GBC talks their best (and worst) dates P.14 Desi Night: A fusion of cultures P.11
PUPPY LOVE Take a paws from class to play with a therapy dog
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Dec. 1, 2014–Jan. 4, 2015
GBC Student Newspaper • Founded 1982
NEWS Dec. 1, 2014 –Jan. 4, 2015
Advocates demonstrate for a national housing strategy Hundreds rally and discuss homelessness in Toronto on National Housing Day MAVERICK SMITH STAFF REPORTER
“Housing is a human right!” That was the message of the rally and subsequent forum held on National Housing Day on Nov. 21. Hundreds of people rallied at Yonge-Dundas Square then crowded into the Church of the Holy Trinity to hear activists discuss what the United Nations has called Canada’s national homelessness “emergency.” “The Federal government’s refusal to renew housing subsidies means that hundreds of thousands of people will be put at risk of losing their homes,” said Helen Luu, a member of the Right to Housing (R2H) Coalition in a press release. “We are speaking up today because housing is a human right, yet we have a worsening homelessness crisis in one of the world’s richest countries. We are demanding a national housing strategy and adequate investment in housing to prevent
and eventually end homelessness.” The R2H Coalition sponsored the forum which took place after the rally. People from a variety of backgrounds and expertise including people with lived experience of homelessness or of being inadequately housed, community organizers, advocates and academics spoke out at the forum. In Ontario, successes are happening in communities and in the courts. Phillip Dufresne said the Toronto-based supportive housing advocacy group he works with, called the Dream Team, has overturned bylaws discriminating against supportive housing in five Ontario municipalities. Tracy Heffernan spoke on behalf of the Advocacy Centre for Tenants Ontario (ACTO) about another courts-based attempt to “solve” Canada’s housing emergency and her work as the co-counsel on the Right to Housing charter challenge. This case is based on the premise that “Canada’s failure to respond to the homelessness crisis violates the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and specifically, s.7 which guarantees the right to life, liberty, and security of the person and s.15 which guarantees the equal
Biko Beauttah wins election by a landslide With 56 per cent of the vote the SA has a new women and trans people rep. TINA TODARO
Two students were acclaimed for the campus director positions: Patricia Ivy Bonnaud for satellite (Ryerson) campus director, and Jamie Jamieson for Waterfront campus director. Patel Toral was acclaimed as the health sciences educational centre representative.
ASSISTANT EDITOR
Passionate about women and trans issues, Biko Beauttah received 470 votes of the total 838 ballots cast by women and trans students in this election. Of the total votes cast, three per cent were rejected. “I am very happy I won because this win is not for me, it’s for my constituents,” said Beauttah. “I feel energized by my win and will use this wind in my sails to do my job to the best of my abilities.” Kirandeep Kaur Gill placed second with 18 per cent of the vote. Chief returning officer Ashley Lukach disqualified two candidates for the women and trans people position. Beth Lafay, who received nine per cent of the vote, was disqualified after failing to submit an expense form by the deadline and Sukhpreet Kaur, who received 16 per cent of the vote, was disqualified for undisclosed reasons pending an appeal. The Dialog • dialog.studentassociation.ca
spoke about how this success can be expanded to build a nationwide movement. Despite the obstacles these activists face, the mood at the rally and the forum was one of hope as the R2H Coalition shared their knowledge about this urgent issue with the people of Toronto.
The Federal government’s refusal to renew housing subsidies means that hundreds of thousands of people will be put at risk of losing their homes
Correction
In an article about the Ontario Rainbow Alliance for the Deaf printed in the Nov. 17 issue of The Dialog Nicka Sage was misidentified and a incorrect personal pronoun was used. The Dialog regrets the errors.
THE DIALOG IS... Managing Editor Mick Sweetman Assistant Editor Tina Todaro Art Director/Illustrator Samantha Bullis Photo/Video Editor Michael Nguyen Staff Reporters Aneesa Mustapha Brittany Barber (Sports) Dora Liu Maverick Smith Yuliya Prisyazhnaya Contributors L.A. Bonté Jason Miller Marc Ragusa Paige Winkle
The Dialog newspaper is published by The Dialog Collective with the support of the Student Association of George Brown College. The collective is responsible for the overall vision and direction of The Dialog newspaper, as it coincides with the larger vision and mission of the Student Association. The cost of producing a monthly newspaper is in part defrayed by advertising revenue and largely subsidized by student fees. Occasionally, some advertisers, products and services do not reflect the policies of the Student Association. Opinions expressed in The Dialog are not necessarily those of The Dialog Collective, the Stu-
dent Association of George Brown College, or its editorial staff. The Dialog will not publish any material that attempts to incite violence or hatred against individuals or groups, particularly based on race, national origin, ethnicity, colour, gender, sexual orientation, age or disability. Contributions to The Dialog are always welcome. We request that articles be submitted as digital copies in plain-text (TXT) or richtext (RTF) format. Letters to the editor can be sent in an email message to dialog@georgebrown.ca. Images should be in EPS format for vector files or in TIFF format at 300 dpi for raster files.
Cover photo by Brittany Barber: Patrick Strangways cuddles a therapy dog with working with St. John Ambulance. Follow us on Social Media! Facebook.com/thedialogonline Twitter: @dialogGBC Drop by or contact The Dialog at: Room E122 - Casa Loma 142 Kendal Avenue Toronto, ON M5R 1M3 www.dialog.studentassociation.ca Tel: 416-415-5000 ext. 2764 Fax: 416-415-2491 dialog@georgebrown.ca
PHOTO: MICHAEL NGUYEN/THE DIALOG
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protection and benefit of the law without discrimination,” according to the ACTO website. ACTO, like the other co-counsels in this case, takes the stance that, “under the charter, people in Canada have a right to adequate, affordable housing (these cocounsels are asking) the court to declare that homelessness and inadequate housing violate the charter, and that the government must develop a national and provincial strategy to end homelessness.” DJ Larkin related how, in Vancouver, the Pivot Legal Society is pursuing a court case concerning access to safe shelter as a basic human right. At the community level, a Quebec-wide tenant organization called Front d’Action Populaire en Réaménagement Urbain (FRAPRU) has had success in organizing tenants; FRAPRU community organizer Émilie Joly
The Dialog newspaper is published by The Dialog Collective with the support of the Student Association of George Brown College.
The Dialog is a member of CUP, the Canadian University Press
DAILY CHECK UP Dec. 1, 2014 –Jan. 4, 2015
December 1– 12, 2014 MONDAY
TUESDAY
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George Brown 24-hour library hours begin Library, St. James campus See back cover for more details
ALTDOT Comedy Lounge 9 p.m. Rivoli, 322 Queen W. $5 entry.
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Recharge: Fun before exams begin 11 a.m.–1 p.m. Main lobby, Waterfront Campus
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WEDNESDAY
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FRIDAY
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Recharge: Fun before exams begin 11 a.m.–1 p.m. Main lobby and lower level in front of the PAL centre/Student Life, St. James campus
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Andy Kim Christmas: Benefit for CAMH Foundation’s Gift of Light Program 7 p.m. Virgin Mobile Mod Club, 722 College St. $25 entry.
THURSDAY
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AWCCA Children’s Winter Clothing & Food Drive 1 p.m.– 4 p.m. Outside the Kings Lounge, St. James campus. Recharge: Fun before exams begin 11 a.m.–1 p.m. In the cafeteria in front of the bookstore, C building, Casa Loma campus
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George Brown College Board of Governors meeting 5:30 p.m. Career Centre, Room B155, Workshop 2, 200 King St. East
Last day to write placement assessment(s) for English & math - January 2015 intake (first year students only)
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Free Reiki Healing Class 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Tangerine Downtown Toronto Cafe, 221 Yonge St., in the 2nd floor Thompson Block room. See thehealingteam.org for more information.
Fall term ends MASSIVE Guvernment, 132 Queens Quay $5.00 in advance for GBC students/ $10 in advance for guests
Student Association posts $860,852 surplus for 2014 Executive restructuring sparks discussion on lack of accountability measures TINA TODARO ASSISTANT EDITOR
The Student Association’s (SA) Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Nov. 25 was uneventful and lacked student participation. Following last year’s AGM, which was well attended, this year’s had approximately 50 people with much less to debate once it started. Paul Joakim from Grant Thornton LLP went over the audited financial statements for the 2013-2014 stating the financial information provided by the SA was accurate. Having revived themselves from a deficit of $188,959 in 2012-2013 the SA ended the 2013-2014 year with a surplus of $860,852 as of May 31, 2014. “The surplus will be added into completing the (Casa Loma) renovation without adding additional loans,” said Geneve Gray, the SA’s director of finance and operations. “We’re finding different ways that we can use it for the renovation instead of outsourcing and adding additional debt,
and to see if we can fund the entire project with what we have.” The SA was able to dig themselves out of earlier deficits, the health care fund, which had a deficit of $381,168 in 20122013, posted a surplus of $187,480 in 2013-2014. The TTC fund had a surplus of $23,441 swinging from the previous year’s deficit of $21,196, with $483,864 of additional sales. The building fund had a surplus of $315,622 up from the surplus of $173,395 in 2012-2013. The unrestricted fund, which the SA uses to fund operations and has the most control over, had a surplus of $334,309 up from a $40,010 surplus the year before. In addition to the financial statements, the AGM also saw a restructuring of the SA’s executive. The director of education and equity was split into two full-time positions. Students also voted to eliminate the director of public relations position, and the director of operations pos got a boost from 25 hours a week during the fall and winter semesters to full time. Gray was the only person to speak against the changes before it quickly went to a vote, which carried.
“I voted against the motion to make all the executives full-time with no accountability measures in place,” said Gray. “I feel that motion wasn’t beneficial to the Student Association or to the actual students of George Brown College (who) feel like their money is being put into the right places.” Students at the AGM voted to change the ASL constituency representative to accessibility representative, allowing for a broader range of possible student applicants. However, a motion that failed to make the AGM’s agenda sparked the most discussion. Elizabeth Orbé, a student in the child and youth worker program, asked the executives why they defeated a motion at the Nov. 13 board meeting that would have seen a new article added to the bylaws on disciplining directors. “I feel like everyone should be accountable for their actions or lack of actions. I heard that the bylaw was put through with no discussion at all,” Orbé told The Dialog. “I saw it in The Dialog and it said it was defeated with no discussion, and I was pissed off because I feel like there needs to be accountability if not by the board members then by someone else.”
Saroop Pahal, the SA’s director of internal affairs, responded to the question saying the board didn’t feel they should have that much power, and that the positions were more of a learning experience. Speaking to The Dialog Gray said, “it’s not fair to be using the students’ money and not performing, not doing the role.” “For people saying they’re representing students, their constituencies, and (then) don’t vote for something like that; It’s like you’re saying one thing but you’re not doing what you said you’re coming in to do,” said Gray. When asked by T he Dialog why the motion for disciplining directors failed Halley Requena-Silva, director of student life, responded with “no comment.”
I feel like everyone should be accountable for their actions or lack of actions. I heard that the bylaw was put through with no discussion at all.
The Dialog • dialog.studentassociation.ca
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NEWS Dec. 1, 2014 –Jan. 4, 2015
TTC making priority seats more visible
You’ll never walk alone with SafeWalk
MAVERICK SMITH STAFF REPORTER
Some seats in the subways, buses and streetcars of the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) are now blue, however, few riders know why. The TTC hopes to change that with a new public relations campaign that uses the social media platform YouTube to inform customers of exactly why these seats are blue. According the the TTC, these seats are blue because they are priority seats, a special type of seating designed and designated for use by a particular category of people. The list of people that qualify for this category is long and includes women who are pregnant, people who have visible or invisible disabilities, and seniors. Priority seating is also for people who fit into two broad umbrella categories, people who have a physical limitation and anyone who requires assistance. The lengthy list of people who can use these seats raises the question of how these priority people are determined. “The operator can ask a customer to move, but are not required to enforce the rule,” said Nicole Ghanie, spokesperson for TTC media relations. “If a customer refuses to move, transit enforcement will be called to deal with the situation. It is not up to the operator to determine or verify a customer’s disability. In fact, we simply encourage able-bodied customers to give up their seat to anyone in need.” This response fits with the idea of making the TTC the kinder way, as well as the better way, according to Andy Byford, the TTC’s chief executive officer. If necessary, this kinder way will be enforced by fines of $235 under by-law number one, issued by transit enforcement officers if they refuse to relinquish their seat; plus additional charges for noncompliance. In addition to making their vehicles a kinder way to travel, the existence of these priority seats also makes the TTC compliant with the provincial regulations as laid out in the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act. Although only some of the priority seats are currently blue, the TTC is planning to eventually have all the red priority seats replaced with blue ones.
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SafeWalk walker Joseph Martins (left) and SafeWalk Captain Keith Reid on duty at St. James campus.
PHOTO: ANEESA MUSTAPHA/THE DIALOG
Students escort students safely to parking lots and TTC stops at night ANEESA MUSTAPHA STAFF REPORTER
Feeling unsafe about walking alone? If you’re at a George Brown College (GBC) campus at night and don’t want to walk to a parking lot or a TTC stop alone, SafeWalk is at your side. The program was started in Sept. 2003 as a joint initiative between the college and the Student Association (SA). According to collaborative programs coordinator Robert McMechan, “in downtown Toronto, there’s a history of crimes in certain areas so we felt a need to initiate this program to protect our students, especially at the St. James campus.” The program currently operates at five GBC locations: St. James, Casa Loma, Waterfront, the hospitality building and the ESL/design building. “We have five locations and at each location, we have a team of three each night so there’s one captain and two walkers,” said McMechan. “We always walk in co-ed teams, one male and female and our walks are always completed in pairs.”
The Dialog • dialog.studentassociation.ca
The SafeWalk program also provides employment for students who require scheduling flexibility, as the students work at night. “I wanted to work within the campus because of the flexibility they have with my schedule, and our manager is very understanding in terms of scheduling and working with our school schedules,” said Maryam Usefi, business administration student and SafeWalker. “Also, I do enjoy walking and this is fun way to enjoy it while you’re working.” The walkers can walk students up to two kilometres, so being physically fit is a pre-requisite of the job. “I enjoy walking, and from the St. James campus we’ve walked people as far as the Eaton centre or Union Station,” said SafeWalk captain Keith Reid. A typical shift for the SafeWalkers begins at 6:30 p.m. until 11:15 MondayFriday, with shortened times on Friday and at the ESL building; the shifts consist of about two to three walks per night. “We aim to get at least two walks a night but we do go around promoting to try to get more,” said Reid. “A lot of people don’t know about the program.” During down-time between walks, the team can do their schoolwork or simply hang out. The walkers are also kept busy by promoting the SafeWalk Program and various events for the SA.
“They also do the SafeWalk audits and patrols, which we started this year,” said McMechan. “The walkers in a pair of two walk around to different areas of the campus, audit that area and report any issues to security or facilities.” The SafeWalkers provide more than safety, they provide company and conversation as well for students who would typically walk by themselves. According to Reid, he strives to form a friendship with every walk the SafeWalkers do saying, “it pertains to the wellbeing of the students, and helps them feel secure and a sense of belonging and letting them know there’s someone that they can talk to.” The SafeWalk service is available Monday to Friday, from the first day of school in September through to the last day of school in April, with the exception of Winter Break and other days the College is closed, according to the SA website. If students want to be accompanied on their walk they can call 416-415-5000 ext. 2020 after 6:30 p.m. and have SafeWalkers come meet them. For more information students can visit studentassociation.ca/services/safe-walk/ and for further details and employment opportunities they can contact Robert McMechan at 416-415-5000 ext. 6395 or at robert.mcmechan@georgebrown.ca.
NEWS
Dec. 1, 2014 –Jan. 4, 2015
Studying in Canada has its ups and downs
Crime near campus MARC RAGUSA SPECIAL TO THE DIALOG
Student bitten at Ryerson On Friday, Nov. 7, around 12:30 a.m., a Ryerson community member was approached by a subject on the 1st floor atrium area of the architecture building, near the west entrance. The victim felt the subject grasp her poncho from behind, and when she turned around she discovered the subject had bitten and had her poncho in his mouth. The subject then released the victim’s poncho, left the area through the west entrance, and was last seen walking southbound on the east side of Church Street. The victim did not want Toronto Police Services involved.
Canada is seeing a record number of international students this year YULIYA PRISYAZHNAYA STAFF REPORTER
Studying in Canada has become more of a prestige. Students all over the world are applying to different Canadian universities and colleges expecting to get a higher quality of education and it is not surprising that Canada offers good academic conditions for international students. “Our government is proud that Canada continues to be a study destination of choice for international students. International students generate an estimated $8 billion in economic activity in Canada each year and thousands will remain in Canada permanently, putting their education and experience to work and contributing to economic and job growth in Canada,” said Chris Alexander, Canada’s Citizenship and Immigration Minister. Universities and colleges in Canada have all the necessary departments for helping international students. George Brown College (GBC) has international student services,
the level of investment into the system - and third for outputs,” said Ross Williams, professor at the University of Melbourne, in his article Canada Places Third in New International Ranking of Higher-ed Systems. At the same time as making Canada’s economy better, some international students are struggling with financial issues, according to a few international students at GBC. “I applied to the behavioural science technology program at in January 2014, but couldn’t start studying because the prices increased unexpectedly,” said Alexander Mal’zev, international student at GBC. “So, instead of studying I decided to work at Pizza Pizza this year to earn enough money for my education.” Fortunately, the Canadian government created new regulations in June 2014 allowing international students to work part-time jobs without off-campus work permits. Previously students needed to apply for work and study permits, as well as Canadian visas, but now students don’t need to spend time collecting documents to apply for off-campus work permits, they just need to show their study permits, which cost $150, according to Canadian Immigration and Citizenship.
Man threatens to kill woman The Toronto Police Service is requesting the public’s assistance locating a man wanted for a series of criminal harassment and uttering threats charges. On Monday, Aug. 25, a woman was working at her desk in the Queen St. East and Sherbourne area. It is alleged that she received numerous phone calls from a man known to her, the man said he was coming to kill her, and the woman feared for her life and police were called. Officers are now looking for Darko Drmanac, 28, of Toronto, wanted on five counts of uttering threats and four counts of criminal harassment. He is described as white, 28, 6’0”, 154 lbs., thin build with shoulderlength black hair and a beard. Police consider him to be violent, dangerous, and he should not be approached.
The Dialog • dialog.studentassociation.ca
ILLUSTRATION: SAM BULLIS/THE DIALOG
advocacy services, peer assistant services, a blackboard learning platform, sports teams, and a variety of student events from the Student Association. “We currently have about 2,500 postsecondary students and 550 ESL (English as a second language) students,” said John Porter, director of international admissions and student services at GBC. A record number of international students are studying in Canada, according to Alexander in a press release. This year 103,999 students applied for study permits, an 11 per cent increase from 2013 and an increase of 26 per cent since 2012. Students from over 80 countries have traveled to Canada to study at George Brown, and 70 per cent of the international students at GBC are from China, India, South Korea, Russia and Ukraine, according to Porter. George Brown is also an educational destination for a significant number of students from Vietnam, Japan, Mexico, Venezuela, Turkey and Taiwan. Universitas21, a leading global network of research universities, ranked universities all over the world and Canada was in third place in 2012 after the U.S.A and Sweden. “Its position is based primarily on being ranked first for resources - a reflection of
Man beats victim with cane near Ryerson On Nov. 13, around 12:15 p.m. a non-Ryerson community member was approached by a subject on the west side of Victoria Street, across from the victoria building. The subject assumed the victim was soliciting for money at the entrance of a restaurant on the west side of Victoria St. near Dundas. The subject then became upset with the victim, an argument started, and the subject raised the cane that he was using and swung it at the victim striking him on the back.
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NEWS
Dec. 1, 2014–Jan. 4, 2015
Take a paws from class to play with a therapy dog The enjoyment doesn’t stop there. Reed feels that the therapy dog pro The therapy dog team are no strangers gram “is just as rewarding for us as it is for to GBC. Visiting for the second time with the people getting the therapy.” St. John Ambulance in November. “I know what it’s like, you feel better Taz the Chihuahua has been putting their when you’re surrounded by animals, whether BRITTANY BARBER paws forward to help aid people in tense situa- you’re stressed out or lonely,” said Reed. STAFF REPORTER tions and when people just need a friend. Taz Taz, an up-to-date dog is on Instagram and his owner Elyse Reed have been a team for as @TazToTheRescue Do the demands of exams and assign- approximately two years, visiting people from Reed loves to give back to the commuments have you feeling stressed or anxious? colleges, universities, nursing homes and more. nity. “I feel if people live, work and play in At George Brown College (GBC) students Below: Taz the chihuahua has been providing comfort can take a paws from studying to show litas a therapy dog for two years. tle and big dogs some love while relieving Bottom Left: Attila Farago de-stresses with a friend. themselves from everyday stresses. For three days every month, St. John Right: Patrick Strangways and Luke Sanio with one Ambulance therapy dogs will visit all three of the therapy dogs working with St. John Ambulance. main GBC campuses, relieving student stress and pain, while providing comfort and an increase of self esteem, according to the St. John Ambulance website. Hosted by the peer assisted learning (PAL) centre, the dogs take turns at each campus from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. where students can pet, take photos with, or just cuddle with them. For students like Atilla Farago, a second year general arts and science student at GBC, visiting the therapy dogs is like a breath of fresh air. “Their presence lights up the room and brings joy to everyone,” said Fargo. “I like to visit the dogs because it relieves my stress by seeing the smiles of the dogs. I enjoy petting them and making them feel loved. When I leave the room I feel happy and fortunate to have met these dogs and make them that much happier.”
St. John Ambulance dogs are providing students with comfort and stress relief
a community, they should give back to that community,” said Reed. St. John Ambulance therapy dogs will be visiting GBC’s waterfront campus again: Dec. 9 at Waterfront’s student services area on the concourse level, Dec. 10 at St. James campus in the PAL Centre area in the basement (room B121) Dec. 11 at Casa Loma campus in the Career Services area on the third floor.
PHOTOS: BRITTANY BARBER/THE DIALOG
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The Dialog • dialog.studentassociation.ca
OPINION Dec. 1, 2014 –Jan. 4, 2015
Aboriginal women: victims of historical trauma GLORIA HARRIS Do you recall the names Tammy Homolka, Lesley McAffey and Kristen French? These are three young women who were murdered in 1991 and 1992. Depending on what generation is reading this, some will instantly remember them, the horror stories of their deaths, the intensive police work that followed, concluding with the arrest and charges against the married couple of Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka. When you hear the names Cheyenne Fox, Terra Gardner, and Bella LaboucanMcLean, do they sound familiar or can you recall where you may have heard of them? Most, in fact an overwhelming majority, won’t. Cheyenne Fox died as a result of a fall from a 24th floor balcony. Cheyenne’s family was informed of her death on April 26, 2013 at 10:30 p.m. and the case was closed by 8 a.m. the next day. No intensive investigation. Cheyenne is only one of many young aboriginal women who are victims of the historical traumas suffered by generations before her and passed on. Troubled, yes, like the majority of Aboriginal Peoples in Canada at the injustices that have occurred since the start of colonization. Her family insists, “she was not so troubled that she would jump from a highrise balcony.”
Terra Gardner was struck and killed by a freight train in May 2013. At the time of her death, Terra was a witness in a murder trial and had received death threats about testifying. Doug Johnson Hatlem, a street pastor with Sanctuary said, “they did not give her adequate protection for testifying in a major murder trial where she is being called a rat and being threatened.” Police told reporters they did not suspect foul play. No intensive investigation.
When you hear the names Cheyenne Fox, Terra Gardner, and Bella Laboucan-McLean, do they sound familiar or can you recall where you may have heard of them?...Most, in fact an overwhelming majority, won’t.
Dec. 6: reflecting on violence against women SPECIAL TO THE DIALOG On Dec. 6, 1989, a gunman with a hatred for feminists and archaic ideals of gender-based roles intentionally and systematically shot and killed 14 women at L’Ecole Polytechnique, the school of engineering at the University of Montreal. A suicide note declaring his anger towards women was found and witnesses stated that he had shouted, “I want the women - I hate feminists!” just before dividing up a classroom by gender and shooting the women present. On Dec. 8, the assaulted women and children’s counsellor advocate (AWCCA) prog ram will lead the George Brown College (GBC) community in a vigil and discussion for Dec. 6, the National Day of Remembrance and Action on gender-based violence. This year’s event slogan is, “25 Years of Remembrance and Action: Make Change Now!” the spirit behind this phrase is to reflect on violence against women and trans* women in our society, and the lack of action taken by our government to address this prominent issue. Violence against women and trans* women is a daily reality for many in Canada. Bullying, sexual violence, physi-
Letters and comments
Editorial Cartoon
Email us at: dialog@georgebrown.ca
SAM BULLIS
Re: Have internships replaced onthe-job training? Nov. 18 This is absolutely true and so sad. It is incredibly difficult to find entry level positions in this province Julia Mackenzie @mackenzie284 via Twitter. Re: George Brown is Queering the Waterfront Nov. 26 Big thanks to Tracy who rightly identified the need to take up space at Waterfront and to the SA full-time and parttime staff that stewarded its existence. They aren’t mentioned in the article but I wanted to thank them regardless. I’ve been thrilled to be welcomed into the ongoing project and have met amazing students through it all. –Michelle Pettis Community Action Centre co-ordinator on Facebook.
Re: Glad Day bookshop still flourishing after 44 years Nov. 26 The Community Action Centre at the Student Association of GBC sources many of our books for our libraries from Glad Day. Yay!
cal and other forms of sexual assault in our society interferes with our ability to access and achieve equal education. The AWCCA program has led George Brown’s memorial event since 1990 and this year we remember the women and trans* folks who are marginalized in Canada’s mainstream including but not limited to: women, trans* women of colour, missing and murdered aboriginal women, those living in poverty, newcomers to Canada, sex workers, and those whose voices we never hear. In the Speech from the Throne in 2011, the government of Canada pledged to address the issue of violence against women and children as a priority for Canadians. However, there has been no national strategy developed so far. We demand a national strategy to eliminate all forms of gender-based violence. This is a fight for a national strategy, a fight that is continuously being fought by committed women, trans* people, and male allies who recognize that societal attitudes regarding the inequality of women are still a problem. Please join us on Dec. 8, in the St. James campus main lobby at 200 King St. East from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m..
ART DIRECTOR
–Michelle Pettis Community Action Centre co-ordinator on Facebook. The Dialog wants to hear your opinion. Write to dialog@georgebrown.ca and you may see your letter in print.
SHRILL ACTRESS DECRIES VACCINES
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The Dialog • dialog.studentassociation.ca
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SPORTS Dec. 1, 2014 –Jan. 4, 2015
Gyamfi memorial game one to remember
Wolfpack Ticker Men’s Basketball George Brown 97 – Fleming 69 Top scorers: Kacey Morris 20 Kevon Mascoe 16 Centennial 78 - George Brown 77 Top scorers: Kacey Morris 30 Ted Johnson 13 Huskies are 5th in OCAA east with 5 Wins and 2 Losses. Women’s Basketball George Brown 62 – Fleming 35 Top scorers: Jessica Ramkeesoon 15 Cori Browne 12 Centennial 67 – George Brown 47 Top Scorers: Jessica Ramkeesoon 8 Melissa Vilar 8
Right: T he team listens intently to men’s basketball head coach Jonathan Smith.
Huskies are 8th in OCAA East with 1 Win and 4 Losses
Bottom right: Kevon Mascoe jumps up to dunk the ball at the memorial game on Nov. 21.
Men’s Volleyball Seneca 3 – George Brown 0 (15-25, 19-25,22-25) D’Artaniel Jackman 9 Kills Stephen Duong 13 Digs George Brown 3 – Fleming 2 (23-25, 26-24, 22-25,25-21, 16-14) Edwin Sheon 15 Kills Douglas Ding 20 Digs Trent 3 – George Brown 0 (22-25, 23-25, 23-25) Edwin Sheon 9 Kills Leighton Peart 9 digs
BRITTANY BARBER STAFF REPORTER
It was a night to remember for friends and family of Frankie Gyamfi who joined together for a memorial basketball game on Friday Nov. 21, commemorating the Huskies basketball player who lost his life to cancer on June 21. Gyamfi touched the heart of many and left his mark on and off the court. “Another day another blessing,” Gyamfi often tweeted to remind his followers to be thankful to be alive. Donations during the game were collected for the Frankie Gyamfi memorial scholarship. Tipping off the night was the women’s basketball game against the Centennial Colts. At the end of the first half, the Huskies were behind 17 points, 39-22. Unfortunately the Huskies were unable to pull through and the final score was 67-47 for the Colts. Between the women’s and men’s game, a ceremony was held to honour Gyamfi where his family was presented with his framed away jersey, number 4, and an engraving that read, “In loving memory of Frankie Gyamfi, forever a Husky.” The head coach of the men’s basketball team, Jonathan Smith, began the ceremony with a moving speech about Gyamfi. “It’s amazing in the past year that we can see here
tonight how many people he invested in,” said Smith. “He cared about all of you individually, collectively and he spent time enriching people’s lives. I can say for myself as a coach, he enriched mine. We want to remember our friend who might not be here in body but I’m dang sure he’s here in spirit.” You could feel the emotion in the room as glow sticks lit up the crowded gym during the moment of silence to honour Gyamfi and all that he had done for his teammates, friends and family members. Gyamfi was able to reach out to many during his 23 years of life, including Kevin Jeffers. Jeffers was Frankie’s basketball coach at Eastern Commerce Collegiate Institute who showed up to celebrate Frankie’s life. “He’s the perfect example of perseverance and strength. In his last year he cracked our (basketball) squad and started for us. It’s a testament to his character and who he is as an individual and his death is a sad thing that transpired,” said Jeffers. “Don’t take life for granted and he never did,” said Jeffers. “You see everybody walking around with his t-shirts as he inspired a lot of people. ‘Another day another blessing.’ His friends and his family walk around with that because he instilled that in them. He stayed true to his character and it showed.” The emotional night ended with the men’s basketball team losing against the Colts. The first half, ending with a score of 47-35 pushed the men to “pick up the intensity,” said Emmanual Makuna, a second year forward on the Huskies. During the
8 The Dialog • dialog.studentassociation.ca
second half, the scores began to tie up, “We fed off of the crowd’s energy. We needed that,” Makuna said of his team. The pounding of the basketball shoes on the court could have been confused with the fast-paced heart beat of the crowd as the scores began to climb together, tying the score three times before the buzzer sounded. With seconds left on the clock, a final three-point field-goal from the Colts left the Huskies one point behind with a score of 78-77.
Huskies are 8th in OCAA East with 2 Wins and 5 Losses Women’s Volleyball Seneca 3 – George Brown 0 (13-25, 26-28, 23-25) Patricia Niengue 7 Kills Brittany Gee 19 Digs George Brown 3 – Fleming 0 (25-15, 25-19, 25-14) Patricia Niengue 8 Kills Katie Allward 16 digs Trent 3 – George Brown 1 (18-25, 25-23, 13-25, 14-25) Brittany Gee 8 Kills Katie Allward 13 Digs Huskies are 8th in OCAA East with 2 Wins and 5 Losses
Men’s basketball team remembers former player with charity fundraiser
PHOTOS: BRITTANY BARBER/THE DIALOG
SPORTS Dec. 1, 2014 –Jan. 4, 2015
Soccer will never be the same for Taylor Linds Remembering that one soccer game that changed her life YULIYA PRISYAZHNAYA STAFF REPORTER
It was the summer of 2011 and Taylor Linds was saying goodbye to Toronto in one last soccer game before leaving for preseason in New York. It was the match that ended up changing her life. “Here I was taking the ball down the field, about to score the most beautiful goal when four girls from the other team started to come at me like an angry herd, tackling me to the ground,” said Taylor Linds, GBC student and Huskies soccer player. “I smashed my head on the ground so hard I was knocked out for a couple seconds.” She still left for New York, but instead of playing soccer she was visiting doctors every day, and from that moment on she knew everything had changed. Linds’ mother always wanted her daughter to be a ballet dancer or gymnast. Her brother played soccer, but he spent more time picking the flowers on the field. “I hated dancing and all that jazz in elementary school all I wanted to do during recess was to play soccer with the boys,” said Linds. As soon as she started to play, she never wanted to stop because it was finally something she was good at. For some people soccer is just a game where players run with the ball from one
end to the other, while for her it means so much more, “I learned not only how to play the game well, but about discipline, teamwork and sacrifice,” said Linds. No matter what her mood, soccer is always the first thing she wants to do saying, “it helps relax the mind, get frustration out and keeps me happy.” She wanted to play soccer forever, it was her life’s dream, and although she did her best and got accepted to a prestigious soccer school in New York City Linds said, “after the injury things were pretty hard, I had no family or friends out where I moved.” Living with four roommates at the time she says “they were helpful throughout the whole thing, making sure I was never alone, but they definitely, secretly, thought I was crazy.” Now she is a student at George Brown in the special events planning program, and plays as a striker for the Huskies. She only played in one game this past season but doesn’t let that stop her. “I like playing for the Huskies,” said Linds. “I have never been in a school without being on a team. It’s never going to be the same as it was, but I try my best to keep playing and give it my best for this team.” Linds’ main goal is finishing school, and after that she will think of what to do next for the future. Currently she manages her time with work, studying and soccer. “I love playing soccer,” she says, “but sometimes I don’t want to play anymore because I’ll never play like I used to.” PHOTO:YULIYA PRISYAZHNAYA/THE DIALOG
Huskies volleyball teams are feeding off each other Men’s and women’s volleyball teams beat Fleming then lose to Trent BRITTANY BARBER STAFF REPORTER
It’s safe to say that George Brown College (GBC) men’s and women’s volleyball teams really feed off of each other’s energy. The Huskies volleyball teams, both men’s and women’s, have five losses and two wins. It seems that the Huskies really like patterns with each loss and win happening on the same nights. On Nov. 19, the Huskies were up against Fleming College. The Knights wore their armour but were
defeated by the Huskies women’s team 3-0, and after an exhilarating five-set match they were beat by the men’s team 3-2. The libero for the Huskies, Katherine Allward, a first-timer on the team managed a total of 16 digs for the women. Douglas Duong, a power hitter and libero, successfully hit 20 digs during the match, while Edwin Sheong, a left side hitter carried the team with 35 attacks and 15 total kills for the men. A knight in shining armour has nothing against a hungry Husky pack. On Nov. 22, the Huskies tried to carry their momentum from their win against Fleming into the game against Trent University. Unfortunately for the Huskies, both teams went home with one more loss under their collars.
Middle hitter Devon Bosada, a first year GBC student in the fitness and health promotion program, felt as if this game was “one of our better games,” adding that they played as a team, fighting for every ball. Bosada’s teammate and friend, Tiana Samuel, a left-side power hitter and first year student in the fitness and health promotion program, agrees saying, “I think our energy level was different for the set that we won, and we had a lot of motivation.” Although the college was up against a university team, there weren’t any added stresses to the match. “We’ve seen them before and went five sets against them,” said Lesley Lovell, assistant coach. “Based on their performance from that match to this one, there are definitely some improvements from all the play-
ers both individually and as a team.” The women were up against “bigger hitters and a taller team,” said Lovell, “that changed the dynamic of what we’re used to and now were faced with it and now we have to focus on that in training.” Lovell is hopeful for a playoff berth in February for the girls. Leading from the women’s examples, the men’s Huskies faced Trent head on but failed to reign—playing three total sets with the Excalibur’s winning each by two to three points, 25-22, 25-23, 25-23. Defeat was painted on the men’s faces after the tough loss against the Excalibur. Now it’s up to the Huskies to prove their skills at the next volleyball game on Nov. 28 against Algonquin College, at 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. at the Alex Barbier gym.
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BUSINESS Dec. 1, 2014 –Jan. 4, 2015
Aspiring student entrepreneurs get real-world advice Successful entrepreneurs offered insight and advice at Entrepreneurship Day DORA LIU STAFF REPORTER
On Nov. 18, Entrepreneurship Day was held to celebrate Global Entrepreneurship Week. The event was co-hosted by the career centre at St. James campus, Enactus—George Brown College (GBC) and a new entrepreneurship support organization called startGBC “The idea without action is like a boat without rudder,” said John Polikar, GBC student and president of Enactus—GBC. The new startGBC group provides online resources, which directs students to a wealth of learning and funding options. It offers aspiring entrepreneurs guidance from mentors and advice from professional service providers. It will also be launching the Why Not Me speaker series, featuring alumni entrepreneurs, and The Practical Entrepreneur workshop program in Jan. 2015. Among student attendees were four special guests: Dimitry Toukhcher, entrepreneur and founder of LGFG Fashion House; Gavan Howe, a business school professor at GBC, who is also is a brand development expert with over 20 years of experiences leading his firm Howe Brand Communications and its digital division ebranders.com.; Maddie Kessel, a GBC alumni who recently graduated from the small business entrepreneurship program who established her own businesses, “Her Boyfriend the Painter” and “Migdal Jewelry,” which sell her own refashioned heirlooms and up-cycled jewelry; And Robert Croghenk, a seasoned entrepreneur whose experiences span the fashion industry both domestically and internationally. At the start of the event, Howe asked, “What are you going to do as an entrepreneur?” “Change!” he answered. Howe pointed out that in 1991, there was only one website, in 1995 there were 25,000, and today there are 1.2 billion. “So, change, you’re going to embrace it, you prepare for it, recognize it and you’re going to change,” said Howe. “The environment is not waiting.” Toukhcher added that we should be “emotional,” and “don’t take extra strategy, don’t be afraid to fail, don’t spend too much time on your plan. It’s just like you proposing to your girlfriend, you would not have too many plans. It’s like you burn your ship, you have no where to go, so you have to grow up.” Kessel had a similar suggestion saying, “you should live what you love, and find out what
you can do (in it).” No matter their philosophies, all of them agreed that only taking action can help us learn. “You can take many classes, listen to many lectures but you cannot learn leadership,” said Toukhcher. “Leadership only can be learned by work.” They all agreed that these days we have a lot of resources, programs, social media and networking tools to help students achieve their entrepreneurial goals. For more information students can visit www.georgebrown.ca/research/start or contact Amy Matchen at 647-924-3036 or amy.matchen@georgebrown.ca. Above: Students listen to the speakers intently. Below: The president of Enactus George Brown, John Polikar.
(INCLUDES 2 GENERAL ADMISSIONS 2 REGULAR SOFT DRINKS & 1 REGULAR POPCORN) ....................................................................................... $30
CHILD ADVENTURE
(VALID FOR 1 CHILD ADMISSION AND 1 KID’S TRAY COMBO WHICH INCLUDES A DRINK, POPCORN & TREAT) ......................................................... $13
All prices include HST. Regular admission is $12.99 without sagbc discount.
PHOTOS: DORA LIU/THE DIALOG
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SAGBC STUDENT ADMISSION (VALID FOR 1 GENERAL ADMISSION) ........................................................................ $10 GREAT ESCAPE
ARTS & LIFE
Dec. 1, 2014 –Jan. 4, 2015
Desi Night was a fusion of George Brown’s cultures The music of Colours helped make the cultural night a success BRITTANY BARBER STAFF REPORTER
Fusion band Colours made their debut at Desi Night on Nov. 21. Held in the Kings Lounge, the event hosted by the Student Association, brought all student cultures together with food, languages, dancing, and music. “The name Colours came because each of us have a different musical backgrounds or come from different countries,” said Youself Ghafory, the band’s leader and drummer, and a computer technician student at George Brown College (GBC). “I came from Evanistan, Pakistan while the others come from India and different parts of India, with different experiences in music and life.” Focusing on different genres of music in the Bollywood scene, Colours, with a mix of jazz, reggae and rock incorporated with Indian music, played their hearts out during their first performance. “We didn’t want to limit to one genre of music. It was Indian or Bollywood music. there are so many genres, and we want to keep that diversity just like Toronto,” said Ghafory. “Just like Canada, there are so many different cultures and communities.” Malcolm Melvin, the band’s bassist and keyboard player, is an international business management student at GBC. “Music is like an ocean and we’re just five drops,” referring to himself and his four bandmates. Ghafory and Melvin were also accompanied by Rahul Thukral, the lead guitarist and GBC alumni who recently graduated from
the marketing and financial services program, and GBC student Hemant Agnani on rhythm guitar and vocals, who is also an environmental scientist. “To commit to a band you have to get together, make time for rehearsals and make time for each other,” said Ghafory. “It’s so much fun. It involves a lot of hard work but we enjoy that, and we believe that all of that is worth whatever you’re putting into it.” Agnani also harmonizes with the other vocalist Shivangi Karla, a student at Humber College, and as Ghafory says, “Shivangi is very talented, and she is very passionate about music, that’s what we all appreciate.” Ghafory had originally looked into creating a music club at GBC because he wanted to bring together all kinds of musicians, and Agnani had started exploring opportunities for his passion for music once he landed in Canada. “The Student Association was always encouraging us to do something we wanted and they always give you that support, but when I said I already had formed something with these amazing musicians I work with, I was welcomed and encouraged with us being invited and given the opportunity to perform here,” said Ghafory. Colours is always welcoming new additions to their band and has high hopes of releasing an EP or even a full album. “We can have a flute player or someone who plays the banjo. There are so many different instruments we could add,” said Melvin. Colours is looking forward to playing more Desi Night shows and bringing something new to the stage, and like all students the band never stops absorbing information. “We’re still learning, and we have so many teachers from whom we are still learning. The journey never ends,” said Ghafory.
Bottom right: Arpit Rehal, Avneet Kalra, Sam Dorani, Khilan Patel, Brian Alzate and friends. Bottom left: Students dance to the music of Colours
Below: Hemant Agnani and Shivangi Karla (singing) perform with their band Colours at Desi night in the Kings Lounge.
PHOTOS: BRITTANY BARBER/THE DIALOG
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ARTS & LIFE Dec. 1, 2014 –Jan. 4, 2015
1 egg ½ kg Roma Tomato ripe 1 clove garlic – fine slices or little mesh olive oil Rosemary Thyme Salt Pepper Bacon strips ¼ cup of vinegar 2 l water Basil micro green
Preparation Chop the tomatoes roughly. Cut in similar size. Cut the garlic in fine slices or mesh and finely cut the rosemary and thyme off the stem. Then put a pot on medium heat, adding a drizzle of olive oil. Let it get warm and add the garlic, being carful to not overpower. Let it fry for a bit while avoiding burning the garlic. Then add tomatoes, lower the heat, and let it simmer. When the juices start coming out, season and add the herbs. Let that simmer until tomatoes reach desired texture. Preheat the oven to 180 C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and place the bacon strips on it. Cover them with
parchment paper and put another baking pan on top. Put it in the oven for about 30 mins, or until crisp. Then cut a few strips of bacon into bits while keeping some long. Fill a pot with the water and vinegar, and bring to a simmer. Don’t let it boil. Give it a good stir and put the egg in while the water is moving. It will take four to five minutes to cook. If the water stops, give it another gentle stir.
Fernando Katayama is a first year student in the culinary management program, who enjoys being able to learn new techniques and improve on what he already knows. He has passion for food and which is also expressed through his food photography work.
Presentation In a soup plate, add the tomatoes and sit the egg on top. Sprinkle the bacon bits and place the crisp bacon strip on the side. Sprinkle the basil and fresh pepper on top.
Recipe: Poached Egg and Tomatoes
PHOTO: FERNANDO KATAYAMA
wi $500 n poster design contest
george brown college’s 23 annual labour fair contest open to all gbc full-time or part-time students rd
George Brown College’s annual Labour Fair is a week-long event that brings 75+ trade union representatives into the college, to give students a chance to find out more about the occupations they’re training for. The Labour Fair features in-class sessions with union speakers, information displays, videos, music and cultural events. Date and location: March 23 to March 27, 2015 on all GBC campuses.
to enter
this year’s theme Blaming Students, Blaming Workers: The Business of (mis)Education Over the past 20 years, tuition costs in Ontario have nearly tripled and student debt has skyrocketed. Ontario’s youth employment rate –or how many young people actually have jobs – remains near 50%, meaning half of all Ontario youth don’t have jobs. Child care costs are up to $20,000/year, and subsidized spaces are few. Full-time jobs with pensions and benefits are increasingly rare. Unions, which help to ensure stable, well-paid jobs, are demonized in the media as greedy and out-of-touch. And all of us students and workers are told that if we just work and try harder, we will be all right. While corporate profits rise, the already rich get richer, and the wealthiest 85 people in the world hold as much wealth as the 3.5 billion poorest people on the planet, students and workers are being told by our government, educational institutions, and corporate media that we have to take bigger wage cuts, suffer poorer working conditions, face higher unemployment, and accumulate huge debts. This stops now!
• • • •
Design an 11” x 17” ready to print colour poster on our theme (see left-hand column). Highlight the event’s dates and places: leave space for the names of 6-10 sponsors and for event details Check our website for past winning posters: http://www.georgebrown.ca/SchoolofLabour/ Labour_Fair.aspx Send your .PDF poster, subject line “LF poster contest entry”, with your name, phone number, e-mail address & program name in the body to jphornic@georgebrown.ca and gbclabourfair@gmail.com (No .PDF? You can also drop off your hard copy poster in room 520A/SJA, St. James Campus, or C221, Casa Loma Campus)
These problems are not our fault and they won’t be solved by further austerity measures. Students and workers demand quality, affordable, and accessible education. We demand that our governments provide real jobs with living wages, create a system of affordable childcare, and put people before profits. Who benefits from the mis-education around students and workers? And what can we do to stop it? Find out during our 23rd annual Labour Fair! Join us as we hear from experts from unions, student organizations, and social justice groups on how to fight back!
Tune into the Green Majority TV and radio show Multi-platform informs students on environmental issues YULIYA PRISYAZHNAYA STAFF REPORTER
The new multi-platform Green Majority TV offers students the opportunity to learn about the latest environmental issues through the show’s “crowd-funded approach.” “The ultimate goal is to promote consideration of environmental issues in a way that doesn’t require ‘buying in’ to some sort of deep green worldview or ideology,” said Daryn Caister, owner of Green Majority media. “Instead we make practical arguments that we think everyone can agree are important.” Using a mixture of journalism, education and analysis on environmental topics, students and over 50,000 Canadians tune in every week to their radio show on CIUT 89.5FM, and podcast. Students can also follow Green Majority TV through videos on YouTube or by visiting their
deadline FRIDAY, JANUARY 23, 2015 (BEFORE 3:30 P.M.) For more info, to hear more about our theme, or to see samples of previous posters, call JP Hornick at 416.415.5000 x3531 or send an email to jphornic@georgebrown.ca
GOOD LUCK! PHOTO: @GREENMAJORITY ON INSTAGRAM
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The Dialog • dialog.studentassociation.ca
The ultimate goal is to promote consideration of environmental issues in a way that doesn’t require ‘buying in’ to some sort of deep green worldview or ideology. Instead we make practical arguments that we think everyone can agree are important. website www.greenmajority.ca. Green Majority TV translates new information about environmental issues and innovations every week, and according to Caister, “students with content ideas, suggestions for guests and/or topics,” are always welcome to join Green Majority’s shows. “Green Majority TV is free to all. The main outcome of our work however is 100 per cent free and produced as a public service. The suggested membership is $5 a month, however, it can be $1 to $100 a month depending how much each person wants to contribute,” said Caister. Stephanie Foster, sustainability co-ordinator for George Brown’s green team says this show, “sounds like a great way to communicate and engage people around environmental issues.”
ARTS & LIFE
Dec. 1, 2014 –Jan. 4, 2015
Mosaic: exploring gender, community and survival MAVERICK SMITH STAFF REPORTER
PHOTO: SAMANTHA SOBOLEWSKI/THE RYERSONIAN
Stanley Kubrick movies, exhibit and tour TIFF Bell Lightbox’s largestever show gives a thorough look at Kubrick’s work SAMANTHA SOBOLEWSKI THE RYERSONIAN
CUP—Writer-director Stanley Kubrick’s work is being celebrated over the next month with the biggest exhibition to date the TIFF Bell Lightbox has ever hosted. Stanley Kubrick: The Exhibition, which runs now until Jan. 25, features nearly 1,000 pieces of film memorabilia, handwritten correspondences, scripts and props from throughout Kubrick’s career, pulled together in partnership with Kubrick’s estate and Frankfurt’s Deutsches Filmmuseum, which first premiered the exhibit in 2004. The exhibit has since toured the world, visiting the likes of Paris, Rome, Berlin, Amsterdam, Krakow and Los Angeles before settling down for a month in Toronto. In order to house all the artifacts, Jesse Wente, director of programmes at TIFF, and Laurel MacMillan, director of exhibitions at TIFF, made the decision to organize each of the retrospect’s components by film in custom created rooms rather than by theme,
the method used in Los Angeles according to MacMillan. This required 900 linear feet of drywall, around 50 gallons of paint and specific room adjustments, such as the polished linoleum floor and sourced army surplus bunk beds for the Full Metal Jacket room. In total the exhibition spans the entirety of the Lightbox’s HSBC Gallery as well as a room on the building’s fourth floor. The extensive exhibition, which additionally features a collection of camera and film lenses Kubrick used both in his directing and photography careers, is particularly enticing because of both how much physical stuff Kubrick used as well as his relevancy in popular culture. “In some ways Kubrick is the ultimate example of a popular auteur whose movies have physical qualities; they’re not CGI movies so you can actually have the things in them,” said Adam Nayman, a film critic for Cinemascope and Ryerson professor who is introducing a screening of Full Metal Jacket during the retrospect in December. It’s also a well-suite retrospect in terms of how much dialogue Kubrick seems to entice among critics and viewers. “A lot of people who write about film or study film will tell you that if they’re of the VHS or DVD generation, Kubrick’s movies
are something you encounter pretty early on and I think that’s because of the many, many, many things people say about these films,” Nayman said, citing documentary Room 237 as an example of the obsessive analysis and varied interpretation Kubrick’s films inspire. “It’s very easy to see these things in his movies, so it’s just really a question of sheer volume: how many of these things there are to see; how deeply and obsessively people seem able to look into these films.” Although many of Kubrick’s films were given negative reviews when they were first released, some of his work is now considered the greatest of the 21st century by critics, including 2001: A Space Odyssey. It’s a film Wente says he’s not completely sure viewers have even caught up to 46-years later. “Luckily the sort of critical vision of his work happened long before the exhibition ever came out,” said Wente. “I mean, that’s largely a function of an artist being ahead of their own time and taking the critical community time to sort of catch up to what he’s all about.” Added Nayman: “All his movies have had their reputations change and to some extend rehabilitate.”
As a documentary and a dialogue, the twopart film Mosaic explores the concepts of gender, community, and survival. “It was important for me to interrupt cisgender dominance in media and create something by and for Trans people,” explains Markus Harwood-Jones, about the motivations behind making his film Mosaic. The first part of the film was screened at George Brown College at St. James campus, by the Community Action Centre as one of several Trans* remembrance week events. The second part will be shown at the college sometime in 2015. Mosaic is a work several years in the making that documents Harwood-Jones’ journey across Canada and the United States, a trip he embarked on to learn more about the Trans community and his own identity. Though the footage for Mosaic was filmed during this trip, it was not until Harwood-Jones received a grant from Ryerson University that he was able to refine this raw footage into a documentary. Essential to this process was his editor and co-producer, Shane Camastro who is a Toronto-born educator, activist and multimedia artist. Like Harwood-Jones, Camastro is “thrilled to share Mosaic with others.” Active members of the queer and trans community, Camastro and HarwoodJones share a commitment to anti-oppressive practice and the entire film has been subtitled in English making the documentary accessible to Deaf, deafened and hard of hearing viewers. Both producers attended the screening at the college, selling copies of the film as well as specially designed buttons celebrating various aspects of the trans* community. Talking before the screening, Camastro and Harwood-Jones also touched on future screenings of the film, which they plan to submit to Inside Out, the Toronto LGBT film festival.
The Dialog • dialog.studentassociation.ca 13
LOVE & SEX Dec. 1, 2014 –Jan. 4, 2015
WE ASKED YOU: Tell us about the best (or worst) date you’ve ever been on
My best friend’s boyfriend had been wanting to go out with me, so after three months of trying to convince me, I gave in. We were at Kelsey’s and he was telling me how excited nervous he was. An hour later we finished eating and I was ready to go home. We had asked for the bill, and when we got it he looked at me like I was supposed to pay. I was mortified, never saw him again, and no I did not pay the bill
BRITTANY BARBER, ANEESA MUSTAPHA, YULIYA PRISYAZHNAYA
Narelle Janine Special events planning program
STAFF REPORTERS
In high school I was dating my ex-boyfriend for two years. His family had to move to New York, and he told to everybody but didn’t tell me until three days before he left. He was too sad to tell me we were going to be apart. The moment I knew he was not going to be around me, it was the first time to I realized that my heart could be broken because we loved each other so much. I would never forget the moment I watched him leave.
My best date was with this guy who took me out for dessert. He set up a little picnic, brought the desserts to go, and we overlooked Lake Ontario. It was really pretty and really cool. He also brought music from my favourite artists. We had a really good time by the beach. Jhanelle Porter Bachelors degree of hospitality operations management
My worst date was a blind date. I had just met her at this bar kind of thing and it was just so awkward. I was always the one starting conversation and she was always just sitting there, not interested at all. I ended up paying for the bill and told her I’d see her later or text later and I never did because I just wasn’t interested Adam Wojcik Construction engineering technology program
Minna Tang Special events planning program My best date ever was with my wife. Peter Roberts Electrician program
It’s interesting for me because I didn’t really have a serious relationship back home, but since moving to Canada my dating life got more exciting. I went on dates with people from different countries and I met my current boyfriend here in Canada. Kelly Ly Special events planning program
Overall, the worst date I’ve ever had was with a girl who made me buy her a pair of shoes and a pair of pants on the first date and then she never saw me again. I was pissed because I’m not an ATM machine but she was gorgeous so it was worth it. Mike Maiatl Construction program
Want to see more? See more George Brown students talk about their best and worst date experiences on our website at: dialog.studentassociation.ca
PHOTOS: BRITTANY BARBER, ANEESA MUSTAPHA,YULIYA PRISYAZHNAYA/ THE DIALOG
PUZZLES & FUN Dec. 1, 2014 –Jan. 4, 2015
Comics L.A. BONTÉ CARLETON UNIVERSITY
PAIGE WINKLE SPECIAL TO THE DIALOG
Puzzle
Sudoku
SOLUTION
DR. LISA LINDSTRÖM dentistry on the avenue
Healthy teeth = Happy smile
To place an ad in our next issue, contact us at dialog@georgebrown.ca or (416) 415-5000 (ext. 2764). Colour ads and a variety of sizes are available.
315 Avenue Road
Floor 1, Suite 2 Toronto, ON M4V 2H2
416.926.0123 dentistryontheavenue@gmail.com
www.drlisalindstrom.com
The Dialog • dialog.studentassociation.ca 15
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