the newspaper makes a list, checks it twice page 2
Arrogant Worms take xmas down a notch page 6
The University of Toronto’s Independent Weekly
Canada ranks second in world for roller derby page 5
Since 1978
VOL XXXIV Issue 13 • December 8, 2011
Law school finds funds to lay new foundation New and improved law building will give faculty, students the space they need
the briefs
World won’t end in 2012 You can breathe a little easier: the world isn’t going to end next year after all. According to a new interpretation of a Mayan tablet by a German anthropologist, the Mayas actually believed 2012 would bring a “transition to a new era,” not the apocalypse. Sven Gronemeyer, Professor at La Trobe University in Australia, said the 1300-yearold Mayan inscription predicts the return of the god Bolon Yokte on Dec. 21, 2012. This totally ruins the movie.
Talia Gordon
Last week, the University of Toronto Faculty of Law celebrated the launch of a $35-million dollar campaign to help fund the construction of their new $53-million building. The project is set to renovate the existing structure and build a new, expansive addition, both of which will provide faculty and staff with much needed space. With $19.4 million in private donations, and a hefty $18 million contribution from the University of Toronto, the successful campaign has set the faculty past the halfway mark to their funding goal. With this push, building construction has been slated to break ground in spring 2012. “For quite a long time we’ve
see page 3
Rendering of prospective law school expansion by Hariri-Pontarini Architects.
Mr. Kringle will see you now... This winter, the Eaton Centre is ending its century-old tradition of hour-long lineups to sit on Santa’s lap. Now, seeing the jolly old man requires a reservation: Children and their parents can sign up for “weekend story time sessions” with St. Nick, or they can book 10-minute Skype sessions with him online. For traditionalists, the
U of T alum twins tackle danger of concussions Former bio students, sisters Swapna and Sandhya Mylabathula, submit private member’s bill to prevent concussions After Sidney Crosby suffered a serious head injury last year, the issue of concussions was on the minds of many Canadians. U of T alumni and twin sisters, Swapna and Sandhya Mylabathula, are big hockey fan and were especially gripped by the story. The biology and nutritional science grads decided to draft and submit a private member’s bill to the House of Commons proposing to create a national program for concussion awareness. “We chose to develop the private member’s bill on concussions, which at that time was a growing issue in sports such as
hockey,” said Swapna. “Since then, this issue has catapulted to the forefront of public attention, and Sidney Crosby’s injury has really increased public attention in this area.” The Mylabathula twins began work on the bill in August 2010. With expert guidance from their Etobicoke North MP Kristy Duncan, the sisters worked hard to create a “comprehensive action plan” to inform and protect all Canadians from concussions. The goal of the bill is to make Canadians aware of the dangers of concussions, and how to prevent and treat them through a national strategy, awareness projects, and a cen-
tre for concussion research. “This proposal focuses on a broad population since the goal is to improve the lives of all Canadians affected by concussions. We began by focusing on sportrelated concussion, and now include other populations that may be at risk,” said Sandhya. The sisters are well on their way to making a mark at the national level, and have already earned a reputation as a... at U of T. Doug Richards, an Assistant Professor and Head Sport Physician at the Faculty of Physical Education, teaches the Mylabathula sisters (they are post-degree
see page 3
Inside this issue...
CORRIE JACKSON
Suzie Balabuch
^
More than meets the Eyeball page 6
2
THE NEWS
December 8, 2011
THE LIST
the newspaper gives gifts to some very special people
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the newspaper the newspaper is the University of Toronto’s independent weekly paper, published since 1978. VOL XXXIV No. 14
Editor-in-Chief Cara Sabatini
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Copy Editor Talia Gordon
Associate News Editor Yukon Damov
Arts Editor Vanessa Purdy
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Contributors
Associate Photo Editor Nana Arbova
Web Editor Andrew Walt the newspaper 1 Spadina Crescent Suite 245 Toronto, ON M5S 1A1
Nana Arbova, Aberdeen Berry, Suzie Balabuch, Bodi Bold, Samantha Chiusolo, Dan Christensen, Yukon Damov, Talia Gordon, Helene Goderis, Corrie Jackson, Vanessa Purdy, Nick Ragetli, Cara Sabatini, Andrew Walt .
Editorial: 416-593-1552 thenewspaper@gmail.com www.thenewspaper.ca
the newspaper is published by Planet Publications Inc., a nonprofit corporation. All U of T community members, including students, staff and faculty, are encouraged to contribute to the newspaper.
Halfway through the Advent calendar means it’s time to prepare for more than just the second coming of a failed mark in PHY101. It’s also our last chance before the New Year to show members of the U of T community just how much we at the newspaper appreciate them. The following people have made this publishing season possible and they deserve our recognition. To the Fine Arts Department Chair Elizabeth Legge, we give a pair of earplugs in anticipation of our next kegger here at 1 Spadina Crescent. We also apologize in advance (read: extend cordial invites) to the Fine Arts Masters students whose creative process will once again be disturbed by our creative process next semester. To the Dean of Architecture Richard M. Sommer, we give Mastering the Art of French Cooking. We hope Julia Child’s recipe book will prepare you for the numerous bake sales necessary to raise the tens of millions of dollars in funding for the faculty’s “very robust expansion” at 1 Spadina Crescent. Lest the building’s rich history be forgotten, we ask only that you bake a cheesecake in honour of Amelia Earhart (it was her favourite food), who first decided to fly here in 1918 while working as a nurse in the former military hospital. To members of our students’ union executive committee, we present you with Breakdance Step-By-Step on DVD. The complete beginner’s guide will show you how to entertain people at next year’s Annual General Meeting, during the interludes in which any technical difficulties are sorted out. This means you’ll have to beatbox too, but 11 months should provide ample time to learn the proper form. To the editors of The Varsity, we offer you the design expertise of our new staff mem-
ber for eight days and eight nights beginning December 20, as we’re all familiar with your fondness for the newspaper’s design editors. To the Unit 1 Members of Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 3902, we give our word that we will not show up for any tutorials from here on out in an effort to reduce class sizes. In the event that not all of our readers follow suit, we give to Chief Spokesperson James Nugent a pair of earmuffs to wear should he go on strike in the New Year. They’ll ward off frostbite during the frigid days on the Sid Smith patio and reduce the risk of permanent damage from the students’ vociferous cries of joy provoked by extended vacation time. To President David Naylor, we give something extra special, but please refrain from unwrapping it until 2030. The anticipation will make you appreciate it more. To the protesters who remain dedicated to the Occupy Toronto mission, we offer the spacious lobby of the Rotman School of Commerce building. It’s not technically public property, but it may be just the push the university needs to finish up that expansion. And it has indoor plumbing! To Rob Ford, we hope you accept this spare pair of stockings in the event that the original pair gets a run in them during your cameo in this year’s performance of The Nutcracker. And to our loyal readers, we promise another 13 quality issues of your independent weekly publication over the next semester. Finally, to those of you not included in the list (i.e. disloyal readers), we invite you to articulate your qualms in a letter to the editor Santa Claus. Happy holidays everyone. We’ll see you in the New Year.
from “briefs” Bay across the street from the Eaton Centre will still have the usual, walk-in Santa. Canadian mustaches raise most money in Movember During Movember, mustachioed Canadians raised $35m for prostate cancer research, more than any other country. An estimated 245,738 Canadians grew a stache for charity last month, including 75 MPs. It was thought that France had more participants, until it was discovered that French women are just naturally hairy. Lib MP Justin Trudeau said that he grew a Zorro-like goatee not only to raise money for a good cause, but also “to continue to promote the return of the much-maligned mo as a legitimate facial accessory for men across the land.” ‘Historic’ strike vote On November 30, Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) members voted 91 per cent in favour of a strike vote. This nearly unanimous support has now authorized the Union Head to call a strike should the University of Toronto administration fail to address key bargaining points, such as tutorial size, graduate funding packages, and other pertinent issues. The vote results, described as “historic,” will hopefully accelerate the bargaining process between CUPE and the university administration, which has been stalled since July.
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from “law building” had a pretty pressing need for improved physical space, particularly for students’ activities and better teaching facilities,” said U of T Faculty of Law Dean Mayo Moran. The campaign for a new structure to house the faculty was initiated a few years ago, and has relied on a great deal of input from the broader community, including faculty, staff, students and alumni, said Moran. The planning process also extended beyond the faculty, including “an international design competition, survey monkeys and all sorts of other stuff,” explained Moran. “We’ve had a huge amount of support for the design we’ve picked,” she added. Following the selection of a design by Hariri-Pontarini Architects, the faculty entered a quiet phase of fundraising until the recent campaign success presented cause for celebration. A large portion of the private funding has come from the law firm community; in particular, Osler, Hoskin and Harcourt LLP and Torys LLP, have each donated more than $2 million. Alumni have also been generous in their contributions. While the law program itself is always changing and improving, Moran emphasized that they are not planning any significant expansion of the faculty; rather the new building will provide
a new home for the current student and faculty body, and will support the enhanced services that have been introduced over the past few years. “What we’ve found over the 20 years since the last physical renewal is that students
working groups, all of which require space beyond what the current facilities can offer. The new building will also be highly accessible for people with mobility challenges, an element that the current space does not offer.
ran. Though the building will primarily serve the needs of the law faculty, they share a number of programs with other departments, through which are offered joint lectures and workshops. The new facility will offer additional
the package has been the actual physical space. “This campaign has really been about people,” explained Moran. “We have fantastic students and great faculty. The lack of space has been hampering us.” She added enthusiastically, “This
just do so many more things,” said the dean. “We’re adding a lot of space for these kind of co-curricular activities, as well as much better student service space for admissions, financial aid, career development.” Moran explained that the faculty supports a growing number of student journals, moot court competitions, probono activities and research
Aesthetically, the new structure will also be an improvement. The architectural layout of the building has been designed to place the main entrance off of the university from Philosopher’s Walk, at Hoskin street. “[The design] offers a much more welcoming connection to the rest of the university, which is really important,” offered Mo-
space for these endeavours. For the past number of years, the University of Toronto Faculty of Law has consistently been ranked at the top of the Maclean’s list of Canadian law schools. According to Moran, the only thing missing from
is an amazing place and it will be wonderful to have the space that enables us to really soar.”
from “concussion” students in several courses at the Faculty). Richards believes that the sisters can go the distance with their “tremendous” effort. “If they manage to get our governors to act in this way, we will all be better off for it - not just the hockey community,” Richards said. “It would be outstanding to get federal funding for a centre of excellence for concussion research, for example.” Sandhya and Swapna appreciate how their U of T education has helped them in the creation of this bill. Swapna praised the practical experience they gained in classes like Psychology of Injury and Rehabilitation and in Sports Medicine. “We were able to continue the project by doing a mini literature review as coursework, which helped us gain an understanding of the research that has been done, and the current state of the field, including questions that remain,” said Swapna. For the Mylabathula sisters, finding out how to prevent and treat this potentially devastating
3
THE NEWS
Dear Suzie
Something’s gotta give
Dear Suzie, Ever since we started dating, my boyfriend spends way too much on gifts. You may think, why is this brat complaining about being showered with expensive presents? Well, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows. His gifts make me feel inadequate because I could never afford to get him something of the same monetary value. With Christmas just around the corner, the stress of what to get him on my barely-there budget is overwhelming me. Help! Sincerely, Starving Student
Mylabathula sisters. Your guess is as good as mine. injury is of the highest importance. Swapna summed up their efforts: “One unique thing about this type of injury is that it is ‘invisible.’ It isn’t always apparent, as other musculoskeletal injuries might be. This is an example of why awareness and education about concussions is important.”
Dear Starving, Christmas is the season for giving, and for some people, this means dropping a load of money on presents for their loved ones. For others, it’s all about simple gestures and the little things. Starving, you need to open your mouth instead of your wallet if you want to solve this incompatibility in gift-giving. If your boyfriend is sensitive about this topic, be gentle, but firm in your decision to put a budget on both your gifts this year. Choose a number, and ask him to stick to it for both your sakes. At first, he will probably be a little hurt by your refusal to be showered with expensive gifts. Next, he might feel limited by the cap you’ve put on spending. In the end, though, a simple limit rule will enable him to get creative and it will let you feel like you are on the same page. Sincerely, Suzie Want to ask Suzie a question? Email Suzie at suzienewsie@gmail.com, or submit (anonymously, of course!) at www.thenewspaper.ca, in the blue box on the lower left.
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THE INSIDE
December 8, 2011
It’s All Pun and Gams Til Someone Gets Jammed Team Canada takes silver in first ever Roller Derby World Cup
ing the pack, with over 1,000 amateur leagues springing up across the country. This past weekend saw ToDespite losing 336-33 (not ronto take the world stage-- a typo) in a tense showdown or track--as host, for the first with Team USA, Team Canever Roller Derby World Cup. ada took Silver against 13 Derby has become one of the teams from around the world. fastest growing sports in the While most participants had world, and Canada is lead- to pay out of pocket for their Vanessa Purdy
Cup experience, Canada was supported largely by donations from the derby community. According to Ziv Kruger, Media Representative for the Roller Derby World Cup, “What we saw in Toronto for the first time was literally the Olympic-style fervour, and dedication and intensity when anyone plays a sport in the name of their country.” Despite their subculture status in the sports arena, some skaters fear a push towards the mainstream. “There’s no doubt in my mind that this is already happening; there are already skaters who feel that roller derby is losing some of its DIY attraction. But quite honestly, I think those feelings are misguided,” said Kruger. Candy Crossbones, aka Saira Peesker, co-captain of the Toronto Roller Derby team Chicks Ahoy, described derby as a natural match for her athletic nature. “I didn’t always feel like I fit in on other
teams, but when I heard about derby it seemed too weird not to give it a try. The women who play derby turned out to be really diverse but open minded, and it was a really encouraging atmosphere to learn something new.” Often overtly sexy, the sport is not all pun and gams. Kruger emphasized the feminist power of derby. “I know many women who have discovered the stronger part of their ego by learning to play a full-contact sport on wheels, and I think there’s something incredibly gratifying and unifying about going through that experience,” he said. For a sport with considerable herstory (derby started in 1935, taking its modern form in 2001), it has taken a while to arrive at the international playing field. According to Dale “Black Dahila” Rio, who co-founded derby magazine “Blood and Thunder” in 2006, the size of the community only re-
cently merited this scale of competition. “It seemed like a good time to put this competition together...and for the countries that are new to derby to learn from the more established countries,” she explained over email. Lopsided scores were a trend at the Cup. This issue will hopefully be resolved with the increased fostering of intra-and international games before the next World Cup in 2013, location TBA. Wherever it is, Team Canada will be there. Kruger concluded: “I think that’s the beauty of Roller Derby--it can be everywhere at once, and I think it can be ever more successful than many other professional sports because it has that appeal of being accessible to anyone who wants to do it.” Toronto Roller Derby’s season opener game is coming up on February 4th, 2012. For more information on getting involved with the local league, visit torontorollerderby.com
Not your average jingle bells The massive musical secret of Soldiers’ Tower Of all the buildings on campus, the Soldiers’ Tower is arguably the most beautiful. A memorial to the men and women who lost their lives in the First World War, the historic building houses a carillon that boasts an astounding 51 bells. Typically housed in churches or belfries like the Soldiers’ Tower, a carillon is a musical instrument consisting of cup-shaped bells, played serially to produce a melody. Two years ago, the university received a grant from the McLean Foundation supporting a program for students interested in learning to play this special instrument. the newspaper had the opportunity to speak to U of T’s own carillonneur, Roy Lee, who has been teaching students to play the carillon since 2001. When Lee went to Yale for his undergraduate degree, he was inspired to put his piano and
organ experience to use, and became a part of the Yale University Guild of Carillonneurs. Since its installation in 1927, the carillon in the Soldiers’ Tower has played an important role in the school community. “U of T is the only Canadian university with a carillon,” Lee explained. “So I feel it’s especially important that it has an active teaching program. The Soldiers’ Tower Carillon is also obviously part of the war memorial, and every time it is played it serves to draw attention to the tower and the reason for its existence.” Lee emphasized that the carillon doesn’t have to be an inaccessible instrument hidden away in the Tower. “Students learn that a variety of music can be played on the carillon, including music written specifically for the carillon over its 500-year history, arrangements of classical music, hymns and folk songs, but also pop songs from more modern times.” Sounds like music to our ears..
The annual holiday carillon recital will be at 2pm on Sunday at the Soldier’s Tower. For more information, visit my.alumni.utoronto.ca
HELENE GODERIS
Suzie Balabuch
Carilloneur Roy Lee plays a melody in Soldiers’ Tower
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5
THE INSIDE
Rockin’ around the Christmas Tree with Heartbeat Hotel Local band brings holiday cheer to the newsaper
The latest work from psychpop group Heartbeat Hotel has caused ripples in the Toronto indie scene and blogosphere. Their album, Intae Woe, earned four N’s from Now Magazine, and BlogTO wrote that they “point to the future of Toronto’s underground music scene.” the newspaper sat down with Chris Lyons and Adam Smith to share thoughts about their new album and the approaching holiday season. the newspaper: A review of Intae Woe in Now Magazine said you finally developed a distinct sound. Would you agree with their assessment? Chris: I guess they finally found it, yeah. Adam: I guess we came up with something that they thought was a distinct sound. I don’t know if we feel like we have. We’re
still searching for that. Chris: I feel like there’s a lot of emphasis put on [distinct sound] that isn’t necessarily warranted with a lot of acts. Take someone like Beck who does something different on every track he makes. I’m not opposed to that. tn: How do you perceive your own music? A: Spontaneous. None of it is really thought through all that thoroughly. It just comes and goes. C: Really it’s just like an outpouring of everything we listen to. We just take little snippets of everything we love and make it something new that ties in a lot of those elements that we think are really good. tn: You’ve clearly embraced the Internet and its sharing possibilities-providing your music online for free. How is it working out? A: We don’t like the idea
of having to charge for our music. There’s a certain expectation to sell some things. I mean it looks good if you can sell stuff. We’re somewhat trying to do that. C: It’s also less of a barrier for people … But we don’t make any money from this. We basically just pay for the projects we do, mainly out of own pockets. So we’re trying to sell this record to recuperate some of that. tn: As a local band, how do you find the music scene in Toronto as a place of collaboration? A: There are just so many people here that you’re bound to continue to meet people with similar interests. And whether it’s collaborating by playing shows together or just jamming for fun, there are always options. Toronto’s a great place to be. tn: What made you decide to record in a cabin at Mountain Lake?
C: We were looking for a place to record this thing . . . And Matt [band member at the time] said he had this cabbage [cottage+cabin] up north that we could use. So it sounded pretty perfect for us. It was up in the woods and on a nice little lake. We spent a week there with no one in our hair. It was great. tn: If we can talk about your music and your creative process for a bit-where does your inspiration come from? A: For me, it’s the city of Toronto. I have a lot of friends here who are heavily involved in the music community. They make me want to stay on par with them and not fall behind. It’s just fun to compete with your friends, as well. C: It’s like getting showand-tell every week. tn: On to seasonal stuff--do you believe in Santa Claus? C: I thought Andy was
Santa for a while but that didn’t quite pan out. A: Santa takes many forms. C: So I’m still looking out for who Santa is. It’s not this guy. tn: Complete the sentence: “When I think of eggnog I …” A: Wanna throw up. C: I think of very sorry nights. I also think of how much my mom loves buying eggnog. The midNovember eggnog shopping. It’s funny how early they stock that stuff. tn: What do we have to look forward to in the near future from HH? A: For the rest of the year we’re going to stay put, brewing some ideas. We’ve got a head start on some new things we want to put out in the New Year. Also … we’re probably going to get out a video or two of tracks from Intae Woe.
BODI BOLD
Yukon Damov
Festive sweaters were generously provided by Kensington Market’s Flashback
6
THE ARTS
December 8, 2011
A Canadian Christmas “Christmas has received pretty good press over the last few hundred years. Time to knock it down a peg or two.” - Arrogant Worms bassist Chris Patterson
A recent poll commissioned by Canada Post, showed that almost 90% of Canadian youth prefer physical rather than electronic greeting cards, and about three quarters of Canadians of all ages will send an average of twenty Christmas cards each this month. Of course, many of those may very well be addressed to the North Pole, H0H 0H0, as Canada Post’s campaign to get kids to write to Santa (actually retirees and post employees) enters its 29th year. We caught up with Chris Patterson, bassist and vocalist of the Canadian parody band The Arrogant Worms. The Worms’ successful holiday album, Christmas Turkey, featured darkly festive ditties like “Santa’s Gonna Kick Your Ass,” and the astute number “Christmas Hangover” over a decade ago. The band’s slightly macabre sense of mischief at Christmas is perhaps more necessary than ever in a world responsible for
a Bieber and Bublé Christmas. the newspaper: What is the importance of the holiday-themed novelty song? Chris Patterson: It's nice to have alternatives to the regular Christmas songs. Christmas can be funny so that should be reflected in the music. Christmas songs also let us know that Hallowe'en is over and it's time to start shopping. tn: What, to you, makes your Christmas 'Canadian'? CP: Freezing my face off on Christmas morning when I get a new toboggan. Temperature doesn't matter to kids with new toboggans. I remember spending a few winters in Saskatchewan and the temperature on Christmas Eve was minus 56 with windchill. Anyone who went out that night left their cars running so they didn't freeze. And not one car was stolen. That's pretty Canadian. tn: Any Christmas traditions you could do without? CP: Mariah Carey's Christmas album. tn: Christmas Turkey was very dark in many re-
spects; what's the value in adding this sort of material to the cultural cannon of cheesy holiday music? cp: Not everyone likes Mariah Carey. We made the album for those people. Christmas has received pretty good press over the last few hundred years. Time to knock it down a peg or two. tn: Christmas in Toronto: What do you like to do? cp: Besides seeing The Arrogant Worms at Hugh's Room on December 21, I must say that the Santa Clause parade is pretty great. Finding Christmas gravy at City Hall is fun too. tn: Deep down inside, do you believe in Santa Claus? CP: Absolutely. I've seen him a few times this year so far. tn: Any comment on the Christmas Shoes song? CP: I have friends who love that song and they are mocked accordingly. Not so much a fan of that one. And "shoes" and "please" don't rhyme. Whether it be listening to Stuart McLean’s Christmas
turkey story, watching the Queen’s Christmas speech from the throne, or singing the only really Canadian Christmas carol (the Huron Carol) there’s something special about Christmas in Canada.
This year, it’s unlikely we will see a repeat of the first recorded nation-wide white Christmas of 2008, but Canadians are nonetheless united by a sense of fun and tradition that is uniquely Canadian.
ABERDEEN BERRY
Vanessa Purdy
All eyes on Eyeball Student exhibition sets sights on bringing art to wider U of T community Vanessa Purdy Thursday December 8, the Gothic Revival building at 1 Spadina Crescent will once again host a University of Toronto hidden treasures, Eyeball. Organized by the Fine Arts Student Union, the annual showcase features work from the undergraduate Visual Arts program, and aims to expose the students’ accomplishments to the general University population. This is not an easy feat. “Among the wider university community here, it is a bit of a challenge to expose the visual arts,” said Shannon Garden-Smith, Co-
President of FASU this year. Visual Arts students face the task of creating meaningful art in the environment of a heavily academic institution that is rarely reputed for its cultivation of creativity or priority on artistic value. Fortunately, this does not diminish their passion. Given the academic focus of visual arts students here, there is the potential for art that tends toward the conceptual, and perhaps rooted in a more theoretical than experimental approach. This sets the stage for a showcase that reveals the intentions of its artists more explicitly than the average gallery. We’ve all stared at
a piece--perhaps a blank wall entitled “The Love of a Woman,” or perchance a spinning baby mobile made entirely of dolls’ heads, hanging from a ceiling over a giant black spot on the floor, aptly named “Georgia 1981”--and wondered, “But, what does it mean?” At Eyeball, the people who have the answers will be there, and they will be your peers. The exhibit’s unusual name pays homage to the history of the building at 1 Spadina Crescent. Its basement is the former home of the Eye Bank of Canada, which housed thousands of disembodied eyes prepped for transplant.
The coincidence of drawing that connection to a Visual Arts showcase was a pun too perfect to pass up. Visitors will be able to explore much of the space, including the studios of graduate students who choose to open their doors for the first time this year. New this year is the addition of guided tours. “We really wanted to have students play a larger role, and allow them to show the guests what they’ve been working on, and really represent the supportive community we have here,” Garden-Smith said. “We think that with the addition of student dossiers this year, it
will really help enhance the Eyeball experience and its public enjoyment overall.” The exhibit is a pleasant reminder of the presence of artists among us, toiling to create and share physical reflections of the student-and human--experience that we all can appreciate. Between computer glare, textbook induced myopia and lack of sleep, Eyeball is a much needed break for your strained eyes. Eyeball takes place Thursday December 8th, from 6 to 9 p.m. throughout 1 Spadina Crescent. The event is free and open to the public.
17. Shame covering leaf 18. Not shallow 19. Novel studies for short 20. Also 22. State of existence 24. Notion 26. Throw out; get ___ of 28. Provided care
Across 1. Fault 6. The loneliest number 9. Salmon or bass 13. Enthusiastic 14. Cooling device 15. Reverberation 16. Direct, as a car 1
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32. Bird’s bench 34. Not figuratively 36. Bar bonus 38. Be killed 39. Fail to win 40. Elderly 43. Immense weight, to an American 45. Epoch 47. Marry 48. Must have
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50. Lug behind 52. Have a seat 54. Full of vim and vigour 57. Gun holders 61. Tension 62. Siesta 64. Departed 65. Enter; go ___ 67. Nocturnal mammal 69. Cooking vessel 70. Refined wool 73. Charged atom 75. Subject 77. Lack of difficulty 78. Greek prefix of separation 79. Brook 80. Ogled 81. Psychotropic drug 82. Likely coin toss outcome
25. Assume a role 27. Accomplished 29. Lose speed; ___ down 30. Ultimatum 31. Coloured, as food or clothing 33. Strike 35. Stalemate 37. Possible capability 40. Singles 41. Period of fasting 42. Buck or doe 44. Negative adverb 46. Atmosphere 49. Emptied a basin 51. Triumph
53. Popular recess game 55. Tonic water liquor 56. Taxi 58. Imitated 59. Raps upon a door 60. Soundstage 63. Mend 66. Accident exclamation 68. Ripped 70. Behold 71. Wage 72. Application 74. Silent assent 76. Tiny green vegetable orb
The Puzzle Andrew Walt
Down 1. Next to 2. The second of two 3. Lifetime 4. Rendezvous 5. Mistake 6. Not on 7. Finger growth 8. Builds 9. Of the government 10. Frozen water 11. Feminine pronoun 12. Bunny bounce 19. Be firm; stiff upper ___ 21. Lubricate 23. Fashionable animal pelt
ASHTON OSMAK
The Crossword Andrew Walt
7
THE ARTS
THE BLOCKBUSTER
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Shame, the sexual (Fass)bender could use a Mulligan Latest work from McQueen gives us the tip of the iceberg, and we wish it would penetrate further Dan Christensen Shame makes no bones about its subject. Brandon Sullivan (Michael Fassbender) is a sex addict, and the film serves as a window to this all-consuming aspect of his life. Living in Manhattan only worsens his problem, as there is no better place to find that person who’s into exactly what you’re into, at three in the morning. His obsessions aren’t limited to other flesh-and-blood people. Brandon’s magazine cache puts the back of any dirty Yonge Street used bookshop to shame. His work computer is so filthy it has to be removed from his office for a thorough scrubbing, and his laptop is infected with obscenity to the point
that he discards it wholesale in a fit of guilty anxiety. A visit from his unruly sister Sissy (Carey Mulligan) does nothing but exacerbate his issues for the audience’s benefit. She causes legitimate frustration when she readily sleeps with Brandon’s lascivious boss (James Badge Dale). Further, as she foists herself upon him as a roommate, and uncannily as a temptress, we watch his sex obsession reveal its roots in a deeper intimacy problem. The disturbing and palpable sexual tension between the siblings makes for some of the film’s richest and most memorable points, captured only through the filmmaker’s use of subtext. We’re left to wonder: is Brandon afraid of what he is capable
of in the presence of his libidinous sister, or of what the two have done in the past? We don’t know whether to be thankful or disappointed that the pair never act on these urges. While such a plot point would make the film considerably more difficult to watch, it might inject a source of action into an otherwise static story. Shame is (naturally) the real focus here, and perhaps the paralysis that often comes as a result is what writer-director Steve McQueen (no relation) wishes to highlight: Brandon is shamed into stagnancy and silence. Despite inspired performances by Fassbender and the other lead actors, the protagonist’s struggle was a struggle to watch, barely keeping my attention.
Family bonding. McQueen attempted to let the bare facts of the film’s premise provide all of the impact. He underestimated how easy it is for most men to relate to Brandon’s issues, and how apparent the link between sex dependency and a fear of intimacy is to the average person. Though he succeeded in making (almost) all of the sex in the film thoroughly unsexy, his visuals walk a fine line between beauty and languidness. Though I
hesitate to say it in the context of a renowned British artist such as McQueen for fear of appearing obtuse, a whiff of pretension lingers in the style, and especially with regard to the conspicuous and frequent nudity. It remains an intriguing watch about the nature of addiction and what lies beneath its surface. However, the fact that a Turner prizewinner such as McQueen was unable to produce a more compelling narrative is simply a shame.
THE END
December 8, 2011
the mixtape Here's what the staff has on rotation at the newspaper office this week. Visit thenewspaper.ca to listen. Bodi – Bob Dylan, “Must be Santa” Dan – Sufjan Stevens, “Christmas in July” Cara – Arthur & You, “My White Elephant” Geoff -- Vince Guaraldi Trio, “O Tannenbaum” Suzie – Priscilla Ahn, “Silent Night” Nick – Bob Marley, “Christmas Reggae” Vanessa – Belle & Sebastian, “Santa Claus Go Straight to the Ghetto” Yukon – Bing Crosby, “O Holy Night” Sam - Dean Martin, “Baby it’s Cold Outside”
NICK RAGETLI
YULETIDE TUNES
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the campus comment
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the newspaper asked: Who would you want under the mistletoe with you?
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Alessandra, MATHEMATICS, 1ST YEAR “Sydney Crosby. I love hockey players.”
JULIA, ENGLISH, 4TH YEAR “Ryan Gosling because he seems like a good kisser.”
ZACK, ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES, 3RD YEAR “Anyone who is waiting there for me.”
ELENA & NOLAN, 2ND YEAR
BRYAN, POLITICAL SCIENCE, 4TH YEAR “It’s between Eva Mendes, Kate Beckinsale and Brad Pitt.”
NANA ARBOVA
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Alexander, LIFE SCIENCES, 1ST YEAR “Taylor Swift, she’s just beautiful.”
“Each other!”