October 3, 2011

THE VARSITY

Vol. CXXXII, No. 6

University of Toronto’s Student Newspaper Since 1880

Nuit Raves, rants, and roasted crickets: Exploring our lovehate relationship with Toronto’s allnight arts festival

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3 October, 2011

Contents Soccer in the slush: Pictures of the UTICA Clubs Cup

Apparently there was life at university before the Internet.

Grads from the ‘70s and ‘90s tell their story

Of fairies and fantasy: an interview with the author of Artemis Fowl

To will or not to will? Is that even an option?

Bernarda Gospic/THe VarsiTy

Election on your mind?

Students break down your options

VARSITY NEWS

news@thevarsity.ca

MONDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2011

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Meet your provincial candidates Trinity-Spadina contenders tell students what they stand for. Compiled by SARAH TAGUIAM

TIM GRANT

Tim is the kind of candidate you expect and deserve from the Green Party of Ontario.

An active community leader in Trinity-Spadina, Tim’s local leadership roles include serving as the chair and long-time board member of the Harbord Village Residents’ Association.

He co-chaired the Downtown West Solar Energy Project, enabling 65 Trinity-Spadina households to add solar panels to their rooftops. He continues to co-chair Tower Power Toronto, which has helped residents in more than 250 condo and co-op buildings to green up.

A former high school teacher, Tim has published Green Teacher magazine for 20 years, co-edited six books, and given hundreds of presentations around the world on how best to educate young people about the environment.

He is a founding member of Energy Educators of Ontario, the Ontario Environment Network, and Environmental Education Ontario.

He served as the Vice-Chair of EECOM, the Canadian Network for Environmental Education and Communication.

ROSARIO MARCHESE

Rosario Marchese is a tireless defender of students’ rights and the NDP’s Critic for Training, Colleges and Universities. This year, he stood alongside U of T part-time students in the Legislature to denounce the Liberal government for allowing the University of Toronto to increase tuition fees by as much as 60 per cent.

Rosario introduced a bill to protect the financial autonomy of university student unions. He also introduced a bill to allow the Ontario Ombudsman to investigate complaints against universities. Both of these bills received the full support of the Canadian Federation of Students and the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance.

Rosario and the NDP are also proposing to freeze tuition fees and make provincial OSAP loans interest free.

Rosario organized OSAP information sessions for U of T students throughout the riding to highlight ways to apply for more grants and bursaries.

MIKE YEN

After 8 years of the McGuinty Liberals, students now face a bleak future. The provincial debt is $240 billion and growing; you will inherit this debt! Career opportunities have become rare; over 500,000 people are unable to find work. How will you pay your student loan or afford a place of your own?

The Ontario PC Party has a plan, “Changebook”, to get Ontario’s economy back on track. We will stop runaway spending and create a business friendly environment to attract real career jobs.

We will create more than 200,000 new apprenticeship spaces. We will put the needs of students and the economy at the centre of Ontario’s post-secondary education system. Strong universities and colleges, focused on developing the innovations of tomorrow, are fundamental to creating a dynamic economy today.

As your MPP, I will fight to ensure that the opportunities you deserve will be there when you graduate.

SARAH THOMSON

I am your Liberal Candidate, Sarah Thomson.

I’m an entrepreneur and built a multi-million dollar retail company, I founded the Women’s Post Magazine and most recently, I ran for mayor of Toronto against Rob Ford.

Liberals are committed to making education accessible to all Ontarians. We’re offering a 30 per cent grant to postsecondary students to ease the burden of tuition fees. Under our plan, a student starting at the University of Toronto next September would save $6,400 over 4 years.

Liberals have invested billions in wind and solar power, and will have completely eliminated all coal power plants by 2014.

With the global economic crisis still looming, it’s important to invest in our infrastructure and keep our economy growing to create jobs for graduating students.

The role of an MPP is to engage residents to create a better community. I will be a progressive voice for Trinity-Spadina and I hope I can earn your vote.

What if you were President of U of T? David Naylor featured in inaugural lecture of Hart House series Bernarda Gospic/THe VarsiTy

Lauren Ray VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR

Hart House’s “What If…?” lecture series launched on September 26.

The program’s theme was the question, “What if…you were President of U of T?”.

The discussion addressed a variety of student issues, both academic and extra-curricular.

Featured guest, U of T President David Naylor, joined student panelists Kate Bruce Lockhart, Shagufta Pasta, and Kevin Sousa in the conversation.

“If you could leave any future legacy for U of T students, what would it be?” asked CIUT moderator Cynthia Yao. Lockhart said she would aim to improve the University’s purchasing policy; Shagufta Pasta emphasized the importance of signature U of T resources such as the Multi-Faith Centre; Kevin Sousa would like to see the empowerment of students and their ideas through peer mentorship programs and other networking opportunities.

Naylor took a different approach: “The things that you can affect are most often very personal — a professor dealing with students, a

coach dealing with a team, your interactions with your peers and your friends, your own research as a scholar … those are the minutiae that I think matter in terms of legacy.”

As much as this was a forum for students to debate current issues, such as the promises made to students by political parties in the current election, it was also

an opportunity to discover more about programs currently underway at U of T. The importance of virtual and physical space was a hot topic of dis-

cussion. “The importance of engaging our campus physically, whether it’s through a club, Hart House, or the Athletic Centre … these things really enhance our student experience,” said Sousa.

More seminar classes, study abroad programs, and engagement with the broader Toronto community were suggested as means to enhance student experience and campus atmosphere.

When asked what he hoped to take back to Simcoe Hall from this experience, Naylor replied, “I think any chance that we in the administration have to talk with student leaders and engaged students who have views they want to share … it’s a chance to learn, and I’ll always be looking for chances like this.”

At the end of the event, President Naylor stepped into the crowd to chat with students.

“It’s really nice hearing about all the things that are happening at U of T,” said Pasta. “As a student you have your own experience, but hearing the different pieces … gives you a sense of the university as a big picture. I feel like conversations like this should happen more often.”

VARSITY NEWS

MONDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2011

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UTSU hosts Vote Mob Students lobby to have their voices heard in the upcoming provincial election

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Dalana Parris VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR

“It’s our education, it’s our future,” chanted U of T first-year student Shak Gobert as he led the UTSU Vote Mob down St. George and into King’s College Circle on Thursday, September 29.

He stressed to students that their votes will matter in the provincial election being held on October 6.

“I believe that voting is important and I want to encourage others to do the same,” said Gobert.

His message was echoed by Matthew Cram, President of the Beyond Intellectual Discovery Club, who stressed to students the importance of casting their ballots. He urged them to take advantage of the advance polls at Hart House and Brennan Hall.

The Vote Vob was part of UTSU’s ‘Take It Over’ campaign, an initiative to increase voter awareness, development and community outreach with the hopes of bringing student issues to election forefronts.

Shaun Shepherd, UTSU’s VP External, described the campaign’s mandate as one that aims to break down political parties’ platforms and focus on the points

that affect students the most, such as funding for postsecondary education, transit, continuing education, unemployment, and health care.

“Currently, Ontario has the lowest governmentfunded post-secondary education system in the country, causing increased privatization of campuses, and students are bearing this weight through increased tuition,” explained Shepherd.

“And what is the future of transit in this city?” he continued, going on to note the TTC’s importance for U of T commuter students.

Shepherd went on to discuss the need to address unemployment. He believes that the lack of jobs is contributing to the debt cycle by inhibiting students from paying back their loans.

Statistically, three out of every ten students vote in elections — the campaign hopes to push more students to participate.

“The Vote Mob is really something that’s taken over,” said UTSU President Danielle Sandhu. “Our great energy [is resulting in] student issues [being] reflected in party platforms, and by encouraging students to vote, we’re making a difference.”

NEWS iN BriEf Studies question the value of university degrees

Recent studies have raised questions about the investment value of a university education and, in particular, whether a college degree could be more advantageous for certain individuals.

Research conducted by the Martin Prosperity Institute and the Institute for Competitiveness and Prosperity reveals that the most lucrative postsecondary route differs from job to job. Collegeeducated child-care workers and chefs make 8 and 9 per cent more, respectively, than their universityeducated counterparts.

The data seems to indicate that the theoretical knowledge amassed in university is considered, by some employers, subpar to the practical tools acquired in college.

The state of the job market puts pressure on job seekers to distinguish themselves in any way possible, and some are doing so by adding a college degree to their resumes.

One’s field of study also plays a big part in determining just how much the time and money invested in a university degree will pay off. Studying engineering, business, or mathematics versus humanities or social sciences can mean a difference of 9.5 per cent in annual earnings.

Experts remain divided on the issue. TD Economics reports affirm that university is “the best investment you can make,” while economics professor Torben Drewes warns that “the investment is a risk.”

Nevertheless, the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada projects lifetime returns of $1.3 million from investing in a university degree — a fig-

ure most can be confident in.

With files from Maclean’s and the Globe and Mail — Natalia Moskal

Harvard website hacked

Harvard University’s website was hacked on Monday, September 26 by a group of activists who call themselves the “Syrian Electronic Army.”

The “sophisticated” attack forced the site to be shut down for several hours while the intrusions were cleaned up. They included an image of the Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad, and messages accusing the United States of supporting a “policy of killing” in Syria and opposing Assad’s regime.

The messages went on to make violent threats in broken English.

“Do you support the war on Syria? If you are you, as well as the following Syria’s population of 23 million people. This means 23 million mobile bomb. Imagine what we could do [sic].”

Despite the activists’ claims otherwise, researchers have found links between the hackers and Assad.

“Recent months have seen a rise in frequency and sophistication of these attacks,” said a Harvard spokesperson. “We are analyzing this event and will use the findings to improve our security practices for an environment that is seeing escalating threats.”

With files From Boston.com, BBC News and Harvard Crimson — Samantha Preddie

VARSITY NEWS

news@thevarsity.ca

Foundation to fight mental illness gains strength

MONDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2011

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bachelor of education experience . mentor . community

After son’s death, family vows to combat depression among youth Sarah Niedoba VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR

Early last spring, Jack Windeler, a first year student at Queen’s University, took his own life.

The tragedy came as a horrible shock to Eric Windeler and Sandra Hanington, who mourned the loss of their bright, beloved firstborn son.

After their loss, the Windelers vowed to help other young adults in the world overcome mental illness and depression.

During the eulogy, Windeler came forward and declared, “For Jack, we must let it be. But for others, we will not let it be.�

The Windelers made the courageous decision to respect Jack’s memory by trying to help as many others like him as they could.

In April of 2010, Eric founded the Jack Windeler Memorial Fund which raised $600,000 in its first few months of operation and, allied itself with the Mental Health Commission of Canada and Kids Help Phone. “For me, it’s not about saving Canadian youth,� Hanington told Canadian Living. “This is about saving the next Jack, or the next girl. I’m a mother, and it’s one child at a time.�

The fund, which became known as “The Jack Project� in the fall of 2011, aims to reach out to Canadian youth to ensure that they

maintain a stable state of mental wellness.

This year, Windeler is leading a pilot project in 12 postsecondary institutions and 22 high schools around Ontario that will evaluate the types of mental health programs available in the schools. If all goes well, the program will expand to 30 high schools and 30 post-secondary institutions next year.

Because mental illness frequently manifests itself in older teens, Windeler wants to promote awareness of symptoms to both teens and their parents. He wants Canadian Youth to be able to identify the signs of depression among themselves and their peers. $300,000 of the money raised by The Jack Project will be going towards a new project for Kids Help Phone, where kids can talk to counsellors via internet-chat. By making help more accessible, the program hopes more youths will be willing to reach out for help. “It is just another form of illness ‌ and yet it is the most deadly to young people by far,â€? Wendeler remarked to the CBC. “It is part of the human condition and we have to learn to deal with it.â€?

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Environmental Hoodie Fest Oct 3rd - 21st forum lacks fuel Major parties fail to show at UTSU-hosted discussion Rida Fatema Ali VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR

Green taxes, railway systems, and alternative power were some of the major topics of discussion at an election forum held at the Ontario Institute of Studies in Education.

On September 28, the University of Toronto Graduate Students’ Union (GSU) and The University of Toronto Students’ Union (UTSU), along with Professor James Nugent from the Department of Geography & Planning, hosted this provincial election campaign’s only forum devoted to discussing environmental concerns.

While the forum was intended to include all parties, some of the major ones were noticeably absent. “We sent out emails to all the registered parties to save the date,â€? Nugent explained. He went on to state that “both the Liberal party and the NDP ‌ [said] that they would be sending someoneâ€? but cancelled at the last minute.

The representatives and panellists present when the forum began were Tim Grant of the Green Party, Rod Rojas of The Libertarians, Miguel Figueroa of the Communist Party of Canada, Guy Fogel of the Socialist Party of Ontario, and Bahman Yazdanfar of Canada’s Choice Party. About halfway through the forum Kevin Clark from the People’s Political Party arrived.

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The event started off with five-minute introductions by each of the panellists, then moved on to the discussion of previously submitted questions, and ended with an open question and answer session. “We need a dramatically better railway system,� were the words constantly repeated by Fogel on behalf of the Socialist Party.

Fogel added that “the Socialist Party [also] supports creating an electrical network to recharge electrical and hybrid cars.�

One point that all of the candidates agreed upon was that nuclear energy in Canada would be non-existent if the government hadn’t decided to step in.

Grant expanded on the issue: “George Smitherman, before he ran for mayor, was energy minister, and he did one thing that no other energy minister in Ontario had done. When he called for bids for new nuclear plants, he said ‘Only submit a bid that shows that you’re going to include cost overruns.’� “The only bid was the atomic energy control board — the federal crown corporation that’s now being privatized. [Smithermman] went to the federal government and said ‘We need you to accept the cost overruns,’� he continued.

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VARSITY COMMENT

MONDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2011

THEVOL. VARSITY CXXXII

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COMMENT EDITOR

The last Ontario election saw one of the lowest voter turnouts in the history of the province. A mere 52.6 per cent of eligible voters cast a ballot to indicate their preferred choice for who should represent their riding. In the municipal election only about 53.2 per cent voted for who they thought should be the next mayor. These statistics are disturbing and indicate that our democracy is at risk.

Why is this the case? Why is it so hard to convince people to participate in a process that’s so vital to the health of our civic society?

In a new feature for The Varsity’s comment section “Comment in Brief,” respondents were asked, “What does this election mean to you?”

Their responses touch on three of the most frequent answers to why many choose not to vote: 1) that none of the parties represent their interests, 2) that none of the parties have realistic solutions for major problems, or 3) a feeling of complete

disconnect from the political scene.

Although there were over 21 registered parties fielding an impressive 656 candidates, did you even hear from most of them? Even if you did, would you be confident that if you voted for one outside of Ontario’s three major political parties that it would even count? The answer is that it probably wouldn’t.

Then it’s not surprising that cynicism, dissatisfaction and apathy have become the norm when most people feel their interests are not going to be represented. Our first-past-the-post system means that only a few parties will have access to having their views heard in the Legislative Assembly. It creates situations — like in the last federal election — where although only 40 per cent of the population supported the Conservative Party, they hold a majority of seats in the House of Commons. As long as our electoral system does not adequately represent the interests of the electorate, we will only see a decrease in voter turnout.

The Government of Ontario so inadequately funded the Mixed Member Proportional referendum that it’s no wonder a vast majority opposed its adoption. Its funding fell short of the $13 million required to adequately explain and promote the proposal to the electorate. When queried about MPP, only 12 per cent of respondents indicated that they understood the proposal while 47 per cent knew nothing at all.

As long as the major parties are aligned against the interests of the electorate and continue to support a system that is becoming largely undemocratic we are not going to see a turnaround in voting numbers, no matter how much it is promoted. We cannot passively wait for the other parties to give us a shot at reforming our system. We need to put pressure on them and no longer take the stance that not voting is the only solution.

Will I be voting this provincial election? I will.

Though considering the state of our democracy, I will certainly feel less comfortable doing so.

Getting Ontario to work again

Why you should vote for the Green Party of Ontario led by Mike Schreiner David Woolley VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR

/T HE r VA sI T Y

The Green Party of Ontario is inextricably linked to the environmental movement, and for good reason, since their guiding ideology is ensuring that quality of life is preserved by preventing the degradation of our environment. Because of old political prejudices, you might be surprised to learn that, when approaching politics with a free market disposition, the best choice would be the Greens.

Traditionally, we think of Green parties as inherently left wing or socialist. However, in the pursuit of quality of life, the Green Party of Ontario has transcended traditional political stereotypes and draws from both sides of the political spectrum.

Its policy statement reads not as an ideological manifesto, but as a pragmatic outline of strategies that will work to improve Ontario. Perhaps this has something to do with the business experience of the Green Party’s leader, Mike Schreiner. He ran his own food distribution business for 10 years and then started Local Foods Plus, a non-profit organization that worked to connect consumers and farmers who wanted sustainable diets. Indeed, Mr. Schreiner is the only leader of the major parties to have actually started a business and created jobs in the private sector. This positions him ideally for the task of creating an environment that will get Ontario working again.

The Greens understand something that no other party in this election seems to fully grasp: the fact that taxes are a disincentive.

High taxes on business and savings lead to slow economic growth and high taxes on income lead to families finding it hard to pay their bills. Some of the party’s competitors want to see significant tax cuts to grow the economy — this is good.

However, these tax cuts will leave

the government in need of replacement revenue unless they want to slash social programs. The Greens, understanding that you tax what you want less of and do not tax what you want more of, would switch to taxing things like carbon emissions, waste and pollution to fill this gap.

Their tax cuts would not just be handouts to major corporations; rather, the Greens would raise the exemption level of the Employer Health Tax by 100 percent, virtually eliminating the tax for most small businesses. Along with lowering the personal income tax, they would invest heavily in tax credits for green retrofits to houses, making changes that will save Ontarians money in the long run affordable in the short term. All these steps would work to unleash the economic potential of Ontario while ensuring that economic growth does not outpace quality of life.

The Greens also understand that in a globalized world, knowledge is economic power. As such they would update the education system to ensure students are in line to benefit from the growth sectors of the future. This would mean training more students in fields such as biomed, renewable energy, and sustainable architecture and city planning. To make university and college more affordable they would cap tuition rates at current levels and then index any future rise to the rate of inflation. This would ensure that, unlike some of their opponents’ plans, under a Green government Ontario students would not be burdened with personal or public debt after they graduate.

When it comes to energy policy, the Greens are second to none. They understand the importance of renewable energy to the future, not only of this province, but also of the world.

The Greens realize that innovation is market driven and comes from entrepreneurs, not government bureau-

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crats. As such, they would reduce the red tape that prevents innovation in green energy technologies and reform the cumbersome bureaucracies that prevent energy distribution from being localized. By decentralizing energy production and distribution, they would allow local communities to invest in renewable energies that make the most sense for them, while also empowering individuals to reduce their carbon footprint.

Whether it is taxation, regulation, or positioning the next generation of Ontario workers to benefit from

the growth sectors of the future, the Greens far surpass any of their opponents. They have a leader who is qualified with practical business experience and understands from the front lines what is required to create jobs. Their platform is filled with sensible, pragmatic solutions to the challenges facing Ontario.

This October 6, if you care about lightening the load on Ontario families, increasing economic growth, and getting Ontario working again, the choice is clear — the choice is Green.

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VARSITY COMMENT

MONDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2011

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Moving the economy forward

VArs I

class families who cannot afford to pay for higher education and don’t currently qualify for the program.

Ontario PC policies have garnered praise from the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance and will help students without destroying the government’s chequebook.

However, one issue in particular is even more important to students than the policies directly affecting post-secondary education, and that is the economy. Freezing tuition fees may be well and good, but if students do not have paying jobs in the summer, or upon graduation, it doesn’t matter if we owe ten thousand or fifty thousand dollars in student loans, because either way we will never be able to pay it back. If the government is hemorrhaging money, wrapping businesses in red tape, and increasing corporate tax rates while remaining in the grip of a deficit, we will not be able to increase the number of sustainable, well-paying jobs in Ontario. If we cannot get jobs, there is a smaller tax base to reinvest in education.

It is a vicious circle, and can only be broken with the type of economic approach Tim Hudak offers: a combination of tax cuts, reduced hydro costs, cutting waste in the public sector, reinvestments in businesses, and a deficit reduction program funded from savings totalling two per cent of the government’s budget every year. Tim Hudak’s realistic approach is a recipe for a healthy economy and for making Ontario a business-friendly place once again.

Although Liberal candidate Sarah

/ T HE

The best vote for an Ontario student to make on October 6 is a vote for the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party.

Dalton McGuinty’s constant mismanagement of important files indicates that he is no longer fit to govern the province of Ontario.

The eHealth Ontario scandal, for example, was characterized by the blatant excesses typical of the Liberal government. According to the Ontario Auditor General’s report, eHealth had “fewer than 30 fulltime employees” while “engaging more than 300 consultants.” Accompanied by an extreme lack of oversight and the absence of a coherent plan, this produced virtually nothing of value, and wasted $1 billion in taxpayers’ money. This costly failure by McGuinty’s cabinet would be grounds for dismissal in any accountable organization.

Furthermore, in spite of explicit promises not to raise taxes, the Liberals slyly introduced a new eco-tax and health premiums, cut funding to pharmacies, and stood by while hydro bills and tuition fees skyrocketed; yet, they have still managed to run the largest deficit in Ontario’s history. Ontario went from being the only province which had never received equalization payments to taking $347 million from the program in a single fiscal year.

McGuinty’s government cannot be trusted and does not offer a positive or affordable vision for the future of the citizens of Ontario.

Andrea Horwath is seen by some to be a credible alternative. The NDP has promised to freeze tuition fees and remove interest from student loans.

However, Horwath is weak on a very important issue — the economy. If elected she would drive Ontario closer to the dangerous realm of protectionism, requiring public organizations to buy Ontario products even if the product is up to ten per cent more expensive than the alternatives, therefore exacerbating the fiscal dilemma caused by the Liberals by further increasing government expenditure.

Additionally, any mined resources which could be processed in Ontario would not be legally exportable in their raw state. This would raise consumer costs and encourage businesses to purchase raw materials elsewhere, killing the very jobs the measure is designed to protect. Her interference in the market by capping certain salaries and raising corporate taxes would hurt Ontario’s ability to attract talent, damage economic competitiveness, and ensure that there would not be money to pay for her own extravagant promises, such as transit fee freezes on already money-losing systems.

When students consider the platform of a political leader, we tend to focus on immediately apparent student-friendly promises like tuition freezes. Tim Hudak’s platform does include these: the Ontario Dollars for Ontario Students campaign, which would transfer a planned thirty million dollars in scholarships to Ontario students; an initiative to improve credit transfer programs; and a plan to make OSAP more accessible for the middle-

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VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR

JENN

Tim Thurley

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Why it’s in your best interest to vote for the Progressive Conservatives led by Tim Hudak

Thomson believes Ontario has the best economy in Canada, we can clearly see that it does not. The Progressive Conservatives will help allay the current economic dam-

age, which is absolutely essential to providing good jobs and affordable, quality education to Ontario students. That is why you should vote for them on October 6.

Four more years!

Brace yourselves: it’s coming. Our pesky little democratic system is rearing its ugly head once again, asking you to vote in the October 6 provincial election. The good news is, after this one, you’ll be free from the duty for a few years. So just do it. If you’re super busy on Thursday, get to an advance poll when you can and while you’re at it, you should know it is in your best interest to vote for the Liberal party, led by Premier Dalton McGuinty. Obviously we’re all incredibly busy, but there are a lot of important issues to consider.

As students, tuition fees, jobs, and the economy are first and foremost in our minds. We’re spending a lot of money to get these fancy degrees and we need them to guarantee us decent paycheques when graduation day comes, just as many of us need decent jobs in the meantime to cover our expenses. So what will the Liberal party do for you? On January 2012 they plan to implement a lovely little tuition grant to reduce fees by 30 per cent for students with family incomes up to $160,000, which garners a $1,600 reduction each year for us university students and $730 for college students. Five out of six Ontario stu-

dents will qualify, and we will enjoy the reduction right away. It’s always great to be able to savour the fruits of your labour sooner rather than later.

Vote Liberal on October 6 and your effort will be rewarded.

I loathe negativity in election campaigns, for it’s far better to focus on solid policies and strength in leadership than to talk a lot of mean talk that proves nothing at the end of the day.

The NDP definitely deserve respect for not engaging in attack ads, but at the same time, sadly, these ads work. Our consumer culture has made us susceptible to manipulation. Therefore it is incredibly important to focus on the substance of political platforms, and the Liberals definitely perform well in that department. Just in quick comparison, the NDP platform assures a freeze on tuition fees at their current level, no reduction, and the Progressive Conservatives promise funding for 60,000 more students, which the Liberals did in their March 2011 budget anyway.

In their last eight years of governance, the Liberals have already added 200,000 postsecondary spaces, re-instituted up-front grants, doubled student aid, improved the graduation rate and helped more students get a job within six months of graduating.

Awesome. As McGuinty said, they’ve “made education a top priority. And

today, we have the highest postsecondary education attainment rate among all 34 OECD countries. But there is more to do.” Considering their results in helping students to date, imagine what more can be done in four years.

When the party heads got together to duke it out in the leaders debate, nothing overly exciting happened. McGuinty stuck to what he knows and what he has done, which was not a bad plan – an Ipsos Reid poll found 33 per cent of Ontarians thought he won, with 29 per cent feeling NDP leader Andrea Horwath won and 25 per cent thinking it was PC leader Tim Hudak. For the past 8 years Liberal policies have served Ontario well, so we can trust they will continue to do so. The party plans to create 50,000 new jobs in clean energy and take 10 per cent off the cost of electricity bills from the new Clean Energy Benefit, more measures that will directly benefit you, and show their dedication to the environment.

As the legendary band, Trooper, sang, “we’re here for a good time, not a long time.” So guarantee yourself a good time, and maybe even a longer one, by voting Liberal. They will help you with tuition fees, finding gainful employment, and making sure Ontario progresses with green environmental initiatives to protect this lovely province in which we reside.

/THE VArsI

VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR

JENNY KIM

Meghan McCabe

TY

Why you should vote for the Ontario Liberals led by Dalton McGuinty

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VARSITY COMMENT

MONDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2011

comment@thevarsity.ca

Some things can’t be undone A reflection on the execution of Troy Davis Salahuddin Rafiquddin VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR

On September 21, at 11:08 pm Troy Davis was pronounced dead in a Georgia State prison after receiving a lethal injection. He was found guilty in 1991 for killing a police officer and had been on death row for the past 20 years.

The details of his execution have been widely covered by many news sources, and a significant outpouring of grief on Twitter on the night of his execution made the hashtags #troydavis and #toomuchdoubt, the top trending topics on the social networking site.

Why did one man receive so much attention from millions around the world? Over one million people had signed petitions to save his life through the hard work of organizations such as Amnesty International, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). Davis embodied the fight to abolish the death penalty on

September 21 and he was not the only person whose life was ended prematurely.

Although Davis was found guilty of murder during his original trial, he never once admitted to having committed the crime he was accused of. While this is not surprising for criminals and especially those on death row, Davis’ plea of innocence may have had a significant amount of truth.

For instance, at the time of his original trial, he was convicted purely on the eyewitness testimonies of nine individuals. Of these nine, seven either recanted or changed their testimony, citing police coercion as the primary reason for their initial accounts. Of the two that chose not to recant or change their testimonies, one was the other primary suspect in the case. What’s more is that the original trial had no physical evidence linking Davis to the crime. He was guilty because people thought they had seen him commit the crime. 20 years later, most of them weren’t so sure.

Perhaps Voltaire was right when he wrote, “it is better to risk sparing a guilty person than to condemn an innocent one.”

Perhaps this is why the #toomuchdoubt tag had such relevance to his case. No one could say, without a doubt, that Davis was guilty of the crime he was being killed for. In fact, many American politicians, such as Mark White (who oversaw 19 executions during his tenure as Governor of Texas), openly opposed using the death penalty on Davis because his case just had too much doubt and should have been reopened.

Personally, I hold no notions of whether Davis really did kill the officer in question. What I do know is that administering the death penalty is a decision that cannot be undone, and in this case, it shouldn’t have gone forward at all. If he was innocent as he claimed, the State of Georgia put an innocent man to death for a crime that he did not commit. Perhaps Voltaire was right when he wrote, “it is better to risk sparing a guilty person than to condemn an innocent one.”

I have specifically noted Davis’ time of death because it deserves

a valid note. Davis was scheduled to be executed at 7pm that night.

However, an eleventh hour appeal to the United States Supreme Court delayed his execution in hopes that the Supreme Court would reopen his case for consideration. For four hours, Davis would not know whether he would live or die and neither would the rest of the world following his case. The justice system was entrusted with his life, and again, as many times before, it failed to pay its due diligence in serving its duty to one man.

The reality as it remains is this: the death penalty is on the run in much of the world and in the United States. Fewer and fewer societies are taking away the right to life through the use of stoning, firing squads, lethal injections and hangings. Hopefully, there will be a day when execution will no longer be seen as a valid form of punishment and we will not have to mourn for another Troy Davis.

Salahuddin Rafiquddin is the President of Amnesty International UofT

Comment in brief What does the election mean to you?

It’s election season in Ontario again, the event that brings politicians to the streets every four years to make a multitude of promises and berate each other’s character. This year, I turned 18 and I will be voting in this month’s provincial election, however not enthusiastically. Unfortunately, many students share the same viewpoint and choose not to cast a ballot. But why? Historically, young people have always been at the center of protests and revolutions so why the apathy today?

We as students care about many different issues and come from a wide range of political backgrounds but the issue of rising tuition fees and debt is a concern takes precedence for many. Politicians are keen to play to these issues at election time, offering gimmicks with few substantial details.

Too often, these discussions about education on the campaign trail rarely become legislation. With a limited amount of time and money, when students see the current political climate and how they are ignored, they choose to enter into a dangerous cycle of apathy, in which, with students ignoring the democratic process, and politicians continuing to disregard the views of the students.

We do not want politicians to cave to the educational policies of the left or the right, all we are asking for is to be taken seriously. Politicians and students alike must realize that if this does not happen, the future of our democracy is at risk.

—Abdullah Shihipar

I am 20, jaded as hell, and completely unmoved by Canadian politics. Students my age harbour some pretty strong sentiments regarding government and public affairs, whereas I am far too lazy to educate myself about anything related to it. This leaves me feeling pretty detached from the whole election scene. Do I care? Not really — but I’m beginning to think that I probably should.

12 years ago, I saw Dalton McGuinty’s campaign commercials on television. “Mom,” I said, “if I could vote, I’d vote for him. I like his face.” Boy, I was a horribly superficial kid back then, unaware that there was more to elections than winsome smiles.

Now, it’s a decade later, and I have that chance to show my support for the politician I admired the most for his childlike charm.

Sorry, Dalton, but I’ve decided that you’re not getting my vote. Although I haven’t grown out of my facetiousness quite just yet, I’m pretty happy that I can finally see past your glowing smile. This election means nothing to me, but I’ve learned one valuable lesson: I will never show my support for a candidate based on their personal appearance ever again. And considering the state of politics now, maybe that’s a lesson we all need to learn.

—Bernarda Gospic

This election campaign has been an exercise in mediocrity. Liberal leader and current Premier Dalton McGuinty has done a decent job defending his record but done little beyond that to prove that his party’s candidates deserve our vote. Likewise, New Democrat leader Andrea Horwath has spent more time trying to convince us that it is time for new leadership at Queen’s Park than explaining what she would do with it. Progressive Conservative leader Tim Hudak has done even worse by running an almost entirely negative campaign since the beginning of September. One of them may have what it takes to run Ontario, but none of them has come close to demonstrating it.

During the campaign, no leader has shown that they can tackle the big issues that face Ontario in the next four years, namely its large deficit and the prospect of continued tough economic times. It may be that that will be to their advantage if, as many are now predicting, Ontarians elect a minority government on October 6 since the leaders will have committed to little.

However, it exposes a profound weakness in our democracy if we are unable to tackle the issues that concern us most during our election campaigns. No matter who forms the next government, Ontarians should hope that they are better able to engage with the problems facing Ontario than they have during this campaign.

—Patrick Baud

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The Varsity

MONDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2011

2011-2012 University of Toronto Students Union

OPT IN & OPT OUT your health PERIODS Students STARTING in SEPTEMBER:

AUG. 29 - OCT. 7, 2011 Students STARTING in JANUARY:

JAN. 3 - FEB. 3, 2012 OPT OUT at: studentplans.ca OPT IN at: U.T.S.U. 12 Hart House Circle For more information: Dan Gillespie health@utsu.ca 416-978-4911 ext. 227

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MONDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2011

VARSITY ARTS &

Off-white night T

he night of October 1 was awash with Facebook updates. Nuit blank, nuit bland, nuit blah. For an event that has become entrenched in Toronto culture, it gets a surprisingly bad rap. Though attendance at Nuit Blanche seems to increase every year, dissatisfaction increases with it.

With a poet, a comic, and a critic, The Varsity layered up and hit the town to figure what, if anything, can go awry on a Toronto-wide white night.

The Poe

by Bernarda Gospic, Erene Stergiopoulos, and Tom Cardoso 10:00 pm Hart House at Nuit Blanche Was so fucking boring, man No claps, just crickets 10:04 pm Wasted LCDs With confusing images Please show me Simpsons

The Critic

by Simon Frank 8:45 pm I leave my apartment and start walking towards Hart House, always a fair bet for decent if not mindblowing exhibits on Nuit Blanche. Around King’s College circle, drum and bass beats begin to thump in the distance, and I gradually approach what can only be called a rave truck. There are absolutely no takers in the call for dancing and I feel an intense sense of foreboding.

9:00 pm As expected, Hart House sort of delivers on its promise. There’s a selection of quality video art by Hannah Wilke and others, but it’s a bit overshadowed by the absorb-everything-no-reflection-required nature of the night. More fitting is the display in the courtyard devoted to the farming and consumption of crickets.

Free samples of fried cricket are surprisingly palatable.

9:10 pm Walking through Queens Park, it’s hard to miss the “Feast of Trimalchio” by Russian collective AES+F. Arranged in a circle, screens display digital animation/film projections of preparations for a highly bizarre party. Apparently it’s in homage to the Satyricon and a commentary on extreme opulence. The message seems to get lost a bit, but visually, the piece is very impressive. Definitely a highlight so far, and not a complete waste of advanced technology.

9:20 pm I continue to the Victoria College quad, catching Karen Henderson’s “Slow Falls Rising,” a projection of reversed video footage of the Niagara Falls. It’s breathtaking, though funny to compare with the hockey game being watched in the residence common room a few metres away.

10:10 pm Masses of ravers gather around Avenue and Bloor. If, like me, you have an aversion to cargo-pocketed pants, it’s incredibly uncomfortable. Eventually, the rave truck reappears and draws them away. Phew. I much prefer the head-lamped, white-jacketed joggers that begin to weave their way through Yorkville.

10:50 pm Meet up with some friends and head to the “Struggling Cities” exhibit at the Japan Foundation. On a map of global cities, Toronto is listed as “Tront,” perhaps working against the festival’s the ambitions.

11:20 pm I’m remembering one of the unchanging features of Nuit Blanche: arguing with friends about what to do. Some friends of mine are far more excited about the re-opening of the Green Room than any of the art. I decide to rest awhile and then head west. This is beginning to feel like a board game.

12:30 am After a long walk and witnessing some of the first abhorrent drunken behaviour of the night, I reach “The Happiness Project: In the House” at Oz Studios on Ossington. The collection of installations builds off of an album where Charles Spearin interviewed his neighbors about happiness. Despite my ambivalence to all things Broken Social Scene, I’m actually impressed. There are a few decent sound pieces, visitors’ faces are incorporated into projected animations, and the space is lively but not overcrowded.

1:00 am It’s getting increasingly hard to tell the difference between art space, clubs, and a strangely popular eyeglass shop. On the up side, I hear the sonorous strains of my favorite street musician, “the ethno-doom busker,” who’s been MIA since the spring. He’s playing an amplified log-like stringed instrument. Weirdly, he doesn’t seem to be asking for money, selling CDs, or doing any self-promotion: the purest of artists.

3:00 am After running the gauntlet along Queen from Dufferin to Spadina, my companions and I end up at the Toronto Underground Cinema, catching a few renditions of “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” conveniently being performed all night. It actually just smells like popcorn. I try to decide whether my 12-year-old self would be pleased or repulsed, but I’ve already remembered what leftovers I have in the fridge. It’s time to go home.

10:15 pm Silly green igloo You reek of booze and feces Yearning spring meadow 10:22 pm Queen’s Park steed statue Installation idea: Licking brass horse balls 10:30 pm Moving picture show Beethoven, oh so moving Consumes all present 11 pm Long walk down McCaul Promiseless and so boring My feet feel like pain 11:12 pm A fucking line up?

Are you fucking kidding me?

Fuck fuck fucking fuck.

11:18 pm Long walk to Dundas I am not impressed by this OCAD, you can’t art 11:39 pm Nathan Phillips Square So much money wasted here There’s nothing to see 11:50 pm Fire truck zooms down Queen “Something always catches fire” says drunk, with “fucking” 12:00 am Yonge St. congested Man loses control of cart Pedestrian down

While walking down Yonge St., we re there is nothing but advertisements l up the entire area. It’s crowded as hel I see a man with a garbage golf cart d uncontrollably into a throng of peopl occupying the road. Next thing you k he runs over a man. A few Good Sam run over to lift the cart and free him. the fuck? Thank goodness he was ok

ENTERTAINMENT

et

arts@thevarsity.ca

13

The Comic

by Murad Hemmadi

8:30 pm Walking through Queen’s Park, I can’t tell whether the people brushing past me are looking for artistic communion, or my wallet.

8:31 pm Doesn’t Scotiabank Nuit Blanche defeat the purpose of this hipster event? The Wall St. protestors would not approve.

9:00 pm Nuit Blanche was clearly intended as a provocation to Rob Ford. An artistic event that causes road closures — heresy!

10:05 pm Hiking across College St. I can’t tell which of these pylons are art installations and which are meant for traffic.

11:00 pm At Nathan Phillips Square there is a seriously underwhelming light and sound show — I have to produce all the sound myself.

11:15 pm If I wanted to see these many people crowded together, I would have stayed in India.

12:00 am At the Eaton Centre, it’s just like Comic-Con for art nerds — all the way down to the Day-Glo lightsabers.

12:10 am There’s a certain irony in the fact that the art-hunting hordes have trampled all over the works of regular street artists around Dundas Square.

ealize lighting ll and drive le know, maritans . What kay.

photos by Bernarda Gospic and Rémi Carreiro

12

MONDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2011

VARSITY FEATURES

features@thevarsity.ca

then & now

by Craig Maniscalco graphics by Mushfiq ul Huq

features@thevarsity.ca

Student life these days isn’t what it used to be, and some might say technology is to thank (or blame) for a lot of these changes. A recent poll conducted by Ipsos-Reid asked Canadians to choose which of the following things they would be willing to give up: sex, alcohol, coffee, phones, televisions, automobiles, or the Internet.

Two per cent of Canadians chose the Internet. Six percent chose sex.

VARSITY FEATURES

MONDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2011

13

Yet the differences between undergraduate life today and twenty or forty years ago extend beyond the Internet.

Scott Douglas, Dupage College ‘75

Rebecca Ghent, Randolph College ‘93

Research & Coursework

Probably the greatest difference for students would be gathering information for reports. I don’t think you guys would be capable of doing it the way we had to do it back then. If there was something you wanted to know about, you’d have to go to the library and hope to find information about it. And unlike today it wasn’t as likely that you’d find it. If it wasn’t there, you’d go to the phonebook and start there.

At first, [we composed reports] using typewriters in the writing lab or by hand. But towards the end, we’d write things on the computer. It was pre-Windows though, so we’d use old Macs or DOS programs.

News

The absolute bottom line for information beyond any question was newspapers, that’s for sure … News took days! In politics, if someone said something about another guy, you wouldn’t hear about it that day. The only way a reporter would hear about it is if someone called them to tell them. There was the occasional nationwide broadcast of something.

TV, to some degree, and newspapers — but I think most of us were pretty unaware of what was going on in the world.

Music

The music scene was awesome, much better than now. Music came on records, of course, but the big thing was bootleg. We used to listen to terrible recordings, I don’t know how people made it. There was top 40, you know, Monkees or Beatles.

There was no rock radio. Everything big was underground. I didn’t hear my first Zeppelin or Hendrix on the radio. I heard it on the underground. People would get together and rent just a few hours of time on an off-band radio station.

Dave Matthews was still a college or frat band when I was in school; we heard lots of bands like that live at college mixers.

We also had a lot of acoustic acts come to campus and play small shows.

Technology at School

The first HP 35 was released in 1972. It had no programmable steps. It was mostly used by university engineering students.

Q: Did it have any graphing functions?

A: [laughs] No, no, no. It had a single line of characters but could represent exponents.

Q: How much did it cost?

A: About $300.

Q: Give me an example of something you might have bought for $300 at that time.

A: A car.

Q: What kind of car?

A: I don’t know. A 10- or 15-year-old sedan. Maybe a ’57 Chevy.

I was a physics major, so I used a lot more equipment than most people probably did. I did a senior thesis on a computational physics problem, so I had a computer scrolling green numbers up a black screen in my dorm room; my friends used to come in and gawk at it and walk away shaking their heads.

Free Time

Cards, dice, sports. And of course board games.

Q: People really played Monopoly?

A: Of course.

One of the things that was pivotal for that time was MTV (it might have been on cable, because that was new) but it was awesome. It would have been part of your conversation or your life in one way or another. At the time, what MTV was, was they just ran videos 24 hours a day with no commercials.

I ran, played music, hiked, and spent a lot of time just hanging around with my friends, talking. We did a lot of talking, and some drinking and dancing.

Change. It seemed to us as though the previous generations were all the same, that ours was the first to be different.

As a woman, I am constantly reflecting upon opportunities that I have that were unavailable to women in previous generations. This is particularly true in science; though there are still very few women in the physical sciences, the number is increasing all the time, and there are no fields that are formally closed to women.

I’m glad I wasn’t going to school 20 years ago because…

14

MONDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2011

VARSITY ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

arts@thevarsity.ca

Eoin Colfer unplugged The author of the Artemis Fowl series sits down with MURAD HEMMADI to talk about his latest novel — for adults

M

eeting a childhood idol is a daunting prospect, even more so when the hero in question is an author whose work is far better recognized than the person behind it.

There’s the definite possibility of shattered illusions, of learning that the genius on whose word you hung is really just a tedious — or worse, conceited — person. Fortunately, Eoin Colfer is neither.

Growing up, I loved how the Artemis Fowl series was, as Colfer describes it, “subversive in a small way, not in a big way, but in a little way.”

The fantasy story of a boy genius discovering and attempting to outsmart a secret species of people was an alternative to the straight-laced good vs. evil plots of Harry Potter Potter.

When the opportunity arose to interview Colfer, I was thrilled.

The ostensible reason was the launch of Plugged, the author’s first “book for grown-ups,” which recounts the story of Daniel McEvoy, a former soldier, who loses his love interest, his best friend, and (briefly) his clothes in a series of increasingly extraordinary circumstances.

Early readers of Artemis Fowl, like myself, are now adults. With Plugged’s tagline reading ‘If you loved Artemis Fowl … it’s time to grow up,’ it appears that Colfolf olfer was quite conscious of this shift in generations.

“It was my tagline … for two reasons. One, I

didn’t want children to read it, so I wanted to be very clear it was a book for grown-ups. But two, I thought, well, maybe if you read my [first] book when you were 12, you’re 22 now and maybe you’d like something else of mine to read.”

The Artemis Fowl series is slightly mature for children’s books, so writing a ‘real’ book for grown-ups was not much of a stretch for the author.

“I’ve always believed that you shouldn’t try and make things dumb for boys because they want it to be fast, fast-paced. And I think I’ve held onto that style with [Plugged].

“I think the Artemis Fowl books are kind of crime books with fairies and leprechauns, [and] this is a

straight crime book. So the execution was pretty similar, but it took me a while to find the right voice, just the style, to write it in. But once I found that, then it was the same process.”

Colfer was aiming for the noir genre when he wrote Plugged, yet there’s also an undercurrent of humour, common to all of the author’s works, which serves to brighten the novel’s bleak setting of Cloisters, New Jersey. Colfer, though, was not looking for humour when he set out.

“Initially I wanted it to be very grim,” Colfer explained, “but it’s just not in my personality, I suppose, to allow a moment [to go] past when you could put some humour in … I wanted it to be very bleak and very much like the ‘50s noir books, where there’s not much humour and it’s quite depressing. But in this book, it’s a little uplifting at the end, and it gives it a little bit of soul maybe.”

The book deals with the usual themes of violence and sexual undertones of noir fiction However, Plugged has only one sex scene, and it’s a bit of a cop out.

“I’m not good at [writing sex scenes],” Colfer admitted. “I mean, initially I was not going to have anything.

[Sex scenes are] something I’m not comfortable with. But in a way, I feel like doing it like James Bond, a big lead up and then ‘next morning.’”

There’s another factor to consider, too. “I cannot help thinking that my mother will be reading this, and my wife, so I get a little bit embarrassed about talking about it. Even the

murad hemmadi/The VarsiTy

little [scene] that’s in it, it’s a little embarrassing,” Colfer said.

The passage in question includes an almost meta-literary acknowledgment of this embarrassment, which is not the self-reference in Plugged.

Initially I wanted it to be very grim.

But it’s just not in my personality, I suppose, to allow a moment [to go] past when you could put some humour in.

It’s something that Colfer says he enjoys seeing as a reader.

“Sometimes if I’m reading that, I feel, well, ‘this is actually the writer him telling me something about himself ‘through his character,’” Colfer explained. “I look to do that, and sometimes it is me and sometimes it isn’t me and as a reader you have to interpret that.

“I think it’s an interesting way to communicate with your audi audience. So there’s a lot in what Daniel says that actually someone said to me or I said to somebody.

So it’s more autobiographical than you would think, actually.”

Another part of Plugged that experi reflects the author’s own experidis ence is McEvoy’s inability to disconnect from his Irish roots.

“I think it’s more a reflection of the people that I meet [than of “ lot of exmyself],” Colfer said. “A patriate Irish people come to my Ire readings, and they talk about Ireland all the time. And sometimes they have an idealized vision of Ireland in their heads andnd sometimes they have never been gen to Ireland; they’re second generation, but they still consider Ireland as their homeland.”

One such more-Irish-thanMad Irish character is Mike Madden, a small-time mobster Mc and one of McEvoy’s adMad versaries. Colfer uses Madden’s out-of-proportion identification with his Irish roots as something of a punch-line, contrast contrastIrish ing it with the real IrishMc man McEvoy’s distaste for his own birthplace. judg “It’s a little judgmental I suppose,” Colfer admited, “but I do poke fun at that idea … that [people believe they] can be Irish without ever having been to Ire Ireland. B But it’s really a game. I don’t think it’s a real thing for them —

it’s a persona to adapt, so you can be Irish or you can be Italian and that’s who you are in society.”

Plugged has an interesting firstperson narrative device, and it’s sometimes hard to tell whether McEvoy is talking to the reader or his missing friend Zeb. “I think he’s telling you about the conversation he has with this guy [Zeb] in his head,” Colfer said.

“I always imagine he’s sitting in a bar, with you, telling you the story.

It’s meant to be a little disconcerting, and you almost wonder, ‘does he have a spiritual connection with this person?’

“I never cleared that up, so maybe he does, maybe it’s just his imagination. It’s left open. I think it’s a theme if I write more of these books — I really enjoyed the conversations in the head and I think I’d keep that going.”

But as Colfer continues to write fantasy, he is well aware of the dangers that come with the genre. “I think the best writing is probably very realistic and doesn’t involve fantasies at all,” Colfer said. “People like James Joyce and Samuel Beckett and Roddy Doyle: it’s very, very factual and realistic — very invested.”

Whether Colfer’s characters are the fairies and humans of Artemis Fowl or the gangsters and bouncers of Plugged, they’re all still wonderfully believable. No worries on that score, then.

2011 15 King’s College Circle Friday, Oct 14 12 noon to 8 pm $3 admission Students free with ID

Saturday, Oct 15 10 am to 6 pm

Sunday, Oct 16 12 noon to 8 pm

Monday, Oct 17 12 noon to 8 pm

Tuesday, Oct 18 12 noon to 6 pm

Free admission – Sat-Tues Credit cards, interac and cheques accepted

The Book Shop We are in Room B101 on the UC quadrangle Mon. Fri., 12 noon to 4 pm Tues. Wed. Thurs. 11 am to 6 pm

Online www.abebooks.com www.uc.utoronto.ca/booksale

science@thevarsity.ca

VARSITY SCIENCE

MONDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2011

15

Viruses suck — get rid of ‘em KEN EULER reports on a recent breakthrough in broadspectrum antiviral treatment

YANIVBA/FlIckr

R

ecently published research in PLoS ONE reported a breakthrough in the development of broad-spectrum antiviral therapy, theoretically capable of working against all types of viruses, from naturally emerging viruses such as influenza and SARS to clinical viruses like hepatitis and HIV. Viruses are very small acellular organisms that, when introduced into another organism, invade and commandeer cells in order to replicate and spread themselves. When viruses attempt to replicate themselves, the host organism usually has an immune system response which disrupts the replication process. Yet many viruses such as HIV can outsmart the immune system, leading to continued viral replication that can cause serious damage to the organism.

There are both preventative and therapeutic treatment options available to deal with viruses, but they have several limitations. For instance, vaccines can be used to build up strong immune system responses to specific viruses, which ensure that if the organism does become exposed to the virus, it is able to fight the vi-

What to do after undergrad STEFAN VENIER thinks U of T’s Institute of Medical Science is a great way to go

F

or many life science students entering their final year of university, choosing the right graduate program can be a daunting task. With a wide range of options available, students must decide on a program that best suits their present interests and long-term career goals. While some have their sights set on medical school from the get-go, others are keen on finding a more specialized program that will develop their expertise in a particular scientific discipline. In the latter case, the Institute of Medical Science (IMS) at the University of Toronto does just that, providing students with the opportunity to develop their knowledge and skills in a chosen area of medical research.

Since its introduction in 1967, the IMS has grown to become the largest graduate unit in the Faculty of Medicine at U of T, with over 600 graduate faculty members and just over 500 graduate students. As part of its primary goal, the IMS ensures that its students receive extensive research training, so as to better prepare them for a future career in medical science. Under the guidance of a graduate supervisor, they are able to conduct original scholarly research and present their findings in peer-reviewed journals, adding to the growing body of knowledge that surrounds their chosen field of study. In doing so, the IMS aims to produce a graduate culture that practices ‘translational research’ — that is, research that is directly linked to patient care. Students are encouraged to understand the extent to which their findings may contribute to the future treatment of patients.

The IMS offers two main graduate programs for those who are interested in working in the clinical or medical sciences: the Master of Science (MSc) and the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) programs. The MSc typically lasts just over two years and is primarily research-oriented, although some course work is required. The PhD program is much more intensive, as students must engage in full-time research work for approximately five years, with minimal course requirements. For each program,

students must complete a thesis based on their research in a chosen field, which may include biomedical science, clinical science, population health and health services, bioethics, or radiation oncology.

In addition to these thesis-based graduate programs, several professional Masters programs are available at the IMS — the Master of Science in Biomedical Communications (MScBMC), the Master of Health Science in Bioethics (MHSc), and the Master of Health Science in Medical Radiation Science (MHScMRS). The MScBMC is ideal for students who wish to combine their interests in medical science with methods of media communication. The MHSc and MHScMRS are intended for those who want to develop their knowledge of bioethics and for those who plan on becoming professional radiation therapists, respectively.

By providing research training opportunities in various disciplines, it is no wonder that the IMS is rated so highly by its students. In 2007, 94 per cent of graduate students ranked their overall academic experiences at the IMS as good to excellent, according to the Canadian Graduate and Professional Student Survey.

While prospective students can look forward to a number of exciting opportunities at the IMS, it is important to note that admission into the graduate programs is quite competitive. As a result, students should take the necessary steps to ensure that they stand out from other applicants. Exceptional candidates are those who have a high academic standing in their undergraduate programs, relevant research experience, outstanding references, and a strong desire to be a part of the IMS. For successful applicants, the benefits of holding a MSc or PhD degree are numerous. A large percentage of Master’s students enrol in medical school or receive additional graduate training upon completion of the program.

Many doctoral students find their way into academia or postdoctoral fellowships after graduation, although the career possibilities are endless.

rus off. However, vaccines usually need to be administered prior to (or in some cases shortly after) exposure of the virus, which is not always possible. In addition, when dealing with emerging infectious diseases such as SARS (which was unpredictable and quickly spread between people in Toronto), there is often little time to develop and administer vaccines to the public.

Therapeutic treatment options also exist, which can be used to treat viral infections post-exposure.

The success of this type of treatment can be seen in how it has helped prolong the life of people who have contracted HIV. Nevertheless, this class of treatment is also subject to the same limitations as vaccines and can moreover become ineffective if the virus mutates and becomes resistant to the drug.

In response to these treatment limitations, Dr. Todd Rider and his colleagues from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology developed a new antiviral drug called DoubleStranded RNA Activated Caspase Oligerizer (DRACO), which targets cells that have been infected by a virus. When viruses attempt to

replicate themselves in cells, they often create long strings of doublestranded RNA that are not found in regular human or animal cells. This approach works by specifically targeting the cells that have these long strings of double-stranded RNA and causes them to undergo apoptosis (programmed cell suicide) while ignoring all the other healthy cells.

In his research, Dr. Rider tested the new drug on 15 different viruses (including the common cold, H1N1 influenza, and polio virus) and it was effective against them all. Although his earlier research was primarily conducted on mammalian cells cultured in a lab (which leaves open the possibility that the drug might not work on living animals), his most recent work has focused on the effect of the drug on mice infected with influenza and has led to some promising results.

As a broad-spectrum antiviral drug, the development of DRACO has tremendous potential to impact the treatment of viral diseases. More research and time will tell whether this drug ends up being safe and effective for the treatment of viral infections in humans.

SC ENCE N BR EF From dating to mating: why a deep voice leaves a lasting impression on the ladies You know what they say about big hands? As it turns out, the same can be said for deep voices.

In a study published in the September issue of Memory & Cognition, scientists asked what basso profundo opera singers and Vin Diesel have in common. According to the article, the answer is genetic sex god status. Female participants observed pictures of everyday objects (like a fish or a microscope) and simultaneously heard the name of the object spoken either by a low-pitched or a high-pitched male or female voice. Later in the experiment, participants saw objects from the previous task mixed with new objects. They were asked to identify which objects they had seen before, a measure indicating of their long-term memory for these objects. The results showed that women had better memory for objects named by the deep male voice than for those named by the higher male voice. However, they did not show this pitchbased memory discrepancy for objects named by a female voice.

The authors suggest that women have better memories for deeper voices because of the evolutionary implications of vocal pitch.

A deep voice indicates a healthy, masculine mate — which means

he’s worth keeping in mind for “future reference.”

— Erene Stergiopoulos Source: Memory & Cognition

Mmm… discovery of a ‘taste map’ in the brain While traditional tongue taste map is actually false, it now appears that a sort of ‘taste map’ does exist in the brain.

In a study published in Science, a team led by neuroscientist Charles Zuker of Columbia University has shown that different clusters of neurons respond to bitterness, sweetness, saltiness, and umami (the “savoury” flavour of mushrooms and meat).

The researchers monitored the activity of neurons in the gustatory cortices of anesthetized mice and employed a relatively new technique in which fluorescent dyes are used to track intracellular calcium waves. Separate neural clusters were activated when the mice were fed bitter or sweet compounds. These results fly in the face of numerous previous studies that show neurons involved in taste to be broadly tuned such that the same neuron can respond to more than one flavour. Unfortunately, the researchers could not find neurons that responded to sourness, whereas other labs report them to be highly prevalent.

— Anastassia Pogoutse Source: Science Daily

16

VARSITY SCIENCE

MONDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2011

science@thevarsity.ca

Science or philosophy?

NARDIN SAMUEL explores recent debates regarding the existence of free will he concept of free will is no stranger to the hurdles of debates regarding scientific facts and philosophical conjectures. A recent study by Dr. Haynes from the Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience in Berlin has prompted neuroscientists to re-evaluate the notion that actions are predetermined. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), the study investigated participant button responses to a display screen of random letters.

The results were startling — the fMRI data seemed to suggest that brain activity heightened prior to button-pressing. The brain, it seems, had already decided which button to press long before executing the decision. These scientists posit that free will, the ability to act at one’s own discretion, is nothing more than an illusion, a rather heavy claim from a philosopher’s point of view. As put by Patrick Haggard, a neuroscientist at University College, London, “we feel we choose, but we don’t.� This idea goes as far as suggesting that the decision to have coffee in the morning may have been made long before entering conscious awareness.

In the past, other neuroscientists have conducted studies which resulted in a similar outcome. Benjamin Libet, a neuropsychologist at the University of California, San Francisco, performed a study in which participants were asked to watch a clock-face with a dot sweeping around it while their brain activity was monitored by an electroencephalogram (EEG). The participants were then instructed to note the position of the dot upon feeling the urge to point at it. Libet’s EEG findings indicated that brain activity occurred several hundred milliseconds prior to the study participant’s movement.

Critics of Libet’s study point out that the observed brain activity may not have been causal and instead may be indicative of the brain preparing to make a decision before executing the decision — in this case, moving one’s finger.

If the results of these studies prove that humans lack free will, the outcome would be troubling for everyone, including philosophers. Humans have a sense of security in presuming that they can control their thoughts and actions consciously. Some philosophers with a scientific background do not regard these types of studies as sufficient evidence of free will as an “illusion.� According to them, the decision to have a coffee in the morning is arguably more complex than the decision to press a button or move one’s finger.

Using a more precise method, neuroscientist and surgeon, Itzhak Fried, at the University of California, Los Angeles and the Tel Aviv Medical Center

ANAMARIJA KOROLJ/THe VARsITy

T

in Israel, studied individuals with electrodes implanted in their brains, detecting activity from single neurons. Fried’s experiments demonstrated activity at the level of individual neurons about a second and a half prior to the study subject’s conscious decision to press a button. With about 700 milliseconds to go, the researchers could predict the timing of these conscious decisions with greater than 80 per cent accuracy. Fried suggests that consciousness of decisions may occur after the fact. “At some point, things that are predetermined are admitted into consciousness.�

The concept of free will ultimately diminish if neuroscientists discover that unconscious neural activity drives decision-making. But from the per-

at the moment with Ivana Listen

Why do I feel like I need a boyfriend all the time? Does this make me a bad person?

As Karen Walker would say, “Oh honey, screw that, you need to love yourself!� Is this a validation thing or are you just bored? And what does being a bad person have to do with it? A bad person is someone who kicks your newborn puppy, not someone who crushes a lot. If you can’t be alone with yourself, then you will always face problems in a relationship. That, I guarantee you.

I don’t mean to sound egotistical here, but I can’t help but feel like people are always saying bad things about me.

This is a tricky one. It’s a battle of your intuition versus deeply seated insecurity. You can probably come up with valid reasons why people would be talking about you when you take into account all your habits and mistakes. But so what? No one is perfect and we’re rarely better than mediocre, for that matter. Re-evaluate the situation and don’t be too hard on yourself! Endless self-hatred kinda sucks.

spective of many current philosophers, free will has a physical basis with decisions and actions stemming from physical phenomena in the brain. This means that the recent neuroscientific data may not preclude free will.

Many philosophers today are more concerned with the relationship between freedom and determinism than free will in its entirety. Currently, neuroscientific results cannot yet completely close the case in favour of determinism. Adina Roskies, a neuroscientist and philosopher working on free will at Darmouth College in New Hampshire, states that results from neuroscience may yield insight into the predictability of actions, but not the issue of determinism.

It appears that the major contention with the neuroscientific perspective on determinism is the extent to which experimental models accurately reflect complex human decision-making. Pressing a button is arguably distinct from more abstract decisions such as making coffee, making career choices, or deciphering right from wrong. The presence of heightened brain activity is not necessarily an indication that a decision has been made. If, as the neuroscientists heading these studies suggest, these data indicate that the world is deterministic, what initiates such bursts of brain activity? Are they spontaneous or are they predetermined? Divorcing the discussion from philosophical conjecture may not be the answer.

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sports@thevarsity.ca

VARSITY SPORTS

MONDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2011

17

Depth of field photos by Bernarda Gospic

The Greek Students Association beat the University of Toronto Italian Canadian Association 4–1 and claimed UTICA’s club cup on Friday. The tournament, held on Front Campus at King’s College Circle, saw a great turnout from fans and clubs despite muddy conditions.

18

VARSITY SPORTS

MONDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2011

HOME GAMEs Women’s Rugby vs.

Queen’s univeRsity Fri. 7, 1 pm at Varsity Centre

sports@thevarsity.ca

Marco water polo

Men’s water polo team gears up for only home tournament of the season

men’s Hockey vs. Queen’s univeRsity Fri. 7, 7 pm at Varsity Arena Women’s socceR vs.

Queen’s univeRsity Sat. 8, 1 pm at Varsity Centre men’s socceR vs. Royal militaRy college of canada Sun. 9, 3:15 pm at Varsity Centre Women’s Hockey vs.

RyeRson univeRsity Sun. 9, 4 pm at Varsity Arena

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Varsity Classifieds

Cost $12.00 for twenty-five words. $0.25 for each additional word. Rates include one line of bold type for the ad header. No copy changes after submission. Submit ads by email, mail or phone. Ads must be submitted at least four days prior to publication. Varsity Classifieds, 21 Sussex Ave, Suite #306, Toronto, ON, M5S 1J6. Call 416-946-7604 or email ads@thevarsity.ca.

Jing ling kao beseRve/vaRsity blues

Alberto Bustamante VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR

The Varsity Blues men’s water polo team headed into its season this past weekend with hopes for a fourth consecutive OUA championship win.

The team travelled to Chicago to participate in a tournament as part of preparation for the OUA championship scheduled for November 18–20. The Blues will participate in several similar tournaments leading up to the championships, making several trips south of the border.

The structure of the OUA water polo season means that Blues fans will have only one opportunity to catch the team in action this year. The Blues will host a tournament from October 14–16, with teams from three schools and two clubs participating. “We want to try and get as many supporters out as possible for our upcoming tournament,” said Blues men’s water polo head coach Vlad Tasevski.

“We want to show how hard we’ve worked and also we don’t want to disappoint our supporters here.

“It’s basically our only showing at our home pool this year, so it’s a great opportunity to come and see us play…It’s going to be a great event.”

The Blues dominated in the OUA 2010 championship; the team went 4–0 in the tournament to capture its third consecutive title. The Blues are

looking to continue the tremendous success they have had over the past few years but at the same time are careful not to let success in previous seasons lead to complacency.

Tasevski insists the team is not resting on its laurels and is focused on achieving its goals for this season. “The goal for the team is always to win no matter what, but we approach every year as a new season.

“We don’t really look back to previous years at what we achieved there … because every season is different — different players, different teams — so we don’t really rely on previous season[s] to forecast how well we’re going to do this year … It’s a new beginning for us and we’re starting from zero, from scratch.”

Entering his third year as head coach, Tasevski previously spent two years as an assistant coach after four seasons as a player for the Blues. During his time with the team, they have won six of the last seven OUA championships, and he has come to embrace the pressure that comes with being involved in the program.

“There’s always pressure, especially if you’ve been so successful all the previous years, and U of T is one of the biggest schools and one of the most successful teams over the recent history,” Tasevski said. “It’s always the team to beat by everyone

else, by every other school … that’s why we try and work hard every night. We’re here five days a week. We work hard every night. We try to get better every night.”

The Blues are making sure they put in the time in the pool needed to continue their winning run, but Coach Tasevski stresses that the team’s success is based on more than talent and training. “Trying to make the team chemistry work is the most important thing for any team,” he said. “You can have as much talent as you want to, but if the chemistry of the team is not there, if the team spirit is not there, then you wont get too far, so every year we build the team spirit and a sense of belonging to a team for each player.”

The team feels it deserves more recognition and is looking to get it in their upcoming tournament.

“It’s important to emphasize our track record over the past couple of years. It’s not by accident,” Tasevski said. “It has all been achieved by hard work from the guys primarily, and all the support we get from the school as well. We probably have the best pool in Ontario so these are great conditions to prepare for the finals.

“We work hard every year to try and win so we’re not taking anything for granted. It’s all about hard work in the end. So if you want to win something, you make sure you deserve it.”

Queen’s rains on Blues’ parade Zoë Bedard VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR

The Varsity Blues fell 13–6 to the Queen’s Gaels as over 2,000 fans sat huddled beneath umbrellas and thin plastic ponchos while the rain poured down on Varsity Stadium on Friday night. It was a close game until the final two minutes, when miscommunication by the Blues helped carry Queen’s, leaving Toronto 2–3 this season.

It was a game of errors, as events went from bad, to worse, to utterly embarrassing. Neither team truly deserved the victory.

Despite an inefficient first half, in which Toronto’s defense held Queen’s off the scoreboard and limited quarterback Billy McPhee to only two completions for 16-yards, the Gaels were able to topple the Blues through a series of twists, turns, and momentum shifts.

Near the end of the first half, Blues fifth-year receiver, Rolli Adenmosun, who ended the day with one catch for 15-yards, was hit high while trying to reel in an Andrew Gillis pass in front of the Blues’ bench. He hit the ground hard and lay motionless as a hush came over the stadium and all eyes focused on the video board. After several minutes he was helped off the field, but did not return to the game. Blues head coach Greg Gary confirmed that Adenmosun had been taken to hospital, but he refused to speculate on the nature of the injury.

When the Blues’ offense returned to the field

following the injury, Gillis, who finished the night going 21-of-45 for 277-yards, threaded a tight spiral between two defenders for a 54-yard reception by Paul de Pass at the one-yard line.

However, the Blues once again failed to convert on a trip inside the red zone — a common trend throughout the night — and were forced to settle for a field goal.

“The weather was never a factor for us. They [Queen’s] gave up the ball a lot and we didn’t give it up that much,” Gary said. “We were comfortable. We just couldn’t get the ball in the end zone, and I’m going to give them credit for it.”

In the second half, Queen’s quickly gained momentum, cutting out the errors and making good use of their special teams, who shifted the momentum of the game. Midway through the third quarter, the Gael’s Giovanni Aprile blocked a Willie Sharpe punt from deep in Blues’ territory, recovering the lost ball and returning it for a touchdown. The move put Queen’s on the board, with a lead they would not relinquish.

Although the Gaels were able to produce points in the second half, the Blues’ defense continued to pressure quarterback McPhee. Toronto linebacker Wilkerson DeSouza led the Blues with eight tackles, while Adam Fehler had five tackles and recorded a sack.

The Blues’ inefficiency in the red zone and poor snaps by both the long snapper and centre proved to be the difference in the game. With time expiring, the team was forced to wish for a miraculous,

strong offensive drive.

Down by seven with just under four minutes left to play, the Blues caught a much needed break, when what would have been a 71-yard Queens touchdown was brought back on an offside call against the Gaels’ offensive line.

Following the negated score, which would have sealed the victory for the visitors, Queen’s was unable to convert, and Toronto regained possession with just over two minutes to play. As the clock wound down, Gillis led a thrilling drive down the field that included a 30-yard reception by second-year receiver Alex Pierzchalski, who led the team with six catches for 88-yards.

Queen’s was then flagged for an illegal substitution penalty, which Gillis quickly followed with a strike to Michael Prempeh of Toronto that took the ball down to the three-yard line. With just under two minutes left in the game and the Blues standing just feet from the end zone, the team seemed poised to tie the game with the go-ahead score.

However, disaster struck as miscommunication between centre Jessie Raycroft and Gillis resulted in a high snap that the quarterback was unable to secure. Queen’s recovered the ball at their own 13-yard line and proceeded to slowly run down the clock.

“It’s all three facets of the game,” said Gary.

“Special teams, offense, and defense. We just gave them their points on special teams today. I’d like to say it was our fault, but they played a good football game.”

sports@thevarsity.ca

Just Jewett

VARSITY SPORTS

MONDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2011

19

BLUES

Blues distance runner shines in 5 km competitions

BY THE

NUMBERS

7– 0

The score during the Blues women’s field hockey win over the Queen’s Gaels on Saturday. The team is 8–0 this season.

6 –1 Bernarda Gospic/THe VarsiTy

Lia Kim VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR

Tamara Jewett opened her fourth track and cross-country season at U of T by winning the 2011 Western Invitational on Saturday, September 24.

The Blues athlete finished the 5 km cross-country race in 17:35, 27 seconds ahead of her closest competitor.

Everyone loves winning, but not many people like the idea of putting in the substantial effort required to win.

“One of the keys to [cross-country] is just having the dedication to do your consistent training day after day after day, even when it doesn’t feel good.”

Jewett, a 21-year-old from Toronto, started running as a sixth grader and became a Junior Blue at U of T in the eighth grade.

Her three years on the team have brought her a number of awards, including the 2008 CIS Rookie of the Year.

This summer, she earned a silver medal at the Canadian track and field championships in Calgary, AB, clocking 16:59.16 in the 5 km race.

Even elite runners like Jewett feel nervous before a race. “The pressure is always there, but I’m gradually learning how not to let it affect me negatively as it has in the past,” she said. “Both times I just really tried to stay relaxed and enjoy what I was doing.”

It hasn’t always been easy for Jewett to get on the track. Plagued by injuries over the past two years, she was unable to participate in last year’s track and cross-country season due to plantar fasciitis, an inflammation of the tissue on the bottom of the foot.

“I’ve learned a lot of techniques throughout the whole process [of the injury] about how to take care of myself properly, as well as the recovery aspect [of] training,” she said. “The few bouts of injuries where I haven’t been able to run have shown me that

it’s definitely better to be running terribly than not to be running at all.”

Despite of the differences in track and cross-country terrain Jewett has shone in both 5 km fields. Still, a runner knows the difference.

Track is set on a flat even surface, while cross-country is a course mapped out over a given geographical area, usually including hills and uneven ground. For distance athletes, the two types of training complement each other very well.

Where does her incredible range and surging speed come from? Unswerving focus? Spartan training?

For those of us that have been slacking in our fitness regimen, try distance runner Tamara Jewett’s weekly routine: two interval work-outs (shorter distance runs at a faster pace with rests in between), one temporun (runs that are done at a comfortable effort level, usually 5–6 km longer than a mileage run) and three mileage

runs lasting 70 minutes.

Her dedication to keeping up her fitness aside, Jewett’s leadership qualities have come to the fore this year in her role as cross-country captain.

“I’m putting a lot of energy into the team this year, and it’s been a lot of fun so far taking the initiative to get the cross-country team and track team to interact more,” Jewett said. “The Varsity team is a stable support group and keeps good balance in my life.

“It’s nice to have a smaller community within a large university, and it helps me to stay focused and deal with some of the stresses of university.”

The goal is to perform strongly at CIS, individually as well as with the women’s team.

“I really like to succeed at the things that I start doing,” Jewett said.

“Wanting to be the best that I can be at whatever it is I decide to do is a huge motivation for me.”

UTM’s flag footballers fighting for survival Two-time champions women’s team needs to continue winning Isaac Owusu VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR

On September 25, the Division II intramural league champions hasn’t dulled their abilities. On St. George’s Back Campus, the understaffed UTM women beat Victoria College 13–0 in the first game of their season.

The two-time defending champions aspire to set their mark as U of T Division I champions in 2011, and to finally receive the respect they failed to get during their championship runs. Relaxed, instructive practices late on Wednesday evenings are where the girls learn the fundamentals of football, as well as their specific and group roles for the flag game.

Emily Doane along with two others makes

her way into practice. Doane, an Art History major, is the only fourth-year member of the team and the team’s leader. She’s the “deep” on defence, a wing on offense, and plays centre. She arrives sporting a bright smile, visibly tired from just finishing soccer practice. She anchors the 11-member football team, and practice formally commences. During her time on the team, the flag footballers, once underdogs, have become repeat champions, but it has been a difficult process.

“We’ve come a long way in two years. The year before I started playing, we lost,” said Doane. “We had to re-apply and we didn’t get in, so we had to wait for a team to drop out. And we weren’t actually in the league until later in the year, so we didn’t play any league games, just final games.”

Unlike an intercollegiate team, the girls do not have a full-time head coach. Cameron Walker, program coordinator at UTM, does what he can to assist. Recognition is a major issue for Doane and her teammate, Christine Law, who acknowledges UTM’s limited focus on intramural sports. Law cites fear as the motivation that drives the girls to win championships.

“We already [want to] win the game…that’s why we’re playing the sport. But not only do [that], we want to keep ourselves from being eliminated,” Law said. “Nobody wants to be cut, so we’re in a position where either [we] win, or were done; in Varsity, it’s a mentality of ‘win or lose, we’ll have another season’.

“For us, if we lose, that’s it. People apply themselves more when there’s a threat.”

The score for both the men’s and women’s tennis games, in which U of T lost to the Université de Montréal Carabins on Saturday at UTSC.

4

The number of shutouts goalkeeper John Smits has recorded and the number of goals captain Darragh McGee has scored for the Blues men’s soccer team this season.

17:08

The time with which Blues runner Tamara Jewett won the Sean Earl Loyola Lakefront Invitational in Chicago.

Antun Pavelic was the fastest Blues man, finishing 31st.

5

The number of tries that the Blues women’s rugby team scored in the second half in the 34–29 win over the Waterloo Warriors Saturday.

BACKPAGE

Streeters 20 MONDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2011

The Varsity

What would you do if you were Premier of Ontario?

photographed and compiled by Rob Leone

JUSTIN, 1ST YEAR, ARCHITECTURE

ZOYA, 2ND YEAR, COMMERCE

KALIN, 3RD YEAR, ENGLISH

MICHELLE, 1ST YEAR, CRIMINOLOGY

ANDY, 2ND YEAR, LAW SCHOOL

“Establish more diverse cultural representation in architecture.”

“Establish more poutine per capita in the province.

“More public funding for education.”

“Improve Ontario’s health care system.”

“Make access to medical transitions easier for transgender Ontarians.”

Know your way around a pen tablet?

Design for The Varsity. design@thevarsity.ca