Being unable to attend the next

week’s session, and not having the guts to pass up a tutorial, however unhelpful, a week before the midterm, I decided to attend a different session, on a different day, with a new TA. The difference between this new tutorial and the one I had originally signed up for was the heightened involvement of the TA. Rather than idly waiting for 10-past the hour to begin,

she chatted with us about the course and what she thought was the best way to approach the midterm. She had also compiled a study package to supplement her slide show, in which she had no problem engaging us in a genuinely helpful discussion about the test.

After the initial shock and surprise of having my high hopes for

these usually dismal tutorials met, the inequity of the structure of these tutorial sessions wasn’t far from my mind. The fundamental issue when choosing a tutorial is that you’re rolling a die; you could luck out and get a competent and dedicated TA, or you could come up short and be stuck in a classroom for an hour not learning a damn thing. I think I speak for all students when I say we don’t want to gamble with our education; we like to think that at one of Canada’s best universities, we are offered the same opportunities as our classmates, something these types of tutorials don’t facilitate.

Ultimately, it’s the job of students as well as TAs to come to class prepared, having read the material and ready to ask questions and engage with the rest of the class. However, it’s the job of professors and TAs alike to confer with one another to ensure that they are providing not necessarily similar, but equitable study information and techniques to ensure that all students are provided with the same opportunities to increase their knowledge and, henceforth, their grades.

Emma Kikulis is a third-year student at U of T studying English and sociology.

Talking about real things Active Minds at U of T encourages you to say how you really feel, and often Op-ed

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Chelsea Ricchio

PRESIDENT, ACTIVE MINDS AT U OF T

On October 16, we at Active Minds at U of T held our third SPEAK OUT! event, where students volunteer to give speeches and other performances about their experiences with mental illness. Attendance has nearly doubled since the first one, but that’s not saying much, because only 15 people were at that event.

It makes sense, I guess — people go to our events to talk about real, difficult things honestly, and I can see why you might not want to spend three hours listening to that. But I think that it’s important for everyone to take the time to do that every once in a while, and here’s why.

Our culture is so hands-off. We feel like we’re bothering people if we ask questions. We think they’ll come to us if they need something. We don’t say things that we should say because we assume that they already know. Constantly checking in with all of your friends to see if they are really okay is probably not helpful, but showing interest in the little things can be. If you don’t show that you care on a normal day, how will they know they can turn to you when the shit hits the fan?

Pay attention to the lives of the people around you. It sounds basic, but I don’t remember the last time someone texted me just to see how my day was.

This brings me to the idea of community. Our goal is to build a com-

munity that people feel safe in, where they feel like they can talk to us, or any of their fellow members. My first objective as an Active Minds executive was to hold a SPEAK OUT! event.

The reasoning behind that decision was kind of selfish. I wanted to share my story, to feel like I mattered, and to see how many people related to me. I got some positive feedback, but what really shocked me was how much I related to the other speakers.

I think that most people who come to these events have that experience, and it’s a good one to have. One of the most common things that all people share, not only people with mental illness, is the feeling of isolation, of being alone, or if not alone, then surrounded by the wrong people. People you can’t count on for ‘real things.’ I want to break that down.

Being there for other people requires a surprising amount of confidence in yourself — it feels like you’re putting yourself out there. Sometimes you don’t know what they need. Mental illness in particular is extremely misunderstood and stereotyped; the reality is that every single person’s experience with mental illness, even the exact same disorder, is different.

There might be common elements, but everyone’s story is unique.

We believe that the best way to learn about mental illness is by listening to the people who deal with it every day, but that is not the only objective our events serve. SPEAK OUT! teaches people how to listen in

general, to gain the courage to care for someone else.

We teach people that talking about ‘real things’ doesn’t have to be scary.

My favourite moment from last week’s event was when one of our speakers, in the middle of a serious speech, said, “But — and it’s a big but-” and burst out laughing. Then everybody else did too, because he showed us that it’s okay to laugh even in the face of indescribable sadness.

We teach people that anyone can be brave enough to share their story.

I am a terrible public speaker. There is a reason why I’m looking down in every single photo that was taken that night. I’m forever forgetting what I wanted to say and looking at my notes. But I said the words. And that’s all that matters.

Ultimately, what I want people to take away is this: I want all of us to be the kind of people who can be counted on for ‘real things.’ I want everyone to be the kind of friend that they want to have. Don’t just wait for people to come to you. We are all full of various insecurities that stop us from seeking out love and attention. Go to them. Be hands-on. Be touchy-feely.

Say how you really feel, and often, even if all you’re met with is silence.

Chelsea Ricchio is the president of Active Minds at U of T. You can contact Active Minds at activemindsuoft@gmail.com and find them on Facebook at www. facebook.com/activemindstoronto.

Editorial

VAR.ST/EDITORIAL 27 OCTOBER 2014

But first, you've got to get mad

comment@thevarsity.ca

LETTERS TO

THE EDITOR

Vol. CXXXV, No. 8 | October 27, 2014 Re: Tradition prevails at Trinity College Meeting As a Trinity College alumnus, here are my thoughts on the issue.

It seems to me that this should have been a relatively easy choice.

Changing the phrasing harms no one, but offers the benefit of including members of our community who are often marginalized.

I regret that we didn't make these changes during my time at the College. I am disheartened that current Members of College failed to take these steps.

— Michael Scott (from web)

juLIEN bALbONTIN/THE VArsITy

The chances are, you do not spend a lot of time thinking about the University of Toronto Student's Union (utsu). You may not know, for instance, that as a full-time U of T student, you are automatically a part of the union's membership. And even if you do know, perhaps you can’t find it within yourself to care. That’s not unreasonable — for years, the union has faced allegations of lack of transparency, undemocratic conduct, and lack of accessibility, which, together, make lobbying for reform nearly impossible.

This past year, the union has been criticized for a proposed change to the structure of its Board of Directors.

Where the current board is made up of 40 representatives from various colleges, faculties, and professional programs, the utsu is seeking to remove these positions and replace them with 10 “constituency directors,” which would represent marginalized groups on campus. The plan has faced heated criticism for failing to account for the representation of students who do not fit easily into the categories presented by the proposal.

Other recent concerns levelled against the union include accusations of democratic misconduct in the most recent executive election held last spring. Prime among these allegations is that members of the incumbency served on the union’s Elections and Referenda Committee, which represents a clear conflict of interest. Additionally, The Varsity reported the presence of Canadian Federation of Students (cfs)-affiliated union representatives from other universities campaigning for the incumbent slate.

More troubling than these issues themselves is the way that the union chooses to address them — it is notoriously difficult to work within the existing structure of the utsu, which is rife with complicated procedures and legal minutiae. Engineering director Ryan Gomes, together with utsu vice-president, university affairs Pierre Harfouche, compiled an alternative board structure that would include both the existing director positions with the addition of an equity committee. Gomes and Harfouche were given legal information by the union that allegedly conflicted with their plan minutes before they were to present it to the Board of Directors for a vote. They hoped to have it included in the order of business at this year's agm — the vote did not pass.

This encapsulates the main problem that exists with the utsu’s agm. The meeting exists in principle for the union’s membership, the students of this university, to engage in a direct dialogue with their representatives.

However, in practice, the agm has taken on a very different role.

In any democratic system, there should exist a series of tools at the electorate’s disposal for the express purpose of criticising their representatives and holding those in power to account. Successive years of electoral victory for the incumbency has allowed these tools to be dulled, and with them U of T students’ appetite for change. Our agm has become a piece of theatre, lacking open discourse and responsive accountability. Dissenting voices are no longer offered a say in the conversation. An organization which purports to represent 47,000 full-time undergraduate students cannot stand idly by as their relationships with entire divisions deteriorate.

It is undeniable that there are both longstanding and recent issues between the union and its membership. Why does the existing order of business not reflect this? Currently, the contentious Board of Directors issue to be voted on is placed under a subsection of a larger point — “Approval of bylaw amendments motion.” It is given a bullet point, while activist campaigns take up an entire page. This is not to say that these items are not worthy of support, but merely that the order of business in its current form does not accurately reflect students' sentiments towards the union. The fact that within the last two years Trinity College, Victoria College, and the Engineering Society (EngSoc) have all held successful referenda to divert their fees from the union speaks volumes to the state of affairs.

The life cycle of political conversations at this university is regretfully short, as every year a new generation inherits the status quo. It is this fact that the union has managed to exploit to maintain their influence on campus, knowing all the while that the majority of us won’t care enough to make a fuss. This is how allegations go unanswered, voter turnout rates remain low, and a small fraction of the school’s population manages to lobby on behalf of all without adequate consultation.

If you are against the changes that could be made to the structure of the Board of Directors at this year’s agm, you should go and vote. If you feel that the meeting will largely be a fight between two immovable sides, don’t go — but do not simply let the subject drop. Make it a topic of conversation. Talk about what you don’t understand, what makes you angry, what you would do differently — we implore you, talk about it.

It’s easy to disregard, but, in fact, we are all part of a membership — a community in which we have a right to participate and to be heard. Our students' union is broken, and the agm is but one example of how. With a broken system that needs to be fixed, and no solution readily available, discourse is our only recourse. An open, productive dialogue will not likely occur at the agm this Wednesday — but that does not mean we cannot foster one amongst ourselves without it.

The Varsity's editorial board is elected by the masthead at the beginning of each semester. For more information about The Varsity's editorial policy, email comment@thevarsity.ca.

Being a non-Trin student, I had no idea that Trin had such backward practices, and voted to keep those policies, when they've been leading the charge that utsu was undemocratic. Frankly until now, I thought utsu was the root of problems at uoft, but it seems like Trin isn’t that much better. How petty student politics really can be. I once even campaigned for anti-utsu slate... but yeah. Also, having been around four years now, lately, I found utsu being much more useful than I thought it was... Maybe I was wrong all the way.

— rhinounicorn (from web) Yes, the majority of us here were surprised and frankly disappointed at the results of this vote.

But with that said, it should be noted that the people present at the meeting were vocal extremes on both sides. The third (slightly more than a third, actually) of the 100 or so people present that voted against the amendment were most assuredly the people who felt strongest on that side of the debate. We’ll be liberal and say that’s around 40 people. Whether these 40 people were motivated by cissexism or otherwise, I don't know and won’t have the gall to assume.

You may ask, so what? What's your point? I'm simply asking you to not let the opinions of these 40 or so vocal people colour your opinion of all 1,850 of our students. Most of us are liberal, progressively-minded, and anything but apathetic when our students feel excluded. We don’t bleed blue or eat children, as our ‘reputation’ may say.

This also has no bearing on our anti-cfs stance or the students involved in that fight. That is an issue of transparency and democracy; this vote, despite the disheartening result, was conducted entirely democratically.

— Tony (from web) For a College that, in its structures, has the potential to be the most open and democratic of spaces, Trinity fails once again to live up to its potential by embracing cissexism and values that harken back to its corrupt, fanatically conservative founder (the loathsome Bishop Strachan). One hopes

that this mobilizes the same students that forced the tcm to adopt a stance against Big Oil once more to smash the cloak of tradition and obsolescence that marks such regressive positions as the one noted in this article.

— Brad Evoy (from web) As a Trinity student, I have nothing to say for this college anymore.

I defended it when people told me it was awful, and I said that I’d had a great experience there so it can't be that bad. Every awful thing anyone has ever said about Trinity is true. I cannot and will not continue to defend it. I hope the students who voted down these amendments take this opportunity and implement equitable structures, now.

— Non-Binary (from web) Hilariously unsurprising, coming from perhaps the most cissexist, conservative and anti-equity college on campus. Trinity, your reputation continues to precede you.

— MasterChocolate (from web) Re: To address climate change, we need to start with global inequality Okay lets help by developing poor nation with modern infrastructure and give them free solar panels and wind turbines, help with water desalinization etc. As they become prosperous they will want all the comforts we enjoy which will only add more co2 . People like Naomi are great at pointing out problems but when it comes to solutions she is a zilch. She also had touted that “green jobs” will replace ones lost. Tell that to the solar panel companies that have all gone bust in Canada financed by tax dollars given as incentives to begin the green revolution.

What will turn the world around is what we as humans do well, adapt when it become necessary.

No amount of wishing and whining and government initiatives will bring this about.

— Jack Cav (from web) No, we don’t. Global inequity is a terrible wrong. It's important to tackle it. But diluting the effort to stop dumping fossil wastes into the air by constantly giving a backseat to any effort to address that issue because there’s some other issue is guaranteed to destroy both.

We don't need to address global inequality first. We need to fix the problem. Kyoto failed because it addressed global inequality first.

The Montréal Protocol? Succeeded because it stayed on target.

— Bart_R (from web) Re: Dark is the art I missed this year’s New Blanche.

At least I got a bit of a sampling here. I did manage to get a glimpse of the global rainbow though.

— Brian Finch (from web)

Letters to the editor should be directed to comment@thevarsity.ca. Please keep letters to 250 words. Letters may be edited for length and clarity.

The communities within Article by Sarah Niedoba

A look inside the diverse culture landscape of U of T and how the university is responding to its growing international student population

M

any U of T students find comfort and community in student-run cultural groups. But not everyone can place themselves within just one cultural category. “For a lot of international students, when someone asks you where you’re from, it’s not just the one place,” explained Marine Lefebvre, president of the International Students Association (insa).

“Some people don’t understand that, and sometimes they get weirded out too. They’re like, ‘where’s home?’ and it’s like, well, why do I have to have a really precise home?”

Born in France but having lived most of her life in Belgium and Spain, Lefebvre is but one international student attending U of T that doesn’t have a single culture to call her own.

This is part of her explanation for why she founded the insa. “We realized there wasn’t really one association that took all international students and put [them] into the same community. There were so many associations [for separate cultural identities] — the Chinese Students [and Scholars] Association is huge — but they’re all separate, which is kind of sad,” she said.

U of T’s undergraduate population can seem staggering in scale — a whopping 67,128 students make their way through its halls and classrooms every day. Of these, 10,276 are international students, coming to Toronto from all over to receive a world-class education.

With numbers like these, spread across three campuses, the existence of a clear-cut single university-wide community seems almost impossible. How, then, do students find a place for themselves to build relationships and support networks? The answer, at least in part, seems largely to do with the many cultures that make up U of T’s vast population.

Nowhere is this better represented than by the Ulife website — by clicking on the “Cul-

ture and Identities” tab of their group listings, 10 pages of search results appear, with 52 distinct groups encompassing the many cultural identities at U of T. These groups provide a community for both domestic students looking to ground themselves within a large institution and international students attempting to deal with the culture shock of living in a new country. But they also create a fractionated campus landscape, where students are defined by their cultural background and meet people based on that criterion.

“A SIMILAR FOUNDATION” “It was [a] really good opportunity for me to connect with people of a similar faith, of a similar method of carrying themselves, with a certain lifestyle,” explained Amina Mohamed, speaking about her involvement in the Muslim Students’ Association (msa). Mohamed is editor-in-chief of The Muslim Voice magazine and a member of the msa.

“I think [for] the majority of us, our primary friend base belongs to, or has come from, the msa,” Mohamed said, going on to say that she and most of her peers found the club through word of mouth. “I think it’s really hard at U of T, since it’s really big,” she admitted.

Halla Ahmed, vice-president, student life of the msa, agreed with Mohamed’s sentiments.

“I got involved first year...being a part of the msa opened me up to a lot of other things that were going on, like religion classes, and finding out…where I could find halal food on campus,” she explained. “As a first-year Muslim student, that was really beneficial.”

Both students said that the msa was instrumental in helping them find a way to relate to and be part of U of T. With a membership of over 1,500 students, many of whom are international, they’re not the only ones.

Mohamed explained that she became part

Phot Mallika

of the MSA in her second year, after finding that her relationships from frosh week weren’t sticking. “[The] friendships...were based primarily in the screaming and the yelling and the excitement that is frosh week and as fun as that was, it wasn’t something that was sustainable. I had...I mean I’m from a Muslim family so I had a curfew; I had a variety of things that really inhibited my participation with the community that had been thriving at [University College]. The thing about the msa was that there were a lot of people who were in a similar situation as me where you need to be home before evening prayer, or do any number of things,” said Mohamed. She described members of the msa as “having a similar foundation,” to the point where she sometimes does not realize members of the club are international students to begin with.

One of the largest demographics on campus is Chinese international students — of the 10,276 international undergraduate students, they make up more than half. Clubs that exist for this particular cultural group range from a magazine to chess clubs and musical groups. Yan Wang is the president of the Chinese Students and Scholars Association, which was established at U of T in 1982, and has a combined membership of over 20,000 students and alumni.

“This year we have an average of a thousand people. Over half of our membership are international students — it’s a very active and energetic community. We organize a lot of events both on and off campus,” he explained.

When asked if he felt that international students, or members of the association in general, related more to the club and it’s community than to a broader U of T community, Wang was optimistic, stating that the community within the club is part of the larger U of T community. He sees it as one part of a large whole instead of something distinct and separate.

“Honestly, we’re quite popular and famous around the U of T community,” he stated proudly, “It’s a cultural hub.”

WELCOMING SPACES

tos By Makkar

Students gathering at the CIE.

When discussing the places where international and domestic students go to interact with their cultural communities, certain spaces are mentioned again and again.

Administrators will most often point to the Centre for International Experience (CIE) as the number one place for international students to turn to. Yet no literature specifically pertaining to international students is displayed at its location at Cumberland House, nor is information about universitysponsered programming for internationals readily available.

“The cie is understaffed, and it’s based mostly in exchanges, not providing for international students,” Lefebvre explained.

A factor behind her decision to create the insa — now in its first year — was to try and provide for international students in a way the university did not seem to be doing.

“U of T’s really good at that — bringing international students in, but not taking care of the ones they have,” she said.

Lefebvre went on to explain that “international students do need a tailored kind of help.” When she first arrived in Toronto, she didn’t know where to buy groceries or linen for her dorm room. “Culture shock, even when it’s not intense, means adjusting. U of T is so big — that’s the main problem. If you don’t have res life, or a club, it’s difficult to meet people. I count myself lucky to have [sic] res first year, but second year I had nothing, and that’s what drove me to want to do insa.”

A less obvious option, but still a gathering place for students, is Hart House. Established in 1919, the building acts as a place for students to come together across the lines that may divide them.

“It’s this notion of a relationship, it’s this notion of community, it’s this notion of connecting. Because people want to [be] part of something, and the university is large, and that’s why I think this house is so crucial to the student experience,” explained Rita O’Brien, chief administrative officer at Hart House.

Hart House runs a number of events throughout the year that aim to bring U of T students together under one roof. So far this year, they’ve hosted their Thanksgiving dinner and are just about to have their second Halloween party. O’Brien sees one of Hart House’s main goals as reaching out to

the students at U of T, both domestic and international.

“What we’ve heard from a number of international students is that they really are in the Canadian experience,” O’Brien explained. “So one of the things we try to do is to outreach to as many constituencies as possible and to let them know what’s available at Hart House, to try and make sure that they can take advantage of the things that we offer.”

O’Brien’s message is reflected in Hart House’s mandate: to be a house for students to come and feel at home. “It’s a wonderful place, when you think of the common spaces that we have — the library, the map room. For us it’s getting these students in the door,” she expressed, “I think it’s hard to connect — I think that’s the key thing.

It’s tough to break those barriers down, so for us at [Hart House], the notion of allowing students to — and not just international students, but all students — to push and stretch themselves outside of their comfort zone is so important, because it builds up a sense of who you are.”

Whether or not Hart House is succeeding in this goal is difficult to measure. But when asked if she had heard from international students that Hart House was a gathering place, Lefebvre answered: “Hart House? I mostly just use it as a gym. I didn’t realize they did Thanksgiving dinner, or anything.”

BUILDING CONNECTIONS Leora Freedman is the coordinator of the English Language Learning (ell) program at U of T, which seeks to support students whose first language is not English. ell offers an eight-day summer intensive course for those wanting to improve their English before the school year, as well as hour-and-a-half long workshops throughout the year.

Through her position, Freedman meets a wide range of students of different cultural backgrounds, working to immerse themselves in the English-speaking community of U of T. While ell works with both domestic and international students, she sees a distinct line between the two groups. “I see our most pressing need not in terms of programming but simply in terms of general awareness and attitude,” she explained, “Many of our international students are eager to speak with domestic students, but they often find it difficult to connect. I think we need more awareness on campus that it’s really important, worthwhile, and beneficial to everyone if we start conversations with the people around us.”

She went on to explain that while it may sometimes seem that an international student doesn’t have much to say, the issue may be self-consciousness about errors or a lack of understanding of the local culture. “I’d advise people to be ‘chattier’ with [students who speak English as a second language], as they learn a lot even from listening to us. And, also, they can be drawn into conversations if you make the effort and ask them a series of questions,” said Freedman.

“AN EFFECTIVE HOME” Mark McGowan was appointed this year as senior academic advisor to the dean, international. In this role, he “oversees the implementation of the Faculty’s international academic priorities.” He works to both actively recruit international students and to ensure that those attending U of T have the best experience possible.

McGowan spoke about the challenges he feels are most daunting to international students: how a North American university works, what the expectations are, and how to engage with a strange language and culture. He explained how U of T tries to assist international students by creating writing seminars, college-related activities, English learning, and skill learning to help transition students. He also highlighted another key problem: loneliness. For both international and domestic students living away from home, U of T can be a daunting experience with seemingly few support systems.

When asked what the university could do to try and combat this, McGowan said, “I think the university as a community has to reach out to the various communities within. That’s difficult, and I think what the university has to do is get its head around what’s going to be effective — an effective home, where all students feel that they can engage, whether that’s academic communities or co-curricular communities. That’s one of our biggest challenges as a university.”

Arts&Culture

VAR.ST/ARTS

27 OCTOBER 2014

arts@thevarsity.ca

The mad scientist of movie making

The Varsity interviews David Cronenberg on Maps to the Stars, Hollywood, and screenwriting

David Cronenberg. COURTESY OF DAVID CRONENBERG

Jacob Lorinc

ASSOCIATE ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR

As I walked into the high-end café in Toronto’s fashion district where I was to meet legendary film director David Cronenberg, my brain was flooded by a series of unwelcome flashbacks from his filmography.

Serving as a highlight reel of every horrifying and cringe-worthy moment from his vast body of work, my mind raced from Viggo Mortensen smacking a dude in the face with a coffee pot in A History of Violence, to Mia Waskiowska ruthlessly bashing in Julianne Moore’s head with a movie award in Maps to the Stars.

Needless to say, this did not help my nerves when approaching a man who is essentially a demi-god of cult films.

Last September, Cronenberg’s most recent film, Maps to the Stars, was released at various different film festivals in North America and Europe. Known for his com-

pelling yet brutally horrific films, Cronenberg’s most recent movie, about the extremities of celebrities’ lives in Hollywood, was as intense and stressful as his previous body of work would lead you to expect.

Maps to the Stars follows two child actors and a struggling actress in the heart of Hollywood as they deal with their over-the-top experiences in the dream-like world of the film industry. Ranging from ghosts to a series of weirdly incestuous themes amongst close family members, certain moments in Maps to the Stars come across as so over-thetop that it has been considered by critics to be an overt satire of the goings on within the film industry nowadays. But to this, Cronenberg seems to disagree.

“For some, this movie is more like a docudrama,” Cronenberg said. “We thought this was much too real to be considered a satire. There’s a sense that life in Hollywood is like a fever dream, and everyone’s always in a state of high anxiety. Bruce [Wagner,

Cheap arts

of Hollywood being incestuous is in the sense that it’s an enclosed ecosystem of ideas with no oxygen, with no new blood, and with no new ideas. Everything just keeps circulating and getting weaker and weaker as we see sequel after sequel. It was pleasing as a metaphor for what’s wrong with studio filmmaking.”

Being a member of this maniacal Hollywood system himself, Cronenberg can testify to what goes on in the movie industry.

“I’ve had some really bizarre meetings with studio executives like these,” he said. “Unfortunately, I can’t tell you what they were saying, but I can tell you that they were all equally as extreme, if not more extreme than what you hear in the movie.”

Apart from what goes on in Hollywood, Cronenberg also weighed in on what goes into transforming a script into a motion picture, as well as what it’s like to work with big name actors.

For Cronenberg, writing a screen-

Under $10, pay what you can, and free arts events happening around the city this week

GHOST stories told live

GHOSTHOLE 6(66)

A night of spooky story-telling at The Garrison (Costume optional).

Toronto's annual Haunted Artshow features a variety of different musical performances as well as a spooky after-party hosted by DJ BATHSALTS.

Tuesday, October 28 7:15 pm The Garrison Free

the screenwriter of Maps to the Stars] has told me that every conversation in this movie, he’s heard in real life.”

The movie mostly revolves around a preteen child actor named Benjie Weiss (Evan Bird), who is in the midst of overcoming a severe drug addiction and is playing the lead role in an upcoming Hollywood production. On the other end of things, staggeringly wealthy actress Havana Segrand (Julianne Moore) is struggling to get a role in the remake of her deceased mother’s film, despite having gone through years worth of verbal and physical abuse from the older Segrand. As their worlds collide, and the various incestuous tropes (which I will spare you) spill out, the whole plot seems to become significantly more outrageous until it is determined by the viewer that this must be some sort of dark practical joke.

“The humour comes from within,” Cronenberg said, adding, “We’re talking about the absurdity of the human condition. The idea

Thursday, October 30 7:00 pm - 1:00 am TBA Price TBA

play and actually making a movie are entirely different. In terms of the screenplay, “you’re still just imagining it. It’s a feeling.” When asked about getting the right performances out of the actors, he says that “you, as a director, would be doing a disservice to the actor and yourself if you did not completely give yourself over to the actor you’ve got. Nothing you’ve imagined up to that point matters, it’s about what you get on the set.

Use what you have, and have no regrets.”

Maps to the Stars is a movie that, no matter how outrageous and over-the-top it may seem on the outside, has genuinely truthful characteristics lying underneath, that will grow on you as the movie becomes harder and harder to get out of your head.

Naturally, Cronenberg closes off the interview by reminding us that “of course, in order to make this movie, I had to feel that no one else could do it or would do it.”

By Sofia Luu

A Devilish Night of Comedy, Burlesque & Music

DUDEBOX Presents: Dudebox is Fucking Dead

Canzine: Festival of Zines and Underground Culture

NTB Lounge hosts a night of comedy, dancing, and music.

Rumour has it there will be prizes for best costume.

Dudebox hosts a massive party in a car wash to raise money for charity.

An all-day event featuring 200 tables worth of zines, comics, small press books, and more.

Friday, October 31 10:00 pm Planet Car Wash $10

Saturday, November 1 1:00 - 7:00 pm 918 Bathurst Centre $5

Thursday, October 30 10:00 pm 2878 Lakeshore Blvd. West $4

VARSITY ARTS & CULTURE

var.st/arts

MONDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2014

How to: NaNoWriMo

A student guide for navigating the 30 day novel writing marathon

A student writes at Caffiends jENNIFER SU/THE VARSITy

Linh Nguyen

VARSITY STAFF

Have you ever been struck by a stroke of creative genius, or woken up from a dream thinking, "that would make an awesome story?”

Now is your chance to bring it to life. November, and with it, National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) is just around the corner.

Founded in 1999, NaNoWriMo is based on the premise that anyone can complete a 50,000 word novel in 30 days by writing approximately 1,667 words a day. A writer “wins” the contest if they achieve their goal word limit in the set amount of time. The Varsity spoke

with Paloma Griffin, a fourth-year political science specialist and NaNoWriMo veteran, about her experience.

"I’ve been participating in NaNoWriMo since I was 14. I’ve won once, in 2009, and in 2010 I got over 50,000 words but I had set myself a goal of 75,000 words so I can’t really count that one as ‘winning.' Since then it hasn’t been so much about winning, as it has been about the experience.

Getting together with groups of people to hammer out our daily word count and trying to get our creative gears going is a good enough reward in itself,” she explained.

A few of Griffin's past plot points have included a runaway bride turned pirate, a man who falls in

love with a sentient puppet, and a wife's struggles to free her husband from an alternate universe.

Most of her stories have contained elements of the supernatural. She explained that, "fantasy is a good place to start, because it means if you are stuck in a rut, boom, a magic flying lion can come out of nowhere and stir up your plot. Flying lions don’t have anything to do with your story? Doesn’t matter!

It’s fantasy, and it’s WriMo. Anything goes, and whatever boosts your word count is fair game."

When asked about the difficulty of handling the challenge on top of schoolwork, she admitted it’s been a struggle. "In all honesty, it’s really tough, but I swear it’s worth it. A

lot of my success has to do with my friends though — if I arrive at their houses at 10:30 after my shift, and I’m a mess and exhausted, they’ll say “Tea first, and then we’ll get started.” She described trying to do 15-minute writing “sprints” involving a few hundred words, with five minute breaks in between.

If you're embarking on your first NaNoWriMo experience this year, Griffin’s advice is to not worry about winning the first time around. “People rarely win their first, because it’s something that takes practice and preparation,” she explained.

“Remember that no matter how god-awful you think your writing is, you never have to show anyone it ever again, or even read it yourself if you don’t want to. The point is that you’re getting out those words."

NaNoWriMo has attracted around 300,000 participants for each of the past few years. Notable published NaNoWriMo works include Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen, Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell, and The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. The most valuable part of the challenge, however, is not the winning. "People should try NaNoWriMo for the sheer experience of it,” expressed Griffin.

“I mean if you think writing an essay is hard, try pumping out 50,000 words in 30 days. It’s not easy — it takes discipline, and determination, and a lot of caffeine.

But most of all, I find it takes teamwork. NaNoWriMo is not a solitary event, it’s co-operative. Having a WriMo team keeps up your motivation, keeps you accountable for your daily word count, and keeps you feeling guilty enough that you have to continue, because your friends are doing it too and there’s no way you can let them suffer alone."

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Do: 1. Have an intriguing idea to pursue. Vaguely flesh out the main characters and the conflict so that you have something to fall back on.

2. Find a writing buddy or a writing group so that you'll have company into when writing into the wee hours of the night.

3. Tell everyone you know about your project so that you'll feel pressured to finish. As Griffin puts it, "when your family asks 'did you ever do that story thing?' nothing feels better than answering ‘Yeah, I kicked its ass. I won.’ And nothing feels worse than saying ‘Yeah no, I gave up halfway through.

It was too much.’

4. Attend the weekly write-in sessions at various Starbucks locations around the city 5. Sprint. Set aside blocks of time to write, even if it's just half an hour a day. Get comfortable, have a pot of tea by your side, and turn off all connections to the outside world.

Don’t: 1. Do not re-read or revise!

Don't get sidetracked in trying to garner perfection. Remember that that's not the point of NaNoWriMo. 2. Don't feel obliged to stick to a pre-determined plot. Let your story take shape on its own and surprise you.

3. Don't slack off, especially at the beginning of the month.

It's important to get off to a strong start since it is very easy lose momentum and quickly fall behind.

4. Don't lose hope. Even if you do fall behind, it's possible to catch up even in the last few days.

5. Don't worry about winning. Any word count is impressive with a full-time university course load. The important part is having fun and being proud of yourself for trying.

It’s all opera to me

Explaining the ins and outs of the Canadian Opera Company’s 2014–2015 season Jeffery Chen

VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR

Student tickets to the Canadian Opera Company’s (coc) productions are actually relatively affordable, but money isn't the only thing standing in the way of many of us attending the shows. The truth is, opera is intimidating. Hard to understand even when in English, it can be easily written off in favour of lighter fare.

With this in mind, I've explained the ups-and-downs of the operas making up this year’s coc line-up, so you can brave the world of tenors and sopranos like a savvy opera connoisseur.

Madama Butterfly

October 10–31, 2014 The one where an American tenor marries a Japanese soprano, leaves her for the whole opera, and then comes back just in time for the finale to collect his paycheck.

This opera is essentially about a naïve Japanese girl who marries an American sailor, and spends the rest of the opera awaiting his return, only to find out that he has remarried an American, resulting in her

committing suicide. The genius of Madama Butterfly lies in the music that draws out of the simple plot.

The Butterfly’s Penelope-like wait for her love is heart-rending and culminates in her famous aria, “Un Bel Vedremo,” where she fantasizes about the “One Fine Day” when she will be reunited with her love.

See it for: the exotic sets and music which more than make up for the sappiness.

Don Giovanni

January 24–February 21, 2015 The one where a notorious playboy tries four times to get laid and gets his comeuppance from a statue.

This opera is rife with moments of comedic gold. Most notable among these is an aria in which Leporello — Don Giovanni’s servant — lists all the women his master has ever slept with: 640 in Italy, 231 in Germany, 100 in France, 91 in Turkey, and a whopping 1,003 in Giovanni’s native Spain.

They say that opera is when a tenor and soprano want to make love, but are prevented from doing so by a baritone. This is essentially the plot of Don Giovanni, which plods

COC's production of Cossi Van Tutte. COURTESy OF PAULA CITRON

along until its shocking conclusion, where the statue of a man whose daughter Giovanni had previously raped comes alive and drags him down to hell — a truly revolutionary finale for Mozart’s time.

See it for: a wild comedic romp, with a satisfying conclusion.

Die Walkure (The Valkyries) January 31–February 22, 2015

The one with the incest, Valkyries, and the famous ride.

Known for the Ride of the Valkyries, Die Walküre has some of Richard Wagner’s most memorable music. The plot is high drama — it involves squabbling gods, Valkyries, and a circle of fire cast around a

sleeping beauty to be woken only by a hero strong enough to brave the flames.

See it for: if you like serious drama, enjoy opera music at its most intellectual and moving, and if you can manage not to go to the bathroom for five hours.

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Vol. CXXXV, No. 8

VARSITY ARTS & CULTURE

arts@thevarsity.ca

“In the company of the reader” An interview with Barker Fairley Distinguished Visitor, Canadian author Anne Michaels

Barkley Fairley distinguished visitor, Anne Michaels. courtesy of anne michaels

Sarah Niedoba

ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR

Anne Michaels first gained acclaim for her poetry with her first collection The Weight of Oranges, released in 1986. Her eloquent manner of speech makes interviewing her not unlike engaging with a literary text.

With five poetry collections and two award-winning novels under her belt, Michaels is arguably one of the most recognizable female Canadian authors alive today.

Yet when I spoke with her, the experience quickly became a warm conversation between a student and a mentor. This is likely due to Michaels’ recent experience offering one-on-one writing consultations for University College students in her role as this year's Barker Fairley Visitor.

“It’s a great opportunity to talk about what you’re doing, what you want to do, express your frustrations — just to think of strategies for how to proceed if you really want to write,” explained Michaels. She described students bringing in a laptop and showing her a file, or reading aloud.

“I’m very moved by the honesty and commitment that I’ve seen so far, and the desire to really explore certain things that may be difficult,” she said. “I always stress that you’re writing for yourself, but that when you have something to say write from the core of you, because it’s usually very useful and welcome to someone else.”

Michaels herself started writing from a young age, and credits that with her success as a writer: “I was very lucky to have that passion from childhood. The rest is hard work — many years of apprenticeship. I think people are hard on themselves, they want to be perfect immediately, and that is impossible, lan-

guage will never allow us to do that. It’s going to take us a long time to understand the how and the why of it.”

Equally important to constant writing were the authors she read as she grew up and entered post-secondary education. “Shakespeare, Thomas Hardy, Keats, Austen, Dostoyevsky, all the great names you would imagine — the greats,” reflected Michaels when asked which books impacted her the most. “A book will move us, push us to a place that we didn’t know we needed to get to, offer us a hand before we knew we needed it.”

When I expressed that I often felt daunted in the face of such figures, Michaels assured me that she thought this was a healthy part of the writing process.

“I think that intimidation is humility,” she explained. “I think that’s a really healthy thing, because it helps us understand that what we want to do is maybe bigger than we are. It will mean that you’ll stretch yourself beyond what you thought you could do.

These are with the books that we need — we don’t need another easy read, we’ve got plenty of those. The book that really opens you, turns you inside out, those are rare, and that’s worth striving for, worth being intimidated about.”

Michaels’ writing advice stems from the idea that we should give ourselves permission to write, and write everyday. “Give yourself permission to sit there — often you have to justify it to yourself, because there’s so much going on in your day and so much going on in your life, how can you carve out a time where you can sit there and say it’s for you? But, it’s that tiny little bit of space where you’re saying ‘I’m going to do this everyday,” she said. She explained that even taking the time to write 15 minutes everyday will add up very quickly, and the more you

get used to the process of writing the longer you’ll be able to do it for!

When asked about the idea that writing is a selfish act, something that primarily results in self gain, she said, “It’s very ironic because writing is not easy — writing is difficult, writing is humiliating in a lot of ways. But I guess there’s a part of our brain that says, well it’s not earning money, it’s not doing this, it’s not doing that, what do I have to show for it? You get into a morale of 'I’ve got to get published, I’ve got to send stuff out,' and that’s going to confirm me and what I do, when in fact the writing itself is what must confirm you. Not the business of it, it’s the doing of it.”

When asked about why she chose to begin her writing career with poetry, Michaels stated she was focused on the idea of being able to express a single thought: “The language, the desire to try and set something down with absolute simplicity and clarity.

To name a moment that would otherwise not be named.”

She then moved to the form of the novel because poetry “could not contain what I was attempting.” Michaels explained that for her, novels always begin with a cluster of questions of “haunting philosophical questions.” Michaels's novels have been rooted in history — Fugitive Pieces follows the life of Polish poet Jakob Beer during and after the Holocaust, and her subsequent novel The Winter Vault told of those trying to save an Egyptian temple in the 1960s.

The main question that haunts Michaels, she says, is: “That there’s nothing a man won’t do to another, and nothing a man won’t do for another... When you’re going into territory that’s difficult or perilous, territory we may naturally want to turn away from, it’s an incredible privilege to have a few hundred pages in the company of a

reader, so that you can bring yourself and the reader very close to the center of certain questions. A novel lets you do that in a way that poetry just can’t. It’s a question of having time with the reader, and time with yourself, to get very close to the heart of something. These are the questions without answers, the ones that you keep asking in different ways.”

Michaels' most recent work is a poetry collection, Correspondences, which was released in 2013 and was shortlisted for the 2014 Griffin Poetry Prize. Correspondences features a single poem, that can be read at any point.

The book that holds it is accordian in style, with compelling portraits included within, allowing the reader to choose a point to begin from, and mix and match a portrait with a portion of the poem.

“What has to happen, and what is already happening, is that the book is seen primarily as an object,” she expressed. “The physicality of the book will once again become the focus, and books will be cherished for being more and more beautiful. We’re going to come to understand the value of holding something in your hand.”

When asked if she sometimes feels confined to the category of “female Canadian author,” Michaels said laughingly, “That’s also something that I think can be put on women writers. A man is considered chivalrous or discrete, while a woman may be considered secretive — there’s a real double standard there.” She continued: “I think everyone has a tendency to categorize things, in order to make sense of the world. But yes, that is a [category I am subject to], and I’m always trying to subvert that.”

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity and length.

var.st/arts

VARSITY ARTS & CULTURE

MONDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2014

19

“Rookie belongs to everyone” A look inside the launch of Rookie Yearbook 3

Sofia Luu

VARSITY STAFF

"There's a real fear of a teenage girl left to her own devices," writes Haley Mlotek in a mega-essay about women and the current state of print media in the latest issue of Little Brother magazine: “Or worse, a teenage girl within a group of other teenage girls.”

This perfectly describes the scene last Wednesday evening at the Rookie Yearbook 3 launch party held at the Great Hall on Queen West. Mlotek was the moderator for the panel discussion that took place, where the number of teenagers greatly outnumbered the number of adults.

Everyone was there to help celebrate yet another year of Rookie Mag, an online website founded and edited by actual teenage superhero 18-year-old Tavi Gevinson. Somewhat unbelievably, she just graduated high school and has already accomplished a staggering amount for someone so young. She’s a writer, editor, actress, former style blogger, and singer. When she was 15, she slowly bowed out of fashion blogging in order to launch Rookie.

In 2014, being a teenage girl has become a weapon. In a media landscape that’s dominated by one-dimensional narratives with a tendency to put forth an image of teenage girls as superficial and shallow, it can be a toxic world for teenagers who are still “trying to figure it out.”

When Gevinson announced her plans to launch a magazine with the now-defunct Sassy editor, Jane Pratt, she saw that something was missing and her answer was Rookie.

Despite what some may say, diversity remains an issue that many still don’t have the answer to. The magazine sector is still dominated by the publishing organizations run by seasoned professionals. Often, these individuals are white, upper-middle class men.

I’d imagine that if a major media executive had approached Gevinson with plans of helping her launch her magazine, her appropriate response would have been: “Obviously, you’ve never been a thirteen-year-old girl,”— a line taken directly from The Virgin Suicides.

Three years and three yearbooks later, Gevinson has retained full control of all things Rookie-related.

Gevinson isn’t the only teenage girl making big things happen. This year’s Nobel Peace Prize co-recipient, Malala Yousafzai, received widespread recognition for her work advocating girl’s rights and education in Pakistan. Seventeen year-old singer Lorde — who wrote a piece for Rookie Yearbook 3 — became one of the youngest Grammy winners when she won awards for Song of the Year and Best Pop Solo Album. The wave of success that’s supporting some of the biggest teen musicians, actresses, and writers is something worth noting — there’s clearly something very different about being a teenager today as comparison to being a teenager in the 1990s. They still have a lot to say, but now have a better chance of being heard.

Yearbook 3 is more than just a print anthology of the best and most memorable Rookie content.

It’s a celebration of teenage-dom — the good, bad, and awkward. Diversity is the key to Rookie’s widespread appeal and recognition. At a glance, there is something threatening about a magazine helmed by teenagers. Initially, a reader who might have never identified as a teenage girl might feel a bit alienated by Rookie. Teen magazines do have a tendency to speak to a very specific type of teenage girl. However, there’s something for everyone at Rookie. Their “Ask a Grown Man/Woman” series has featured a number of notable individuals such as Mad Men’s Jon Hamm, Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke, The Gossip’s Beth Ditto, and Community’s Gillian Jacobs and Danny Pudi,

Speaker at the Great Hall for the lunch of Rookies Yearbook 3. MICHELLE GU/tHE varsIty

where the interviewees give candid answers to the burning questions we've all had at some point in our life. Jon Hamm’s answer to one girl’s question about relationship anxiety was: “Give the guy a break... don’t define yourself by who wants to get with you.”

Wednesday’s Rookie panel featured Rookie contributors writer Anna Fitzpatrick, illustrator Kendra Yee, poet Tova Benjamin, and Art & Design Editor Sonja Ahlers.

Mlotek led the discussion on creating art, the contributors’ experiences as artists, and their relationship to art. When asked “Why create art?”, the audience, was

treated to a number of refreshingly candid answers. Fitzpatrick explained that when you write about your personal experiences online, seeing the reactions from readers sort of “retroactively validates these experiences.”

Collaboration, or the collaborative experience, is a theme that popped up a few times throughout the panel and the thread that holds Rookie together. Yee and Benjamin talked about working together on a comic strip before even meeting each other. As an illustrator, Yee explained that she sometimes had trouble explaining her thoughts with words, which was why work-

ing with Benjamin was so successful because she just “gets it.” Fitzpatrick described receiving edits from editorial director, Anaheed Alani, and how the editors work magic on the stories published.

While the story might belong to the name in the byline, the themes and ideas are shared by many.

After the panel, Toronto band Pins & Needles treated the guests to a live music dance party. I quickly purchased my own copy, only to overhear a number of older guests with their own copies of Rookie, talking about how they wished something like Rookie had existed when they were younger.

VARSITY ARTS & CULTURE

20 Vol. CXXXV, No. 8

arts@thevarsity.ca

Halloween horror stories U of T students share their strangest Halloween encounters Daniel Konikoff

ASSOCIATE ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR

Every year, whenever October 31 rears its spooky head, I can’t help but reflect upon the Halloween that irrevocably changed all others that preceded it.

The year was 2001: Britney Spears hadn’t yet shaved her head, and handball was sweeping the schoolyards of the nation. I had recently grown obsessed with Grease and decided that, for Halloween, I would be Danny Zuko.

I didn’t own a leather jacket, so I made do with what I had. I slicked back my hair, stuck a toothpick in my mouth, placed a comb in my hand, and decked myself out, head to toe, in denim.

As I, an anthropomorphic swatch of jean material, made my way around school on Halloween day, I came upon an older peer in a startlingly graphic skull mask. He stopped me in my tracks, placed his face a foot from mine (narrowly avoiding the toothpick), and squeezed a pump that sent blood flooding down the mask, giving himself a two-second chuckle and giving me five years worth of crippling anxiety, scaring me off of Halloween until the eighth grade.

Fortunately, my horror stories (and my obsession with jean jackets) ended in elementary school. For some, however, the imposing ghouls of Halloween followed them well into their time at the University of Toronto.

COREY VAN DEN HOOGENBAND

“Fashionably Late�

Halloween fell on a Wednesday when I was in first-year and living in residence.

My out-of-town friends and I foolishly assumed that all of the crazy college dorm parties would take place on the weekend after the thirty-first. By virtue of living there, I learned that all the Halloween dorm parties happened the weekend prior, but my friends were still set to visit that upcoming weekend.

What this amounted to was a drunk friend, let's call him Peter, stumbling through the halls of my dorm on Friday, November 2, dressed as SpiderMan and mumbling, "let's party."

We lost track of Peter and spent a chunk of the evening tracking him down Ă la Scooby-Doo mysteries.

The wall-crawler eventually got to bed safely, but I'll never forget the hilarity that followed after asking students throughout the residence, "has anyone seen Spider-Man stumbling through here?"

ALEKSANDRA DOLEZAL

“Cat Got Your Tongue?�

The only hilarious thing that ever happened to me on Halloween was during my first year at U of T. It was my first experience ever going to a club.

Naturally, it was a Halloween-themed

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party. The first thing that happened as I walked in was some strange guy came up to me, licked my face, and then ran off in the other direction. He probably did this because I was dressed up as a cat. It was still a horrible experience.

WILL POWER

“What’s New, Pussycat?�

I was at The Newspaper's kegger on Halloween night last year. The party itself was fun — cheesy music, disposable cameras, and a litter of chocolate coins. But while I was out having a smoke I noticed some guys from the party hanging out a little ways off. One of them “stealthily� stumbled over and I watched him come up to me. At first I thought he was trying to make a move — I wouldn’t have minded — but instead he slowly reached up and took the cat ears off my head (I really halfassed my costume) and then put them on, placing his finger over his mouth to signal I shouldn’t say anything. I obliged to his command as he smiled and stumbled away. They weren’t even my ears. To this day I have no idea why I let him take them.

MADISON PREZIOCO

“Plot Twist�

The weather was getting colder, the midterms were getting harder, and I was getting sadder. School had got me down. It was the end of the week, and my night’s plans included wearing comfy sweats, Netflix binge watching, and unapologetically consuming large amounts of junk food — until tragedy struck. My heart sank as I slowly began to scroll through Instagram. It was Halloween. And I had forgotten. Who forgets Halloween? I’m 19-years-old for heaven’s sake! I got so caught up in my Netflix love affair that I was missing out on one of the greatest university party nights of the year. I had three options. One: get out of bed and go catch up with some friends. Two: post a solid insta to pretending like I was going out. Third: play sick. Needless to say: I played sick. No regrets.

juLIEN bALbONTIN/THE VArsITy

U OF T-THEMED COSTUMES Has midterm season gotten in the way of your costume preparations?

Are you yet to decide on something topical and clever to wear? Have no fear: these U of T-themed costumes are the perfect antidote to your Halloween habiliment hindrance!

ROBARTS LIBRARY What You’ll Need Ý 7ZR FDUGERDUG ER[HV Ý $ SDLU RI VFLVVRUV Ý $ FDQ RI JUH\ SDLQW Ý $ MDU RI WHDUV KDUYHVWHG IURP XQGHUJUDGV RQ WKH WK ȂRRU How to Do It: Take your cardboard boxes and cut them into brutalist shapes. Glue the pieces together into the figure of a giant turkey, using the harvested tears as adhesive.

Slab on grey paint to sufficiently depress everyone who sees your indubitably accurate costume.

HOTDOG STAND What You’ll Need Ý )RXU VKHHWV RI VFUDS PHWDO Ý $ UHG DQG \HOORZ WDUS Ý $VVRUWHG FRQGLPHQWV Ý 6SDUH FKDQJH

How to Do It: Connect the four sheets of metal around you in a box formation, and have a friend throw the tarp over your head.

Sprinkle the condiments haphazardly around your costume, paying close attention to applying copious amounts of mustard to your face.

Top it off by carrying around loose change, because for broke students, bills are a thing of the past.

UC BACK CAMPUS What You’ll Need Ăť $Q ROG ZKLWH W VKLUW Ăť $ KXQN RI PXGG\ JUDVV Ăť $\ SDWFK RI DUWLČ FLDO WXUI How to Do It: This controversial costume is bound to turn heads at the club. Smear one half of your tshirt with the hunk of muddy grass, and tape the patch of artificial turf to the other half. This costume is really flexible; depending on what side of the issue you stand, you can add to the costume by saying lines such as “Preserve our green space!â€? or “It really isn’t so bad now!â€?

Work with us YDU VW YROXQWHHU

Science

VAR.ST/SCIENCE 27 OCTOBER 2014

science@thevarsity.ca

A new way to get around: the electric hybrid prototype Two PhD candidates at U of T have come up with a smarter way for citydwellers to commute Ultrasensitive detectors for bimolecular detection A lecture delivered by Dr. Shana O. Kelley, distinguished professor at the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and the Department of Biochemistry Monday, October 27 4:00 pm–5:00 pm Medical Sciences Building, room 2172 Free; no registration necessary

The Expanding Influence of Computer Science across Higher Education This lecture features The State University of New York’s University at Buffalo president, Dr. Satish Tripathi Tuesday, October 28 11:00 am–12:30 pm Bahen Centre for Information Technology, room 1170 Free; no registration necessary

The 2014 Gairdner Symposium: New Advances in Biology and Treatment of Cancer Hear from experts like Dr. John Dick, Canada Research Chair in stem cell biology and Dr. George Demetri, director of the Center for Sarcoma & Bone Oncology at Harvard Medical School Friday, October 31 8:45 am–4:00 pm Medical Sciences Building, McLeod auditorium Free; email thegairdner@gairdner. org to register

Arthiritis Unmasked: Genetics, Treatments and Partnerships The hybrid electric car-bike created by Lam and Lung offers an alternative to cars, bikes and the TTC. courtesy of jonathan lung

Jasleen Arneja SCIENCE EDITOR

Transport woes have plagued city dwellers for many years. Whether it’s driving or biking, the traffic never ceases to stop and there are always complications. Luckily, two University of Toronto PhD candidates have a new design that may change the way we commute forever.

Phil Lam of the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering and Jonathan Lung of the Department of Computer Science have created something brilliant: a plug-free electric hybrid prototype.

Lung said, “The ergonomics, being similar to a car in many respects, means not having to become a cyclist: there’s no need to learn how to ride a bicycle, no need for ankle straps to keep pants out of chains, or the need to put on layers of clothes

to stay protected from the wind.”

The vehicle employs regenerative braking and has solar panels to be as energy efficient as possible. Lung said, “The vehicle is fully electric and has an mpg-e (miles per gallon equivalent) tens of times better than an automobile and can get its energy from the electrical grid, humanpower, or even solar power.”

The team is aiming to make the vehicle run for 30–40 kilometers on a single charge, without any outside power. However, with added human or solar power, can run for a lot longer.

The electronically-regulated pedals and motor allow riders to control the pedal-to-engine power ratio allowing them to have a custom experience. Depending on whether you are looking for a workout or prefer not to arrive sweaty, you can either pedal with the full weight of the bike or let the engine do a part of, or most of the work.

Soon after completing his undergraduate degree, Lam started to design a folding electric bike with a fellow U of T engineering graduate, Paul Haist . The duo originally started the project to fulfill their own needs.

Lam and Lung later co-founded Sojourn Labs, which is supported by f U of T’s Impact Centre, a crossdisciplinary institute that promotes social entrepreneurship. The two hope to receive a six-figure investment to allow a commercial bike to be available to the public in the next two years.

Lam said, “In 2012, changing commuting patterns resulted in an idea approximating the prototype we have now.” He added, “By 2013, when Sojourn Labs was generously offered space by the University of Toronto’s Impact Centre, our small team (which had by then grown to include my-

self… and several others) began to flesh out some of the details.”

“We began building our prototype using space provided by the Impact Centre,” said Lung. He added, “Right now, the vast majority of time put into the project is from Phil and myself; both of us are in PhD programmes [sic] which makes finding hours in the day our biggest challenge to date. “ Lung described, “The prototype that you see is actually our first attempt! It was built as a proof-of-concept to test a few things.” The team plans on adding a few more features to the current prototype.

“What you see is only a shadow of what we plan to build in the future.”, Lung added.

If you’re interested in taking a look at the electric car-bike, drop by the Techno Showcase on November 5 from 3:00 pm–8:00 pm at the MaRS Atrium.

Hear Dr. Ravinder Maini of the Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology at the University of Oxford and experts other experts from the US, Canada and the UK talk about rheumatoid arthritis Friday, October 31 8:30 am–4:30 pm Toronto Marriott Downtown Eaton Centre Hotel Free; register online

Startup Hackathon The Rotman Entrepreneurship & Venture Capital Association offers students a chance to create their own startups Friday, October 31, 6:00 pm to Sunday, November 2, 5:00 pm Rotman School of Management Fee varies; register on Eventbrite

VARSITY SCIENCE

22 Vol. CXXXV, No. 8

science@thevarsity.ca

In conversation with Goldie Nejat Newly announced Canada Research Chair in Robots for Society shares what lies ahead in robotics Haman Mamdouhi

VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR

Robots seem less and less fitting on their mantle in science fiction movies, and more suitable in documentary films, as they fill important roles in our everyday lives, in part thanks to the research of Dr. Goldie Nejat. Nejat was named Canada Research Chair (crc) in Robots for Society at the University of Toronto last week. Nejat’s research has been featured in Time magazine, and won her Engineers Canada’s 2013 Young Engineer Achievement Award.

In an interview with The Varsity, Nejat discusses how she reached to the top in her field.

The Varsity: What inspired you to pursue science for a career?

Goldie Nejat: Looking at the developing systems that I could physically see. When I was growing up there was a lot of new technology coming out — cell phones, laptops and we were learning a lot about them [just] as they were coming out and so that was exciting to see.

So it was kind of an exciting time to be involved designing technologies, thinking about quality of life and designing systems people can benefit from.

When I came to university, robotics obviously existed in some of the traditional areas such as in manufacturing, and it became popular outside some of the applications that we had seen them inyou’re seeing robots potentially in healthcare, and our homes. It’s exciting to see this new technology that’s been designed to be in people’s reach so that people can actually use it. It’s no longer just for specialized applications where only trained people [are able] to use it. This kind of technology wave was an inspiration.

TV: What experiences from your undergraduate career led you here?

GN: In fourth year I had a few different opportunities to really get some hands on experience in robotics. By taking courses that had design projects in robotics, and doing a thesis in robotics. It gave me a lot of different opportunities ... Taking [in] all that expertise and theoretical knowledge, as well [as] having the opportunity [to do so] in a few different courses was exciting. I wanted to do more in robotics and [I had] the opportunity to do it … When you’re an undergrad looking to do a specialization, the most important thing is to try it out. That was the best thing that I had, and I had the

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Dr. Goldi Nejat: Canada Research Chair in Robotics for Society. courtesy of mark balson/ faculty of applied science and engineering

privilege to work in this area, on projects related to robotics, and that motivated me even more keep going in this area.

TV: What was your reaction to your appointment to the CRC? GN: Very excited! It’s great since … it brings exposure to this area of study, especially in Canada. Robotics is an emerging area with many different applications, and this is the perfect time for the government to invest in robots, and how they can be used to help improve people’s quality of life, whether it’s at work or [in the] home environment.

tention to those areas and getting the victims out. In that example, you can even use robots to test the structural stability of the buildings to make sure it is safe for rescuers to enter … Our other project focuses on dealing with the increasing demand on our health care system due to the changing demographics with an increasing elderly population, by seeing how we can use robots to assist and improve the quality of life … We see how robots can help people with the activities of daily living, that you and I may take for granted at this point in our lives: brushing our teeth, getting dressed, making a meal.

TV: Are there any projects you are extremely optimistic about?

GN: There are two major robotics projects that we’ve undertaken in the last decade. One is our search and rescue robotics project. The main idea of that is looking at how we can use robots in dangerous environments. For example, after a large earthquake with collapsed buildings and rubble, we consider use of robots to explore environments, locate, and map potential victims. That information would then be delivered to rescue workers, focusing their at-

TV: Where do you envision research in your field in the next decade?

GN: I think this is kind of the tipping point where we see these robots leaving research labs and entering society and this market boom. There have been a few platforms where robots have been developed, and now we’re addressing a lot of these challenges of costs and information. Creative off the shelf components — anywhere from using [an Xbox] Kinect or [Nintendo] Wii-mote sensor, will bring down costs and promote development of the technology. I see a great transition of robots leaving from the

research labs and entering into the use, and in the next few years we’ll really be focusing on the aspect of how robots can be integrated into our society.

TV: What advice can you give to young, aspiring researchers?

GN: Here at U of T, there is a lot of research going on, behind closed doors maybe. But a lot of it is obvious to us when walking down a corridor. You can see there are a lot research labs, you can find out the names of key players, go on their websites, and learn more about the research that interests you. The most important advice is going on to take advantage and immerse yourself in that whole different hands on aspect while you’re here.

U of T is one of the best research institutions in the world, and so whatever you may want to explore as your specialization or interest, exists here, and is an email or a knock on the door away. I would say, take advantage…of going to a lab, talking to a researcher in that area about it, and getting that hands on experience.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity and length

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Make Your Voice Heard!!!

Nominations Open Thursday, October 23, 2014 at 9:00AM Nominations Close Thursday, October 30, 2014 at 5:00PM for the following positions on the Council of Athletics and Recreation: • • •

1 Student Representatives (St. George Campus) 1 Administrative Staff Representative 1 Academic Staff Representative

All positions are for a term of 1 academic year: November 23, 2014 to April 30, 2015.

By-Elections held on November 12, 13 2014 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM Polling locations: Athletic Centre Lobby, Sidney Smith Building lobby Online: http://voting.utoronto.ca The Council is responsible for overall Athletics and Recreation policy including¬: allocation of funds to Co-Curricular areas; staffing policy; rental and fees policy.

Nomination forms are available in: the Athletic Centre Main Office; Suite 1040 or the Co-Curricular department Suite 1064, Nomination papers must be filed at one of these offices.

Nominations received elsewhere or after that time will be invalid.

For full information contact: Chief Returning Officer Khary Lumley: 416.946.7878 Khary.lumley@utoronto.ca http://physical.utoronto.ca/AboutUs/Councils/Council_of_Athletics_and_Recreation.aspx

Come and do the robot with us.

Write for science.

Email science@thevarsity.ca

var.st/science

VARSITY SCIENCE

Inside the offices of local startups Startup Open House comes to Toronto Sandy Wang

VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR

Ever wonder what really goes on in one of those startup offices? On Thursday, October 30, a new event will be launching in Toronto that gives the public a peek into the startup world. As a part of the Startup Open House, around 100 local startup companies will open their doors to Torontonians.

Companies like Indiegogo Canada, Shopify, Bitmaker Labs, and Hurrier will welcome the public into their offices, along with many other startups. With the goal of creating an opportunity for people to discover the vibrant startup scene in Toronto, the open house is a completely free event offering entrepreneurs, students, and general public members a chance to see inside the world of startup companies.

For many young people, including U of T students, a startup is a novel opportunity to explore new technologies and big ideas, while working with a small budget.

Satish Kanwar, a University of Toronto alumnus and one of the organizers of the Toronto Startup Open House, said, “The goal of the event is to create knowledge and opportunities for people interested in startups.”

“The event started last year in Montreal and proved to be a high impact way for us to gain exposure,” said Kanwar, adding, “I partnered with lp Maurice, the original founder and organizer, to help bring it simultaneously to Toronto for 2014.”

Driven by the world of increasing technologies and the success of the startup economy in recent years, the big idea behind the initia-

tive is simple: to aid in the connection and communication between the general public and local startup companies. Kanwar said, “The world of technology has created new kinds of companies that are being built to last in Canada.” He added, “We [at Startup Open House] feel it’s important to open doors to the general public to help them become more familiar with these companies, interact with their environments, and meet their people.”

Kanwar is also the director of product at Shopify, an ecommerce startup founded in 2006. “The idea [of creating Shopify] came when the founders wanted to open their own snowboard store and were appalled at the lack of quality ecommerce software available in the market.” Since then, Shopify has grown to over 500 employees supporting more than 125,000 stores all over the world!” Located at King Street West and Spadina Avenue, Shopify will be one of the many startups opening its doors to the public on October 30.

There are currently over 1,000 people set to take part in this event, and some of the different companies may hold smallscale tours and hold question and answer panels. For students interested in launching a small-scale business but daunted by the process, there are several ways to get involved with startups.

Kanwar said, “There is a large variety of types and stages of startups in Canada, which means there’s a lot of opportunities for students to get involved.” He added, “It’s important to learn about these companies, interact with them, and express interest.

Follow their stories, use their technology, and find ways of meeting them in-person.”

U of T is now home to 13 new Canada Research Chairs U of T holds up to being the nation’s best research university

Jasleen Arneja SCIENCE EDITOR

The University of Toronto is often applauded for its stellar research faculty and facilities. It comes as no surprise that 13 U of T researchers have been titled Canada Research Chairs in their respective fields. In addition, 12 researchers have had their positions renewed.

The Canadian Minister of State for Science and Technology, Ed Holder, announced on October 16 that $29.6 million in funding will be going to researchers at the University of Toronto. A total of $118 million in funding will be distributed to researchers across Canada.

Mark Adler, Member of Parliament for York Centre, said, “Our government is making the

investments necessary to attract and retain highly talented researchers who support the creation of new jobs and new opportunities.”

U of T’s interim vice-president, research and innovation, Dr. Peter Lewis said in a press release, “We are grateful to the government of Canada for this investment.” He added, “The program has been critical to the university’s ability to attract and retain the best researchers from around the world — and to Canada’s as a nation.”

“As a result of today’s announcement, the University of Toronto is now home to 222 Canada Research Chairs, promising minds like Dr. Goldie Nejat, whose research into new robotic technologies will help Toronto compete and win in the knowledge economy,” said Adler.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2014

23

24 Vol. CXXXV, No. 8

VARSITY SCIENCE

science@thevarsity.ca

Where’s your Thought Spot?

Toronto intiative for students by students creates a live map of mental health and wellbeing resources Wan Xian Koh

VARSITY CONTRUBUTOR

The “college triangle” aptly depicts the struggle of many post-secondary students in Canada. The sides of the triangle represent sleep, academics, and social life, respectively, and students are told they may only choose two out of the three options. Post-secondary students are subjected to high levels of stress as they struggle to find that balance, often sacrificing their health and wellness in the process.

Initiated by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (camh) and the University of Toronto, Thought Spot is an initiative that aims to improve the mental health and wellbeing of post-secondary students by organizing mental health resources into a live map available online.

Thought Spot is created for students by students. It functions as a niche for promoting mental health by enabling students to exchange ideas and contribute to the content of the map through a crowdsourcing model. Each Thought Spot is a service or site that falls under one or more of the following categories: family and friends, legal and financial, spirituality and well being, health and social services, work and school, recreation and culture, and sex and relationships.

By taking on a holistic approach to mental health, Thought Spot strives to encompass the various

factors that collectively contribute to a healthy, balanced lifestyle.

Debi Banerjee, a second-year medical student at U of T who is a content team member at the project, explained that its main targets are post-secondary students. She emphasized the vulnerability of postsecondary students who are subjected to high stress as they transition from high school to university and potentially move away from home.

“Physicians and health care providers often see patients too late into the trajectory of their mental health illness,” said Banerjee as she described her medical placement in an in-patient adult psychiatry unit.

“There’s a pressing public health demand and pressing system demand for this kind of illness.” She believes that the issue can be more readily addressed if individuals are cognizant of mental illness at an earlier age. Consequently, the goal of Thought Spot is to create awareness for mental health as well as function as a comprehensive resource to guide post-secondary students to the help they require.

Mental health is a continuum. According to Phoebe Bao, a third-year medical student at U of T and another content team member at Thought Spot, everyone is susceptible to different degrees of mental illness. Bao further explained the idea of a spectrum of serious mental disorders to healthy individuals in the student community, to a large portion of students who fall in the middle, neither

juLIEN bALbONTIN/THE VArsITy

completely healthy, nor seriously ill.

Thought Spot targets this majority and assists in changing the trajectory of their university life and beyond.

Currently, Thought Spot is web-

based and available to students in the Greater Toronto Area. On November 7–9, a hackathon for mental health will be held at the Ryerson Digital Media Zone called Hackathought to

launch the Thought Spot initiative.

The hackathon is open to the public and challenges hackers to build mobile solutions to increase the accessibility of Thought Spot.

Hackathought: Student developers compete to build mental health app Hackathons provide students with experiences outside of class looking forward to it?

KL: Yeah we’re definitely looking forward to it. It’s for a great cause — mental health.

KZ: You can often see on “Spotted at U of T” or those [types of] U of T pages where students anonymously post instances in which they are troubled. The response is generally very favourable — there are always people there to reach out and help.

But that’s all on Facebook. We feel that it will be a lot better if we can make that a lot more three dimensional — extend it to something that is more tangible, and something that can make students that are troubled always… [feel comfortable].

Nadezhda Woinowsky-Kreiger ASSOCIATE SCIENCE EDITOR

On November 7-9, Ryerson University will be hosting “Hackathought,” a hackathon that will challenge young developers to produce a mobile app for Thought Spot to aid post-secondary students in having better access to mental health resources in the gta.

The Varsity spoke to Ken Liao and Kevin Zhu, two engineering science students, and Steven Marcok, a computer science student at the University of Waterloo. All three students have competed in multiple hackathons in the past and will be participating in Hackathought.

The Varsity: Tell me about your experiences with hackathons. What do you like about them?

Ken Liao: A hackathon is a really challenging competition where you can both learn and have fun at the same time. It can be pretty rough because you only have 24 hours, sometimes 36 hours to finish a program.

So you have to think fast.

Steven Marcok: [A hackathon] is a different experience because you have to work under pressure. You have a timeline but you can also

brITTANy gErOw/THE VArsITy

use the opportunity to learn a lot of things because [there are] mentors from all sorts of different companies that sponsor the hackathon. They’re willing to teach you about their product and how to use their product.

Kevin Zhu: … Hackathons… tap a part of your brain that is not used in regular classrooms. We’re just given tools to work with, a path, and a space to hack in. It’s a sandbox experience; we can do anything we want.

TV: It must feel good to have the things you learn in the classroom be applied in real life!

KL: With software you can always apply [what you learn in class], but in a hackathon you have access to different [application programming interfaces] and different tools that are not accessible to you in your daily life.

TV: Tell me about the upcoming hackathon, Hackathought. Are you

TV: The way I understand it is that most of the hackathon participants will be students. Do you feel like you’ll be able to apply your own experiences with being students and handling stress to help you create a good product?

KL: Well yeah… I feel like I’ve never been so stressed out that I’ve have [sic] a mental issue. [Whenever I get stressed] I usually just take a break and go walk around at a park.

TV: Isn’t that kind of the purpose of the app though? To tell you where the parks are?

KL: Yes exactly.

KZ: It doesn’t really have to be mental issues, it can be general stuff.

Whatever program you’re in, there are always days that you’re just feeling so down that you just don’t know how to pick yourself up. And that’s where things can come together at this hackathon.

SM: This hackathon is good because it raises awareness about these services. Beforehand I didn’t even know that [these services] existed. It’s a good resource if the need ever arises.

TV: Are the three of you going in for the grand prize?

All: Of course!

KL: But the experience is the most important part.

KZ: The desire to win and the desire to learn, those are the two things that motivate us. [But] in the end the prize money is temporary, but the knowledge that we gain is much more permanent. The knowledge, the friendship and the bonds are permanent.

KL: For many hackathons that we’ve done their purpose is just to develop something or to push us to do something that nobody cares about. But this one is really for a good cause.

So this hackathon is quite unique.

It’s going to be a great experience.

Sports

VAR.ST/COMMENT

27 OCTOBER 2014

sports@thevarsity.ca

Rookie-veteran Q&A with Dylan Churchill and Sage Usher Fifth-year Dylan Churchill welcomes rookie Sage Usher into the Varsity Blues organization

Varsity Blues veteran Dylan Churchill faces an opponent. COURTESY OF VARSITY BLUES

The men’s basketball team starts its season on November 7 against the University of Waterloo Warriors.

The Blues have been playing in a number of exhibition games and training in the new athletic facility on campus, the Goldring Centre.

Leading the team this year is fifthyear guard Dylan Churchill who is entering his final season as a Varsity Blue. The team is also welcoming seven rookies to the team, including Sage Usher, a Toronto native. The two athletes sat down to discuss basketball, University of Toronto, and DJing.

when exactly I started to play but one-on-one games on my driveway with my brother started at a young age. We were pretty competitive and that was the start of what motivated me to work on my game.

Dylan Churchill: When did you first start playing basketball/ what made you start playing?

Sage Usher: I don’t remember

DC: What’s the proudest moment in your basketball career so far?

SU: My proudest moment so far has to be winning ofsaa in grade

DC: Is there someone you model your game after?

SU: There is no one in particular I model my game after, I think the guys in the nba are so talented its hard to do a lot of what they do but I love watching guys like James Harden, Lebron James, Steph Curry, or Kyle Lowry.

12. Our team, St. Mike’s, was like a family and we went on a crazy run starting about half way into our season. We blew out a majority of teams that we played and ended up winning the finals in ot. It seemed meant to be and is something I’ll never forget.

SU: Haha, it’s a new-found talent that I’m working on with help from my mentor DJ Polo Ralph aka The Mayor aka Devon Johnson.

Whenever our team is together, he seems to be the guy playing the music but I try to hop in there when I can.

DC: What are you studying at U of T? SU: I’m currently undecided on my major but leaning towards the ethics, society, and law program.

DC: Finish the sentence: If I wasn’t playing basketball I’d be…

SU: Spending more time on my DJ skills.

DC: What’s your dream job?

SU: Professional athlete.

DC: What are your short-term goals for the upcoming season?

SU: Short term is to get off to a good start in conference play.

We’ve got some games early that we have to win to put ourselves in a good position to make the

DC: I’ve heard rumours about your hidden talent for DJing. Where did this skill come from/do you have a DJ name?

playoffs which is our main goal and definitely achievable.

DC: How about long term for your career at U of T? SU: Haven’t thought much about long term here, but I definitely want to help change the culture here into one where winning would be more of an expectation.

Goldring and everything else that’s been put into this program recently has provided a foundation for that to happen so I don’t see why it can’t [move] forward. I definitely believe the basketball program here is on the rise and it’s exciting to be a part of.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity and length.

26 Vol. CXXXV, No. 8

VARSITY SPORTS

sports@thevarsity.ca

U of T law hosts Hockey Arbitration Competition of Canada Thirty-two teams from 15 law schools across North America gather at U of T for annual event Arco Recto

VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR

The University of Toronto Sports and Entertainment Law Society (sels) hosted its third annual Hockey Arbitration Competition of Canada (hacc) on Friday, and Saturday, October 24 and 25.

Administered exclusively by U of T law students, the hacc is a moot competition, for law students, that simulates the salary arbitration procedures used in the National Hockey League (nhl).

This year, 32 teams from 15 law schools across North America participated, and U of T law student Amir Torabi acted as the competition’s chair. The teams were judged by associates and partners from various law firms, nhl player agents, sports executives, and, most notably Brian Burke, former Toronto Maple Leafs general manager and current Calgary Flames president of hockey operations.

The competition was divided into two days. On the first day — Friday, October 24 — teams were randomly divided into two conferences of 16 teams. Then, each conference was randomly divided into two divisions of eight teams. The three players or cases selected for this year’s competition were Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman, Cody Franson; Montreal Canadiens forward, Lars Eller; and New York Rangers forward, Derick Brassard, actual nhl players

Hockey Arbitration Competition of Canada. jennifer su/the VArsity

who were arbitration eligible during the summer of 2014.

Teams were then assigned to a side in each case — either the player’s or club’s side. Depending on which side the teams were appointed to, their objective was to either argue if the player was worth above or below the midpoint salary.

Furthermore, teams were judged and scored based on their briefs and oral arguments. Teams with the best record in each conference advanced from the preliminary rounds to the semi-finals.

The finals of the competition were conducted on the second day of the competition. The two teams left

vying for the hacc trophy were from U of T and the University of Western Ontario. The three guest arbitrators who judged the finals were Clifford Hart, a partner from Borden Ladner Gervais; Don Meehan, president of Newport Sports Management; and Brian Burke, president of hockey operations for the Calgary Flames.

In the finals, the team from U of T was assigned to the player’s side and the task of arguing that the player was above the midpoint salary. Meanwhile, the team from the University of Western Ontario were assigned to the club’s side and the task of arguing that the player was below the midpoint salary. The salary arbitration case

examined for the finals was New York Rangers forward, Derick Brassard.

After the teams presented and demonstrated their arguments and rebuttals, the three judges deemed — by the narrowest of margins and even after consideration of a tie — that the University of Western Ontario was the winners. Brian Burke noted how exceptional the participants were from both side, commenting on the strengths and cogency of their arguments. The winners won two round trip flights in North America and two passes to this year’s Prime Time Sports Management Conference.

Indeed, the event’s success is

evident. Since debuting in 2012, the number of participants competing in the hacc has significantly increased and has attracted prominent leaders in the sports industry. More importantly, the law students competing gain an invaluable experience.

“This type of event enables practical experience in the sports industry,” said hacc founder and chair of the steering committee, Nick Rossi.

The steering committee “is a group that provides guidance to the student organizers,” explained Rossi. The committee consists of Rossi; Mike Alvaro, a U of T undergraduate alumnus and University of Windsor law school alumnus; Chris Travascio, a U of T law alumnus; and Adrian Battiston, a U of T law alumnus.

Devon McIntyre of the winning members of the University of uwo, reiterated how valuable participating and competing was: “The level of competition, panels, and guest arbitrators were phenomenal.”

The competition concluded with a sports law symposium. The panel included Trevor Whiffen, governor of the London Knights; André Nowakowski, partner at Miller Thompson; Don Meehan; and Brian Burke. Moderated

by David Goldstein, the panel discussed topical issues in sports today: the value of sports analytics, implications of nhl expansion teams, domestic violence policies, and amateur sports policies.

Alumna profile: Vanessa Nobrega Former basketball player reflects on her time as a Varsity Blue at U of T Reshara Alviarez

ASSOCIATE SPORTS EDITOR

Vanessa Nobrega played on the Varsity Blues from 2000-2005. file photo

Vanessa Nobrega is a proud alumna of the University of Toronto, who devoted much of her time to excelling in her field of study, but also in varsity athletics. During her time as an undergraduate student, Nobrega played for the Varsity Blues women’s basketball team from 2000–2005 in various positions, including pointguard and shooting-guard.

During these five years, Nobrega also developed as a player, keeping in mind her goal of travelling to Europe to play basketball professionally.

She served as the team’s captain in her final three seasons, and during her five-year commitment to the team, she used her leadership role to contribute to the continued outstanding success of the team.

In 2002, the Blues celebrated winning the provincial championship.

Nobrega was an Ontario University Athletics (oua) all-star in her last two seasons, and is also a U of T T-Holder recipient.

Nobrega was familiar with many of the players on the team before deciding to join in her first year.

She remembers feeling special to

have the privilege to play alongside these women, while learning from who she deemed as the best head coach, Michele Bélanger.

Bélanger is currently in her thirty-sixth season coaching the Varsity Blues’ women’s team.

Nobrega says that she came to U of T especially for Bélanger, who she still views today as “an amazing person and coach.” She adds, “I wanted to develop as a basketball player under her leadership.”

Aside from the promise of being given the opportunity to learn from Bélanger, Nobrega notes that “the fact that U of T is such a reputable school made my decision easy.”

When asked about some of her most memorable moments with the Blues, Nobrega says, “In my second year, we won ouas. At the time, our league was tough and we had a number of players in their final year who wanted to finish their careers winning. The playoffs were at home and the atmosphere was awesome.

That was a pretty special time.”

Nobrega graduated from U of T in 2004, but continued on to play a fifth year in the season from 2004–2005. She was a graduate of U of T’s Rotman Commerce, and upon graduation, went on to fulfill

her dream of playing basketball professionally in Germany. Upon her return to Canada, Nobrega went to school for chiropractic medicine and has been practising in Toronto since having attained her diploma in 2011.

Regarding her personal life in the years since her Varsity Blues days, Nobrega and her husband have started a few companies since the end of their respective athletic careers. Her husband, Mark, played professional beach and indoor volleyball.

“We have a juice bar in Muskoka that is in its eighth year and we are about to launch a number game for kids, called Möbi,” says Nobrega.

Last November, Nobrega and her husband welcomed their son, Noah, into the world. She added, “He’s packed with love and has changed our world so quickly and in ways we couldn’t have imagined.”

Like many past Blues athletes, Nobrega reminisces about her experiences as a member of the Varsity Blues, noting, “I loved playing at U of T. I only have fond memories there. Of course there were difficulties at times, but those come with any endeavour that is worth pursuing.”

VARSITY SPORTS

var.st/sports

MONDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2014

27

Blues come out on top of Warriors Blues add another win to their record on Friday night Sampson Coutts VARSITY STAFF

The Varsity Blues men’s hockey team bounced back from a rough weekend of Ontario University Athletics (oua) play to defeat the University of Waterloo Warriors 4-1 last Friday night at Varsity Arena.

The Blues came flying out of the gate, dominating possession in the opening minutes of the game and forcing Waterloo netminder Chris Hurry to make several great saves.

The Blues had to kill off several dubious penalties at the midpoint of the period, but held their composure and pushed hard in the second half of the frame.

Though the Blues didn’t manage to find a weak spot in Hurry, it was their best period of the season and comforting for the Blues’ faithful who watched their 10-3 drubbing at the hands of the University of Windsor Lancers last Saturday.

The second period saw the momentum shift to Waterloo, with the Warriors peppering veteran University of Toronto goaltender Brett Willows with 21 shots. As he has so many times before, Willows rose to the challenge and was stellar in goal for U of T, making 20 saves and giving the Blues a fighting chance.

Men’s hockey added second win of the season to its record in 4-1 defeat over Waterloo elena iourtaeva/tHe varsity

The Blues rewarded their goaltender’s heroics 11 minutes into the frame, with sophomore defenseman Corey Jackson firing a wrist shot from the point right under

the crossbar. Just two minutes later, grinding forward Patrick Marsh doubled the Blues’ lead.

Marsh, an off-season transfer from Upstate New York’s Clarkson

University, jumped on a rebound in front of the Waterloo goal and blasted a shot over Hurry’s outstretched glove for his first oua goal.

The Blues nearly escaped the

frame up 2-0, but the Warriors were persistent and managed to solve Willows on a mad scramble in front of the U of T goal with three seconds left in the period. Willows injured his shoulder on the play, and with veteran netminder Garrett Sheehan already out with a groin issue, thirdstring goaltender Michael Nishi was called upon to play the final period.

The Blues exhibited textbook team defense in the final frame, with the likes of Marsh, Dean Klomp and Casey Knight racking up the shotblocks, while Nishi was solid in goal, making 16 saves and standing tall on a late five-on-three penalty kill.

U of T sniper Jeff Brown added an insurance marker two minutes into the period, putting home a rebound on an early power play and star forward Michael Markovic added an empty netter in the dying seconds of the game to seal the victory.

The importance of Friday evening’s game cannot be understated. Sitting three games below .500 and coming off a weekend in which the club was outscored 17-8, the Waterloo tilt was a must-win for the Blues and they did just that.

Following the match, Willows had nothing but praise for his squad: “Everyone came out tonight and put it all on the line... in every essence of the word, it was a team win.”

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AGM Bingo!

#UofT on Instagram

It’s that time of year again! Tweet @TheVarsity as you complete your card.

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