Issue 22 - March 12 2009

1 Spadina Crescent, Suite 245, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A1 Phone: 416 593 1552 thenewspaper@thenewspaper.ca www.thenewspaper.ca

University of Toronto’s community newspaper Independent since 1978

March 12th – 18th, 2009 Vol. XXXI, No: 22

the newspaper

the newspaper write between the lines

the news

the arts

5 Explore the evolution of Evolution 4 STILL addicted: gambling & gaming reports 5 Governing Council candidates speak!

6 U of T Film Festival 7 Rust Belt Requiem?

6 Rainy days can’t keep Wavelength away

Dispatches from the Baths

Arcadia

Students take over the tubs

T-cubed

DAVID IVEY

ANDREW GYORKOS

University Life Bureau

Theatrical Arts Bureau

For those of you uninitiated into the world of clandestine cruising among gay men, a bathhouse is essentially a place with many small rooms, lockers and a hot tub/sauna where men go for discrete and, more often than not, anonymous sex. Yes, such things indeed exist outside of late night cable and Europe, and yes, there are many of them scattered all over Toronto. If this is news to you, I understand you may need a moment to wrap your head around that.

When I first got word of a student bathhouse event, I’ll admit I was somewhat wary. I had worked in a bathhouse for almost a year and knew that while a large number of university age students attended the tubs, they

Thermodynamics, Theodolites, and Tortoises If you consider the difference in resultant eyebrow elevation when mentioning Jerry Springer: The Opera and Tom Stoppard’s Arcadia, you might deem Hart House’s 2008/2009 theatre season to be somewhat strange.

This year has seen the obligatory Shakespeare, bananas, transvestites and now a scandalous idyllic country home. It is quite a motley assortment of reflection and Arcadia caps the whole season off wonderfully. Luckily, there’s still several shows left, so you don’t have to miss the season finale.

Arcadia follows the lives of the residents of Sidley Park, a house in the English countryside, at two different points in time – a span of almost two hundred years.

In the early 19th century, the house belongs to the Coverlys.

Thomasina Coverly is a thirteen year old daughter at the house who is precocious and intelligent beyond her years, largely thanks to Septimus Hodge, her tutor.

Hodge is as much a scholar as he is a devilish rake, and engages in numerous affairs with the residents of the Park during his stay. The wife of minor poet Ezra Chater is one of the many objects of Septimus’ affection, and the trysts between the two are what lead to a mysterious series of events attempting to be uncovered by the patrons of Sidley Park in the present.

A hermitage was built in Sidley Park during Thomasina and Septimus’ time at the residence.

Hannah Jarvis is a present day author investigating the significance and elusive hermit of the building, while Bernard Nightingale is at the same time pursuing similar answers, with additional connections to Lord Byron. Both work apprehensively

Naked Twister!

Photo: Wingo Digital Studio

No Nukes Greenpeace speaks out SUGANTHAN THIVAKARAN Community Concerns Bureau

How far away do you live from the Pickering nuclear reactors?

For around 2.5 million people, many of whom attend the University of Toronto, the distance is within 30 km. If a nuclear accident such as that at Chernobyl were ever to occur, the impact on the City of Toronto would be devastating.

These apocalyptic concerns

Samantha Stone (top) and Corey Scott

Photo: Wingo Digital Studio

did this alone or in small groups.

It was rare, I thought, for a mass of twinks to openly attend an event so deeply associated with sex. Moreover, this event promised to be a mixed gender event which would embrace males, females, and those who fall somewhere within the transgender spectrum.

But on secondary consideration: Sex positive? Open to all genders? Hot tub?! Okay, now

this was something I wasn’t going to miss.

Packing my bag of necessities (on which we shan’t go into in detail), I made the trek to St. Marc’s Spa. Following a pass through the prerequisite discrete entrance and an elevator ride to the 4th floor above the Yonge and Wellesley LCBO, it was within just a few moments that

may sound outlandish, but they are justifiable when considering that the existing four nuclear reactors in Pickering are the oldest commercial reactors in Canada. Hence, Greenpeace’s latest campaign is a push to halt Ontario’s Energy Minister, George Smitherman, from spending billions of dollars refurbishing the Pickering Reactors and building new reactors.

Investing in nuclear energy most often results in massive amounts of wasted funds, not to mention plenty of radioactive waste. Greenpeace is urging George Smitherman to invest in Green Energy instead; that

is, wind, solar, geothermal, hydropower and other renewable sources of energy.

Greenpeace will be bringing its message to the University of Toronto with a Teach-In on the truth of nuclear energy from March 13th-14th. On the 13th there will be a screening of the film Battle of Chernobyl at Earth Sciences Auditorium (ES 1050) at 7pm; while on the 14th, there will be workshops held from 10am to 4pm in the Koffler Centre.

The events are free to University of Toronto students while for non-students the price is $25 or pay-what-you-can.

“Bath” - Continued on page 5...

Arcadia 1: Arcadia, playing at Hart House Theatre, is the first 100% U of T Photo: Daniel Di Marco student cast

together with the assistance of Chloe, Gus and Valentine Coverly, the current generation of the family that presides over Sidley Park. Through the bickering and arguments, the five intellectuals gradually find the answers they are looking for.

Arcadia is a highbrow performance written with an intellectual crowd in mind. The subject matter is varied and dense, and likely more than a little arcane for most people. While the programme does offer a helpful handful of lines giving a quick definition of the more obscure subjects, Arcadia makes no concession for the audience’s ignorance. Those who don’t know their laws of thermodynamics from their theodolites may be in for a rough time; epistemology, Newtonian laws, classicism vs. romanticism, chaos theory, and determinism are just a selection of the topics discussed at length.

But despite the erudite subject matter, the characters are remarkably engaging even if their “Arc” - Continued on page 7...

2 the newspaper

March 12th – 18th, 2009

the newspaper

the inside

Publisher Matthew Pope

THE TABLE OF CONTENTS

News Editor

Arts Editor

Ashley Minuk

Helene Goderis

Associate Editor

the front page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 the inside . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 the editorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 the news . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4, 5 the arts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6, 7 the puzzles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 the end . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

All work and no play makes Jeff a dull boy... but he does it because he believes in it.

Crazy, I know.

Ari Simha

Administrative Assistant

Layout & Design

Caroline George

Jeffrey Spiers

Copy Editors

Photo Editor

Elisabeth Bennet, Michelle Ferreira, Tayyaba Jiwani

Sam Catalfamo

Contributors Will Campbell, Zayne Dattu, Albert Delitala, Natalie Rae Dubois,Hannah Fleisher, Andrew Gyorkos, David Ivey, Michael Motala, Mathiaus Poe, Thomas Shifrer, Jake Steinmetz, Suganthan Thivakaran, Fariya Walji

Ads & Marketing Peter Josselyn ads@thenewspaper.ca

the mission statement the newspaper is proud to be University of Toronto’s ONLY independent community news source. We look to our readers and contributors to ensure we provide a consistently superior product. Our purpose is to provide a voice for university students, staff, faculty and U of T’s extended community.

This voice may at times be irreverent but it will never be irrelevant.

write between the lines

CALL FOR EDITORS the newspaper will be holding its annual editorial staff elections on Thursday, April 16th, 2009 @ 5pm

the campus comment HANNAH FLEISHER

There is discussion of raising TTC fares from $2.75 to $3.00, raising the Metropass from $109 per month to $121 per month. Will this deter you from taking the TTC? Do you mind paying higher fares, which are supposed to subsidize more frequent service?

OPEN POSITIONS: News Editor Arts Editor These are paid positions. Each requires a time commitment of approximately 20 hours per week.

Hayyah Clairman - 1st year - Life Science

Dalma Ricci - 1st year - Humanities/Film Studies

“Don’t they have enough of our money, already?”

“This is ridiculous! Obviously I care! Our tuition is already high and now we have to pay more for transportation?! What is this?! ”

Anyone who has had 3 or more articles published this year is eligible to run.

A Statement of Intent and resume should be sent to thenewspaper@thenewpspaer.ca no later than April 9th.

Anyone who has contributed three pieces this year has a vote and should be present on voting day to elect next year’s editors.

We welcome all hopefuls and look forward to seeing you all on voting day.

Danielle Kei - 4th year - Economics/Statistics

“Yeah I would mind! Oh my god, that’s so expensive, as a res student I wont really be riding the TTC much. Oh my god that’s ridiculous, it’s a recession, students need a discount!”

Junghwan Choi - 2nd year - Life Science

Angelo Vaccaro - 1st year - Classical Civilazations

“This is one of the worst ideas I’ve heard, considering the raises

“Well, it sucks because we need to take the subway, regardless

in other fees in university.”

of a 25 cent raise. It’s something we cannot just choose to take, either way we need it for transportation. And, what do you expect with minimum wage increasing in April, everything else is going to increase as well.”

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March 12th – 18th, 2009

the editorial I hate People Intelligent life?

MATHIAUS POE Opinion Column Bureau “Sometimes I think the surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that none of it has tried to contact us.”

– Bill Watterson With the historic launch of the Kepler telescope this week we, as a species, embark on another exciting phase of our development. We attack a fundamental question that one NASA official says is “part of our genetic code”: ‘are we alone?’

The Kepler Mission, NASA Discovery mission #10, is specifically designed to survey our region of the Milky Way galaxy to discover hundreds of Earth-size and smaller planets in or near the habitable zone and determine how many of the billions of stars in our galaxy have such planets. - kepler. nasa.gov/about Believe it or not, I have known more than a few people who actually have ZERO interest in seeking answers to these kinds of questions. Moreover, they feel we waste time, energy, and money by seeking to answer them. Like many of you reading this, I am flabbergasted by such minds.

Apparently some people haven’t received the genetic memo.

I did not travel back in time nor am I relating a tale from my days spent living amongst our American friends; I wish I could say that were so. No, I am referring to experiences I had over the summer while taking classes with a group of People so intellectually backwards that they universally agreed that diagnostic medicine is a waste and they “would rather not know”; that “doctors don’t know much of anything” and that they would rather wait to have God heal them. I swear that I am not making a word of this up or exaggerating in any way. These conversations left a taste so foul in my mouth that I cannot forget a single ignorant line.

They are here, they are among us, and they are everywhere.

The person sitting next to you right now could very well be one of these intellectual luddites.

They look just like everyone else, come from all walks of life, and can even keep their 19th century minds hidden in casual conversation. The only way to expose them is to ask intelligent questions about the basic benefits of modern life, like medicine.

I realize that not everyone is capable of constructing these kinds of questions, but I’m sure

that there must be at least a handful of people in my readership who are capable of outing these viral morons.

Recent estimates put our galaxy’s size in the neighbourhood of 400 billion stars, and that’s only our home galaxy. The number of stars with planets in our neighbourhood is 289 and rising daily. When you start to include the staggering number of neighbouring galaxies like Andromeda, the odds of intel-

ligent life elsewhere start to look promising. Despite the debate about “Rare Earth” and the problems with the Drake equation, you would be hard pressed to find anyone of note who will say the odds of intelligent life are zero. Just the sheer possibility, and what it could mean for our ability to smash the minds of intellectual luddites, is enough to press on in the search.

My current line of thinking is that those who see no benefit to space exploration, or any other scientific endeavour like medical research, should not be privy to its benefits. If you think space programs are a waste of time

and money, then say goodbye to things like microwaves and Velcro. Think diagnostic equipment is pointless and over-expensive? Perhaps you should check your chakra to see why your hair is falling out. Don’t think humans should mess with medicine? Pray to your god to cure your retroviral afflictions.

There are people much more open-minded (and desperate) than you, all over the world who would be happy to take these gifts in your stead.

Then again, there is a part of me that hopes we are never found by an intelligent civilization. What would we do with all

these People? It would be like inviting your new boss home for dinner and having to try and hide your idiot brother who just can’t stop crapping his pants. If our new visitors from beyond the terrestrial system came to find our planet covered with all the morons we’re currently inundated with, they’d leave and never return.

It’s best to think positively, though. In the immortal words of Monty Python: “Pray that there’s intelligent life somewhere up in space because there’s bugger-all down here on Earth.”

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March 12th – 18th, 2009

the news Video & mind games What keeps gamers hooked THOMAS SHIFRER Mental Health Bureau

Thomas’ brother is too busy to give his name in a desperate gaming frenzy.

Photo: Thomas Shifrer

Last week, I wrote an article on the growing issue of video game addiction, citing examples of out-of-control video gaming and investigated how governments and communities are battling the growing issue. This week, I get into the finer details: the strategies game developers use to keep gamers playing (and in some cases, paying) and how excessive video gaming can affect everything from your grades to your relationships with other people.

So why are video games becoming such a problem? Super Mario Bros. was around before the year 2000 and Pong before that, so it’s not as though gaming is a new phenomenon. The past few years, however, have seen an onslaught of high quality and cleverly marketed game consoles, not to mention online games, spawning a new era of

video gaming. According to The NPD Group, a leading market research provider, Canada’s video game sales have more than doubled over the last two years and remain strong despite a dwindling economy.

Furthermore, game developers are using increasingly sophisticated approaches to keep people playing their games. The notorious World of Warcraft (WoW), for example, is a multi-player online game that never really ends. “Have you beat the game yet?” is not a viable question for a game that is constantly evolving.

The notoriously popular Call of Duty 4 has a multiplayer ranking system that allows players to frequently “level up.” Once you reach the max level, you can become a “prestige” player, reset your levels, and play all over again! This lack of closure within the game keeps players hooked;

Evolution of Evolution Celebrating Darwin in 2009 JAKE STEINMETZ Evolutionary Sciences Bureau [Part 1 0f 3] Just before U of T students turned off their headlights for Reading Week, scientists and others across the globe celebrated one of science’s brightest beacons and the birth of his earth-shattering theory. On February 12th, Charles Darwin turned 200, and his most significant work, On the Origin of Species, also celebrated 150 years of existence.

Richard Dawkins, famed scientist and notorious Goddenouncer, claims that On the Origin of Species “gave biology its guiding principle, a governing law that helps the rest make sense.”

However, the anniversary points also to the broader, polarized landscape that persistently enshrouds Darwin’s theory in controversy despite

overwhelming concrete evidence in its favor. For instance, this past year saw the release of Ben Stein’s Expelled, a production condemning the American politics that have hindered equal treatment of Intelligent Design in school curricula. At the same time, Richard Dawkins released The Genius of Darwin (2009), an acclamation of one of science’s most heralded contributors. Both the BBC and PBS also held month long specials paying homage to the contributions of Darwin, and Scientific American dedicated its February issue to him.

Yet even those that hailed Darwin as a protagonist of scientific understanding could not avoid touching on the extreme divide that ensues today. Darwin’s theory still remains a hot topic, especially among American Christian fundamentalists,

Addiction for illness Treatments induce problem gambling ANDREW GYORKOS there is always one more level to get, one more item to obtain, five more monsters to kill. The ultimate goal – becoming the most powerful and respected character on the server – is always barely within reach.

This carrot-on-a-stick (ironically, an item in the game) mechanism offers players incentives to keep playing and is one of the main reasons people toil away for hours on WoW or other games. It’s what drives players to keep renewing their gaming subscriptions (when I played, it was $42.00 for every two months).

Preying on people’s sense of accomplishment and desire to win, video games can induce a drug-like state, which is precisely what can lead to addiction.

Indeed, despite the obvious detrimental effects of excessive gaming (lack of exercise and lack of face-to-face interaction), these games, much like drugs or alcohol, can become all you think about. Instead of solving that equation in class, you’re pondering the best strategy to kill Illidan in the Black Keep. When a concerned friend (or even worse, a significant other) drags you out to a party, you remain irritable and antisocial. These are a few symptoms that indicate you’re on the path to becoming addicted to your favorite game.

And I should know – I’m off right now to play some Call of Duty. Please, take the information you’ve learned here and make sure you, and your loved ones, don’t turn out like me.

who have trouble reconciling natural selection with creation as documented in the Old Testament. Nevertheless, many people and institutions, both religious and secular, are taking the opportunity to celebrate this landmark year as testimony to the strength of Darwin’s theory.

Clergies across the country celebrated the fourth annual “Evolution Sunday” (in conjunction with “Evolution Weekend”), in which, “sermons, discussion groups, meaningful conversations and seminars… will show that religion and science are not adversaries.” More than one thousand parishes across America took part in the event, nearly double the number since its conception in 2005. Michael Zimmerman, Dean of Butler University (sponsor of the budding annual tradition) maintains that despite certain aspects of evolution that conflict with faith, the movement has “embraced [evolution] as a core component of human knowledge.”

Even the Vatican recognized the legacy of this thinker and his milestone theories. Though denying that it is a celebration

Mental Health Bureau What do Parkinson’s disease and gambling addiction have in common? More than you think, as researchers at the Montreal Neurological Institute may have proven. The connection between degenerative disorders suffered

by Parkinson’s patients and the common twitches and neuroses of drug abusers may seem farfetched, but would you believe that what causes relief for one illness could be the trigger for the other?

The symptoms of Parkinson’s disease such as tremors, stiffness, and an introverted disposition arise from a dopamine deficiency.

To alleviate these ailments, doctors often prescribe dopamine supplements. However, too much dopamine can have adverse neurological effects for the patient and can create changes in personality, typically manifesting as compulsive shopping, hyper-sexuality, and gambling addiction.

“In some instances, Parkinson’s disease patients become addicted to their own medication,” said Alain Daghar, a neurologist at the MNI and member of the research team that noted this trend. “With Parkinson’s disease, you give a drug to increase dopamine in order to relieve symptoms. Some people get overdosed, and one of the effects appears to be the development of addictions, especially pathological gambling.”

The convenient solution to problem gambling in Parkinson’s patients is simply to monitor

dopamine use, ensuring that they don’t receive too much of a good thing. More interestingly, excessive gambling actually appears to cause an adverse chemical connection in the brain. If a person is unable to tear themselves away from their poker chips, there might be a medical treatment in the cards to help.

Still, using a chemical cure for a problem that is not inherently chemical seems like an extreme measure. Unlike the drug addict, the gambling addict’s chemistry is not being destroyed by sticking a needle in their veins; it’s a compulsion to play just one more hand or give that one-armed-bandit just one more pull. In fact, the core mechanic of gambling is one that can be identified in many sports, hobbies, and even video games.

All activities in their purest form rely on one basic hook: learning (and eventually mastery) through repetition. While this principle is seen primarily as skill-building in sports and hobbies, many see it as alien or bizarre when it’s applied to video games and gambling. After all, when was the last time someone was chastised for proudly announcing their addiction to basketball or music?

As researchers investigate the inner workings of the brain, they continue to elucidate the mechanisms behind addiction, with hope that a broader understanding of complex neurological networks may one day lead to a cure for gambling addiction.

of Darwin, the Vatican will be holding the event “Biological Evolution: Facts and Fiction” from March 3rd to 7th to discuss the significance of Darwin’s theory and its implications on Christian faith. Vatican officials maintain, along with the creed of those participating in Evolution Sunday, that Darwin’s theory does not mutually exclude faith.

President of the Pontifical Council for Culture, Cardinal Paul Poupard feels that Christian fundamentalists have unnecessarily aggravated the division between Christianity and science by giving a scientific meaning to

biblical creationism, which was not intended to have a scientific aim. In fact, according to the Cardinal, the true aim of Genesis and the creation story, which is often thought to have been negated by Darwin’s theory, is that “the universe didn’t make itself.”

Rather, it “had a creator.”

While the status of Darwin’s principles, for many, is one of regal splendor, the history of Darwin’s life and discoveries, along with its applications, remains to be examined. In the next installment of the newspaper, I plan to navigate the murky waters of these issues.

Toronto police, racist?

WILL CAMPBELL

A complaint has been filed with the Ontario Human Rights Commission by a black Crown attorney accusing the Toronto police of racism. In 1995, a government commission found anti-black racism throughout this province’s criminal justice system.

Toronto police spokesman Mark

Pugash says the police force “has transformed [the] way it looks at race and policing issues” since the ‘90s. Is this latest accusation an isolated one, or does widespread racism in the justice system remain? The full story next week.

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March 12th – 18th, 2009

the news

cont’d

The newspaper’s GC candidate questionnaire 1. What inspired you to run for governing council?

2. As you understand it, what would be your duties and responsibilities as a Student Governor?

3. What are the key points to your platform and why are these issues important?

4. How you do hope to inspire or restore voting confidence after almost two years of widely-acknowledged conflict in student governing bodies?

5. What makes you stand out amongst all the other GC candidates?

Governing Council Meet the press-friendly candidates ASHLEY MINUK, MATTHEW POPE, ARI SIMHA University Politics Bureau Zayne Dattu

Albert Delitala

1. When I heard that student representatives on the Governing council voted on 2030 without major consultation with the students. If I were elected, I would not make any final decision until consulting my fellow students.

2. I would oversee the University’s academic and business affairs, as well as the long-term health of the University. Some claim this means going against student interests but I disagree. I do not see student interests as contradictory to the long-term health of UofT. 3.. Smaller Class Sizes – Students say they feel like a number because they are in huge lecture classes. Smaller class sizes benefit both students and teachers.

A fair deal on tuition – I will not vote for a tuition increase unless the administration can prove that education will greatly suffer. Even then, I will consult with students before I make my final decision.

Better and more organic food choices – Students often complain that they cannot get healthy and tasty food on campus. I support having more student owned restaurants/cafes.

4. First of all, your vote matters. The last election was won by around five votes. I plan to work with all student-governing bodies, but I am not interested in petty conflicts. I just want to get things done for the students.

5. Most of the candidates say they will work with the administration. I would work with the faculty. You see, the faculty and the administration do not always see eye to eye. If we get support from professors, we could get our ideas passed.

1. Students commonly believe that the council often acts in ways that hurt students and that there is little that can be done about it. I want to prove these sentiments to be untrue.

2. I would continually engage in a dialogue with my constituents to understand their concerns. I will vote only after considering the possible consequences to my constituents and the university in the short- and long-term.

3. The student body at UofT should be better represented. There are currently only two governors representing full-time undergraduate students registered in the Faculty of Arts and Science on the St. George campus, the Mississauga campus (UTM) and the Scarborough campus (UTSC) combined. If I am elected, I will work to see this constituency broken into three: one governor for A&S St. George, one for UTM, and one for UTSC. A better represented student body would be more inclined to participate in the campus politics.

4. I will always vote in the best interest of the U of T community. I will describe the issues on an online forum and explain why I voted the way I did. Anyone will be able to comment on these postings or e-mail me his or her opinions.

5. Having taken courses on the university’s St. George and Mississauga campuses as well as abroad in Hong Kong, I have experienced the university from many perspectives. This allows me to better see the big picture. My decisions will always take into account my entire constituency.

Michael Motala

Fariya Walji 1. The Need for Change. I’ve heard the concerns of students from different campuses, and I realized I could make a difference. Governing Council was my avenue to voice change.

2. I would be involved in changes that could affect the university years from now. The role of Student Governor is to represent the student voice. Students are under-represented in the population of Governing Council, but are the majority population of this university. The student body must elect strong leaders who will represent the majority view about what changes need to occur at Uof T. 3. Lowering Fees, Increasing Scholarships/Financial Aid and Promoting a Louder Student Voice. I would work with the administration to find solutions to the financial challenges that students face, and I would support clubs, student initiatives and programs, minority groups etc. so students can have opportunities outside the academia and feel a greater sense of community 4. Student governing bodies tend to address issues that are not as important to students, and when they do make decisions about what could significantly affect students – like fees – there is a lack of attention to student response. I would focus on student views and how to reconcile them with those of the administration.

5. I can relate to students because I’ve studied at two UofT campuses in disciplines across departments, I’ve commuted and lived on residence, and I hold executive positions in student clubs. I can represent students fairly from all perspectives, because I have more than the knowledge; I have the experience.

...“Bath” - Continued from page 5

I received a key to a discounted room (at five dollars, it was a quarter of the average room price at the tubs).

Upon entering, I found myself in what was well described as “chicken soup” by hostess/drag entertainer Samantha Stone: the lounge/bar area of the club was chock full of college age lovelies. Venturing forth, I spent

Corey Scott (left) and Samantha Stone Photo: Wingo Digital Studio

the night chatting with people I hadn’t seen in a long while, and thoroughly enjoying the amenities (yes, the sauna, thank you very much).

Yet in all my bathhousewisdom, I couldn’t help feeling initially that the event lacked much for someone aiming for a usual trip to the tubs. However, the event wasn’t meant to be a normal bathhouse – it was meant to be a party. When I talked to Corey Scott, the Internal Coordinator for U of T’s LGBTOUT who helped organize the event, he expressed a desire to create a social space within the overtly sexual setting of the bathhouse as a way to demystify what for many young queers can be seen as a dirty and secretive space.

I think it was a smart move.

Indeed, in my own surveying of people, I found myself rather lonely on the list of previous bathhouse attendees. So kudos to St Marc’s Spa and LGBTOUT for holding this event, allowing youth of all stripes to dip their

feet into the world of bathhouses without risking stigma or shame.

This event has shown that there is nothing wrong with being social about the sexual; on the contrary, sex positivity and sexual freedom should be encouraged. And when certain boundaries can be respected, people of all genders can in fact play in the same space. So go henceforth and play – and remember that the hottest kind of sex is safe sex.

1. There are a host of problems and issues that need addressing. The deadlock between campus groups and the administration, 2030, the shrinking endowment, sustainability, the integration of UTM and UTSC, issues such as racial marginalization, LGBTQ visibility, and the level of inclusivity on campus. I feel the best place to start is with collaboration – between students, student leaders, administrators, and politicians.

2. The Student Governor is expected to attend every meeting of the Governing Council, and sit on boards/committees. I’m interested in seizing the full potential of the role, not just fulfilling the prescription. I will engage in the shove and grunt work of real leadership – change will only happen when every student is part of the decision-making process.

3. My platform focuses heavily on issues every student has a stake in, like 2030 and sustainability. I also focus on LGBTQ and international students.

4. The best strategy begins with engagement – increased engagement between student leaders and their constituents, and increased engagement amongst student leaders themselves. There is no cure for apathy. However, if students know what’s at stake, and what can be done through collaboration, I’m sure more will engage themselves in decision-making.

5. I bring breadth of experience, a clear agenda, and a level of enthusiasm which sets me apart from the other candidates. I come from the grassroots – course unions, ASSU, Varsity sports, research, LGBTQ advocacy, and sustainability initiatives.

6 the newspaper

March 12th – 18th, 2009

the arts U of T Film Festival

BEER • WINGS • POOL • JAVA SPORTS • JUKEBOX • SPIRITS EVENTS • OPEN STAGE • GAMES

Wavelength #453

Short films for short attention spans Bright notes on a gloomy day ANDREW GYORKOS

JAKE STEINMETZ

Cinematic Arts Bureau

Music Bureau

The annual U of T Film Festival began this past Monday and will be running until Saturday, March 14th, proudly showcasing the talents of Toronto filmmakers for the eighth consecutive year. I had the opportunity to watch the short films that will be aired on the closing nights of the event, and the catalogue is an impressively diverse sampling of many different filmmaking genres, techniques and styles.

Thursday night features the second batch of open call student-submitted short films, the first of which ran on Monday night. Of the more engaging films on display, “Keeping the Bees” is a documentary exploring the causes and effects of human dependency on honey bees.

“Boyfriend Latte” examines the relationship between a sassy female executive and the latte she’s romantically involved with. “Shikashika” offers a highly enjoyable look at how a popular confection is enjoyed in the Peruvian Andes while the hilarious computer animated “Resume on Demand” finds a powerful overlord looking for a career change.

Friday night’s schedule features the Sh*tty Film contest, which honours terrible films with terrible prizes. The movies on display are deliberately awful, completely disregarding the conventions of fine filmmaking in favour of a quick, cheap laugh.

“Rocky 2009” and “Lampreydator” both clock in at under a minute, while “Suggested Opening for $20,000 Pyramid” might be considered laudable for its potential to induce seizures. The Spotlight on Cinema Studies Students follows immediately afterwards and features material from the Cinema Studies Program at Innis College. Of the four films on display, “The Vintage Thinker” manages to impress with its peculiar style, kinetic narrative and highly effective music selection.

Saturday ends the festival with the Hart House Film Board Gala, showing two separate collections of short films arranged in 70

minute screenings, all vying for the affections of the Film Board jury and cash prizes. Part one starts strong with a feud between street performers in “2 Kings” and the satirical “Generico presents: The Recession Proof Professional,” but quickly tapers into tedium with films that lack a distinct objective and are somewhat insipid.

Part two is a markedly stronger lineup which begins with the 37 minute long “Donors,” a film that puts a novel twist on the vampire medium and does so with noticeable flair. “There’s Always Hope” is a short joke with a solid punch-line; “Silence of the Lambs Sweded” is identical to the 1991 classic with all the boring bits cut out, while “My Beloved Monster and Me” is an animated comedy that appears to be designed entirely in Garry’s Mod. A special call went out on the U of T Film Festival website for entries into the 1st Annual Sweding Contest. “Sweding” is a term derived from the 2008 film “Be Kind Rewind” that essentially means to poorly parody a popular film within the smallest budget and running time possible. Unfortunately, filmmakers Matthew McGrath and Nicole Bauzin were the only ones to answer the call. “I don’t know what we’ll end up doing with the Sweding contest,” said Festival Director Rick Palidwor.

“We might try it again next year, we might not.” If the turnout of the contest’s inaugural year is any indication, the possibility of a 2nd Annual Sweding Contest seems dubious, which is unfortunate since “Silence of the Lambs Sweded” is immensely enjoyable.

All films are being shown at Innis Town Hall, 2 Sussex Ave. There are two screenings per night at 7:00 and 8:30, except on Friday when the feature is free and scheduled to begin at 8:00.

Save for the CINSSU sponsored Free Friday Films, tickets are $5 for students/seniors, and $8 for general admission.

On a brisk Sunday evening, tall silver clouds lined Toronto skies, heaving down rain on unfortunate pedestrians. Nonetheless, a courageous few congregated at Sneaky Dee’s this past week to absorb the warm sounds that effaced the chill of the abysmal outdoors.

While audience members dried off, they were treated to the musical selections of DJ Michael J Brown, gradually flocking barside in search of cheap beer. When the band members of Swiss Dice eventually took the stage, a steady few had migrated onto the eroding sand-shaded wood floor. The tiny spirals painted along the bar shook to the steady funk rhythms of Kieran Adams, Ben Gunning, Blair Johnsrude and Vincent Spilchuk. The band was led by two keyboardists – one playing bass on a compact white Alesis keyboard and the other demonstrating his skills on two stacked keyboards in a manner similar to the likes of Herbie Hancock and Stevie Wonder. The sole guitarist steadied the erratic maelstrom with funked progressions while the drummer rhythmically sauntered throughout the slowmoving chaos.

In between sets, the still-damp listeners sipped from their green bottles (as always, Grolsch was ...“Arc” - Continued from page 7 pursuits seem somewhat alienating. One scene has Bernard getting into a heated debate with Valentine Coverly over the merits (or lack thereof, according to Bernard) of scientific knowledge and inquiry.

Both characters care deeply about their intellectual passions, and neither are willing to compromise. Even if the finer nuances of this argument are for the most part lost on the layman, the emotional force is still present and powerful. Arcadia often manages to engage both thought and feeling as it illustrates the dichotomy between the two and succeeds impressively.

Beyond the core plot and style is a simple and efficient set consisting of a humble

on sale) and conversed merrily in tight-knit groups. Any spectator seeking a Gangsta’s Paradise must certainly have found it this evening in the energetic hip-hop trio Times Neue Roman. Using rap colloquialisms circa 1999, I’d say they dropped some phat rhymes, backed up by a posse composed of a keyboardist and backing vocalist, along with a dope array of beats by the Mac wielding DJ. Busta Rhymes and Puff Daddy (not P.Diddy) would have been pleased by T.N.R.’s outpouring.

When the rain had finally steadied to a drizzle, the upstairs hallway filled to near capacity with those anticipating Radius and Helena. These guys stole my musical soul, tore it to shreds and returned its remnants after their forty-five minutes were up.

Needless to say, I was impressed.

Exuding shrill harmonies that coalesced into bizarre, sci-fi themed melodies, the four-piece psychedelic entourage mesmerized an awestruck audience. The mass of bystanders, now dry and creatively satiated, left in unanimous concord that their otherwise gloom-doomed Sunday was somehow brighter, even in the wee hours of a Monday morning in March.

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table dressed in period accurate furnishings. Only one generation will occupy the set at a time, and a change in year is signaled by the lights being turned down.

The only instance where past and present time intertwines is during the final scenes in order to keep the performance moving.

From characterization to set design, Arcadia is a masterfully paced, deftly executed and emotionally resonant performance. An excellent close to the 2008/2009 Hart House season that’s definitely worth a look.

Arcadia plays Thursdays through Saturday at 8pm, with a Saturday 2pm matinee.

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the newspaper 7

March 12th – 18th, 2009

the arts

cont’d

A Rust Belt Requiem?

Symposium raises more questions than it answers NATALIE RAE DUBOIS Community Concerns Bureau Last Thursday, a large audience gathered at the Munk Center to attend “A Rust Belt Requiem? – Excavating the Future of the Factory Town,� a symposium discussing the issues surrounding the de-industrialization of North America’s blue-collar communities. The panelists’ research ranges from a focus on the lives of Rust Belt workers and residents to the goal of providing potential models and solutions to the problems facing these groups.

Among the diverse set of speakers was Dr. Steven High, a History professor at Concordia, who tracked the development of the Rust Belt in his work “Industrial Sunset�. Also invited was Brett Story, a freelance journalist, documentary filmmaker and activist, currently working on a film about the petro-chemical town of Sarnia and its cancer-ridden workers. John Fetterman, the energetic mayor of the withering steel town Braddock, PA, spoke about his almost single-handed attempts to rejuvenate his city, while the last guest was Charles Waldheim, Associate Dean and Director of the Landscape Architecture program, who coined the term “landscape urbanism� to describe emerging design practices in the urban context of North America having researched and written much on the topic.

High has concerned himself with the social and political impli-

cations of de-industrialization at these once heavily-industrialized places. Through his oral histories research, he has attempted to humanize the effects of this process on the workers, their communities and their collective culture. Story, similarly interested in the lives of the petro-chemical workers of Sarnia, Ontario, related her expectations that the workers would feel anger and outrage towards the companies who had jeopardized their lives.

On the contrary, Story found a close-knit, tight-lipped community who were proud of their jobs and wouldn’t even conceive of accusing their employers of wrong-doing.

Fetterman, however, departed from the templates and rigors of academia. He depicted Braddock’s rich history, the problems it now faces and the tactics and measures he is implementing in the hopes of reviving it. Initiatives include promoting the existing Braddock community by opening a community center, reopening playgrounds and creating youth programs, as well as using art and urban farming to re-energize the city, both for residents and foreign investors.

Waldheim concluded the symposium with his research examining the Great Lakes region of cities, including Detroit, New York City, Toledo, Milwaukee and Toronto. Through different studies and projects at these lo-

cations, Waldheim examined the relationships between economic change, landscape and urbanism.

The symposium, as promised on its poster, offered “a melding of theoretical and practice-based reflections� concerning the de-industrialization of NorthAmerican factory communities.

The panelists raised some very intriguing issues that are much more universal and pertinent than one may think. For instance, Fetterman questioned the fairness of bailing out “awful rogue� companies such as AIG for billions of dollars when his small town has struggled for years without government intervention. He also likened the town’s slow destruction to the devastation wreaked by hurricane Katrina – a powerful analogy, to be sure.

They key underlying question here is how to stabilize our cities against economic change.

Braddock was where Andrew Carnegie built his first steel mill and his first free library; Sarnia had the highest standard of living in Canada in the 1970s. The way Fetterman sees

GRADUATE E DUCATION C OUNCIL The Graduate Education Council is primarily responsible for establishing policies and procedures concerning the administration and quality of graduate studies at the University of Toronto.

The Graduate Education Council considers: > Policies affecting graduate studies > new degree program proposals > changes in admission and major program requirements > other matters, as determined by the School of Graduate Studies (SGS) Constitution as appropriate Nomination forms are available from: > SGS Website (address at bottom) > School of Graduate Studies Eligibility: Nominees must be full members (non-Emeritus) of the graduate faculty or registered graduate students in the SGS division in which they have been nominated.

Administrative nominees must be continuing or Staff-Appointed members of the University administrative staff, as defined by their constituency.

Vacant Seats (17): 8 Faculty Members of a graduate unit: 1 in Humanities 2 in Social Sciences 2 in Physical Sciences 1 in Life Sciences (Chair/Director) 2 in Life Sciences (Faculty) 7 Graduate Students: 1 in Humanities 2 in Social Sciences 2 in Physical Sciences 2 in Life Sciences 2 Administrative Staff: 1 from any graduate unit 1 from the School of Graduate Studies Terms of Office: Terms begin July 1, 2009. The first meeting of the academic year is usually held in October.

Faculty members normally serve for three years.

Students and Administrative Staff members may opt for a one- or two-year term of office, to a maximum of three consecutive years.

For more information contact: Governance Officer, School of Graduate Studies 65 St. George Street, Toronto, ON, M5S 2Z9 > "*0

> &<

;;; 7,7 98363283 (& ,3:*62&2(* (392(.0 *0*(8.327 -81 > 7,7 ,3:*62&2(*3++.(*6 98363283 (& NOMINATIONS CLOSE AT 5:00 PM WED. MARCH 18, 2009

The state of disrepair in a post-industrial town: Braddock, PA. The mayor of Braddock, John Fetterman, calls these collapsed structures â&#x20AC;&#x153;ruinsâ&#x20AC;?, not â&#x20AC;&#x153;blightâ&#x20AC;?.

it, the only difference between a thriving city and a declining city is massive government intervention. By this logic, alpha cities like Toronto or New York City could be next in the Rust Belt Requiem if we arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t careful.

For students interested in getting involved in projects of urban renewal, Fetterman advises that â&#x20AC;&#x153;you just need to find out whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s really important to youâ&#x20AC;Ś But also, approach it very much with a cynical eye.â&#x20AC;? And, as he told himself before he got involved with the town of Braddock, â&#x20AC;&#x153;if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re gonna do it, go all the way and really take it on.â&#x20AC;?

While the symposium raised more questions than it answered,

it also provided several resources worth checking out. Braddockâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new website (www.15104.cc) delves deeper into the townâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s history and current state. Shrinkingcities.com provides some insight into what happens when cities get smaller rather than bigger. You can also attend a lecture by Ken Smith, a landscape architect from New York, on March 31st at 6:30 pm at the Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Design (230 College St., Room 103).

8 the newspaper

March 12th – 18th, 2009

S A S S

Use the letters in the highlighted boxes to answer the riddle!

P E E R

Unscramble the letters to form common words.

A R I A

the jumbler BY: ASHLEY MINUK

Place the 12 letters provided into the grid in order to create EIGHT common four-letter words; 4 horizontal & 4 vertical.

Solution to last week’s puzzle:

C A L M

the end

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Solution to THIS Four-word in next week’s the newspaper

Answer for last week’s jumbler: “I’d tap that” Solution to THIS jumbler in next week’s the newspaper

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