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LETTERS & MESSAGES
a Unique Community
As many of you know, last year we celebrated New College’s 50th anniversary. For 50 years, our college has been shaped by its students, faculty, and staff, while developing into a unique community representing a strong voice within U of T. Toronto is often described as a city of neighbourhoods, and the same can be said for U of T: an organization of communities, each bringing its own focus, academic endeavours, critical perspectives, and unique student life cultures to the mix. And look at the result! The QS World University Rankings place U of T among the top 20 universities in the world, and the #1 in Canada.
a Unique Opportunity
As students at New College, at this moment you have the opportunity to shape what New College will become in the next 50 years and, as a consequence, how it will contribute to making our institution the best it can be. University is as much about what you learn inside the classroom as it is what you experience and learn outside of it. I encourage you to explore the vast variety of options for involvement available to you, including contributing to and learning from publications such as The Window. Welcome to your New, College!
Yves Roberge, Principal
Welcome Welcome Back! and
It is my pleasure to introduce you to the inaugural issue of The Window Magazine, New College’s Official Student Publication. Our move from the original newspaper format means many changes, especially in regards to our content. Each month, we bring you not only authentic community voices but also a means for you, the reader, to engage in the shaping of New College’s contemporary cultural landscape. Starting with our Perspectives section, we invite you to join in the conversation and air your questions, doubts, and opinions about the goings-on in and around New College.
No matter your academic discipline, your interests, or your background, The Window has something fresh and useful to offer you. It’s where you can find a linguistic approach to looking at the consequences of Miley Cyrus’ infamous twerking episode, and learn how to snatch that dream research position you’ve been pining for. Our focus on exploring the thoughts and beliefs of our community will in turn highlight the extraordinary calibre and diversity of the literary and artistic talent here at New. Finally, thanks for letting us be a part of your New College experience. Send us a note at info@newcollegewindow.com to let us know how we are doing as we experiment, tweak, and fine-tune over the next few issues. Yours,
Karen Zhou, Editor-in-Chief
The
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Perspectives
Looking Back to Looking Forward
Marsha Malcolm
No, It Really Isn’t Written in the Stars
Will Balogh
Advice Column
Editor-in-Chief
The Window Washer
Karen Zhou
Arts & Culture
Layout Editors
Features / Arts & Culture Shiaoshiao Chen Science & Tech / Entertainment Sammie Phung Perspectives / Sports & Health Spencer Williamson
Cool Britannia: Still the Spice of Life
Will Balogh
To Twerk, or not to Twerk
Mavra Bari
The TIFF Between Individuality and Hollywood Worship
Olivia Balanyk
Features
Associate Editors
Features / Arts & Culture Sophie Munden Perspectives / Sports & Health Cathlin Sullivan Science & Tech / Entertainment Mavra Bari
Copy Editor
Michael O’Leary
Contributors
Alvin Luong Ariel Leutheusser Caroline Teng Cathy Su Christian D. Raharja Erica Tsou Gerrit van de Riet Laura Arner Marsha Malcolm Mavra Bari Olivia Balanyk Rina Baba Sophie Munden Will Balogh
Business Manager Amanda Liao
Distribution Manager Shudipta Shabnam
There Is No ‘One-fits-all’ Strategy
Ariel Leutheusser (contributor)
‘Til Breadth Do Us Part
Ashani Francis-Collins
Lost In Space
Sophie Munden
Science & Technology
Profs on Research
Christian D. Raharja
Better Learning in 3 Scientifically-Verified Steps
Cathy Su
Sports & Health
The Ins and Outs of Gyms
Olivia Balanyk
5 Tips to Avoid the Freshman 15 Muffin Top
Rina Baba
Entertainment
The Adoration and Breakdown of a Female Commuter on The Brink at just before Nine O’Clock on a Summer Evening
Sophie Munden
DIY: Easy Art for Any Space
Gerrit van de Riet
8 Stages of Essay Writing in University
Laura Arner
October at New
Mavra Bari & Sammie Phung
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PERSPECTIVES
PERSPECTIVES
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PERSPECTIVES
ARTS & CUTURE
Cool Britannia: Still the Spice of Life By Will Balogh Artwork by Caroline Teng
Fashion trends come and go in waves, and these past fourteen months have been a dynamic testament to the endurance of Cool Britannia, the mid-to-late-90s British cultural movement whose symbolic Union Jack design has seemingly saturated the Canadian landscape roughly fifteen years after coming to prominence. All at once, the Union Jack was anywhere and everywhere — leaving Canadian culture and media by the wayside. The voguish, wearable face of British patriotism, Cool Britannia has left a legacy bound for the record books: it incontestably governed Britain’s social scene against the backdrop of the thriving Blairite economy with which it shares equal fame. Britain had captured the zeitgeist, perhaps best
Canada is young, and continuing to grow, but unlike a teenager with unquenchable verve and vivacity, it comes across as an introvert with inadequate “realworld experiences”; one case in point is its television section, which, in comparison to the BBC alone, is smallish and underfunded. memorialized at the 1997 BRIT Awards, where Geri Halliwell (a.k.a. Ginger Spice) donned a mini Gucci number with a Union Jack tea towel sewn onto it. Why, though, is the Canadian public enthusiastic to acquiesce to this British patriotism? Aside from the 2012 Summer Olympics, hosted in London, England, and various royal births and marriages, little else would seem of any substantial significance to Canadians close to two decades after the style’s heyday. Still, the style persists, identified as something “cool”. Canada is
young, and continuing to grow, but unlike a teenager with unquenchable verve and vivacity, it comes across as an introvert with inadequate “real-world experiences”; one case in point is its television sector, which, in comparison to the BBC alone, is smallish and underfunded. Canada rarely likes to put itself out there: maple leaves do not often adorn handbags or the fabrics of haute couture, and all the stereotypical attributions – hockey pucks, moose, Timmys cups – tend to exemplify a Canadian lifestyle more so than a genuine Canadian sense of identity.
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and Topshop, which have been making inroads into the Canadian fashion market via, among others, The Bay. Naturally, the U.S. has a similar influence, and Target has just recently begun its rather loudly publicized takeover of the HBC’s former Zellers chain. But none of this self-indulgent analysis is to say that Canadians have never taken the world by storm. Celebrities from all fields of entertainment have become household names: Jim Carrey, Céline Dion, Ryan Gosling, Mike Myers, and Shania Twain are all pervasive in British pop culture, and the invasion of Historically, older Anglophone nations have Justin Bieber into the hearts of millions of drowned out the Canadian voice. Whether British youths is equal to the force with which this is the product of a self-imposed cultural One Direction has hit this side of the Atlantic. vulnerability or the power-based relationship that Britain has with the ol’ Yanks is up for What, though, sets One Direction apart from The Biebs? The boys are British. Bieber is Canadian.
discussion; that said, what is crystal clear is that two of the world’s superpowers seem bent on cultural domination. With Google acquiring YouTube and media mogul Simon Cowell globalizing his Got Talent and X Factor brands, where are Canada’s contributions? Canadians get eaten up in the world of foreign media and “cultural imperialism”. Britain is simply impossible to evade: the Queen’s head is clinking about in countless jean pockets; the Manitoban and Ontarian flags have the Union Jack emblazoned on them; an old mate is sure to have a grandad with a Yorkshire drawl. As such, Canadian identity is still very much tied to the Commonwealth. Canada’s retailers even carry British labels, notably Dorothy Perkins
If Shakespeare, Alexander McQueen, The Beatles, and the Spice Girls get together, a truly British sensibility is at play, something globally iconoclastic and identifiable with Britain. The opposite is true for Canada; Carrey, Dion, Gosling, Myers, Twain, and The Biebs really only have this kind of strength of association when recognized for their individual accomplishments. Suffice it to say that their Canadianness is not the focal point of their media personae. Canadians seem to be unwilGeri Halliwell was not “proper” whatsoever. Her rise to stardom was multifaceted with her signature feistiness and big vocabulary stealing the spotlight. Moreover, a remake of her renowned Union Jack dress — designed for 2007’s The Return of the Spice Girls tour — is emblematic of this ubiquitously immortal culture within her and her homeland. Halliwell did not become a superstar by sitting idle, nor did Britain just twiddle its thumbs for a few millennia. In both cases, they had a voice. Canadians seem to be unwilling to express a similar voice and take responsibility for their culture and identity as a collective body. Canada runs the risk of growing old quickly, even in its youth. Although culture is adaptable, it is in no way finite, and Canada has the same prospects as Britain or any other nation of becoming a revered style icon in its own right. It simply needs to find its voice.
To Twerk, or not to Twerk By Mavra Bari Artwork by Caroline Teng
because let’s face it, since the MTV Music Awards, that's all anyone has been talking about. Syria doesn’t stick its tongue out enough, apparently. What is most fascinating about the correlation between Miley Cyrus’s “per-vom-ance” (“vom” has also made it into the OED) and the legitimation of “twerking” is the fact that there is a correlation at all.
twerking making it in the OED? This may be a reductive postcolonial approach, but it can be argued that the strangeness of Miley’s attempt situated the performance within the realm of the Other. However, in this case the Other wasn’t represented by the presence of the black community, but was instead projected by Miley herself.
Referring to Cyrus’s VMA performance, Katherine Connor Martin from Oxford Dictionaries noted that contrary to popular belief, the word “twerk” had been known colloquially in US hip hop culture for around twenty years. “By last year, it had generated enough currency to be added to our new words watch list,” she added.
During a press statement Miley noted that the public and press were “overthinking it,” adding, “I didn’t even think about it ‘cause that’s just me!” The problem is that she was not just being herself at all, she was being something “other,” albeit unconvincingly.
When Stephen Harper mistook the word “twerking” for “tweeting,” he amused social media but also unwittingly exemplified the inherent complications in language With music such as Ying Yang Twins’ “Whistle today. While the confusion While You Twurk” and DJ Jubilee’s “Do the of terms on Harper's part Jubilee Y’all”, twerking was being referenced
The concept of the Other has pervaded language itself as the distinction between spoken language and language 2.0 gets increasingly blurry, due to the Internet’s emergence as a new form of social
We have to be careful as Internet colloquialisms enter everyday spoken language. As demonstrated by Harper’s reference to tweeting/twerking, we seem to presuppose that everyone knows what is meant when a word is uttered, when the truth is that such language has the potential to evade groups on the basis of race, ethnicity, age, and social standing. ensured much hilarity within the virtual world, what went largely unacknowledged is that in today’s linguistic repertoire of memes (some people still insist pronouncing it “me-me”) and zines, language has become so malleable that it is simply hard for anyone to keep up. Can we really blame a middleaged politician for mixing up two popular interterms? (I just made that one up — see, it’s easy!) Yes, the Internet is a repository of madeup words that have the cachet of almostlegitimacy, but as of August 2013 both “twerking” and ‘tweeting’ have become bona fide words that our great-grandchildren will be able to look up in the Oxford English Dictionary. The question is, how did they get there? For “Cyrusian” reasons, I’ll focus on “twerking”
as far back as the 1990s, and more recently in “Pop That” by Drake, Lil Wayne, and Rick Ross. However, it is undeniable that newsfeeds everywhere were flooded more with twerking after the VMAs than any time else in the year. What stands out most is that before Miley’s appropriation of twerking from black culture neither the term not the act were under a socio-linguist microscope.
apparatus. We have to be careful as Internet colloquialisms enter everyday spoken language. As demonstrated by Harper’s reference to tweeting/twerking, we seem to presuppose that everyone knows what is meant when a word is uttered, when the truth is that such language has the potential to evade groups on the basis of race, ethnicity, age, and social standing.
Miley certainly isn’t the first to borrow from black culture, or any other culture for that matter. Rihanna’s “Where Have You Been” and Selena Gomez’s “Come and Get It” shamelessly feed on Bollywood culture and no one seems to notice or care. With rampant globalization, perhaps it is standing in the way of “progress” and open-mindedness to wag a finger at appropriation — after all, isn’t the freedom to borrow from different cultures the cornerstone of globalization? So, what does Miley have to do with
The entrance of new words in formal language is natural and necessary for humanity’s evolution, but individuals must be cognizant of social and political underpinnings. Twerking as a phenomenon has been around for several decades, but it wasn’t until its appropriation by a white, dominant society and entrance in to the mainstream that it snuck into the OED. As globalization goes forward, one can only hope that the OED will start to become more culturally attuned and take notice of words before they are commandeered by the dominant “other.”
ARTS & CUTURE
The TIFF Between Individuality and Hollywood Worship By Olivia Balanyk
September means one thing for film fans in Toronto: it’s time for TIFF. This year did not disappoint, as the festival played host to a plethora of famous faces — Meryl Streep, Jude Law, Julia Roberts, Benedict Cumberbatch, Mila Kunis, Scarlett Johansson, and Chris Hemsworth all took to the streets of the city last month.
in the hopes of catching a glimpse of their favourite Hollywood celebrity. But with so much excitement in the air, we can’t help but wonder if the Hollywood titans are pushing local artists out of the spotlight, and if we’re losing the actual films in the shadow of the media storm.
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Robichaud’s first feature film, Sarah Prefers to Run.
This is precisely the beauty of the Toronto International Film Festival. Such diversity provides a breath of fresh air for the viewer. Audiences can appreciate the talented new faces that grace the screens over the twoIndeed, on the surface it seems as though week period, instead of struggling to forget TIFF is all about the celebrities. But a closer Leonardo DiCaprio or Angelina Jolie in last look at the full movie schedule tells a different weekend’s roles. story: this year, 70 out of 288 films at the festival have a Canadian influence, and many But it’s not just diversity in performance that of the films that do sport Hollywood credits are the Toronto audiences have an appreciation actually directed by Canadians. Atom Egoyan, for. Many of the films do a beautiful job David Cronenberg, Denis Villeneuve, and of showing just how diverse and vibrant Michael Dowe are all behind films featuring Canadian stories and heritage can be. Richie actors like Jake Gyllenhaal, Daniel Radcliffe, Mehta’s film Siddharth, for example, takes place in New Delhi. Mehta himself was born Hugh Jackman, and Reese Witherspoon. and raised in Mississauga and operates One of the major changes to the festival this locally out of his film company in Toronto. year is the removal of the “Canadian Films” His Indian background has prompted him to category, a notable indication of the festival’s make this his third film set in India. This shows confidence in allowing its Canadian features the multiplicity of backgrounds and stories to stand among the usual US entries, and Canadians have to offer, as a reflection of our a testament to the quality of the Canadian multiculturalism. repertoire. It’s difficult to argue that Toronto is simply a And it’s no surprise when you consider a city locale for the festival when we see such vast
Toronto is simply a locale for the festival when we see such vast amounts of Canadian talent from year to year. But when we find ourselves getting lost in the glare of Hollywood glamour, we should take it as a reminder of the struggle that is being faced today to find our identities in such a “one-size-fits-all” mediaregulated world. Ultimately, the talent doesn’t stop with the celebrities. TIFF is one of the best film festivals in the world, and it is not afraid to show that it is ours. We shouldn’t be either.
It’s for good reason too. In the world of film, it’s no small honour to be crowned a winner by the Toronto audiences, with the festival being an important precursor to the Oscars. Last year, the festival premiered Argo, which went on to win three Academy Awards, including Best Picture. For two weeks, the media is permeated with questions such as “where can you spot the stars?” and “who is wearing what?” and the whole of Toronto keeps their eyes peeled
as artistic as Toronto. There is no shortage of writers, directors, and actors from our local and national community whose work receives the honour of TIFF recognition. Ingrid Veninger of pUNK Films, Shayne Ehman of Delusional Brothers, and Peter Stebbings of Redcloud Studios have all directed entries for TIFF and have their film companies based in Toronto, too. And it isn’t just the directors either. Up-and-coming actress Sophie Desmarais, for example, plays a compelling lead in Quebecoise writer and director Chloé
amounts of Canadian talent from year to year. But when we find ourselves getting lost in the glare of Hollywood glamour, we should take it as a reminder of the struggle that is being faced today to find our identities in such a “one-size-fits-all” media-regulated world. Ultimately, the talent doesn’t stop with the celebrities. TIFF is one of the best film festivals in the world, and it is not afraid to show that it is ours. We shouldn’t be either.
“There is no ‘one-fits-all’ strategy”: Reflections on Being a Student with Professor William Ju By Ariel Leutheusser Photo by Shiaoshiao Chen The move into university can be a daunting one as a whole new set of responsibilities is thrust upon the new student. Academic success becomes absolutely paramount — that’s why you’re here, after all. I spoke with Professor Bill Ju, a lecturer in Human Biology at the University of Toronto, about his time as a student and teacher. Professor Ju, or Bill as he asked me to call him, had lots to say about student life at the University of Toronto. The vast majority of his training has been here, a fact he enjoys “because I feel like I can really connect to the students, like I’ve gone through the same things that they are going through now. My favourite thing is when they stand outside [the Human Biology office] and try to figure out which year I graduated in the school photos. When they find it they go, ‘oh, he had a lot more hair back then!’” And I have to add, it certainly is refreshing to meet a professor who has had to wrestle with RoSI from the other side of that notoriously inconvenient beast. Like many professors, Bill is emphatic in his belief that students often don’t seek out help from their professors as much as they should, and it is precisely this belief that prompts his concerns with the potential shift in education towards e-learning. “Having gone through these classes, and tracking the students, I’m hoping that there’s always going to be a place
for a personal connection that’s going to be made at some point,” he explains. “The big drawback for e-learning — although it’s great, it’s self-paced, self-corrected — [is that] there’s really a disconnect between the students and the prof or whoever’s in charge of coordinating the course[.] People who have made an impact in your life are probably ones who have spent some personal time connecting with you. And I think that’s something that, moving forward, has to be taken into account.” But for Bill, it’s not just about connecting
he adds. “You’re in orientation this week, and by next week you’ll be in classes, and a few weeks later you’ll be getting your first midterm. It moves at such a fast pace that there really isn’t time for that self-reflection.” When reflecting on his time as a student, Professor Ju wished that he had participated in research earlier on in his career: “If I could So what’s the best way to get through all of this? “Find a mentor,” Bill advises. “It’s a lot easier if you don’t reinvent the wheel. I mentor students myself — I’m mentored by profs that are ten years ahead of me, and it’s really invaluable. Sometimes you just need a shoulder to cry on, and it’s a little easier to do it with someone who’s gone through a similar situation. I’m happy to tell students that I’ve failed. I’ve walked out of exams not knowing if I’ve passed the course; the lowest mark on my transcript — again, I’m shocked that I’m here where I am — is a 56%. If students knew that, would they still respect me as a prof? I hope so. Because I think that it helped me learn.”
“As I tell my own students, there is no ‘one-fits-all’ strategy. If I tell a class, ‘if you study this way you’ll get an A’ […] I can guarantee you that not everybody’s going to get an A. And you need to understand how you yourself manage time — if you’re good at it, and if you need to change something. And you have to do that early.” with other people. “You need to engage in self-reflective practices. You need to know, like, how do you study, or, does this study method work for you? As I tell my own students, there is no ‘one-fits-all’ strategy. If I tell a class, ‘if you study this way you’ll get an A’ […] I can guarantee you that not everybody’s going to get an A. And you need to understand how you yourself manage time — if you’re good at it, and if you need to change something. And you have to do that early.” “That’s the real shame about all this, that the first year moves at such a quick pace,”
These aren’t words of advice to be scoffed at. As a successful academic with years in education, it’s a comfort to know that Professor Ju appreciates a work-play balance: “If you’re planning to be a study machine, you’ll regret it later. You may not regret it in your years here, but you’ll regret it after you graduate.”
FEATURES
‘Til Breadth Do Us Part By Ashani Francis-Collins We are told that the experience of university should be about pursuing a degree in something we love. In a perfect world, you would never go to a class because you “had to,” and you would never be stuck in a class that you didn’t want to take. But, alas, if the existence of Justin Bieber is anything to go by, there is no way our world is perfect. These days, finding your vocation on your own is not enough. First years, meet the breadth requirement, the arch nemesis of your fellow students, and the system enforced by many universities that requires us to take classes we probably wouldn’t have otherwise considered, for better or for worse. The aim: to make us more ‘wellrounded.’ As if we haven’t heard that phrase enough already. We all understand this is an attempt to enhance the university experience, but I can’t help asking if it could actually be diluting it. The transition to university is already tough. A course catalogue the width of your arm, degrees you didn’t know existed, combinations of majors, minors, and specialists, all with their own degree requirements — all of these create a concoction toxic enough to leave sleep and a social life quivering in the corner. Only when you’ve (sort of) worked your way through all that can you even begin to worry about the grades you need to obtain your degree. And then, out of nowhere, you remember you’ve missed a breadth requirement. We all know how much of a headache it is to schedule classes around the seemingly endless guidelines we are given. Eventually, many of us end up taking a class that we have absolutely no interest in just so we can satisfy that one pesky breadth requirement (I’m looking at
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you, POL101). Sometimes, these courses end up not being so bad. Other times, we want to want to. It doesn’t get better than that. drop them within the first thirty minutes of the first class. University should be a time during which we are allowed to explore things on our own, University should be a time make independent choices, and, in return, during which we are allowed be allowed to make our own mistakes. It’s a period of learning and discovery, but most to explore things on our importantly university is for us, and us alone. own, make independent So give us a little freedom. Let us choose to better ourselves by searching for exciting
choices, and, in return, be allowed to make our own mistakes. It’s a period of learning and discovery, but most importantly university is for us, and us alone.
However, the conceptual problems really begin when students embark on the quest for “bird” courses. We’ve all searched frantically through the anti-calendar in the hopes we’ll be able to snooze through the class we didn’t want to take in the first place. If we end up taking a course for its difficulty level rather than its content, we are not likely to be challenged or to grow as a person or an academic — two of the core purposes of the university experience, and surely what an education is all about. If we end up losing these core values through the process of trying to keep our options open, it becomes hard to justify the practice of breadth requirements. Perhaps all the university really needs is to rethink the way it encourages students to explore their education. Case in point: this year’s addition to the cornucopia of courses here at U of T is the Big Ideas series, a trio of optional courses that break down the traditional segregation of programs and departments by combining a range of subjects in one course. Not to mention, the subject matter sounds phenomenal, dealing with issues that really concern our modern world. With names like “The End of the World as We Know It,” “Energy: From Fire to the Future,” and “The Internet: Saving Civilization or Trashing the Planet,” it’s no wonder they generate so much interest! Best of all, they satisfy any breadth requirement. Yes, you can take one of these courses just because you
Want more tips on how to navigate through University? Be sure to read on for Professor Ju’s advice for students interested in research opportunities. Or better yet, head over to http://thewindowasher. tumblr.com/ask and ask The Window Washer your most pressing questions. Everything is anonymous, so don’t feel scared to speak - sometimes you just need a second perspective on things to figure it all out.
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FEATURES
FEATURES
Lost In Space By Sophie Munden
Artwork by Caroline Teng
Equal parts astronaut, educator, and musician, with a debonair moustache to boot, Chris Hadfield is a recipe for heroism as delicious and comforting as a slice of warm apple pie on a crisp Canadian evening. He is best known as the first Canadian to command the International Space Station, though many people probably also know him for his forays into the dizzying world of social media. And of this, he is a king. His credentials include one million Twitter followers, one of the top Reddit AMAs of all time, a space interview with William Shatner, and a viral cover of David Bowie’s “Space Oddity.” But as he graced the hallowed fields of the Rogers Centre for the coin toss at the opening Argos game of the season on September 3rd, Hadfield asked the crowd of hopeful young faces: “What is the opposite of an astronaut?”
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FEATURES
The answer, of course, was an Argonaut. These weren’t exactly the immortal words you hope to hear from the mouth of a contemporary legend, but still, nobody seemed to bat an eyelid. Apparently it didn’t occur to anybody that a frosh week sports game watched by 18,000 students from more than five different colleges and universities was the time or place for words of wisdom from the first Canadian to walk in space. Though this might have been because nobody actually knew he was going to be there. A quick Google
to forget under the clattering of a keypad, and and it certainly isn’t about you. Social media therefore certainly not worth forking out for. sites have never been about satisfying yourself. They’re about putting on a show. While stingy PR budgets come as a surprise to no one, the issue of the inattentive Ultimately, what this is leading us to is a networking nut, even in my time as a lifetime of vicarious experiences, and a vast techy, has only arisen fairly recently. It network of people who spend their time seems we are no longer content to just latching onto the creative and exciting things experience something. It’s more important that said and done by other people in order to everybody we know knows we’ve been there too. ride along on their tailcoats or forge a replica Take concerts, for example. Gone are the for the sake of a few likes. Does the Harlem days when fans would raise lighters to the Shake ring any bells? I thought so. At what point did the like become the ultimate form of Ultimately, what this is leading us to is a lifetime of vicarious self-validation? Chances are the only people who note it anyway are people to whom experiences, and a vast network of people who spend their you’ve already talked about it face to face or those who were there with you, resulting time latching onto the creative and exciting things said and in one massive, masturbatory group hug.
done by other people in order to ride along on their tailcoats or forge a replica for the sake of a few likes. Does the Harlem Shake ring any bells? I thought so. At what point did the like become the ultimate form of self-validation? Chances are the
So where does that leave us? It seems that while we brag to our online pals about the wild experiences we are having, in reality we’re closer to moths trapped in the blinding white lights of an LCD screen, flapping our wings and hoping we’ll cause a hurricane.
The sad thing is that this technology really is blinding. It’s deafening too. We spend on average over six-and-a-half hours already talked about it face to face or those who were there a month on social networking sites, and still we complain we do not have enough hours in the with you, resulting in one massive, masturbatory group hug. day to actually accomplish anything. There are millions of things we are not seeing, tasting, search on the Friday morning before the game sky in solidarity, swept up in the hypnotic hearing, feeling, or reading. Facebook will revealed one miserly article that cited his sway of a power ballad. Nevermore will always be there. Our university days will not. It appearance as an afterthought somewhere the flickering flames of youth light up would be foolish not to make the most of them. at the bottom — so nonchalantly, in fact, the sky. Instead, concert-goers proudly that I wondered if I’d imagined whole thing. drain the batteries of their iPhones, as Though 2013 frosh week has already passed they (possibly) illegally record a show in a us by, a time where pictures of smiling faces in The lack of celebration surrounding display of unparalleled rock ’n’ roll rebellion. college affiliated t-shirts litter our newsfeeds, Hadfield’s appearance might have been it is an issue worth considering as we launch the result of an organizational blunder, There is nothing wrong with wanting to relive the into the rest of the term. When we upload our but I highly doubt it. For whatever reason, evening or refresh your memory, but the simple experiences to the cybersphere, we are just the organizers didn’t capitalize on this fact is that, in the majority of cases, this is not one of thousands doing so simultaneously. Our prime opportunity to put asses in seats. what these kinds of recordings are used for. posts, shares, and likes are but single bristles Smartphones, although improving in quality, on the entire Seurat, our noses so close to But what I can say is this: five minutes is aren’t nearly of a high enough quality to do the the canvas that we miss the beauty of the plenty of time for the crowd to take pictures, real thing justice, and if the live experience is grander artwork. It doesn’t seem outrageous tweet, and write Facebook statuses informing what you are concerned with, why would you to suggest that we might just serve ourselves the world they were there. These days, if an not watch the show with your own eyes in the better by participating in our lives. After all, audience emerges from an event with a picture first place? The truth, no matter how you try to nobody can achieve anything by merely sitting or a 140-character anecdote, it comes out skirt around it, is that you make the recording and watching. Chris Hadfield certainly didn’t. content. Factors such as quality, length, and so that you can share it with other people. It’s depth are just annoying trivialities that are easy not some form of cathartic self-expression,
only people who note it anyway are people to whom you’ve
OGY SCIENCE TECHNOL &
Psychology of Effective Learning by Cathy Su
T
he Experiential Learning Theory (ELT) was developed by psychologists in the last century. It portrays ‘experience’ as central to learning, and focuses on how you can create a space that fosters learning. Here are three core guidelines that will help you maximize your absorption of course content.
1) Love what you study
Four years is a really, really long time. Four years is 48 months, which is almost 1500 days, and nearly 18000 waking hours. If you built five metres of Lego every hour for four years you’d have a tower that stretched into space. Most people wouldn’t spend so much time building Lego, but you can use your imagination. The same principle is true for studying: the more time and energy we put into our chosen field of academia, the vaster our expertise in it will grow. Slowly, but surely! Malcolm Gladwell’s theory of 10,000 hours to develop expertise is reminiscent of this concept. However, Gladwell also said, “Practice isn’t the thing you do once you’re good. It’s the thing you do that makes you good.” So it makes sense that you ought to be spending the majority of your four-or-so years in undergrad doing what you really really want to do. ELT supports the role of emotion in learning and memory, and emphasizes the importance of actively seeking your own knowledge versus passively receiving your knowledge from others (Kolb 209) and you’ll do this a lot easier if you enjoy your classes. That being said, university is an institutionalized learning experience,
which means sometimes you will have to take courses purely to fulfill program requirements, as opposed to being genuinely interested in its topics. The trick is to look at it from a long-term perspective and see that such a class can give you the foundational tools for other classes that do genuinely interest you! If it’s difficult to remind yourself of the goals you have for this school year, for example, to secure summer research experience or to have a 4.0 in Math, it is valuable to remind yourself of your own goals for the semester. Now, think about how each subject you are learning fits into these goals. Attraction and interest are essential for learning.
2) Find community
It’s true that a university is an academic institution, but it’s not just a place to achieve your academic goals. Otherwise, why would any student with high grades drop out? A 2007 study by Wolfgang Lehmann found that a big reason why low-income students with high grades left was because they didn’t feel like they belonged to their university community. Luckily there are all sorts of people to connect with at U of T, and all sorts of ways in which you can meet them. • We grasp complex concepts easily through conversation. Speak with professors, study groups, and other students. This will not only provide you with a sense of community but will expand your perspective beyond the classroom. • Feeling part of a community where you are known and respected nurtures growth and makes you feel happy. Many of the resources here were developed to support you, so take those steps to build connections and relationships. If you’re not sure about the avenues provided to you, talk to counsellors who can guide your interests!
3) Integrate new knowledge into the old
There’s a cliché that the start of every school year is a blank slate, which is true in some ways. However, when it comes to learning, ELT emphasizes that “effective learning requires not only factual knowledge, but the organization of these facts and ideas into a conceptual framework and the ability to retrieve knowledge for application and
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transfer to different contexts.” (Kolb 208) This means that you have to draw upon your past experiences in order to really develop expertise.
The ELT learning cycle is a recursive spiral of knowledge development. Every year, every textbook, every block of Lego builds on top of what was there before. It’s important to reflect and order what you’ve learned already and keep it all inside your head. For starters, •Review, review, review! Review each lecture’s concepts after they are presented. You need to challenge and pick apart what you know to really develop your learning. •Ask lots of questions when something doesn’t agree with what you know. Don’t be afraid to start a debate in class — your professors and peers will appreciate you for it! However it came to be, the University of Toronto is Your University. New College is Your College. The next few years are Your Time. Whatever you pick up is Your Learning. It’s October, the start of a new school year, so get out there and create the learning space that can be put to work for You!
I, __________________,
am committed to accomplishing these 3 goals this semester: 1. 2. 3.
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TECHNOLOGY SCIENCE &
Professors on Research
Tips on how to approach research by Christian D. Raharja Photo by photoXpress
U
niversity of Toronto is one of the best universities in which to attain a research position. However, it is also fiercely competitive, and many students get confused about how to attain these extremely sought-after positions. Many students wonder what professors expect from prospective students or what kinds of qualifications are needed to get into research. As a student going into his fourth year, I also found research a daunting task to pursue; ultimately, I found that there is a learning curve. The most important advice I could give students in the same boat is to be persistent. Keep emailing different professors about a research position, even if it errs on borderline OCD — and the earlier you get started on this the better! You should also not be discouraged if a professor does not reply to an email or tells you that they cannot give you a position, since there are many other professors at U of T. A reply, even if it is a rejection, is a steppingstone because at the very least, you’ve shown them your drive and initiative. Personalizing your email also shows initiative and novelty to the professors reading it, and showing that you know the research that they have conducted also sets you apart from the many others applying for the same position.
Professor William Ju and Professor Maria Papaconstantinou from the Human Biology department shared tips on what students should focus on while striving for the everelusive research position. Monica Maher, a student entering the final year of her M.Sc. with Dr. Tom Schweizer, also provided some recommendations to students trying to obtain research experience.
Be Prepared
these positions get posted around December, with interviews being conducted in January and February. “Students should find their niche — questions and research they are interested in — then do research on it, including research on your professor,” Professor Papaconstantinou suggests. Reading recent papers the professor has done can also keep you prepared for your interview. Always make sure you try to start early, and contact you professor by email, describing who you are, your program, and why you are interested in the research project.
“Be prepared with a CV that is updated regularly, and know what research projects and opportunities are available,” suggests Professor Ju. Some examples are ROPs for second years, volunteering research opportunities, paid summer research, and various paid work study positions. Psychology and other departments have research Networking positions as well. “Networking — making connections with professors — is an essential aspect Going to information fairs such as ones held towards getting research,” notes by the Faculty of Medicine are also essential. Professor Ju. By doing this, often a single “Checking scientist profiles for major hospitals email from a professor will get answered right and/or university departments is important away. Ju also advises that networking should go towards being prepared for your research beyond bureaucratic boundaries by engaging project,” Monica states. “Do your research of with your peers in class, which can also the scientist’s backgrounds to see which area keep you updated on opportunities. “Finding of research is interesting for you, and ensure mentors or graduate students through the that you explain why you want to be involved mentorship program and clubs can go a long in their research in the cover letter”. She adds way. Networking 201 is also vital,” he adds. that if students are looking for a summer Professor Ju explains that Networking 201 is position, an early start is pertinent as many of an informal session he holds with students
“Many professors agree that their best research students are not the ones with a 4.0 GPA...” regarding research later in the year. “I bring in a few colleagues, grad students, etc., and allow the students to ask questions of myself, other researchers, and grad students. It’s informal and more to network and learn to network rather than a formal workshop.” Monica suggests that students talk to their teaching assistants. “Most TA’s are in graduate school and are heavily involved in their labs,” she says. “They may have openings in their own labs or labs they collaborate in with friends.” Communicating with professors and building a strong personal and virtual network is essential, since they may have their own labs or know colleagues who are looking for students.
What if you feel your GPA is insufficient, or fear rejection?
Be persistent. You could send many emails and get very few responses, but send followups to those you haven’t heard back from, since principal investigators (PIs) get many emails about various events and topics. Your letter may have just gotten lost, or they may have forgotten to reply — after all, they’re only human! Do not let this discourage you and don’t take it personally — keep going. Also be prepared for rejection, since the professors may not get back to you. This often means that there is no space left, no funding, they are out of town, on sabbatical, etc. Be willing to start as a volunteer, as paid research positions can be difficult to obtain; however, many principal investigators are happy to take on volunteers, which will give you skills and experience and will add volume to your resume. This is especially true during the school year: since few students are willing to put the time in, many labs are low on research assistants and volunteers, as the majority of summer students will have left at the start of the semester.
“If an upward trend is seen, professors will recognize this,” Prof. Papaconstantinou states. This means that if you did poorly, for example, in your first year but started gradually getting better in your second and third, professors will recognize this. When writing your email, note this improvement and your learning experience. This will also convey your enthusiasm, and will show that you understand the subject and field extremely well. Talk about the discussion section of their article, and also glance through future experiments so you may have an understanding of what the professors want to achieve. Many professors agree that their best research students are not the ones with a 4.0 GPA, but the students that have other skills and a thirst for knowledge. There are many opportunities that students can get in terms of research. Courses such as Research Opportunity Programs can give students an opportunity to be involved in research with a professor, and to learn new research techniques and methods to carry on throughout their careers. Students can do ROP within the school year or the summer, and when you have been accepted to a course a professor will notify you. Students can also attain research from hospitals such as Mount Sinai, Sick Kids, and Princess Margaret, especially if they know a professor that works there. Though research is probably the Holy Grail of the student experience, don’t be discouraged by its elusive quality. It is accessible to students who strive for it through hard work, focus, and persistence. If you find the odds are against you, there is still cause to engage with those in power. Students can still work towards making research more accessible, so that they are not only improving their own research experience but helping students in the future as well.
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SPORTS & HEA LTH
LTH SPORTS & HEA
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LTH SPORTS & HEA
ENTERTAINMENT
The Adoration and Breakdown of a Female Commuter on The Brink at just before Nine O’Clock on a Summer Evening
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by Sophie Munden
Act 1 The time is nine eighteen, and the
The Author: Lady, wait! What is your question? Are the corners of your mouth heavy with it? All our faces are drawn out in lines. Can you tear down the universe for us, tooth by tooth? My skin is the dusk, but yours is the soil. You could be my mother for all I know, standing there with feet like roots, an oak in yellow vest. Have you dressed for the circus? I am dressed for a plague. What have we done and why can’t we stop? Look how they suck you further and further into the roaring void. They’re dragging me too, mother. I cannot stay. I’m leaving. It’s all too much, all too loud. It’s so delicious to An interval follows. People scurry past from be drowned. one side of the barrier to the other. The author The author moves down the platform. The stands among them. conversation is lost and there is No Train. People cannot walk, so they wait, feet still Epilogue shuffling. A hundred solemn tap dancers tap Woman: Let me ask you a question. [The audience moves through, interrupting on. her.] This way please. Keep moving please.
to a pillar in a station that can’t be anything else without a piece of paper that isn’t so dog-eared, and that is all I am. I can see my reflection in a thousand shiny suits, not one of them my own. Can I remind you it’s nothing to be inadequate these days? I’ve left myself a thousand times, and what is one more departure? I’ve seen tallies up arms and ink Black soles move me to the in ledgers, my name spelled out wrong, fewer rhythm of the city. I think to be is to do, and to vowels than a toothless grin, and it all equates remember - even less. My mind is burning – to nothing. I cannot tell you this is my ticket, abuzz, ablaze. The whole station – it’s on fire. when there’s no proof I’m alive. station steams. The brink is beyond us, brink number five, and we’re rats amongst pigeons amongst dirt. It has taken me eight succulent minutes to arrive. A barren twelve stretches past parliament. The people always rush. They always wait.
Act 2
Act 3 I learned about liminality once, but I was never sensible enough to be practical. It’s only the second thing to tell me I ought to seek assistance. But it’s so nonchalant, so noncommittal. This place is no great kettle of ideas. I can’t always shuffle on, brow-hardened. Sir, what do you care if I’m a day or two behind? There’s so little discrepancy in days, but still you reduce me
Easy Art for Any Space
by Gerrit van de Riet
Moving sucks. Staying in the same room from high school can be worse at times. By far the worst things about getting a new place are the details you never realize you overlooked. Art is one of these make-or-break details that can transform any space, and while posters are an easy solution to this, making your own art is more gratifying. I say making art because most artists in and around Toronto are crazy talented, but their work also tends to be crazy expensive, so it is easier to do it yourself. The inspiration for this project hit me when I was in the World’s Biggest Bookstore with my grandfather, where I found a book on how to recycle old books. I had accumulated a collection of old-looking books from those cheap sidewalk sales. I wasn’t particularly fond of the stories but I couldn’t bring myself to throw the books away, so instead I set on turning them into art. Here’s how I updated their yellowed pages into really cool hanging art. This may seem a bit avant-garde for some but it is a virtually costless design that makes your space unique. There are other book art projects that are available with just a quick Google or Pinterest search.
1. Pick a book to destroy — err, I mean transform into your art.
2. Using an exacto knife, cut out about
50-60% of the pages from the book. The pages should be cut as close to the book’s spine as possible without sacrificing the integrity of the spine. I recommend removing over half of the pages, but in reality you can cut out as much as you want. Be wary of cutting out sections in chucks, as it may become visible in the final product — make sure you keep it random.
3. Bend the pages remaining in the book inward to
form a teardrop shape. Use an adhesive to stick them together. I recommend packing tape as it is clear, although glue or duct tape works just the same.
4. Using the pages you have cut out, repeat the teardrop
shape and begin taping them together in a random design. See image for how these teardrop shapes look (RIGHT/LEFT). As you can change the size of the paper folding, but you will need about 20 of these.
5. Connect a few with the same adhesive. You will want to attach them together like a children’s mobile.
6. Add the mobile to the book.
7. String fishing line through the book’s spine and tie it off.
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ENTERTAINMENT
Comic by Laura Arner
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Looking Ahead to October Commuter O c t Bancroft Fair O c t Time Management Workshop Breakfast 10-1pm every
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Wednesday
Commuters Lounge
Oct
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t Metropass Raffle
Oct
Halloween Haunt
Devil’s t Night Out
Volunteer wth New College
07 Oc
Oct
Mental Health Awareness Fair @ The Quad
07 Oc
Reading and Note-Taking workshop
12pm to 4pm Next to New College Atrium
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3:30 pm – 5:00 pm @ NCSC boardroom Sign up at NCSC Office
10:30 am - 12:30 pm @ NCSC Office and in Commuters Lounge
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@ Wonderland
October 28+30 1-5pm Foodshare Toronto @ 90 Croatia Street
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Oc
3:30pm – 5:00pm @ NCSC boardroom Sign up at NCSC Office
Run for the t Cure
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Register as a New College Team Member and get 50% off your reigstration fee
O c t Metropass Raffle
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10:30 am - 12:30 pm @ NCSC Office and in Commuters Lounge
The N o v Window’s November Issue launch
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Want to feature your organization’s upcoming events on our calendar? Shoot us a request at entertainment@newcollegewindow.com with the event details by October 15, 2013.
The
WANT A FREE IPAD MINI? Here’s how!
Fill out the ticket on the back and submit into The Window’s raffle box (placed at the New College Student Council office at 45 Willcocks St. Room 100). Each month, 3 lucky winners will win New College attire. All raffle entries submitted will have a chance to win our ultimate prize, an IPAD MINI. The IPAD MINI will be rewarded after our March issue. Winners will be contacted at the end of the month.
New College’s Official Student Publication
*** Please refer to back of ticket for more information