September 12, 2011

THE VARSITY

Vol. CXXXII, No. 3

University of Toronto’s Student Newspaper Since 1880

a frosh start

NEWS

COMMENT

SPORTS

New first year programs for the colleges 3

Much ado about frosh kits 9

Fresh blood for blues soccer 24

12 September, 2011

The day the music died on Sonic Boom’s eviction and the changes to the Annex

Why is U of T behind the e-learning curve?

The Varsity sniffs out the top dog on campus

In your face — the neural code of face recognition

Sunohara returns to mentor the next golden generation

Bernarda Gospic/THe VarsiTy

Contents

VARSITY NEWS

news@thevarsity.ca

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2011

3

UC starts its own ‘One’ program Each campus, college to start first-year seminar program by 2012 Robin Buller VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR

This September, University College launches ‘UC One: Engaging Toronto’, a first-year program the college hopes will tie together small classes and big thinking.

The college follows Victoria and Trinity Colleges in implementing a program for well-rounded students to take interactive, closeknit courses.

UC Principal Donald Ainslie sees the program as a transformative learning opportunity giving students a way of transitioning into university as smoothly as possible.

UC One will focus on the impact of research on the greater Toronto community. “We have really groundbreaking researchers at the university,” said Ainslie, “So I think that students need to understand what research is all about.”

UC One is divided into four pathways: Citizenship in the Canadian City with Professor Emily Gilbert; Performing Toronto with Professor Tamara Trojanowska; Gradients of Health and Well-being in an Urban Mosaic with Professor Paul Hamel; and Sex in the City with Dr. Scott Rayter.

Each pathway has a direct correlation with the interdisciplinary programs hosted by the college: Canadian Studies, Drama, Health Studies, and Sexual Diversity Studies.

Despite the correlation between the UC One streams and the upperyear programs that University College hosts, the administration does not expect students to follow those degree pathways. “Our thought is that it might be a nice side effect

“It gets students out into the city to engage with [Toronto] in a more practical than theoretical sense,” [Lesk] said. that students might enroll in the programs or develop an interest, but that’s by no means the goal,” said Ainslie.

UC One’s administrative team hopes that by being a one-credit course, unlike Vic and Trin’s twocredit versions, students with more prerequisite-driven interests will be inclined to enroll in UC One. In fact, Ainslie describes UC One as being advantageous for students of varying areas of academic interest, including science students.

“Having social science [to] complement science is a good thing,” said Ainslie, giving the example of par-

ing UC One’s health stream with a degree in life sciences.

After undergoing a selective application process, UC One students will meet for four hours every Friday. During first semester, they will listen to and discuss the lectures of various guest speakers.

Confirmed speakers include Dr. Mark Kingwell, Chair of the Department of Philosophy, Dr. Meric Gertler, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Science, and David Miller, former Mayor of Toronto.

In second semester, students will have numerous fieldtrip opportunities that will allow each group to look at Toronto from their specific interdisciplinary perspective.

Cheryl Misak, Vice-President and Provost of U of T, thinks very highly of the ‘One’ programmes.

“They are a special passion of mine,” she expressed.

The new UC One program follow in the footsteps of the wellestablished Vic One and Trin One programs. “I think that these two programs provide the best undergraduate first year in the country,” said Misak. “I would love to see more of our students be able to have access to such an academically and socially rich first year”.

Gertler agrees that the success of Vic One and Trin One triggered this new initiative. “Those colleges really ceased the initiative to try something new and different for first year undergraduate education,” he

said. “The reviews that came back [have been] pretty positive.”

Although Vic One and Trin One have been around longer, Andrew Lesk, the program director, does not think that UC One will have a problem standing out. “The fact [is] that our program is new,” said Lesk.

“We offer something different.”

“Any ‘One’ program speaks about the strength of the college,” Lesk said. “The whole rhetoric behind engaging Toronto speaks to the centrality that is University College itself.”

Ainslie went on to highlight UC’s history of being connected with social engagement. “All of the colleges are open to people of all faiths, but there is a history of UC as being the open college,” he explained, “That’s what we’re trying to build on.”

To Lesk, the fact that the seminars will go beyond the classroom is key to the character of the program. “It gets students out into the city to engage with [Toronto] in a more practical than theoretical sense,” he said.

Gertler feels that a critical aspect of the One programs is their tight-knit environments that they offer. “[They provide] an opportunity for small group learning experience in a year when most classes are pretty large,” he explained. The Dean also likes how the programs identify with the colleges themselves and reflect

the colleges’ individual identities.

An expanding trend The launch of UC One is only the beginning of a much larger movement. Last year, Provost Misak approached the administrations of all St. George campus’ constituent colleges as well as the UTM and UTSC satellite campuses, offering each funding to implement their own, distinctive ‘One’ programs.

“I put some money on the table and my offer was taken up by each and every college and campus,” she described.

The provost did not disregard Victoria and Trinity College, allocating them each the same sum of money so that they could expand their current programs. “They shouldn’t be disadvantaged just because they were the pioneers,” she said.

With the funding, Victoria College is adding a new stream to its Vic One program: the Norman Jewison Stream for Imagination and the Arts.

While all of the colleges and campuses accepted the offer, they are on different timetables. According to Dean Gertler, UC was able to settle on the theme and design of their program very quickly.

“UC was really the fastest out of the gate,” he explained.

The remaining colleges, as well as UTM and UTSC, plan to launch their own ‘One’ programmes next September.

How to find the cheapest textbooks Buy, rent or steal? We calculate the cost, convenience and risks Jonathan Scott VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR

Back-to-grade-school always meant some mixture of dread and anticipation. Fall leaves and new pencil cases rose excitement over the fear of new teachers, or anxiety over the gnawing dread of being a “minor niner.”

University students face a different peril, the cost of textbooks, which shows no signs of dissipating.

According to the Canadian Roundtable on Academic Materials, amusingly abbreviated as CRAM, textbook costs rose by over 280 per cent between 1995 and 2007.

Often minor revisions to keep new editions in constant high demand, as professors search for the most up-to-date texts. Students are left exploring alternatives, but face the possibility that a second-hand text won’t include new and relevant information. Many students are forgoing used bookstores in favour of rental services.

Some think that it’s okay to photocopy all the material they need from a textbook, yet a U of T document on copyrighting dispels this belief, stating that “it is a common misconception that the latitude given by copyright law for educational uses is significant.”

Despite laws against it, many students (and even some professors)

do not take precaution when photocopying passages. Some local copying centres turn a blind eye; if they get caught violating copyright laws, they’ll often stop the practice for a few years; but they usually begin again once the coast is clear.

Alternatives, such as online textbook-renting sites, do exist. Even the U of T Bookstore has begun renting-out textbooks for semesters, provided that they are returned in acceptable condition. Students can even highlight and write notes inside the rentals. While Amazon. ca may have a stellar reputation for fast shipping, renting campus textbooks could be more convenient and certainly less expensive.

Discounts are also available from Toronto University Students’ Book Exchange (tusbe.com), a Craigslisttype site. The site is easy to use, although some might view it as merely the online version of the flyers distributed around campus. The service reaches out to all the other Torontoarea universities, which helps increase the supply of books available.

The University of Toronto Students’ Union is now also offering an online book exchange, but it first requires creating a Canadian Federation of Students Services account.

One Facebook post questioned the site’s usefulness. “How is this different/better than TUSBE? Won’t it

just split the traffic between the two sites?”

The service is only available to full-time students at St. George and Mississauga campus. Students pick up and drop off books during UTSU’s office hours and sellers receive a cheque from UTSU for the negotiated amount.

While rental services are a cheaper option, the hassle of arranging a meeting time over email or Facebook, being restricted in maintaining the textbook’s condition, and then having to arrange a return meeting with a stranger can be taxing.

Those with more guts than regard for copyright laws could peruse copy shops, where they photocopy at the normal 5-centper-page rate. Getting caught, however, can mean expensive lawsuits for shop owners and customers. At the moment, only those making a profit from photocopying textbooks can be criminally prosecuted under the Canadian Copyright Act, though this is likely to change under new legislation.

Of course, its always possible to buy a textbook and try to sell it back to the bookstore at the end of term. As the high cost of textbooks shows no signs of relief, it’s great to know you’ve got options.

4

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VARSITY NEWS

news@thevarsity.ca

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2011

5

Fighting academic frauds A McGill prof was reprimanded for ghostwriting. How would U of T handle a similar case?

Betina Alonso VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR

For years, Barbara Sherwin was a prominent hormone researcher and McGill University psychology professor. She was best known for her work as Canada Research Chair in Hormones, Brain, and Cognition - a role that garnered McGill $1.4 million in federal funding.

That’s until 2009, when it was revealed that her name, and her name alone, had appeared on an article which was was in fact co-written by DesignWrite, a company hired by the drug corporation Wyeth to promote hormone replacement therapy.

The article, published in a respected academic journal, was about pharmacological treatments for age-related memory loss.

Although McGill refuses to release the results of its two-year investigation, a professor involved in the case told Maclean’s that Sherwin had been reprimanded, but was cleared of accusations of academic misconduct.

“Ghostwriting,” as it is commonly known, occurs when researchers lend their names (and hence their credibility) to articles to which they did not contribute substantially. Instead, these articles are usually written, by firms hired by pharmaceutical companies, and often contain research or opinions favourable to the products sold by those companies. A 2009 study by The New York Times calculated that around 7.8 per cent of articles published in leading medical journals in the previous year had been ghostwritten.

Medical professionals often rely on scholarship to verify the effectiveness of their treatments, and investigate new developments in medicine. Aca-

demic research is also commonly used as evidence of the effectiveness and safety of drugs that are being challenged in court.

The issue has garnered more attention in recent years, after it played a role in high-profile cases involving wellknown drugs, such as Vioxx, Neurontin, Oxycontin, Paxil, Zoloft.

It was through 15 ghostwritten articles that Pfizer, for instance, promoted the utilization of Neurontin (a drug originally developed as an anticonvulsant, for use by epileptics) in the treatment of bipolar disorder. The device paid off: from 1995 to 2003 the sales of Neurontin increased more than twentyfold. After a boy with bipolar disorder who was prescribed the drug committed suicide, a whistleblower revealed the company’s use of ghostwriters. Pfizer pleaded guilty to two felonies, paying about $430 million in penalties for using fraudulent research to promote the use of Neurontin for unapproved uses.

All major medical journals and academic institutions, including U of T, have guidelines decrying the practice of ghostwriting. The practice is forbidden under the Framework to Address Allegations of Research Misconduct, which also addresses plagiarism and conflict of interest.

Trudo Lemmens, a professor at the law faculty and a leading figure in raising awareness of academic ghostwriting, says the university “could state more clearly in [the Code of Behaviour on Academic Matters] that involvement in ghostwritten publications is academic misconduct.”

Lemmens says that, although universities have a duty to protect their faculty, when it comes to accusations of bias or misrepresentation of pub-

lished data, “academic institutions should investigate thoroughly, since [the] integrity of publications goes to the heart of the integrity of the academic enterprise.”

The university’s AVP Research, Peter Lewis, believes that the University’s existing measures are adequate - equally stringent for both faculty and students.

It was through 15 ghostwritten articles that Pfizer, for instance, promoted the use of Neurontin (a drug originally developed as an anticonvulsant for use by epileptics) for the treatment of bipolar disorder.

“The university investigates all allegations of research misconduct as outlined in the Framework to Address Allegations of Research Misconduct,” he said.

Concerning the role of the interaction between pharmaceutical companies and the university, Lewis stated that “receiving support from any source, including pharmaceutical companies, is bound by the policies and procedures of the university,

News iN Brief We’re number two!

For the sixth year in a row, McGill University took the top Canadian spot in the QS World University Rankings, once again beating-out U of T. McGill placed 17th globally, up from 19th last year, while the University of Toronto placed 23rd, up from 29th. Cambridge took top spot overall, followed by Harvard, MIT, Yale, and Oxford.

QS, which compiled the list, considers 2,000 different schools before selecting the top 400 for the list. Rankings are determined using indicators such as academic reputation, employer reputation, faculty-to-student ratio, and citations-per-faculty.

With files from The Gazette (Montreal). —Abdullah Shihiparz

information officer.

“This has created a massive problem for faculty,” an assistant professor told the Toronto Star.

“We don’t have any resources in place to help us.” The school says it will find a replacement quickly.

Student groups, like Dalhousie’s Student Union and the Canadian Federation of Students, oppose Turnitin and similar companies because of issues of intellectual property rights, and security concerns.

“It’s basically adopting a policy that students are guilty of plagiarism before they are proven innocent,” said CFS chair Roxanne Dubois.

Turnitin claims to serve over 10,000 educational institutions in 126 countries. U of T is among its clients. —Tanya Debi

Dalhousie dumps Turnitin, International students discites U.S. servers proportionately accused of Dalhousie University, in Halifax, cheating

A recent investigation by The Globe and Mail has found that academic offences are committed by a disproportionately high number of international students, as compared to their domestic counterparts.

“I would say, anecdotally, that well over 50 per cent of [academic offence clients] are international students,” said Karen

violations.”

Lemmens and Stern argue that censoring academics, rather than deeppocketed pharmaceutical companies, will deter professors from ghostwriting.

Though there have been many lawsuits against drug companies whose were found to have promoted their porducts through ghostwriting, few researchers have been criticized or publicly investigated.

In the United States, the Project on Government Oversight has written a letter of complaint to President Obama criticizing the University of Pennsylvania for not sanctioning the chairman of its psychiatry department for lending his name to an editorial ghostwritten by a medical company, and a psychiatrist at UPenn is accusing his department of widespread contribution to ghostwritten articles.

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recently decided to terminate its contract with the controversial plagiarism-detecting software site Turnitin.com.

The university had learned that student papers, uploaded to the site to check for plagiarism, “were being stored on U.S. servers, instead of Canadian ones, which was against the school’s wishes,” said the school’s chief

Bellinger, of Downtown Legal Services — a legal clinic at U of T. The number is alarming, considering that only 12 per cent of U of T students come from outside of Canada.

A report by Danielle Istl, at the University of Windsor, found that international students were accused of academic offences three times as much as domestic students.

Different cultural understandings of plagiarism were cited as a likely reason for the discrepancy.

Some school systems outside of North America are based on rote learning, where copying verbatim from a teacher earns top grades.

Students of such systems can face confusion when they are expected to use their own words and ideas.

A study by the UK Higher Education Academy found the top reason for student plagiarizism was a “lack of awareness of referencing conventions.”

Another reason mentioned by the Globe was language barriers — some students resort to copying when paraphrasing is difficult.

Most experts suggested extensive language and cultural training for international students as a possible solution to this problem.

—Cherise Seucharan

which we believe are adequate to ensure that the academic integrity of our programs are well protected.”

U of T is playing a leading role in the campaign against ghostwriting. The first international conference on ghostwriting was recently hosted jointly by the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Law, Centre for Ethics, Joint Centre for Bioethics, and Centre for Innovation, Law and Policy.

Professor Lemmens and law professor Simon Stern recently co-authored an article for PloS Medicine, a medical journal, on the possibility of making guest authors liable for ghostwritten articles. In the article, they acknowledge the widespread academic concern over the issue, but note that “professional organizations have so far failed to issue serious sanctions in the rare cases when an organization has looked into allegations of authorship

6

VARSITY NEWS

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2011

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Contributors Mayce Al-Sukhni, Assunta Alegiani, Betina Alonso, Patrick Baud, Dan Berube, Sam Bowman, Simon Bredin, Robin Buller, Alberto Bustamante, Tom Cardoso, Tanya Debi, Ken Euler, Sara-Jane Findlay, Elizabeth Haq, Shakir Haq, Murad Hemmadi, Damanjit Lamba, Brian O’Neill, Anna Pippus, Goldie Poll, Gigi Rabnett, Alex Ross, Jonathan Scott, Cherise Seucharan, Kimberly Shek, Abdullah Shihiparz, Erene Stergiopoulos, Sarah Taguiam, Jakob Tanner, Lily Tarba, Akihiko Tse, Nish V., Crystal Vincent, David Woolley, Paul York

Board of Directors Chief Executive Officer Paul Humphrey ceo@thevarsity.ca Chief Financial Officer Vacant cfo@thevarsity.ca Chief Operations Officer Matthew D. H. Gray coo@thevarsity.ca Editor-in-Chief Tom Cardoso editor@thevarsity.ca Board Members Lauren Ash (St. George) Jessica Denyer (St. George) Matthew D. H. Gray (St. George) Paul Humphrey (St. George) Ariel Lewis (Staff) Andrew Rusk (Staff) Erene Stergiopoulos (Masthead) Vacant (UTSC) Vacant (UTM) Vacant (ProFac) Vacant (ProFac) Vacant (ProFac) Business Manager Arlene Lu business@thevarsity.ca Advertising Executives ads@thevarsity.ca Jamie C. Liu jamie@thevarsity.ca Kalam Poon kalam@thevarsity.ca Ivana Strajin ivana@thevarsity.ca Ad Designer Vacant addesign@thevarsity.ca The Varsity is the University of Toronto's largest student newspaper, publishing since 1880. The Varsity has a circulation of 20,000, and is published by Varsity Publications, Inc. It is printed by Master Web Inc. on recycled newsprint stock.

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Strike averted after arduous bargaining But other unions enter negotiations this month. McGuinty wage restraints, university deficit fueled “most difficult” talks ever.

Editorial Board Editor-in-Chief editor@thevarsity.ca Tom Cardoso Design Editor Anamarija Korolj design@thevarsity.ca Photo Editor Bernarda Gospic photo@thevarsity.ca Online Editor Sam Bowman online@thevarsity.ca News Editor Dylan C. Robertson news@thevarsity.ca Comment Editor Alex Ross comment@thevarsity.ca Arts & Entertainment Editor Ariel Lewis arts@thevarsity.ca Features Editor Erene Stergiopoulos features@thevarsity.ca Science Editor Bianca Lemus Lavarreda science@thevarsity.ca Sports Editor Murad Hemmadi sports@thevarsity.ca

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Sarah Taguiam ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR

After a month of negotiations, the University of Toronto and its largest union, the United Steelworkers’ local 1998 (USW), have finally reached a contract agreement.

It was ratified Friday by a 94 per cent vote that took place on all three campuses.

The Steelworkers, which represents approximately 3,700 administration and IT personnel, underwent its “most difficult” bargaining session ever, according to union President Allison Dubarry.

In a letter published on the Steeldrum, USW’s newsletter, Dubarry blamed Premier Dalton McGuinty’s wage restraint policy, and the university’s solvency relief plea for the arduous rounds of negotiations.

“We faced a government intent on freezing our compensation for two years. We faced an employer intent on obtaining the increased pension contributions it needed to qualify for the government’s pension solvency relief program,” she wrote.

To help offset a record provincial deficit of about $20 billion, McGuinty’s wage restraint program initiates a two-year freeze on the wages of nonunionized public sector employees. The initiative also works with unions and employers to freeze the wages of unionized private-sector workers, who are mostly unaffected by the policy.

The motion for solvency relief, on the other hand, is a product of the pension plan’s $1 billion shortfall due to poor university investments. Unable to balance its deficit, U of T sought to qualify for Ontario’s university solvency relief program, giving it up to 13 years to stabilize its pension plan.

To be able to make gradual payments, the university has to freeze, or possibly decrease, worker compensation.

“All it really is is scapegoating employees,” said Dubarry. “It’s this whole thing where it’s [easier] to target working people than to target those who actually caused the problems.”

Despite these issues, U of T spokesperson Laurie Stephens issued a statement prior to the agreement saying that the university is “committed to negotiating a fair and responsible renewal collective agreement.”

The new three-year contract will instate a wage increase of 1.75 per cent in year one, two per cent in year two and 2.25 per cent in year three but will also see higher pension contributions of 1.8–2.4 per cent.

With the agreement, USW has secured benefit improvements and the creation of non-economic policies like the reestablishment of the Early Retirement Bridge Benefit, language improvements on job security, protection from bullying and harassment, and a yearly contribution of $50,000 from U of T to the Steelworkers’ charity, Humanity Fund.

But the risk for a strike remains.

Another round of negotiations are scheduled later this month involving the University of Toronto Faculty Association (UTFA) and the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) locals 1230 and 3261.

“It’s this whole thing where it’s [easier] to target working people than to target those who actually caused the problems.”

comment@thevarsity.ca

VARSITY COMMENT

MONDAY,SEPTEMBER 12, 2011

7

The election Ontario deserves

BArBArA PuticA/tHe VArsity

Ontario’s political parties have little to offer when they are focused on one issue

David Woolley VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR

When Ontarians head to the polls on October 6, they will have to decide which of the parties they believe will do the best job of tackling one primary issue: job creation.

In that vein, McGuinty’s Liberals are standing on their record. They aren’t ashamed of the job they’ve done — as any strategist will tell you, confidence is key.

On green jobs, their website proudly states that in eight years they’ve built over 890 wind turbines that power 400,000 Ontario homes. Those turbines provide energy to roughly 1.4 million people in a province of 13.2 million. With an average of 111 turbines going up every year, we only need to keep electing McGuinty for 67 more years and every Ontario family will have 100 per cent their power supplied by green energy.

On jobs, under the Liberals’ watch, Ontario is now the top auto manufacturer in North America. Be careful not to mention that the Big Three automakers went bankrupt in the U.S., or else those statistics might seem inflated.

But enough about the completely adequate and not at all disappointing job Mr. McGuinty has been doing. Instead, let us turn to the plans of his opponents, and see how they might deal with these problems.

The leader of the Progressive Conservatives — and McGuinty’s primary challenger — is Tim Hudak. His sunken eyes and the tucked-in corners of his mouth tell you that he’s someone you can trust. But how will Hudak succeed where McGuinty has failed?

It’s a little thing called tax cuts. A Hudak government will reduce the corporate tax rate, from 11.5 per cent all the way down to a revolutionary 10 per cent, by 2013, and, as any entrepreneur will tell you, it was that 1.5 per cent that was really standing in the way of corporations creating more jobs. Ok, well they’ll also reduce red tape by 30 per cent. How can they be so specific with re-

gards to a complex thing like regulations, each of which is specific to a certain sector and problem, you might ask? Well, shut up.

Andrea Horwath’s NDP are fighting hard against the evil power of corporations. Her jobs plan proudly states that her tenure will bring an end to the reign of terror that is “no-strings-attached” corporate tax cuts.

She’ll be the first to tell you that study after study has shown that tax cuts alone do not create jobs. So what is Ms. Horwath’s surely tax-cut-free jobs plan? A 10% tax credit for companies who invest in manufacturing in Ontario, a tax credit to retrain employees, and a reduction in the small business tax rate by 4 per cent. The era of no-strings-attached tax cuts is dead, long live the era of strings-attached tax cuts! So, take that, evil corporations, there will be no giveaways to you, unless, of course, you happen to employ a particularly small number of people.

Now it’s time for the Green Party. On their jobs platform, the Greens out-liberal the Liberals, and out-conservative the Progressive Conservatives. You think 890 new wind turbines is something? Try eliminating the regulatory barriers that prevent entrepreneurs from creating the renewable energies of the future; expanding tax credits to retrofit your home; supporting community-specific renewable energy sources; increasing hydro generation in Ontario; and capturing waste-heat from chimneys to turn it into electrical power. Think that sounds a lot like tax cuts and reducing red tape? Anyone can cut business taxes, but how do you like the sound of a general reduction in the income tax? That’s right, the Greens will shift to a revenue-neutral tax on waste, pollution and carbon emissions. The other parties didn’t even mention those things, but that’s why they aren’t members of the Green Party.

So this October 6, vote for whoever you want, for whatever reason you want. Because, when it comes to the issue leading this election (jobs) among the major parties, there’s no real difference.

Patrick Baud VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR

In less than a month, Ontario heads to the polls.

While it has not yet begun in earnest, the campaign has been profoundly uninspiring. The party leaders, particularly Progressive Conservative leader Tim Hudak, have been generating all of the usual sound and fury, but their rhetoric feels unnervingly empty. Rather than explaining to Ontarians how they will shrink the deficit without reducing essential services, the leaders so far have been content with calling each other names. Whether “the tax man” (Mr. McGuinty), a “socialist” (Ms. Horwath) or a “Harris government alumnus” (Mr. Hudak) ends up running Ontario after October 6th, what matters most is what the leader will do, not whether they can come up with a good attack ad.

Unfortunately, none of the three major parties have come close to proving that they are fit to run the province. The Liberals, who have been in power for eight years, released a steady as she goes platform that echoes the one which helped deliver a majority for the Conservative Party of Canada in last May’s federal election.

Unlike the federal Conservatives, the Liberals offer little insight into how they plan to address the deficit, particularly if they continue to allow health care costs to skyrocket. The one area where the Liberals have made a serious proposal is in post-secondary education, where they have pledged to create a grant for most Ontario families that would reduce college and university tuition fees by one third.

The Progressive Conservatives have issued a platform that shows them to be enamoured of the idea of change (the platform is entitled changebook), but lack the intention to make any changes. Aside from a handful of headlinegrabbing policies, such as forcing inmates in provincial prisons to work without pay, and reducing the tax rate on utility bills, Mr. Hudak offers little to differentiate himself from the Liberals. Indeed, he promises to match the Liberal pledge for annual increases in education and health spending, along with tax cuts. Unless they really are capable

of the kind of fiscal wizardry that they claim to be, the Progressive Conservatives are not a real alternative to the Liberals.

While the New Democrats are eager to capitalize on the so-called “Orange Crush” which vaulted their federal cousins into the official opposition, they have done little to show that they can be a credible alternative to the other parties. While Ms. Horwath has suggested several sensible policies, such as getting rid of ambulance fees and capping the salaries of public sector CEOs, her platform likewise adds up to little more than a promise for change, rather than a plan to make it happen.

This leaves voters with an unpleasant choice between a government that does not seem to want to do much governing, and two opposition parties which seem to want to talk change, without trying to make any. No party has offered a serious plan to deal with the deficit, which would likely mean some spending cuts and tax increases. Likewise, no party has suggested measures to improve the way that health and social services are delivered in Ontario, aside from continuing to pour increasingly unsustainable sums of money into the system, without much thought as to where the funds will come from.

Provincial politics should be a space for passionate and substantive debates. The services administered by the Ontario government, including education and health, are those which have the greatest impact on our everyday lives. Deciding what to do about these issues is hard, and controversy is inevitable, but this does not mean that Ontarians should be content to give up and let their political leaders do the same. Instead of getting the debate that they deserve, Ontarians are set to see a campaign where attack ads, rather than real ideas, are the common currency.

It is time that we demand better from our political leaders. There is still time for them to change their ways before the election. There is still time for all three of the major parties to propose real, workable solutions to Ontario’s problems. If they cannot rise to the occasion, then they do not deserve to run this province. If we cannot deign to ask, then we should be very worried for our future.

8

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2011

VARSITY COMMENT

comment@thevarsity.ca

Open access U of T The pros and cons of online learning Simon Bredin VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR

After going viral over the summer, an artificial intelligence class offered by Stanford University has now enrolled over 130,000 students — a staggering number that exceeds the entire population of the St. George, Mississauga and Scarborough campuses combined. If taught on campus, the class would require 76 Convocation Halls filled to capacity, but instead, this enormous class is to be administered entirely over the Internet.

The class is the latest, and most popular, development in mass online education. In 2006, the Khan Academy opened its doors to users, offering an elaborate curriculum largely focused on maths and sciences.

With video lessons streamed from

Youtube, students can essentially self-administer their education on the site, progressing through lessons that begin with basic arithmetic, and working up to advanced calculus, algebra, and even economics. The following year, Apple introduced iTunes U, a new section of the iTunes Store where users can download podcaststyle recordings of lectures on a variety of subjects. By 2009, sites like Academic Earth, and MIT’s OpenCourseWare, had managed to further approximate an actual class: offering syllabi, reading lists, examination materials, and suggested essay topics, along with video lectures.

The main problem with these initiatives was that there was no mechanism for students to receive feedback on their work. The instructors of the Stanford class are experiment-

ing with ways to resolve this, using programs like Google Moderator to simulate tutorials, and personalizing examinations for each student to minimize cheating. Although the instructors have forgone numerical grade points, students will be ranked relative to their classmates, and those that complete the course will receive a statement of accomplishment.

The University of Toronto has remained conspicuously absent from these exciting developments. There are no U of T classes available on iTunes U or Academic Earth, while other Canadian post-secondary institutions much smaller than us maintain at least a modest presence. It is a shame, with so many classes at U of T which would lend themselves well to online distribution offered.

This year, for instance, there is little doubt that Michael Ignatieff’s course on “renewing Canadian democracy” (POL382) could generate significant public interest. For the time being, any significant online presence is likely to remain a pipe dream at a university where the largest faculty only just began to experiment with a handful of online courses over this past summer.

Even if U of T has thus far failed to stake out a claim in this increasingly popular territory, many of these sites will likely prove enormously helpful to students. In the process of conducting research for this article, I compared some of my syllabi from classes taken at U of T against their online equivalents. Our version of a

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survey of John Milton (ENG303) was literally identical to the version found on OpenYaleCourses, with both progressing through Milton’s major works in the same order, and with similar emphasis on critical interpretation. While slightly more focused on the role of American foreign policy, Columbia’s “Conceptual Foundations of International Politics” was strikingly similar to our own Introduction to Theories of International Relations (POL208). Our offerings in political theory (POL200, POL320) are mirrored quite closely by Yale’s “Introduction to Political Philosophy” and Harvard’s “Justice.” The list goes on.

These courses tend to flesh out a subject more thoroughly than other student standbys like Sparknotes or Wikipedia, and thus may prove especially useful to keeners or inveterate class-skippers. Had I only discovered these resources while I was still enrolled in a class with significant overlap, I could have easily avoided tedious-sounding lectures in favour of teaching myself at a later date from the comfort of my own home. This realization soon gave way to a sense of frustration: why did I pay thousands of dollars for a class about Milton or political theory when I can get the exact same thing for free?

This line of reasoning touches on the chief argument against the emerging trend of free online education: that it will somehow disturb the delicate ecosystem of academia.

There may well be some validity to this argument. Certainly, the principle of “open access” can be carried to a reprehensible extreme: in July, 24-year-old Aaron Swartz was arrested for hacking into MIT’s computer network and ripping 5 million scholarly articles off JSTOR. The cache likely contained every article that exists on the popular journal archive. Though Swartz’s supporters argue that an ordinary citizen would have had to pay upwards of 70

million dollars for the same articles if purchasing them on an individual basis, the stolen files represent countless hours of labour by scholars. Not every function of a university can translate perfectly to cost-free online existence.

Individual courses may have adapted successfully; the entirety of academic publishing has not been so lucky.

All this does not to suggest that the awesome powers of the web will soon render physical campuses, and in-theflesh educators, obsolete. Although

There are no U of T classes available on iTunes U or Academic Earth, while other Canadian post-secondary institutions much smaller than us maintain at least a modest presence. we may benefit from very good online approximations of classes on John Milton or political theory, there is no equivalent to a full four years of education yet available online. Digitally replicating the entirety of the “college experience” is a daunting task (good try, Mark Zuckerberg). Still, it is heartening see how knowledge once conveyed only through such means as an expensive fornal education is becoming both accesible and affordable, for the public. If only our own university would step up and take on a greater role in doing so.

comment@thevarsity.ca

VARSITY COMMENT

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2011

“We decided to pursue an alternative…”

Positive Space Committee Chair SARA-JANE FINDLAY recounts the difficulties of getting their orientation card into the UTSU frosh kits

I

t has been disappointing, but not surprising, that so many Colleges and Faculties chose to opt out of the UTSU frosh kits for this year.

As Chair of the Positive Space Committee at St. George, I experienced firsthand some of the difficulties involved in getting UTSU to include our Positive Space information card in their frosh kits.

The Positive Space Committee is a group of students, staff, and faculty volunteers who meet to discuss pressing issues in the LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer) and allies at the University of Toronto. We are not a formal equity office at the University but rather a committed group individuals. We host events, promote awareness of LGBTQ issues, and work to change the culture around discrimination against LGBTQ people, in our workplaces and schools.

One of our resources, the Positive Space information card, has been in-

cluded in the UTSU frosh kits for 11 years. For the past two years, however, we have been asked to pay to have the information cards included. As a volunteer group, with a budget that scarcely covers the printing of our resources, we could not afford to pay the fee for this resource to be included. Last year, after weeks of emailing, phoning and pleading with UTSU, we were allowed to include our cards in the kits for free, so long as we committed 20 hours of volunteer service to help stuff the kits.

This year, we repeatedly explained to UTSU that charging Positive Space for the inclusion of the cards would be a setback in our historical collaboration with UTSU and could prevent our materials from reaching many new students.

After several weeks of our emails going unanswered, and conversations between committee members and UTSU failing to produce an

agreement, we decided to pursue an alternative to kit stuffing with UTSU. We contacted all the Orientation Coordinators across the three campuses to arrange for the Positive Space information card to be included in their kits. Not only will all incoming students still get the information about LGBTQ diversity and inclusion at the University of Toronto, but we have made stronger connections with the colleges, and their respective orientation weeks, as a result.

Am I disappointed that we were not able to work with USTU this year? Very much so. It is important to us, as a committee, to reach as many new students as possible at a time when they particularly need to be aware of the support that is available at the University. At the same time, we have benefitted from the new connections we have made that have strengthened our links with the Colleges and Faculties as we move into the new academic year.

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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2011

VARSITY COMMENT

comment@thevarsity.ca

The scientific case against animal research Why does U of T conduct animal research when there’s evidence it’s harmful for humans?

Anna Pippus and Paul York In 2004, an article published in the prestigious, peer-reviewed British Medical Journal posed the question: “Where is the evidence that animal research benefits humans?” The authors concluded that there is virtually none.

So, Stop U of T Animal Research decided to organize a debate. We wanted to know whether or not animal research is good science.

Dr. Ray Greek agreed to argue the scientific case against animal research. Dr. Greek is a medical doctor who used to perform experiments on animals. Now, he is the leading authority on the scientific case against using animals to predict human drug and disease response. He argues that, not only are animal “models” not helpful, but they actually impede medical progress, to the detriment of human health.

Animal researchers at U of T frequently assert that their work is valuable to humans. So far, however, none are willing to publicly defend that position with evidence-based arguments.

We invited any graduate student or professor from the Faculty of Medicine to debate Dr. Greek.

The Strategic Communications office of the Faculty of Medicine declined the invitation, without providing any explanation. In addition, several individual animal researchers were invited, but, to date, have not responded to our request.

Dr. Greek notes that “an immense body of empirical evidence” has, for decades, supported the conclusion that animal models are not predictive for humans. Furthermore, says Greek, “new knowledge about genes, gene regulation, gene expression and gene networks — gained in large

ROB LeOne/THe VARsiTy

VARSITY CONTRIBUTORS

part as a result of the Human Genome Project — has significantly increased our understanding of why animals cannot be used to predict human response to drugs or the pathophysiology of human diseases. Despite the development of an allencompassing theory as to why animals are not predictive, there remains — much to the detriment of human health and medical progress — extraordinary resistance to abandoning the use of animals as predictive models.”

We have experienced this resistance firsthand, not only in the unwillingness of researchers to debate Dr. Greek, but also in the absence

of the research community from several well-advertised academic lectures we organized on the subject. While trying to engage with the scientific community, we have generally been met by a ‘wall of silence.’ That silence, we believe, stems from the unwarranted demonization of those who question animal testing, and by a strong resistance to unorthodox ideas, which shuts the door to academic debate, and effectively protects entrenched ideologies and institutional power.

The Faculty of Medicine’s rejection of our invitation runs contrary to the spirit of the academic pursuit of truth through knowledge, which demands

thorough, free, and open debate on controversial topics. U of T’s own Statement of Academic Freedom states that “The existence of an institution where unorthodox ideas, alternative modes of thinking … can be debated contributes immensely to social and political change … Often this debate may generate controversy and disputes among members of the University [but] the University must allow the fullest range of debate. It should not limit that debate by preordaining conclusions.”

The decision not to debate Dr. Greek suggests a predetermined conclusion regarding the scientific validity of animal research. The Faculty of Medicine, which is connected to the University Health Network, is a major site of animal testing in North America. A great deal of money is invested by governments and pharmaceutical companies in animal testing. It would not be presumptuous to suggest that there is a vested interest in maintaining the status quo.

To debate the question at all is to admit that the old paradigm can be questioned.

The refrain that animal research is an evil necessary to the advancement of human health, is a common one, but what if this is not the case?

What if, in fact, animal research has a net negative impact on human health, as its critics contend? And, please, continue to ask: why won’t the scientific community at U of T defend the scientific validity of its work?

Join STOP U of T Animal Research to debate this issue in the Hart House Debates Room on September 19th at 7 pm.

Anna Pippus (J.D., U of T) and Paul York (PhD Candidate, U of T) are members of the group STOP U of T ANIMAL RESEARCH.

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VARSITY F

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2011

Who let the dog Your guide to the best wiener on campus

by Erene Stergiopoulos and Tom Cardoso photos by Bernarda Gospic MAMA’S BEST #1 St. George and Willcocks $2.50

Judging from the name, you know this place has history. Decades ago, Mama was a real lady peddling her collagen-encased wares on the Toronto sidewalks. Today, the stand lies a stone’s throw from Sid Smith and still serves up a hot dog with an old-time feel.

The veggie dog is very soft, but not overbearingly so. Though the first few bites aren’t too salty, the dog suffers from the dreaded sodium aftertaste. Luckily, the condiments are the freshest we’ve seen all day. They do well to mask the flavour.

ANDY’S FAVOURITE STATION St. George and College $2.50

Nestled beside the U of T bookstore, Andy’s appeals to the starving textbook buyer. And betcha didn’t know the guy at the stand is actually named Andy. The stand features a new Swiss Bratwurst, a summer addition to the usual menu. But of course, we decide to keep it real with the all-beef wiener. The dog has a perfect consistency and is riddled with a subtle metallic musk. The aftertaste is smooth and disarming. The ketchup, however, lacks the tomato tang one would expect from the ubiquitous condiment.

24-HOUR HOT DOG STAND In front of Sid Smith and Morrison Hall $2.50

We might call it ‘junk food,’ but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t have standards. The condiments are old and soggy, and the wiener is undercooked. If you’ve ever stolen day-old leftovers from an office fridge, then you’ll know what to expect. Although this stand holds a steady place in the campus hot dog pantheon (mostly because it’s open 24 hours a day), you shouldn’t be fooled: this dog tastes like a wet sock. Though honestly, if you’re drunk on campus at 4 a.m., you probably don’t care. Altogether unimpressive.

What kind of hot dog eater are yo

MINIMALIST

For the intellectual You understand the complexity of the wiener. You basically don’t even need the bun, but you eat it to please others.

SWEET TOOTH

For the child at heart Your childhood insecurities mean you never really got over that Aaron Carter song, “I Want Candy.” And yes, you still listen to Aaron Carter. Don’t worry, we won’t say a word.

FEATURES

features@thevarsity.ca

13

gs out?

ROBARTS STAND St. George and Harbord $2.50

There’s no other way to say this. Their veggie dog isn’t very good.

Like foreplay that never progresses, it leaves you feeling violated and unsatisfied. And the bun isn’t even toasted! Essentially, the vegetarian’s dilemma is simple: are hot dogs even worth imitating in animal-friendly form?

ST. GEORGE STATION STAND St. George and Bloor $3.00

Convenience doesn’t come cheap at this stand next to St. George subway station. The $3.00 dogs, paired with 24-hour access, are exactly what a wiener should be. The all-beef dog tastes more hotdoggy than our previous candidates. With a lightly toasted bun and overall pleasing consistency, these three bucks get you a good deal of bang. The condiments are decent, but nothing to write home about. Not that you would ever write about hot dogs.

and the winner is…

COACH HOUSE PRESS

Hidden away behind Innis College, on bpNichol Lane FREE and two thumbs up

After a taxing bout of research, we’ve found the winner to this campus hot dog contest, and it’s actually none of the stands we set out to review. First place goes to Coach House Press and the mad grilling skills of its staff, who held their yearly autumn barbecue just outside the printing house. Seared on the outside with a plump interior, this free dog was our surprise winner. Conspicuously absent is the signature slicing technique used by other hot dog stands; we’d later learn from a connoisseur that this is the real secret to a good dog. But perhaps Coach House had another ace up its sleeve, a secret ingredient missing from all other contenders: love.

ou?

HOT DOG

For the incensed Apparently, some like it hot, and you are one of those people. Your fiery temper is mirrored in your eating practices, which border on the unsafe.

ALL IN

For the glutton Nothing can satisfy the black hole that is your stomach. So for two to three bucks, you’ll take everything you can get — the more sodium and preservatives, the better.

14

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2011

VARSITY ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

arts@thevarsity.ca

Booze and bifocals Toronto's Nerd Nite turns 1!

Gigi Rabnett VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR

What was once a carefully-avoided stereotype by students and professionals alike, the nerd has come to be a celebrated icon of late. Suspender-sporting, thick-rimmed-glasseswearing hipsters aren’t the only ones to have caught on. Virve Aljas, founder and inaugurator of Toronto’s own ‘Nerd Nite,’ embraces nerd-dom in a much more authentic way.

The 33-year-old graphic designer says that the now monthly event — typically a 3 hour long exercise in drinking up knowledge and booze — is “like the discovery channel, but with beer.” From a mini-ted talk to an adult science fair, any description works as long as it includes booze and a good time.

September 8th at the Tranzac marked Nerd Nite’s one-year anniversary in Toronto, a not-so-surprising feat, given its fool-proof tenets: educated people giving 20 to 30 minute presentations on topics they’re passionate about. Intermittently, Aljas speaks to the room and dishes out trivia questions, cake, and nerdrelated stuff. By the time the night’s over, you’re four pints deep and have

made a table of new friends.

Fittingly, the first presentation of Nerd Nite’s one year anniversary is done by Aljas herself; she gives a hilarious discursive on those ‘heritage minutes’ that anyone who grew up in Canada remembers fondly. Through Pierce Brosnan's Grey Owl, a colourful Winnie the Pooh history, and a charming wit to boot, the audience is given a 20 minute exposition on the clips which we were so reluctantly exposed to as children. And that’s the beauty of her Nerd Nite: “It’s not just all about science-related stuff,” Aljas explains. “The only conditions we have for presenters is that they keep it not too technical. After a few beers, people don’t want to deal with technical jargon.”

The next presentation is from veteran Nerd-Niter Mark Coatsworth, a computer engineer, tech entrepreneur, electronics hacker, and aspiring alchemist who leads us on an impractical but captivating journey on how to fuel our own gas-running vehicles. By the end of it the crowd is in hysterics, and despite his disclaimer, we’re ready to try it at home.

With countless karaoke and trivia nights across the city and flourishing institutions like ‘Snakes and Lattes,’

where self-described nerdy types flock for a good time, a regular Nerd Nite seemed the next logical step for Toronto. Aljas was lucky when she stumbled across it in New York one night and was inspired.

“In New York it has become so popular that they’re charging $10$15 for cover now and it’s sold out beforehand.” Aljas’ own Toronto version, however, doesn’t care to reach such commercial heights.

“We don’t want to charge people at the door, we like our night just the way it is right now. We have a good scene of people, from the little Estonian group to the regulars I end up recognizing.” And the legendary Tranzac, a Toronto institution on Brunswick Ave, is the perfect venue for such an event, pulling in anyone from students to professional 40-somethings.

At the end of the night the audience is treated to a very competitive game of interactive trivia. A child-like, competitive silence falls over the crowd as they’re asked to jot down every country in the G20.

Frustrated blurts of “they’re peeking at ours!” and “I know this!” are heard, but that’s come to be expected at Nerd Nite. It’s all in good fun.

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VARSITY ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

arts@thevarsity.ca

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2011

15

Ryan Gosling plays the idealistic democrat campaigner Stephen Myers in THE IDES OF MARCH.

Get TIFF'd!

A peek inside the festival The Ides of March

Dir. George Clooney George Clooney’s fourth turn in the director’s chair observes the inner workings of a Democratic primary.

Steven Myers (Ryan Gosling) is an idealistic, wunderkind press secretary who works for Governor Mike Morris (Clooney), a diehard Democrat’s golden god. A political thriller, the film is tensely paced, solidly acted in its taut and economical dialogue. The flawless ensemble cast, including Philip Seymour Hoffman, Marisa Tomei, and Paul Giamatti, keeps the film from drowning in the melodrama and self-importance of American politics by avoiding moralistic heroics.

The film’s most glaring weakness is its treatment of the rather predictable realization that the seeming ruthlessness of politics is both provocative and revolutionary: Clooney sure does seem pretty pleased with his own cynicism, both as a performer and as a director. But the grandiose, Shakespearean portrayal of backhanded corruption and manipulation actually render it captivating enough to be forgiven for its more cumbersome missteps. You’ve learned these lessons before, but Gosling and Clooney, both weighty with charm and screen presence, ensure that you’ll be no worse for the wear to see them played out like this.

— Elizabeth Haq

headhunTers

Dir. Morten Tyldum Headhunters, a Norwegian thriller film, brings the trashy airport novel to life. However, ignoring action genre clichés is easy, as the movie delivers strokes of originality, with one clever scene after another. Yes, there are murdered prostitutes and

yes, there are greedy, evil bad guys; but director Morten Tyldum is creative and thoughtful enough to produce a captivating, fun, and grossly over-the-top experience. The film’s hero is a guy with a hardcore shortman complex, who, over the course of the blood-drenched narrative, receives the ultimate lesson in confidence. When his tall, gorgeous wife, thirty-million-dollar home, and artthievery escapades fall into jeopardy, our diminutive hero takes charge, and hits the road. At times, things can seem out of balance, as crude humour unexpectedly interrupts the darker themes of death and infidelity, and, at just over ninety minutes, the conclusion is brisk. With action flicks constantly being churned out, eager for your money, it’s nice to see a film that, while residing in familiar territory, also succeeds in providing good-quality thrills. — Jakob Tanner

shaMe

Dir. Steve McQueen Steve McQueen's Shame is by all accounts a dark film. The darkness lies in the unflinching confrontation with the raw and often self-destructive nature of sexual desire gone awry. The film stars Michael Fassbender as Brandon, a man possesed of good looks and luxuries. Living behind a facade of sterile normalcy, Brandon masks his escalating and all-consuming desire for sexual gratification. His inability to emotionally connect with people manifests itself in his insatiable desire for pornography. Themes of alienation, virtual escapism, and the inability to maintain meaningful relationships are by no means new, but by stripping the film of any context, McQueen makes it difficult to come up with an easy pop-psychology explanation for

Brandon's behaviour. The audience never gets to know anything about Brandon – his sister's acknowledgement that “we are not bad people, we just come from bad places,” serves as a cryptic clue into a seemingly troubled past; and therefore, all that remains is the unsettling glimpse at the pure force of dark, human desire.

— Lily Tarba

PIna

Dir. Wim Wenders Wenders, one of Germany’s most renowned postwar filmmakers, was a close friend of Pina Bausch, the German choreographer who paved the way for modern dance. Wenders' 20+ year desire to shoot a documentary about Bausch hit a roadblock when she passed away in 2009. Despite her death, however, Bausch’s dance troupe was adamant to continue with the tribute.

The result is a 3D experience made up of loving anecdotes and expressive dance sequences. A musical/ documentary hybrid, Pina takes the choreography of Bausch’s productions and repositions them in urban landscapes; the film is set against the backdrop of industrial buildings and side-streets where Bausch’s timeless art form is cemented.

The film does not offer any interviews, and those unfamiliar with Pina won’t learn about her back story. Instead, an essential understanding of space and its relation to the language of the body will be imparted. Less a biography than a catalyst for initiating interest in Pina’s work, Wenders’ film proves that 3D effects can triumph in areas besides CGIsaturated action. — Damanjit Lamba

survIvIng Progress

Dir. Mathieu Roy, Harold Crooks

Surviving Progress, Mathieu Roy and Harold Crooks’ adaptation of Ronald Wright’s “A Short History of Progress,” is a respectable retelling of Wright’s predictions of impending societal collapse.

With interviews from Margaret Atwood to Jane Goodall, the film focuses on the economic and ecological stresses of systems moving towards some great apocalyptic collapse.

While clever editing and apt use of stock footage make the film quite watchable, it tends to fall short intellectually. Some coherent themes, such as a dichotomy between biological and cultural evolution, are present through the film’s argument, but its attempt to deal with an enormously wide range of topics through several speakers ends up feeling scattered. The pitfalls of Ideology are offered as an explanation for the absence of a coherent argument but Surviving Progress, like its source material, seems to relish asking questions that it is afraid to answer. — Sam Bowman

MelancholIa

Dir. Lars von Trier Seeing a faux-apocalypse through the eyes of a dysfunctional family is probably the most painful way to express a loss of faith in humanity. The latest from Lars Von Trier, Melancholia, reveals that the Danish director is dealing with some heavy despair.

The film is essentially split into two chapters, one devoted to Justine’s (Kristen Dunst) reaction to the oncoming fly-by of the planet, and the other defined by her sister Claire (Charlotte Gainsbourg). There is little dialogue or action amid the lush scenery of the nameless, guard-

ed estate — adding to the family’s estrangement from the wider public. No news channels or headlines make it into the film, either — a welcome departure from the majority of films fixated on the end of the world. The film lacks any real confrontation but Von Trier is still able to infuse each scene with throngs of tension, as the family is distraught and cripplingly unable to articulate final thoughts and feelings. The end (when it does arrive) is momentous on a visual and audible level. With a classical score intensifying the day of reckoning, Melancholia is a film that really needs to be experienced in a grand, enveloping theatre. — Damanjit Lamba

Wanna go to TIFF but can’t spare the cash?

Win two tickets to the Toronto International Film Festival!

How to get ‘em Snap a photo of yourself posing with The Varsity's front page and send it to editor@thevarsity.ca. Tickets go to the most creative photo.

Seriously, work it.

The screenings NUIT #1, Sept. 14 at 9:30 p.m.

GENERATION P, Sept. 15 at 6:30 p.m.

For more information on student discounts for TIFF screenings, check out tiff.net/festival. Be sure to keep an eye out for campus screenings at Isabel Bader Theatre!

16

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2011

VARSITY ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

arts@thevarsity.ca

Changes to the Annex block A new location for Sonic Boom and a new owner for Bloor Cinema Assunta Alegiani AssociAte Arts editor

If you live in Toronto and have the slightest interest in music, you have likely been to Annex record store Sonic Boom. Formerly located just east of Bathurst along Bloor, the vast, two-level space had become a Toronto alt landmark since owner Jeff Barber opened the store in 2001. Most recently honoured in last year’s feature film Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World, Sonic Boom had cemented its place among other gems such as the Bloor Cinema and Lee’s Palace.

So it’s not surprising that an uproar went through the Annex and local media when Barber announced in late June that the store was going to move into another TO landmark, Honest Ed’s. Almost more shocking than the news of the move was the reason for it: Barber’s landlord declined to renew the lease with Sonic Boom's lease and instead leased the space to a new tenant, Dollarama.

“I guess there is more security with

major retailer than with a small, independent business,” Barber speculates.

“They had told me they were going to redevelop the site and that I would have to find a new place. When I mentioned I was interested in buying it [the landlord] said no.”

About three weeks ago Sonic Boom opened its new location at Bathurst and Bloor. Although inside the famous discount store, Barber emphasizes that “it’s important to me we make it Sonic Boom rather than Honest Ed’s. It’s fully divided and we have our own entrance on Bathurst. It’s a huge space and it’s going to take a while to fill it out, to make it our own and make it unique but we’re doing the best we can.”

As difficult as it is to see a thriving, independent business lose against a Goliath of a corporate chain, in this case the medal really has two sides.

Long before eviction became a looming possibility, Jeff Barber started to think about opening up a second location, ideally in Kensington Market.

This second store opened its doors to the public at 201 Augusta Avenue in

early August, inhabiting a small space limited to vinyl. Apart from the second location, it’s clearly a Sonic Boom.

Just as its mother-store continues setting up its signature Tim Oakley window displays in the slightly lower, but significantly longer, windows facing Bathurst, its vinyl-focused offspring is clothed in the artful decorations as well.

So, with the Dollarama coming in as the designated black sheep of the Annex family, where does long-time resident Barber see the neighbourhood going? “Of course it’s getting harder for the independent retailers, but the neighbourhood is good. With the Dollarama I just don’t think it’s a good fit, and the response we’re getting back from the community seems to confirm that. As far as the Bloor Cinema goes, I think it’s a good scenario with HotDocs as the new manager. They’re going to do a great job with the [place] and curating the program.”

A few units over, more changes are afoot. Just two weeks after the news of Sonic Boom’s move stirred up the

Annex, Bloor Cinema issued a press release on its website, stating that, although its “currently undergoing renovation, the Bloor Cinema will reopen this fall under Hot Docs’ management, revitalized and ready to welcome Toronto’s film-loving public.” For years, the previous owners were looking to sell the place, but refused many offers by big corporations, to ensure that Bloor Cinema wouldn’t turn into a sell-out. Finally, Blue Ice Film bought the venue this summer, and partnered with Hot Docs as the cinema’s new managers. They don’t want to set a specific opening date yet but expect doors to open sometime in late fall, certainly by the end of 2011.

Hot Docs festival organizer Alan Black emphasizes that, deviating from their initial plans, the Bloor will continue to host rep films, select indie festivals such as the After Dark, and beloved cult screenings as much as possible. Nonetheless, the programming will largely feature documentaries. “We want to combine the best of the Bloor and the best of Hot Docs,”

says Black. “We don’t want to do anything too drastic and change either the physical space or experience.” Some items to look forward to at the revamped cinema are a new screen, projector, and sound system, as well as a few new seats and bathroom stalls. Basically, the whole place is getting “the little polish it deserves,” inside and out.

It’s clear that the new management is determined to preserve and strengthen the community value that Bloor Cinema holds in the Annex. A few weeks ago they hosted a community meeting where attendants were given the chance to voice their opinions and expectations for the space, and the input was taken seriously. “We learned that people love Bloor Cinema an awful lot and are really proud of it. It’s a very diverse crowd, everyone seems to have their own stake at the Bloor. We want to maintain that, keep it as a community theatre and let it become what the community desires,” Black says. With all the care that goes into the renovation process, it’s safe to say that the Annex is far from losing its cultural cred.

Bernarda Gospic/THe VarsiTy

arts@thevarsity.ca

VARSITY ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2011

Still life with Google

Lily Tarba tours the world of the Google Art Project

MICHELLE YUAN/THE VArsITY

T

he Google Art Project is Google's first venture into the world of art. The concept of the project is deceptively simple: to provide free online access to some of the world's greatest galleries and works of art. This project was logical, and its creation inevitable, following the success of Google Books.

At the moment, there are seventeen museums around the world participating in the project, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York, and the National Gallery in London.

The Google Art Project, as the title suggests, is still very much a work in progress. Before attempting to break down and analyze the Google Art Project one should bare in mind that the project is and isn't. It most certainly is not a replacement for the in-person gallery experience. The site itself follows Google's tradition of simplicity and easy use. Google Street View technology, the viewer can stroll virtually through the most famous galleries in the world. If a certain work of art becomes of interest, then one can examine it individually, with the option of zooming in to observe the most minuscule details. The only restrictions on viewing the artwork are the copyright laws, which determine where the paintings can be closely examined, seen only from afar, or, in many cases, blurred-out completely.

On average, there are seven billion pixels per image, which makes the creation of strikingly realistic digital copies of paintings possible. These images are nothing like the pictures found in an online image search; they convey not only the colour, but the texture.

Yet no matter how high the quality of the image, the artwork can only be as big as one's computer screen – a physical limitation that will certainly dull the impact of any work of art. The real difficulty in trying to sift through

the good and bad aspects of the Google Art Project is that they often overlap; while the project allows the art-lover to gallery-hop from one country to the next, it simultaneously overwhelms the viewer. A visit to a real gallery requires a leisurely pace — one has to walk from one painting to the next and take time to digest the artwork. Having the ability to see a large amount of art, separated only by a click of a button, can in fact do a disservice to the individual pieces.

One of the less obvious advantages of this project, but perhaps the most groundbreaking, is that it makes the artwork accessble.

Unlike books or music, visual art is a medium that can only be experienced in (excluding, of course, the cases of private collections). One can listen to Mozart at home or read Shakespeare from the comfort of one's bed, but unless one is willing to engage in highly illegal activities, access to Botticelli's Birth of Venus at home has always remained out of reach.

Google does not bring the actual Birth of Venus to your home, but it comes incredibly close to doing so. If anything, it serves to whet one's appetite.

Not everyone has the ability to travel across the globe to see great art. The Google Art Project has the potential to open up the art world to a whole new audience. Does the virtual fall short of the actual gallery experience? Of course it does. A Google Street Viewlike stroll through the Palace of Versailles is no substitute for the real thing. The flaws of this experience, however, should not serve as a deterrent to exploration of the site, but only as a simple caution against conflating the experiences of seeing art in-person, and online.

The Google Art Project has the potential to educate, and enlighten and therefore should not be rejected for its shortcomings. It would be pretentious to do so.

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17

18

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2011

VARSITY ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

The $10 Restauranteur with Laura Kathleen Maize

arts@thevarsity.ca

write for arts! arts@thevarsity.ca

Pho Linh, 1156 College Street (past Dufferin)

T

his week’s Ten Dollar Restaurateur is Part I of a special two part series on Toronto’s best cheap Vietnamese food. I’ll start by admitting that when it comes to pho, I am certainly not an expert. Though I eat Vietnamese often, I have what I can only assume to be the “white person experience”; my choices are always either pho or bun. I’ve been to the Golden Turtle and I’ve been to Pho Hung, which are, according to several other sources, the best pho restaurants in the city — and I don’t disagree. But when you really want a bang for your buck you should head over to the west end of the city.

On College Street, just past Dufferin, are two very special pho restaurants, one of which called Pho Linh. Until recently I was exclusively a bun girl, and Pho Linh has what I consider to be the best bun for

the best price. The meat is spiced to perfection (it’s not too spicy, but has a nice kick), and unlike many restaurants that skimp on the meat, the portions are generous. The spring rolls have an amazing combination of crunchy exterior with a soft interior that has a great mouthfeel — not grainy at all but nicely homogenized. Even if you don’t get spring rolls in your bun, get them as an appetizer. I dream about them, they're so good. The rice noodles and strips of lettuce do not disappoint, and the nuoc cham (orange dipping sauce) gives the noodles and lettuce a bit more flavour when that’s all you have left in the bowl. At just $7.50, this meal will fill you up and nourish you, without inducing a food coma.

It’s a lot of food, but you can still get in a full night of studying afterwards.

REVIEWS

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MUSIC

Jeff Bridges by Jeff Bridges Actor Jeff Bridges’ debut album suffers from seriously bad packaging. The cover features Bridges cradling a guitar, while a digitally aged photo in the liner notes has him rocking out, axe in hand. Considering that he never so much as touches an instrument on the record, this reeks of an actor straining for credibility as a singersongwriter. To make matters worse, the opening track and single, "What A Little Bit of Love Can Do," is a wisp of candyfloss nü-country that’s just one electronic drum sound away from a Shania song. The posturing is frustrating, since the remaining nine tracks are actually pretty good. Bridges’ modestly pretty voice and T Bone Burnett’s rustic-yet-squeaky-clean production lend the conventional songs enough style and honesty to sustain interest. Worth checking out: the subtly beautiful ballads, "Everything But Love" and "Nothing Yet," which make great use of a weeping pedal steel and moody baritone guitar. — Dan Berube

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Darkmarket by Misha Glenny Misha Glenny's latest non-fiction book, Darkmarket: Cyberthieves, Cybercops and You, reads like a William Gibson cyberpunk thriller — except it's all true. The reader is taken all over the world in this compelling account of the life and death of Darkmarket, at one time the world's leading English language forum for cybercriminals to swap credit card information, sell PIN reading devices, and basically talk shop. Glenny also gives a short history lesson on the rise of cybercrime, and illustrates the strange intersections between history, technology, geek culture, and the new criminal underground.

Hackers like Iceman, JiLsi, Cha0, and Lord Cyric will remain with you long after you've put the book down, as will the special agents, tasked with hunting them down in a realm of deception and lies. Glenny's cybercriminals make the hacktavist collective Anonymous seem like child's play in comparison and you'll become more than a little paranoid the next time you find yourself in front of your computer. — Alex Ross

THEATRE

The Second City’s Dreams Really Do Come True! (and other lies) The Second City is a Toronto comedy hot spot, known for its alum who went on to perform on Saturday Night Live. But if SNL isn't your favourite, you probably won't go into this Second City number with high hopes.

Even so Dreams Really Do Come True (and other lies) is guaranteed to exceed those expectations by far.

Although the MC was irritating and unquestionably the weakest part of the show, nearly every sketch was wonderful. All had hilarious lines, which easily made up for this minor annoyance. One particular character, a teenaged boy exasperated with helping his mother navigate technology, was played by Nigel Downer and relied significantly on punch-line humour. One might think this would eventually get old (like a bad SNL sketch that recurs every week), but somehow it never did. The show mixed topical sketches with classic comedy, ultimately opening it up for a wider audience. — Goldie Poll

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Other conditions may apply, see club for details.

science@thevarsity.ca

VARSITY SCIENCE

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2011

19

Guess who?

AnAmArijA Korolj/THe VArsiTy

Advances in how the brain processes facial identity

Shakir Haq VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR

How the brain processes facial identity has long been a source of intrigue to neuroscientists — a visual system that instaneously distinguishes individual faces is impressive to say the least. Researchers from Carnegie Mellon University’s Department of Psychology and the Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition have had a possible breakthrough. Their findings, recently published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, have given insights into both the computational architecture of visual recognition, and the functional organization of the brain.

According to Adrian Nestor, a postdoctoral research fellow at CMU’s Department of Psychology and the lead author of the study, “this

research will change the types of questions asked going forward because we are not just looking at one area of the brain… Now, scientists will have to account for the system as a whole or else our ability to understand face individuation will be limited.”

The study involved participants distinguishing between different faces and facial expressions, as well as between various orthographic forms (fonts) while inside a functional MRI scanner. Participants’ reactions to changes in facial expressions and letter fonts were then compared. The data revealed that a network of fusiform and anterior temporal regions activate distinct patterns for different stimuli. The ground-breaking results show that the simple task of recognizing a face is supported by a network of cortical regions that share resources with the areas involved in the processing of

facial expressions and fonts.

The findings have provided insight into where processes such as individuation, expression analysis, and high-level semantic processing occur. Individuation is the process of telling faces apart across various expressions. For example, it allows you to differentiate a random elderly lady from your grandmother. The study tried to mimic this process by showing participants images of four different people with each person displaying four different expressions. Participants had to match the images with low-level and highlevel characteristics such as mean luminance and sex, as well as external features such as hair. The results suggest that face individuation relies on a distributed cortical system. Initially it was thought that individuation occurs only in the fusiform face area (FFA); however,

through functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) it was found that anterior temporal regions are also activated.

Figuring out how the process of facial identity works could lead to treatments for disorders such as prosopagnosia, the inability to recognize faces (also known as face blindness). Regarding the study, co-author Marlene Behrmann, a professor of psychology at CMU and an expert in using brain mapping to study prosopagnosia remarked, “not only do we have a more clearly defined architectural model of the brain, but we were able to determine the involvement of multiple brain areas in face recognition as well as in other types of processes, such as visual word recognition.” The current study is a stepping stone to a full understanding of the operation of this system.

20 MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2011

VARSITY SCIENCE

science@thevarsity.ca

Google to the Plus

Bernarda Gospic/THe VarsiTy

Nish V. explores the reach of a new social network

T

his past June, Google launched a limited Google+ field trial to accommodate the growing number of online social media users. According to some estimates, the program has already gained over 20 million users and is deemed Facebook’s next big competitor. Although the Google+ layout design is heavily inspired by Facebook, its ‘friend’ system functions quite differently. Facebook relies on a symmetrical model of friendship — Facebook ‘friends’ form when two people confirm via requests and such friends generally share most user content upon confirmation. Google+ on the other

hand, has an asymmetrical model based on ‘circles.’ Like Twitter, you can follow people that may not follow you back. You can label various circle categories and drag your friends into the ones they belong. People in each circle can only see the posts and content published under their label, so no one would know if you put them under “Headdesk.”

Despite being slightly more complex than Facebook, this concept of ‘circles’ better captures the nuances and subtleties that characterize real-life relationships. This means your boss and coworkers in your ‘work’ circle or your

mother in your ‘family’ circle don’t see the ludicrous pictures of your late-night drinking posted to your ‘BFF’ circle. While something akin to circles can also be worked out by tinkering with Facebook’s privacy controls, it would require a troublesome amount of work on the part of the user. Unlike having to set custom controls for each setting you’d like to monitor, managing circles is as easy as dragging and dropping them into their designated places.

In addition to circles, Google+ has ‘Hangouts’ and ‘Sparks.’ Hangouts allow users to have face

to face video chats with up to ten people and even watch YouTube videos together during the live video chats. Sparks allows you to type in personal interests and retrieves anything — from pictures, books, videos, and links to blog posts that Google thinks you’ll like. If anything catches your eye, you can simply add it to your interests list. If you dig a certain link, Google has a ‘+1’ button that parallels the thumbs-up Facebook ‘Like’ button.

Given the failures of Google Buzz and Wave, it is uncertain whether Google has what it takes to succeed in the social space. This time around, however, Google has tied social strategy to web search. For example, the +1 buttons now appear alongside search results. Furthermore, to provide incentive for success, Google CEO Larry Page has linked employee bonuses to the success or failure of its products in the social space. Industry-watchers speculate that Google doesn’t really need to gain more users than Facebook to “win” in the social space. Rather, all Google+ needs to do is attract enough users to pose a credible threat and pressure Facebook into ‘opening’ up its closed platform — particularly allowing user data to become more portable. Facebook, of course, has taken notice.

Facebook followed the Google+ launch by releasing its own video-chatting service in collaboration with Skype and is currently testing out a real-time news feed. What’s more worrying for Facebook is that, currently, Google+ is ad-free, and Google might have the resources to keep it ad-free indefinitely.

While tech-savvy individuals everywhere are excited by the prospects of Google+, others, already fatigued by a plethora of social networks, question the need for another one.

Whether the hordes of Facebook addicts will flock to Google+ remains to be seen.

VARSITY SCIENCE

science@thevarsity.ca

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2011

21

Leaving leukemia in the dust Ken Euler explores a recent leukemia treatment breakthrough Research recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine has provided new hope for a safer, more effective treatment for chronic lymphocytic leukemia, a disease that affects approximately 2,000 Canadians each year.

Leukemia is a type of cancer that affects the bone marrow and blood.

When functioning properly, bone marrow

stem cells produce healthy blood cells that transport oxygen, fight bacteria, and keep the organism free of infections. Leukemia occurs when bone marrow stems cells produce mutated blood cells. Over time, these mutated blood cells

SCIENCE IN BrIEf darkest planet ever deemed not evil

Astronomers have discovered a new planet, blacker than coal, using NASA’s Kepler space telescope.

Named TrES-2b, this Jupiter-sized extrasolar planet is heated to 1,800 degrees and reflects almost no light.

David Kippping, lead author of the study and astronomer at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, predicts that “if we could see this planet up close, it would look like a near-black ball of gas, with a slight glowing red tinge to it.” The space telescope used light sensors to observe thousands of stars, looking for ‘dimming’ patterns among them. The darker side of TrES-2b faces the telescope as the planet orbits its host-star. When the illuminated side of the planet becomes visible, the telescope discovered only slight dimming that only changed by 6.5 parts per million compared to its host-star’s brightness. What makes TrES-2b so dark, Kipping suggests, is either an “abundance of gaseous sodium and titanium oxide” or “something exotic that we have not thought of before.” TrES-2b could be a part of a whole new class of extrasolar planets, or, it could be unique.

— Tanya Debi Source: National Geographic Science

a new earth? Outer space version

A study has found that the distant planet HD85512b, located over 36 light-years away, may be able to sustain life. With a mass 3.6 times that of Earth, the atmospheric composition is likely to be similar to that of our planet, as predicted through the use of planet formation models. The distance between HD85512b and the star it orbits is such that one would expect to discover water in its liquid form, if present at all. However, one condition is that the cloud cover must reach at least 50 per cent to prevent overheating and it is not currently known whether the planet meets this requirement. Other factors that contribute to making the planet habitable include a reduced chance of geomagnetic disturbances and an orbital path that aids in producing consistent climate conditions.

— Kimberly Shek Source: National Geographic Science

cure the disease 50 per cent of the time, but the procedure itself has serious side effects such as long-term pain and infection.

To address these treatment limitations, David Porter and his colleagues from the Department of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, y si T found a way to genetir a v He cally modify T-cells (a type a/T d e a rr of white blood cell that fights infecLav us m e tion) so that they would significantL a nc Bi a ly increase their replication rate once introduced into the bodies of cancer patients. This increased replication rate would produce Tlymphocytic leukemia, radiation cells in numbers sufficient enough and chemotherapy treatments to overwhelm and kill cancerous are effective, but cannot cure the blood and stem cells. To ensure that disease and must be repeated the T-cells only targeted the canwhen the cancer returns. If a cerous cells, the T-cells were fursuitable donor can be found, a ther infused with a modified (and bone marrow transplant can harmless) version of the HIV virus. crowd out the healthy blood cells, resulting in the manifestation of the disease.

While treatments exist for leukemia, they have significant limitations.

For instance, in chronic

Porters’ paper indicated that following the injection of the modified T-cells into his cancer patient, mild side-effects occurred such as fever and general malaise (similar to that of the common cold). After three weeks, medical tests indicated that there were no traces of leukemia left in the bone marrow.

At an eight-month follow-up, his patient was still cancer free.

While Porter’s paper only discusses the case of a single patient who underwent the treatment (which might suggest that the observed effect was a fluke), two others patients have since been treated with remarkable success. One patient was also completely cured while another had a 70 per cent reduction in cancerous cells. While only a small number of patients have undergone this cutting-edge treatment, the results are very encouraging; both because it appears to work and because it is safer than other treatments. Further research over the coming year will determine whether this new treatment is indeed a breakthrough for leukemia patients.

Wear your brain on your sleeve

Patients suffering from neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s have new hope because of recent research conducted at the Gladstone Institutes. Published in Cell Stem Cell, Dr. Sheng Ding and his colleagues used genetic protein combinations to induce reprogramming of human adult skin cells into functional brain cells — cells that look and act like human neurons. Previously, Gladstone researchers had discovered a way of turning skin cells into embryonic stem cells, cells that have the potential to become any cell in the body. However, due to the numerous controversies surrounding the harvest and use of stem cells from human embryos, scientists have been investigating alternate ways of obtaining stem cells. Dr. Ding’s group took the process one step further by altogether bypassing the stem cell stage and converting skin cells directly to neurons. While still in its preliminary phase, this research not only holds promise as a potential therapy for neurodegenerative diseases, it also can be used to model such diseases and aid in the treatment process.

— Mayce Al-Sukhni Source: ScienceDaily

Flexible.

daddy dearest on a whole new Level

A recent study published in The American Naturalist, suggests that conflict over genetic transmission could lead to the extinction of males in the cottony cushion scale bug species. The female bugs have foregone mating with the males in their population and developing eggs are instead inseminated by a parasitic tissue mass of their father’s sperm that lives within the female’s body. In a computer simulated scale population, investigators Andy Gardner, from the University of Oxford, and Laura Ross, from the University of Massachusetts, found that once this fatherly parasite emerged and mothers began passing it on to their daughters, it spread to virtually all females, making males in the population obsolete. It is unlikely however, that natural populations will support the model’s predictions. Since a female has her father’s genes within her own genome, fertilizing her eggs with paternal sperm would be the genetic equivalent of inbreeding.

Inbreeding does not produce much adaptive genetic variation and is disadvantageous compared to more genetically variable individuals.

— Crystal Vincent Source: National Geographic Weird News

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VARSITY SPORTS

sports@thevarsity.ca Bernarda GOspic/the varsity

22 MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2011

The return of Sunohara Blues alumnus to coach women’s hockey Brian O’Neill VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR

It was at the age of two-and-a-half that Vicky Sunohara fell in love.

On the backyard rink of her Scarborough home, built by her hockey enthusiast father, David Sunohara, Vicky first laced-up skates and began her illustrious career.

Sunohara’s achievements are numerous. She dominated every level of junior hockey, and received a full scholarship to Northeastern University, Massachusetts, after impressing on the women’s hockey team at Stephen Leacock Collegiate Institute in Scarborough. She then won an Eastern College Athletic Conference championship, before returning to her hometown to pursue a degree in physical health education at U of T. With the Varsity Blues, Sunohara won two Ontario Women’s Interuniversity Athletic Association (OWIAA) championships, in 1990– 1991 and 1991–1992. She went on to become one of the most decorated, and recognizable, members of the women’s national program. She is a three-time Olympian, was assistantcaptain from 2001–2008, and has a total of 18 medals.

It is fitting that such a decorated athlete will take the reins as head coach of one of U of T’s most decorated intercollegiate programs.

“I get the opportunity to coach a team that has so much tradition, what could be better than that?” Sunohara asks.

But there is much more to Suno-

hara than all her accolades. She is also the mother of twins, served for two years as the director of women’s hockey at The Hill Academy in Vaughan and is a member of the Board of Directors of the Canadian Sport Centre Ontario — a non-profit organization committed to assisting high-performance athletes and coaches achieve excellence in international competition.

And as much as she is recognized for her achievements internationally, she doesn’t want to be defined by what she has done.

“I don’t expect to rest on accomplishments,” she says. “I want to set new goals in this new chapter of coaching. I don’t want to be seen as a good coach [because I’m] known as a good player. I have a lot to learn.

“The girls I’m coaching respect that I ha[ve] a lot of experience. I have a lot of expectations for the girls and myself, and I hope they can see that and be the best they can be,” Sunohara said.

“I expect to give everything I [have] got to take this program to the next level. I expect nothing less than every player giving it all they[‘ve] got, to respect the program and the university.”

Sunohara stresses the idea that “it doesn’t take talent to hustle.” Her high expectations of herself and the team are rooted in hard work and respect.

Her experiences with back-to-back OWIAA championship-winning teams have helped shape these expectations.

“Things have changed a lot since then. I want to let [the players] know where the team and the program have come from. I was proud to represent the university, and at the same time I had a great time. There was no player who thought themselves above the team, and that is something I would like to have,” Sunohara said.

The university game has changed immensely since Sunohara’s time.

The Canadian Interuniversity Association did not exist then, and the amount of time that players spend at the rink has increased.

“Before it was one game, one practice a week. Now kids are on the ice six times a week [doing] conditioning and strength training. Off-ice training was not as popular [but] it is expected, even mandatory now,” Sunohara explains.

Despite the changes to the culture of the game, Sunohara knows she is coaching student-athletes who have a full schedule.

“I don’t expect players to be who they aren’t. I don’t expect hundredgoal scorers from players who aren’t [that kind of player].”

The new head coach has her sights set high for the season ahead. “You never enter a year hoping to finish third or fourth. Obviously the goal is to win the OUA. When you make goals, you make attainable goals,” Sunohara said. “I want to be honest and let everyone know where they stand. I want to develop a team where everyone can look at each

other, not necessarily be the best of friends, but respect each other and the team.”

“I will be hard on them to work, but also to make it enjoyable. This is a great opportunity for these girls and I will give them the tools and resources they need.” Sunohara said.

Those resources include an assistant coaching staff consisting of two other Olympians, also U of T alumni — Jayna Hefford and Lori Dupuis.

Hefford is a six-time world champion, while Dupuis was captain of the Varsity Blues from 1994–1997, and is the team’s all time leading scorer with 58 goals and 78 assists for 136 points. They bring an additional wealth of experience to the program.

“I played on the same line as Kristi and Jayna in 2002 and we worked well [together],” Sunohara said.

“The experience between us will be huge as we had similar as well as different coaches. Each one of us will bring in a difference in experience.”

For Sunohara, the decision to take the job as head coach of the Blues women’s program was an easy one.

“I had a few offers to go down south and coach, but I love Toronto.

I will do the best I can to continue this tradition.”

The Varsity Blues open their regular season on October 8th against York University, and play their first home game October 9th against the Ryerson Rams.

HOME GAMEs Blues Open BadmintOn

Sat. 17 & Sun. 18 at Athletic Centre

tennis vs. mcGill university Sat. 17, 12.00 pm on Scarborough Campus

men's fOOtBall vs. university Of Guelph Sat. 17, 1.00 pm at Varsity Centre

men's ruGBy vs.

Wilfred laurier university Sun. 18, 5.15 pm at Varsity Centre

WOmen's lacrOsse vs. university Of Guelph Sun. 18, 11.00 am at Back Campus

The Varsity

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24 MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2011

VARSITY SPORTS

sports@thevarsity.ca

Blues beat 24 hour timer UofT athletes take gold in solo and two-man divisions VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR

Three University of Toronto athletes reached new heights last weekend by winning gold medals in a 24-hour mountain biking race.

Chris McKnight won the men’s solo division, while Chris McKinnon and David Biancolin won the two-man divisions, despite competition from some of the province’s best riders.

The race was pre-season preparation for the Varsity Blues riders, with the first official race of the University Cup scheduled for September 17 in Mansfield, ON. The 24-hour affair took place at Albion Hills Conservation Area in Bolton, ON. Riders traversed a fifteen kilometers course — the objective being to complete as many laps as possible in twenty-four hours.

“There’s only supposed to be one man [from the two-man team] on the course at any given time,” Biancolin said.

McKinnon and Biancolin did “two lap shifts.” By the end of the race, the pair had completed “twenty-seven laps in roughly 24 hours and 45 minutes,” said Biancolin. It took him “roughly 54–55 minutes” to complete

a lap, leaving a two-hour gap between riding sessions.

While McKinnon was riding, however, there were several tasks for Biancolin to carry out. “You have to cool down after your two laps so that takes some time. I stretch after laps and I have to maintain my bike between laps as well,” Biancolin said. “On top of the eating [to maintain a supply of calories], you don’t get a lot of time to rest. The fatigue really starts creeping up on you as you’re progressing through the night.”

Mountain biking is not a standardized sport with set course-lengths or times. “Even at the highest level of competition, courses vary from year to year [at the same location],” Biancolin said, “[and] course conditions play a huge role.”

“I can’t really compare how well I might do against someone else based on this result,” Biancolin explained, “but I can look back on my training and how I’ve performed previously and say ‘yes, I’ve gotten this much stronger, I’m feeling this much better about the races coming up.’”

David Wright, Varsity Blues mountain biking head coach, was delighted with the results. “To have two gold medals in pre-season is a great indica-

tor of potential as a team this year,” he said. “We always stress high performance, winning the University Cup is always in our sights.”

“Having fun is also an equal priority, [as well as] expanding the team,” Wright said. The team does not “cut” anyone based on physical ability, and its selection policy remains “wideopen,” according to the team’s selection guidelines.

“Your typical Ontario provinciallevel race, at the lowest level, will take around an hour and a half,” said Biancolin. “The longest of them are about three hours, [but] not usually more than two and a half.” New recruits, then, will not be expected to go twenty-four hours without real sleep as the winning bikers did.

In the final standings of the 2010 University Cup, the University of Guelph and Queen’s University tied for first place with 1,861 points. The University of Toronto placed third, with a total of 713 points. The racing season runs from early September to midOctober.

vAristy BLues MediA Center

Akihiko Tse

The first Varsity Blues mountain bike team meeting is Monday September 13th, from 6–7 p.m. in Room 330 at the Athletic Centre.

Frosh shine for Blues soccer BernArdA GospiC/tHe vArsity

Coach and players enthusiastic about youth factor Murad Hemmadi SPORTS EDITOR

The opening weekend of the season saw a number of new recruits making their OUA debutes for the Varsity Blues men’s and women’s soccer teams.

First-year players Sara Petrucci, Olivia Gonsalves, and Jermaine Burrell all made their first starts for the Blues, while first-year-eligible second-year student Nikola Paunic also featured.

The women’s team was in need of reinforcement, after losing several important players, including last season’s top scorer, midfielder Kate Crowley, and OUA first team all-star, midfielder Jenessa Banwell. “We’re starting with a fresh start here, a new coaching staff, a new group of players,” said Anthony Capotosto, who took over as head coach for both the men’s and women’s programs over the summer.

“We have a really young team,” said veteran fifth-year Nav Deol.

“But the young girls are stepping up perfectly…they’re rising to the occasion.” Deol believes that the team has benefitted from the appointment of the new head coach.

“Cap[otosto] has a wealth of information to share, and the girls are absorbing it like sponges and applying it to the game.”

Gonsalves — who started during both the opening day defeat to the Ottawa Gee-Gees, and the following day’s win over the Carleton Ravens — believes that the youth factor is an asset. “It’s exciting [to be part of a young team] because then you know that you’re going to be with the team for a while, it’s going to be a growing team.”

While the women’s team had a 1–1 record to show for their opening weekend of soccer, the men narrowly lost their opening fixture 3–2 to the Carleton Ravens. “We’ve got a lot of new guys in the changing room, a lot of them came out with a few nerves, they’re adjusting,” said fifth-year men’s captain Darragh McGee. “[The new players] don’t know what OUA soccer is, they’ve come out here at home, people, family here to see them — there’s a few nerves” The men’s team also lost important starters since winning the OUA championship last season. Top scorer and OUA first-team all-star Nordo Gooden, and captain Alexander Raphael are both gone. “Guys have go to step in to that void,” said McGee. “A lot of these boys have an opportunity in this changing room, its up to them whether they take it.”

Burell is one of those players with an opportunity, and he made the most of it against the Ravens, playing the whole game and scoring a goal. “It’s my first OUA game, I didn’t expect to even start so it felt pretty good to stay on the whole game [and to score],” said Burrell, who has inherited the No. 8 shirt from Gooden.

“It’s always a challenge when we have new players, to try to get the same result we did last year with a new group of players,” said Capotosto of the men’s team. “But our first year players that have come in have shown [themselves to be] very capable.”

Midfielder Ezequiel Lubocki is another young player who will be important to the success of the men’s team this season. Unfortunately, the OUA East rookie of the year from

last season was unfortunately injured for the Blues opening game.

It is a testament to the demanding schedule of fall sports that neither Gonsalves nor Burell had attended a single lecture before their Blues starting debuts. “It will be tough to balance [playing and studying] at the beginning, but I’m sure in the end it will work out,” said Gonsalves. “School and soccer, those are the priorities.”

“We’re going to look to build the women’s program. Our mandate is to make it one of the pre-eminent programs in Canada, and be one of the top contenders in CIS,” said Capotosto. “I have no doubts whatsoever we’ll retain our title,” said McGee of the men’s team.

If the opening weekend is any indication, the Varsity Blues soccer teams have a bright future ahead of them.

SPORTS in BRief Blues beat Lions to claim Argo Cup The Varsity Blues men’s football team defeated the York Lions 10–8 in the 42nd annual Red & Blue Bowl, the second game of their season.

The Blues held a 7-2 lead going into the fourth quarter, but relinquished it as the Lions scored back-to-back field goals. In an exciting finish, the Blues marched down the field to score their own field goal in the final two minutes to claim the victory.

Blues’ running-back Aaron Milton led all rushers with 114 yards on 19 carries, while receiver Alex Pierzchalski had 9 receptions for 127 yards in the win.

The Blues kicked off their 2011 campaign with a 38-5 loss to the Windsor Lancers the previous weekend.

The Lancers scored the bulk of their points in the first two quarters, leading 35–5 by halftime.

One of U of T’s biggest plays of the Lancers game came in the second half, from defensive back Kinahan, who returned the first of his two interceptions for 69 yards.

Receiver Paul de Pass had 61 receiving yard and lead all players in that category.

– Alberto Bustamante