the inside
the inside
Spring is all about the COC
Campus radio rocks the midnight hour
page 5
page 6
the newspaper
University of Toronto’s Independent Weekly
CKLN Station calls on fan support for CRTC hearing
April 8 2010
Vol. XXXII N0. 27
Spying on the spies Citizen Lab cracks ‘Shadow Network’, a massive cyber spy ring
TOMASZ BUGAJSKI HELENE GODERIS CKLN, a community radio station based at Ryerson University, is currently holding an online petitioning campaign to gain support for its upcoming hearings with the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC). The radio station’s license is up for review, and there is a chance it might be revoked. The CRTC has called CKLN to a public hearing at Four Points by Sheraton Toronto Airport West on May 12 to show “why the Commission should not suspend or revoke the licensee’s license.” The Commission says CKLN has not complied with its regulations, such as providing information about finances and ownership. CKLN has been having problems with its operations and management for several years. Starting in 2008, many programmers were dismissed and programs were disrupted. For a period of several months in 2009, the station ceased broadcasting. One of CRTC’s issues is control of the station. Between March and September 2009, after disputes with CKLN, the Ryerson Students’ Union blocked the station’s transmitter site, but never obtained an operational license. This breaks CRTC’s regulations, which requires new operators to file the proper paperwork. CKLN argues its problems are the fault of the previous board of directors, who have since been replaced. The station’s likely defense at the CRTC hearings will be that it should not have to pay the price for past mistakes, and will now play by the rules. CKLN is reaching out to its supporters through Facebook and its website in its fight with the CRTC. The website calls fans to “indicate the differences between programming today and in 2008.” It also want supporters to tell the CRTC why the station is important to the community. The 27-year-old CKLN operates as an independent organization out of Ryerson University’s facilities. It is run by a board of directors made up of four elected representatives from Ryerson University, volunteers, community members, and regular staff.
Ron Deibert, Director of the Citizen Lab at U of T’s Munk Centre, is part of a team that has uncovered one of the largest online spy rings found to date. The report, released on Tuesday, is a collaboration between the Information Warfare Monitor, comprised of the Citizen Lab and Ottawa-based security consultancy SecDev Group, and the US-based Shadowserver Foundation. The report, Shadows in the Cloud: An Investigation Into Cyber Espionage 2.0, reveals a spy network that targeted the Office of the Dalai Lama, India’s
military files, as well as diplomatic intelligence from 16 embassies around the world. The report explains that cyber attackers take advantage of vulnerable cracks in social networking sites, cloud computing, and free web hosting sites, but its authors remain unsure as to the attackers’ motives. While the interest in politically-sensitive targets as well as the network’s core server locations pin the spies in China, the report’s authors are reluctant to con-
clusively link the spies to the Chinese government. Deibert explain that finding a direct link is improbable; he
likens the suspected relationship between China and the spy network to the kind of privateering that set pirates on the High Seas to accomplish work for non-arms-length governments. China could benefit from the hacking activity, whether or not they direct the spies’ operations. It’s not expected that China will shut down the Shadow Network. For Deibert, “it means that they either condone such activities, or they are directly responsible for them in some way, or they don’t actually have the capacity to shut it down.” Continued on page 2
I’ll take organic chemistry for 400 Moving U of T hosts All Science Challenge AMY STUPAVSKY It’s like Jeopardy! for the younger, science-minded set. The All Science Challenge, a science
trivia competition for Grade 6, 7, and 8 students, aims to test their scientific chops and cultivate an lifelong engagement with the discipline.
U of T is one of 11 universities nationwide that will play host to the event. Now in its fourth year at U of T, it continues to grow in Continued on page 6
out of res Off campus housing offers affordable options SUNNY HUANG UTSC’s Student Housing and Residence Life (SHRL) has recently launched an off-campus housing project to accommodate the growing number of applicants and need for off-campus housing services. It focuses on providing web-based resources tailored for UTSC students and Scarborough community members. The new offcampus housing webpage, which can be found on UTSC’s residence website, offers resources ranging from an overview of the Toronto housing market to tips on independent living. SHRL has signed a one-year contract with the Ontario-based website Places4Students.com (P4S), a third-party housing classifieds site, and receives a percentage of the profit. “It’s mutually beneficial,” said Project Coordinator Tom Snell. “We don’t have to create our own inhouse listing service which would take a lot of time and money. Also, we don’t need someone to review postings or deal with landlords.” Continued on page 3
the editorial
2
April 8, 2010
Good night and good luck The news isn’t always bad. At a time when the newspaper industry faces major upheavals due to dwindling ad revenue and a trend toward reading the news online, the newspaper has proved that there’s always room on this campus for an independent paper. The opening editorial of the newspaper printed back in September, 1978 set out a mandate that continues to this day: “the newspaper is the only campus newspaper that is truly free of cost. All other U of T papers are subsidized by someone, in most cases student councils using student money...the newspaper breaks from this tarnished tradition by publishing without a subsidy of any kind. It is managed and staffed by members of the U of T community, yet receives all of its revenue from
paid advertising.” Operated without funding from the university, the newspaper tests the mettle of the editors and contributors that make up each year, because without subsidy the strength of the paper lies entirely in their hands. This year, we learned how to run a newspaper, cover to cover. the newspaper is a place where budding journalists can cut their teeth before moving to the big leagues. Our list of past contributors is proof: Lynn McAuley, who was Managing Editor of the Ottawa Citizen and currently an Editor at the Toronto Star; Steve Paikin, the host of TVO’s The Agenda; Atom Egoyan, an acclaimed director; Rohinton Mistry, a bestselling author; and the countless writers, illustrators, and
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photographers who have gone on to work for city, regional, and national papers. Take a look at our list of contributors this year; these individuals dedicated themselves
to carrying out the legacy of our paper, and may just help shape the future of the news industry. Helene Goderis Editor-in-Chief the newspaper, 2009-2010
Mohammed Abbas, Abdi Aidid, Nyron Ali, Gord Brown, Tomasz Bugajski, Dayna Christie, Mairi Chudyk, Cristina Ciddio, Aschille Clarke-Mendes, Joey Coleman, Ginger Coons, Tom Cordoso, Dan Craig, Sarah D’Angelo, Sandra DeGrandis, Victoria Dobbs, Natalie Rae Dubois, Dan Epstein, Mey Fung, Noah Gataveckas, Helene Goderis, Andrew Gyorkos, Lewko Hryhorijiw, Tyler Irving, Alan Jones, Lauren Kirshner, Jackie Katz, Adam Kupevicius, Nicole Leung, Thomas Mantel, Will Martin, Andrew Menneguzzi, Melinda Morillaro, Dar Mustafa, Laurent Noonan, Alex Nursall, Brandon O’Riordan, Tejas Parasher, Catherine Shi Qou, Abdul Rajib, Taylor Ramsay, Tim Ryan, Kim Saka, Miki Sato, Luke Savage, Veenay Sehdev, Semra Eylu Sevi, Thiru Shathasivam, Cailin Smart, Amina Stella, Amy Stupavsky, Peter Ulecki, Stacey Upton, Joseph Uranowski, Mnrupe Virk, Joele Wainga, Diana Wilson, Mike Winters
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GC Fee free AMY STUPAVSKY Students will fight fees for another day on April 8, when the Fight Fees Coalition plans a protest outside Simcoe Hall. At 3:30 p.m., the group and its supporters will air its three-pronged set of grievances to the university administration: to repeal flat fees and end further tuition hikes; to cease plans for optout student union membership; and to abolish the Student Code of Conduct. “The university has put post-secondary education out of reach for many people,” says Joeita Gupta, APUS VP External. “In the context of an economic downturn, the university’s priority should be to provide affordable education.” The rally is scheduled to coincide with the Governing Council’s annual meeting to discuss fee increases, which are anticipated to raise by eight per cent for professional programs and interna-
Cyber spies Cont’d from page 1 If China engages and shares information with the Information Warfare Monitor, that would go a long way to prove they want to eliminate the China-based spy activity. The report advocates developing a global policy around cyberspace. “Right now, we have cyberspace being rapidly degraded by
tional students and by 4.3 per cent for domestic students. Gupta says that this year’s protest is especially important because flat fees will take effect next year. Gupta notes the inopportune time the GC chooses to schedule its tuition talks. “This is intentional on the part of the university,” Gupta says. “They always schedule a fee hike vote right in the middle of exams so students won’t take as much notice.” The event will feature performances and speeches by representatives from UTSU, the GSU, and APUS. Guest speakers will also include John Clarke, organizer of the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty, and Susan Nielsen of the Toronto Adult Student Association. Gupta hopes that the protest will effect some change. “We always hope that governors will act in the best interests of students,” she says. “It’s also about getting students engaged in the process and raising awareness.” For further info, visit fightfeescoalition.blogspot.com
censorship and surveillance and militarization.” The Citizen Lab - which works at the junction of human rights, digital media and global security – fights this through their research. “I have some values around the internet that I hold dearly, and one of them is that it should remain an open, public commons for the free expression and access to information for citizens of all the world. And that’s not going to happen if it’s torn up by militarization and espionage of the type that we’re uncovering.”
the news
April 8, 2010
3
the opinion Here’s looking at you, CFS SAM RAHIMI It saddens me greatly that I even have to write this piece. I was VP External of SAC (now UTSU) in 2004-05, and left U of T in 2006. I now live in California and have essentially zero involvement in the political process in either country. So why am I writing about student politics? Elections come, elections go, and the process of democracy ensures that elected governments represent the will of their constituents, right? Not if the student union in question is a member of the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS). Thanks to their interference in campaigns at U of T, York, Ryerson, and other member unions across the country, elections in recent years have turned into onesided dog and pony shows with an outcome that is essentially predetermined. The cause is largely that the CFS is a multi-million dollar organization funded by the oblig-
atory membership dues collected from students across the country, including the approximately 40,000 undergraduates at U of T represented by UTSU. If a CFSunfriendly slate were to be elected, UTSU would likely stop collecting these fees or leave the federation. The organization, therefore, has a vested interest in ensuring that its opponents are prevented from winning elections at all costs. Lately, there has been a great deal of media coverage of student union executives from York and Ryerson aggressively campaigning for the pro-CFS “Stronger Together” slate during this year’s UTSU elections. Of course, UTSU’s own executives behaved no better, with many of them choosing to campaign full-time for their replacements, while being paid – with your money – and claiming that handing out flyers in Sid Smith all day was simply how they chose to spend their “vacation.” But you already know all this, I’m
sure, as media coverage has been refreshingly thorough during this election season. What you probably don’t know is that I was directly involved in these activities in the spring of 2004, when I ran for office with the “Unity” slate. I vividly remember a dozen or so “allies” from York and Ryerson showing up to campaign for us, with our campaign manager keeping us in the dark and telling us they were just fellow left-wing activists. In that case, I can legitimately plead ignorance – I had no idea that the CFS was anything more than a lobby group to lower tuition fees and fight racism. I must, however, take the blame for what happened in the weeks following my landslide victory. My trip to York especially stands out in my mind: I had received an urgent briefing from Alexandra Dodger, then a CFS Ontario executive, about a bunch of “right wing extremists” running for re-election to YFS, and asking for my help to defeat them. I was picked up in a white van driven by CFS staffer Ashkon Hashemi and taken to York, stopping at Ryerson, OCAD, and George Brown along the way to pick up additional campaigners. We were sent on our mission with strict instructions to pretend we were each there as a “friend” of one of the candidates.
We plastered the campus with posters. The CFS slate (also called Unity) won easily. And those who follow student politics will know that YFS, like UTSU, have not had an election that could be considered fair or democratic in the four years since then. Before I saw the federation for what it was and spoke out against its utter disrespect for democracy, I engaged in numerous acts at the request of its executives that were at best, immoral, at worst, illegal. Perhaps most egregious was the scheme to ensure that former CFS Ontario chair Rick Telfer got hired as the SAC General Manager. The hiring committee had voted to pick a more politically neutral candidate, so I received instructions from Dodger, as well as Telfer himself, to call the applicant late at night with a “job offer” so unpalatable that he would decline. This was done successfully by telling him that the job paid $40,000 less than it actually did. It was yet another nail in the coffin of democracy at U of T. I have often marveled at how the CFS manages to maintain its cult-like grip on UTSU and others year after year. I believe the cause to be a lack of “organizational memory” among the opposition. Generally, when students graduate, they leave student politics
as well, so there is no continuity from year to year, and no one to prevent the federation from indoctrinating idealistic, naïve students. In contrast, the CFS is an organization of elected students in name only. The real power lies with the permanent staff, many of whom have worked there for over 20 years. They have had the luxury of time to develop a highly unethical, yet stunningly efficient, machine of corruption that relies on your ignorance, and your money, to continue to function. With the recent explosion in news stories, blogs, and social networking groups doing their part to expose the organization for what it is and restore democracy, it may be that the tide is turning. Several unions successfully left the CFS in 2008; many others began the arduous defederaton process in 2009. If UTSU were to defederate, or simply to stop paying membership dues, the drop in revenue would severely weaken the federation in the short term; the departure of other schools that would likely follow would put them out of business for good. Although restoring democracy at UTSU will be a challenge, it is most certainly possible. Thank you to all who are working towards this goal. The students need you.
the blotters
Housing off campus Cont’d from page 1
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Before the webpage was created, students who required off-campus housing assistance were often referred to the St.George campus housing website. Landlords who wished to advertise their properties to students often contacted the Scarborough Campus Student Union. “We have been hitting capacity for a few years,” said Snell. “It didn’t make sense anymore for that many students to go downtown for off-campus housing service.” With 765 beds, UTSC has the fourth-largest residence at U of T, trailing behind UTM, 89 Chestnut Residence, and New College. The largest residence is at UTM with 1,342 beds. UTM does not currently have an off-campus housing department. It has partnered with P4S for three years and also receives a share of the profit. “We haven’t tapped a lot into [off-campus housing],” explained Emma Beamson, communication coordinator at UTM residence. “P4S takes over as a third party.” UTM’s residence website offers a Live Chat feature through which residents and new applicants can instant message a student representative at the Residence Service Desk. Student representative Ashley said she usually responds to three to five people per shift. She
wrote through the Live Chat, “It gives it that extra personal feel to our school instead of the standard textbook answer.” Student Housing Service (SHS) at the St. George campus provides tri-campus housing services, including legal assistance. Its inhouse classifieds site, the Housing Registry, lists properties across the GTA. For security concerns, its contents are not open to public; people must log in as students or register as landlords to view or list properties. Ali Shahabuddin, off-campus housing officer at SHS, said the office does not physically inspect the properties and relies on tenant feedback instead. He added that students can go through a complaint process “if they find themselves in a difficult situation or wishes to register a grievance against a landlord.” SHS will also launch a “Roommate-matching Module” this spring. Students can create their profiles online and find their compatible matches based on personalities. Shahabuddin lends some words of wisdom to prospective tenants: “Whether you are staying for a month or four years, it is still a significant amount. You want to make the house a home, not just a house.”
In an effort to put a little more pulp in our paper, both petty and indecent, we present you with the scoundrelly deeds that occurred on campus this week.
April 1 Occurrence type: Missing Person; Location: Medical Science building (Interior); Details: Campus police investigated a report of a missing person. Officers attended the area all was in order. Occurrence type: Mischief; Location: Robarts Library (Interior); Details: Campus Police attended to investigate a report of a damaged library book. Occurrence type: Property Damage; Location: 172 St. George, Street (Interior); Details: Campus police investigated a report of unknown person(s) damaging office furniture. Occurrence type: Noise complaint; Location: Continuing Studies (Interior); Details: Campus police investigated a noise complaint. All was in order upon officer’s arrival.
April 2 Occurrences type: Indecent Acts; Location: (Exterior); Details: Campus police attend to investigate one person for exposing his genitals. The person was gone upon officer’s arrival.
April 5 Occurrence type: Break and Enter; Location: 1 Spadina; Details: Campus Police attended the location and investigated a report of theft.
the inside
4
April 8, 2010
Pet Cemetery: Not a CIUT oldie, but a definitely a goodie Main man of Pet Cemetery supplies soupcon of CIUT segment Speaking to my heart with a quote from Annie Hall, “transplendent” is how creator and host of CIUT’s latest late-night music line-up characterizes his program. Peter Ulecki’s Pet Cemetery, airing every Wednesday night/Thursday morning from midnight to 2 am, consists of one man, one mike and two hours of two mixed-CDs. Derived from a post-pubescent music predilection, Ulecki’s program plays everything from 70s punk to art rock and so much more. Because nobody wants to hear radio ga ga at one in the morning, Ulecki says he keeps chatter to a minimum and the “music as the main focus.” Still a baby on the campus broadcast, born on March 3 of this year, Pet Cemetery provides listeners with an opportunity to hear something new or simply relish an oldie but goodie. Its objective is to supply its audience with a new band or genre outside their typical gamut in order to “realize how much great music there is out there” and maybe “eliminate some
ALEX NURSALL
CARA SABATINI
Peter Ulecki at the CIUT studio. Tune in to Ulecki’s show Wednesdays at midnight on 89.5 FM stupid preconceived notion of a particular style of music.” Ulecki mans the soundboard and music selection, along with “all that other fun DJ stuff,”
but the program wouldn’t be possible without the help of “CIUT’s large staff with awesome volunteers to help run and support the station every-
day.” The operation also owes thanks to donations provided by members. Though the program was founded on one man with one mike, plans for expan-
sion include incorporating local Toronto artists “to come in, drop by, talk, play, or pick some amazing songs.” Ulecki says he “wants to bring in friends” as he is interested in integrating song selections from others that have diverse and “awesome music tastes to add to the show’s brand.” Ulecki says his current obsession is with those such as ‘60s sensation Lou Christie & the Tammys and the new Kurt Vile release, “Childish Prodigy.” Listeners of next week’s show will “probably hear some Gang of Four, The Vaselines, The Beach Boys, Buzzcocks, maybe some Loretta Lynn” and the like. Ulecki’s tastes are so sundry he hopes for “listerners as crazy and ridiculous as I am.” So, if you think you’ve got the open musical mind and ears to enjoy whatever Peter’s transplendent taste tunes into, “whether you’re in for the night or about to head out,” adjust your speakers to CIUT 89.5 for Ulecki’s Pet Cemetery: “it’s kinda just a great time to listen to a bunch of old favorites and new sh*t that rules.”
Cailin Smart
the inside
April 8, 2010
5
Spring season blossoms at the Opera The Canadian Opera Company’s spring season promises a fitting end to the COC’s diamond anniversary season. Plus with $20 tickets for young adults under the age of 30, there is only one excuse for not attending a performance - the tickets will sell out faster than most hands can grab them. The COC will present three operas during April, May, and June. Maria Stuarda, a drama of the conflict between Queen Elizabeth I and Mary, Queen of Scots; The Flying Dutchman, Richard Wagner’s famous story of romantic angst and redemption on the high seas, and Idomeneo, one of Mozart’s early classics, written when he was only 24. The COC’s production of Maria Stuarda will be the first fully-staged performance of this opera in Canada. Banned in 1835 for its portrayal of royalty, Maria Stuarda was not performed for over 100 years until its rediscovery in 1958. With competing female sopranos in lead roles, this opera promises to be an acoustic and visual delight for audiences. Man defies god in Idomeneo and fate promises tragic consequences
ALAIN KAISER
JOEY COLEMAN
Sophie Karthauser as Ilia and Sebastien Droy as Idamante in a 2007 production of Idomeneo in this classical adaption of Greek mythology. Royalty, gods, monsters and a princess all clash in this passion-filled drama sure to entertain even the most skeptical critic of operas. The “bite series” dinner-and-
opera offer for those under the age of 30 features cuisine inspired by this opera. The highlight to the spring season will be the great romantic story of The Flying Dutchman, which will
feature the return of soprano Julie Makerov. Her performance in the title role of Rusalka last season generated significant critical acclaim. The Flying Dutchman is one of the most famous and often performed
operas, in large part because of its strong story of romance. The Canadian Opera Company will also use The Flying Dutchman has their hook for “Opera 101,” its popular educational outreach event. Opera 101, to be held at the Drake Hotel on April 14 at 7:30 p.m., is a question-and-answer format discussion with both the director and conductor discussing The Flying Dutchman and taking questions from the audience. Generally, the audience is primarily composed of individuals new to the art of opera. Even better, this event is free including finger foods and entertainment after the discussion. The “bite series” offers a combination of dinner at one of Toronto’s finer restaurants and an opera ticket to young adults. This season’s offering will be held at Vertical Restaurant in 100 King West and is all inclusive at $75 per ticket. Sales of the COC’s Opera for a New Age under-age-30 tickets start this Friday, April 9. This winter, tickets for Carmen sold out within hours and tickets for Othello within days. More information, and podcasts on these operas, is available on the COC’s website: www.coc.ca.
“ the campus comment ” the newspaper asks: Hey buildings of campus, what are you doing this summer?
I’m actually considering getting a nose job done over the summer. Honestly, I’ve been having some self-confidence issues lately and am just going to go for it, overly vain or not.” - Robarts
I’m going to tour the south of France and mooch off my parent’s trust fund. Oh, and I’m going to learn to speak Swahili.” - 1 Spadina Cresent
I’m going to get SO DRUNK. Like, stupid drunk. For MONTHS. What do I care, I’m not working this summer.” - Sir Daniel Wilson
“Avoiding Sid Smith, that loser. What? He talked about me? Seriously? What a freak!” - OISE
I’m not a building, I’m a truck. Nonetheless, I’m thinking of taking a road trip with a few friends up to Winnipeg to hang out with my parents for their 15th wedding anniversary!” - Ideal Catering Truck
ALEX NURSALL
Just relax poolside, maybe see if I can get things going again with OISE. We... uh... actually had a pretty nasty break-up this year. Don’t include that, ok?” - Sidney Smith
the science
6
April 8, 2010
Nanotechnology Gluttony not limited to humans Rats too binge eat when given the chance vs. cancer THIRU SHATHASIVAM
JASON MITAKIDIS Meet cancer’s newest enemy: the nanoparticle? In a recent issue of the science magazine Nature, scientists and clinicians from Caltech reported the use of nanoparticles to shut down a cancer gene. By injecting the nanoparticles into a patient’s blood stream, small interfering RNA (siRNA) molecules were delivered to tumor cells, blocking the production of a cancer causing protein. These siRNA molecules can prevent the cell from translating the genetic code into proteins by binding to messenger RNA (mRNA) produced from DNA. While previous attempts at using RNA interference-based therapeutic methods for cancer treatment have been unsuccessful, the efforts were fruitful this time. Furthermore, the research team demonstrated the use of nanotechnology as a dose-dependent drug delivery system for cancerous tumors, bringing hope to the fight against one of the most prevalent and complex of human diseases. There is a lot of optimism sur-
rounding these results, but there is also room for cau- tion as the nanoparticles also target noncancerous cells. The precise biological cause of cancerous tumors tends to vary from patient to patient - proteins directly involved in tumor formation (and many other diseases, for that matter) are typically plastic and multi-functional cellular hubs, so drugging the mRNAs (specially coded molecules) responsible for their production could also lead to undesirable and potentially damaging sideeffects for patients. However, the use of nanotechnology for the delivery of therapeutics is on the horizon, adding a new dimension to disease treatment in the coming decades. Whether most of us would feel comfortable having nanoparticles, or even tiny molecular “nanomachines” injected into our bodies is another discussion and is also one of ethical significance. Take the blue pill and continue believing whatever you want or take the red pill and see just how deep the rabbit hole goes!
It appears rats too enjoy the high fat foods we do. So much so that they were practically addicted, according to a recent study by Drs Paul Johnson and Paul Kenny from the Laboratory of Behavioral and Molecular Neuroscience at The Scripps Research Institute in Florida. The impact of their findings warranted a publication in the March 28th edition of the renowned Nature Neuroscience journal. In their study, three groups of rats were established, each with differential access to a cafeteria-style diet consisting of bacon, sausage, cheesecake, pound cake, frosting and chocolate, although all had ad libitum access to standard rat chow. Rats allowed extended-access (18-23 hours) to the cafeteria diet had a marked increase in weight compared to those in the restricted-access (1 hour) or chow-only
This is indicative of a binge-like feeding behavior. In contrast, rats with extendedaccess consumed almost double the daily caloric intake, feeding exclusively on the cafeteria diet. Thus, the access to palatable high-fat food can induce addiction-like deficits in brain reward function which can motivate overeating and contribute to the development of obesity. At the molecular level, the authors discovered a reduction in striatal dopamine D2 receptors (D2R) in the brains of rats fed the high-fat diet. There was an inverse relationship between body weight and striatal D2R expression. The loss of striatal D2R was also found to contribute to the development of compulsive eating and increased reward threshold, in a manner analogous to rat drug addiction. Oh man, all this is making me crave a chocolate fudge sundae.
Wortzman, a Let’s Talk Science volunteer. Wortzman is currently pursuing his M.Sc. in immunology at U of T. His own interest in science was piqued at a young age, and he hopes to inspire that same sense of discovery in this year’s participants. “So many kids get intimidated by science,” he explains. “We want to make it fun and get them excited about science, so it’s not like work. They can be proud that they’ve studied for months and succeeded.” Students enrolled in the All Science Challenge receive a science handbook in January, that they pore over in the months leading up to the event. Participants go head-to-head with their peers from other schools on science,
engineering, and technology topics. Questions range in difficulty and can confound even the seasoned science whiz. Wortzman notes that at last year’s competition, the graduate student volunteer judges needed to look up the answers to most of them. The competition is designed to complement classroom curriculum and reinforce the importance of science education. In addition to a question and answer period, students must also tackle a hands-on design challenge. “It really fosters collaboration and other skills required by scientists,” says Wortzman. “It gives them perspective on what things will be like ten years from now when they’re in their twenties and at university.”
MELINDA MORTILLARO
MELINDA MORTILLARO
Cancer bad, science smash!
(0 hour) groups. Furthermore, prior to their exposure to the cafeteria diet the rats were assessed for their minimum stimulation intensity, or reward threshold. In the extended-access rats, the development of obesity was paralleled with a worsening deficit in brain reward function, meaning greater stimulation was necessary to reach a new threshold. Similar deficits in brain reward function have been observed in studies where rats were allowed to self-administer cocaine or heroin! The authors also evaluated the total caloric intake of the different feeding groups. Surprisingly, although the restricted-access group had a similar intake as the control chow-only group, they received only 33% of their daily calories from the normal rat chow. This means they consumed the remaining 66% of their daily caloric intake during the 1 hour access to the cafeteria diet!
All science Cont’d from page 1 popularity. On May 31, 220 students from elementary schools from across Toronto and over 40 volunteers from the three U of T campuses will gather in the Great Hall at Hart House for a full day of competition. The event is an initiative of Let’s Talk Science, a national, charitable organization focussed on promoting science to children and young adults through educational activities, research, and advocacy. “I thought it was such a good idea to get younger students excited about science,” says Mike
the arts
April 8, 2010
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The Budos Band Muscular modern music in a minor key YUKON DAMOV Based out of Brooklyn there is a label called Daptone that’s been renewing the New York funk and soul scene for the 21st Century. They act as if the eighties and nineties didn’t happen in some ways; they record purely on analog, producing the same rawness reminiscent of Sharon Jones and the Dap -- oh, wait. But although you can theoretically throw Daptone’s main act back into the late sixties to play their funky R&B next to James Brown, not only would The Budos Band be doing something that wouldn’t fit as cleanly into that era, but this band is too modern to let go. “The sound that we have now, it’s not from one source. So we take Fela (Kuti, pioneer of afrobeat music), we take some shit like American soul music, we take American rock and roll from the seventies and mix it together,” waxed a mildly drunk bass guitarist Daniel Foder before playing the Horseshoe last Thursday. “Modern American instrumental music”, quipped baritone saxophonist Jared Tanken. But somehow playing afrobeat/soul/funk/rock music and doing it raw is precisely the modern way. These guys probably weren’t even born before 1980. “They’re just about scaring little kids. That is what they’re music is about,” is how their producer Gabrielle Roth describes them. Daniel concurred: “We like to have a dark tone to our music! Like we’re fucking grown men, man! We get bored playing bullshit music. If
you’re gonna play that bright rainbow shit night after night you might as well slice your throat open.” But how menacing can instrumental afrobeat-soul music be? They just like to play notes in a minor key. Comprised of twelve members, the Budos Band creates a powerfully thick sound that filled the Horseshoe to capacity. Their funky guitar and funky bassline move the rhythm section that includes bongos and congas that all supports the lead baritone saxophonist and trumpet. That throaty baritone at the front does most of the heavy solo lifting. Beginning with a couple numbers off of their album to be released in May showcased their rock side, but did little to move the unsuspecting crowd. By the time they got to “Mas o Menos” they were in their mold (possibly to be labeled as ‘formulaic’ in the future) through to the crowd-pleaser “Origin of Man” before ending the night with a double encore.
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Hope for Hip Hop This is good hip hop ASCHILLE CLARKE-MENDES Toronto Free Gallery’s walls are coated with hip hop memorabilia; grand vinyl records dating back to 1982; a JUNO music trophy on a pedestal; a large portrait of prominent contributors; and radiant graffiti to decorate. BOOM magazines lay stacked in catalogue to one side. This is the space to commemorate and celebrate a movement that continues to dominate daily proceedings, occupying lots of our radio waves. The Bigger than Hip Hop Show (CHRY 105.5fm, Toronto) initiated the “T-Dot Pioneers,” hip hop exhibit from March 4 – April 18 to chronicle Canada’s vibrant hip hop culture throughout the years. This event coincided with the launch of their new website. Hip Hop, in its stratospheric rise to cultural prominence, finds its justifications in the appeal it generates from our youthful generation. In this respect, Toronto has been a central hub for which Hip Hop could mould its style and evolve as an art form. Project Manager, Mike Campbell (aka DJ Grumps) explains that due to their high Caribbean and Latino demography, “Toronto became a critical market for artists to test their material.” The register of which
includes Africa Bambatta, Grandmaster Flash, RUN DMC, DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince” He also claims that this information is largely unknown by most, due in large part to American music stations’ hegemony in the living room. As far as Much Music’s interest goes, “their market is to the youth, so they don’t care much for the history behind it. American networks ignore it altogether.” “The goal of this exhibition is to illuminate and archive these hidden histories while also providing a foundation for young people to have a link to the history and culture of hip hop as a major force in the actualization of personal voice and social advocacy”, says Campbell. The exhibit features in its extensive, interactive display a community timeline to engage members of the Hip Hop community in documenting their histories. Thus, a foundation of collective memory is built around the culture. T-Dot Pioneers showcases rare audio footage from community radio shows, archival video from b-boy battles, and artefacts, with visual innovations by Toronto graffiti artists Skam and Elicser. Toronto Free Galery is located at 1277 Bloor Street West, Toronto. Visit www.northsidehiphop.ca for more
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April 8, 2010
Across 1) Riddle Part 1 16) Uncooked 17) Shoe and accessory store 18) Debt note 19) Three, on a sundial 20) Egyptian sun god 21) Record label 22) Haze 23) Movie company 24) Diarist ___ Frank 26) Floor cleaner 27) Congress members 28) Indifferent response 29) Clarinet, for example 30) Birth certificates or drivers licences 33) Accomplished 35) Riddle Part 2 43) Maxims 44) Shock and ___ 45) Animal of Aries 46) Old Canadian department store 48) Informal salutation 51) Firefly (TV sci-fi series) captain 52) Puncture 55) Rim
57) Ensign, for short 61) Our southern neighbour 63) Riddle Part 3 67) Hopkins or Bourdain 68) Opposite of WSW 69) Also 70) Spanish currency, for short 73) Sick 77) ___ and behold 79) Genesis album 84) Err 86) Bavarian town 88) Ribbits 89) Riddle Part 4 92) Me (in French) 93) Grade 95) Final 99) Type of web feed 102) The ___ Pumpkins (band) 107) Snitch 108) Guitar progenitor 109) One way to win Tic-Tac-Toe 110) Bridge fee 111) Our star 112) Tech support 113) Slander 114) ___ Vegas
115) Massive continent 116) Wrestling company 117) Riddle Answer Down 1) Angers 2) Glory 3) Playground staple 4) Extinct elephant 5) Popular red Muppet 6) Scent (in American English) 7) Christmas drinks 8) Thailand, before 1939 9) Humble abode 10) Cry of pain 11) Dishonest person 12) Eat 13) Column 14) Yankees’ third baseman’s nickname 15) Thumps lightly 25) Whirlpool 26) Electronic bit music 31) Recent 32) Etobicoke art school 34) Suspicious 35) Reverse code engineering, for
MIKE WINTERS
ANDREW GYORKOS
the crossword
short 36) Epochs 37) Response to a wedding vow 38) Common Latin verb 39) Peaceful 40) ___ 2021 (animated TV series) 41) Ubiquitous hospital machine 42) Little devils 47) Judi Dench or Helen Mirren 49) Shade of green 50) Australian gem 53) British art gallery 54) Father of English history 56) Here (in French) 57) Praise highly 58) Extreme degree 59) Halt 60) Brand of bottled water 62) ___ and Stimpy 63) North Atlantic agreement 64) Brian ___ (electronic musician) 65) “I’m __ __ you!” (suspicious exclamation) 66) Baltimore bird 71) Cloth belt 72) Beer unit 74) Young sheep
75) National Association of Careers Colleges, for short 76) Oven setting 78) Palindrome name 80) Trumpet class? 81) Popular internet and IM provider 82) Most beautiful women (in Greek) 83) Berkeley Software Distribution, for short 85) American Technical Institute 87) Objectivist ___ Rand 90) Amo, amas, ___ 91) Factory 93) Gravel 94) Walkway 96) German car company 97) Top Gear’s enigmatic driver 98) Pianist and composer John ___ 99) Chocolate coated caramel candy 100) Fly high 101) Mediocre 102) Attribute 103) Type of pit at metal concerts 104) What George Washington couldn’t tell 105) Religious sisters 106) Tiny flying insect
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