Issue 3 - September 11 2003

the newspaper

11September 2003 Vol. XXVI No. 3

U of T’s Independent Weekly

on the inside As You Like It • Film Festival Coverage • 500 Words Each

U of T’s $700 million gamble SPENDING ON NEW BUILDINGS REACHES RECORD LEVELS by Peter Josselyn NEWS BUREAU

SAC Day not a Disaster!

PHOTO BY PETER MOHIDEEN

by Edward Gebbie RASSLIN’ BUREAU

Yes! This years Student Administrative Council Day, held in and around King’s College Circle, was not an abject failure. Thousands of students gathered information on U of T’s many organizations while sorting through corporate freebies and rocking - or swaying exhaustedly - to the strains of local cover bands.

After a $2 dinner, students filled Varsity Arena to watch a wrestling exhibition and be halfheartedly berated by Dustin Diamond, Screech of TV’s longmissed “Saved By The Bell.” Also featured were “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan, Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart and D-Lo Brown, who wrestled fine matches with lesser-known performers. The crowd was mainly wrestling die-hards, who celebrated as their glistening heroes battled in the squared circle. the news-

paper laments the poor performance of the newcomers, who fell to the former SuperStars in short order, costing this reporter $50. [C’mon, that guy was 20 years younger than Neidhart! What happened? compulsive gambling ed.] Orientation Week Organizer Dylan Rae was called in to quell the crowd when the excitement became too fevered, he rose to the occasion by swearing profusely. Thanks for a fun day, Dylan.

Yoga demonstration draws hundreds

building maintenance program. U of T administration are quick to draw a line between deferred maintenance and new capital expenditures: “Some buildings you can’t retrofit,” said Katherine Riggald, referring to how technological advances have changed the demands that students and faculty have for physical space. The new Bahen Centre for Information Technology is an example of a building where it was cheaper to start from scratch than to renovate an existing building. Vice-Provost Space and Facilities Prof. Ron Venter noted that expansion can actually solve the problem: “If a new building is added to the space inventory, we have an increased percentage of our space in better condition ... we are making progress in our overall plant,” he said. The expansion has raised eyebrows. SAC president Ashley Morton thinks that the emphasis on the St. George campus overlooks suburban campuses. “More resources are needed at UTSC and UTM and this expansion only exacerbates the problem,” he said. Expansion is also cheaper in these suburban areas, he noted. According to the Great Spaces web site, only 18% of cash is going to suburban campuses, with Scarborough getting a slightly bigger piece of the pie than Erindale. The university is facing what could be the biggest cash

The University of Toronto is expanding faster than it has in forty years. Get out a calculator and add up ongoing and upcoming building projects displayed on the U of T website, and you get a whopping $700 million. But that’s not all. That’s only the price tag for new real estate acquisitions (the Colony Hotel and the Board of Education Building) plus recent expenditures in bricks and mortar (the New College Residence and the Bahen Centre). This doesn’t count any additional staff that are hired or the increases in ancillary services that will accommodate the huge expansion. Not even the double cohort can fully explain the explosion, since that influx is the beginning of a decade-long demographic bump that will leave the university struggling to accommodate students. U of T faces the very real problem of how to expand, especially when dealing with over $276 million in deferred maintenance costs. Deferred maintenance is what happens when a building needs to be fixed, but there is not enough cash to do it – the project gets delayed. A leaky roof is simply patched or there are temporary measures for the most urgent complaints. Last March, the Facilities and Services branch of U of T released the “Crumbling Foundations Report,” which looked at the unfortunate state of U of T’s CONTINUED ON PAGE 3

the newspaper asks:

How much junk can you get on SAC Day? PAGE 8

B-HAPPY D-LIGHTS AUDIENCES AT THE TORONTO FILM FEST

PAGE 4

Students want VP Artful-Dodger gone Group collecting signatures for petition by Peter Josselyn

FLORIDA ELECTIONS BUREAU

PHOTO COURTESY OF KATIA TAYLOR

Hundreds take part in a yoga demonstration at Kings College Circle hosted by Woody Harrelson. Film maker Ron Mann, a U of T grad also attended. The stunt was part of the publicity for their new film, Go Further.

filling the hours

the newspaper’s guide to spending your time

Toronto International Film Festival (Again!)

This is it: your final chance to see anything before the festival closes midnight Saturday, and thereʼs still lots of great stuff. Donʼt be afraid to wait in the “Rush” line for tickets, or try the box office the day a screening. By this point, all but the diehards have collapsed due to fatigue. Take up the fight and see End Of The Century: The Story Of The Ramones at 3.45 on Friday, at the Royal Ontario Museum Theatre. Did you know Joey and Johnny didnʼt speak for over 10 years, yet remained in the band? Those punks didnʼt know when to quit, man. Lots of other films, too. Go!

Karaoke at The Gladstone Hotel

A grassroots movement is building to hold a referendum that could force SAC vice-president operations Alex Artful-Dodger from her position. Students can download a petition that will force a referen-

Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday. Sing your little hearts out amidst old time boozers and song happy-Hipsters in one of Torontoʼs oldest bars. The ambience drips off the walls at

the Gladstone, and this is one of the best Karaoke nights in the city. All sorts converge over cheap draft, so itʼs worth going if only for the people-watching. Get there early, especially on weekends – thereʼs a huge line, believe it or not.

The Sadies

Saturday, September 13th at the Horshoe Tavern. Country that makes your ears bleed. At this point, a good show from The Sadies is assumed, and well worth the ten bucks.

Irreversible

Wednesday, September 17th, at The Vatikan (1032 Queen West). “Irreversible,” Gasper Noeʼs second film, is the most walked-out on movie of last year. Catch this rare screening and try to keep your eyes open through some of the most brutal scenes ever committed to film (well, video). The New York Post called it “A movie without any redeeming social value,” but itʼs a must-see for anybody with an interest in film or whatʼs going on in European art generally.

dum call from a new web site, www.recallops.ca. The problem is a hangover from last year’s SAC elections. Strictly speaking, Artful-Dodger was not elected at all: she won only 1,817 votes against incumbent John Lea’s 2,562. Last year’s SAC board of directors refused to ratify the result of the election or the recommendations of CRO John Hoskins and the Elections Committee. The board instead assigned additional demerit points to Lea causing his disqualification. Opponents allege ArtfulDodger, her friends, and her running-mates controlled the board and further allege that the move was purely political. “They appointed their successor, like any other elitist old-boys club,” says the web site. SAC President Ashley Morton recalls the debate surrounding the ratification of the election results: “What I said at the time was that the people who were making the motion didn’t disagree with any principle, just the results of the election,” he told the newspaper. Organizers of the campaign want to make sure that students have a voice. “There is a provision where the SAC Board can force a referendum, but we want

to show through the petition that students are offended,” said Mark Graham, a SAC Board member. He is not the only person on SAC advocating a referendum. “Several members of the Board and Executive are actively collecting signatures,” he added. The University College Literary and Athletic Society is behind the plan. President Andrij Harasymowycz noted that a motion was passed last year calling for Artful-Dodger’s resignation and for a referendum in the event that she refused to resign. “It’s not Alex herself. I can’t lend support to a procedure that was fundamentally flawed; the ends cannot justify the means,” he said. Asked about progress on the campaign, Mr. Harastmowycz said, “we’ve been out in fullforce, and the people we’ve approached – once we explain the situation, they’re happy to sign.” The Recall Ops campaign needs 2,000 signatures from full-time undergrads to hold a referendum with no more than 500 from any one faculty or college. So far, they have over 750. More information can be found at www.recallops.ca

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the newspaper

the editorial

the newspaper better than petty theft People stop us on the streets all the time, we newspaper editors. “Hey, dudes,” they say, ”we love the paper! We love the new direction. We love you!” Thanks, everybody. We appreciate it all. The cards, the letters, all the flowers and clothes. But, these people have questions sometimes too. How did you decide to put a cheerleader on the cover? And what separates you guys from trash news, like The Varsity, or Fox, or something? After all, aren’t you guys just goofs anyway? Kinda, yeah. We are. But not just! the newspaper takes the responsibility of being a free press as a call to arms, in spite of our sometimes cavalier attitudes. We might even claim that because of all this gutter-bound star-gazing we offer something above and beyond your average campus rag. But like The Man says, there’s a thin line between clever and stupid. Striking a balace between bland reporting purely in the public interest and trashy pandering to one’s basest desires isn’t easy. We might even muck it up sometimes. But we do take our news seriously. Today, The Varsity will publish a lead story concerning a certain member of Trinity College, and an alleged theft. Don’t bother reading it. We just wanted to give you the heads up. Why didn’t the newspaper break this hot, sexy story? Because it’s hardly news. Just like the Toronto Sun publishing an endless procession of violent crime headlines (“HEADLESS BODY FOUND IN TOPLESS BAR!”) isn’t news. It’s titillating, yes, but it doesn’t really affect the student body in any serious way. Every paper has to make these kinds of choices. This week, we decided to feature U of T’s crumbling infrastructure and lacklustre commitment to maintenance instead. We’ll do that other story once he’s in court. And when the story is relevant to our community. As unlikely as it may seem, the prospect of our school’s running aground is real. Systemic waste is rampant at U of T, at all levels. Even SAC Day is a celebration of waste - see The Back Page. We may waste time, we may waste space, we’re sometimes even wasted ourselves. But we won’t waste your time, friend. Until next week, anyway. love, the newspaper

11 September 2003

500 words each

Are research universities like U of T the best for teaching and education? —YES— By Katie A. Szymanski A research university is fundamentally different from universities that are primarily undergraduate as well as those which focus on education and research. Although both educate post-secondary students in similar subjects at (generally) similar levels, their purposes as institutions are very different. Primarily undergraduate universities are student-centered, and function mainly as a place to teach them in order for them to pass their classes and receive their degrees. Research universities usually function at a larger scale, as a place to teach but also as a place where the teachers themselves are continually learning. They are experts in their field, solving problems and adding to the worldwide bank of knowledge. With regards to education, many might consider mixed universities to be more profitable for students because the focus remains on student education, which is enhanced by research. While this may be true, I wouldn’t compare it to the experience at U of T, the largest research-intensive institution in Canada. The unspoken goal that seems to whisper through the trees and sparkle off the skyscrapers isn’t “study hard, be smart,” but “think hard, be original.” This creates an atmosphere of universal learning where there is no pinnacle of education. Students and teachers alike are in continual pursuit of knowledge. The education isn’t one-sided, where professors who have reached a limit to their own knowledge force-feed us information, only to receive it back from their students. While

professors are teaching, they are also learning, and achieving. This gives U of T (and probably many other research universities) an academic atmosphere; in the center of all that’s happening in current knowledge, opportunities seem endless, and people are motivated by more than just letter grades and degrees. This might also be a product of living in the “center” of Canada among great diversity, but both the university and the city give us the space and opportunity to carve out our own niche, whether it is studying rare insects of southern Peru or Italian literature of the 14th century. As far as the student experience goes, there are too many opportunities not to make your years here good ones. U of T isn’t a small bubble where students are herded around together like cattle, but a large bubble where students have to discover their own paths and interests. With professors who enjoy what they teach so much that they have committed their whole lives to it, that enthusiasm and expertise is transferred to students and can’t help but motivate them. The fact that the institution doesn’t focus solely on the students doesn’t necessarily mean that undergraduate education is lacking in any area. We get to learn from some pretty incredible people who do some very important things. Students of research universities have the privilege of being taught by professors who are working on cures for diseases and influencing the policies of foreign governments. Research universities not only serve the students, but the community, the country, and the world.

—NO— By Tiffanie Ing In the annual Maclean’s Canadian Universities’ rankings, institutions are grouped into three categories: Primarily Undergraduate, Comprehensive, and Medical Doctoral. Within the first two groupings, there is a stipulation for education at the undergraduate and graduate levels; however, the third, Medical Doctoral, is a category for universities with “a broad range of PhD programs and research, as well as medical schools.” Nowhere in this third distinction does it state that these universities are focused on education, particularly undergraduate education. Yet the list of nominees for the Medical Doctoral category arguably boasts some of the largest and finest institutions in Canada: Queen’s, McGill, UBC, and of course, our own University of Toronto are among those that make the cut. We know that gaining freshman acceptance into these universities, especially this year, is not an easy process. So the question is, if they’re not focused on teaching us, then what are we all doing here? Universities with such a strong focus on research tend to lose sight of us, the students who will supposedly be continuing this research in the near future. In U of T’s faculty of English alone, supposedly the best in Canada, there are countless professors who never even grace a podium or darken the door of a classroom. They’re too busy researching or publishing criticism to worry about us. And why not? If doing research is a professor’s goal in life, why force him/her to teach us? We want instructors who are committed to classes, who take the time

to speak to students, who don’t think of us as “just numbers.” Research has become so specialized that it may be tricky for professors to teach such generalized courses as first-year psychology. Difficulty relating to students increases as specialization increases; a specialized professor may assume that students know more than they do because of his/her own narrowed and developed view of a subject. Many a first-year student complains of the inaccessibility of professors at large universities; not only are class sizes too large, but the professor simply cannot relate to the needs of students. Copious amounts of time and money at research universities are spent funding new initiatives, causing a decline in the amount of money given to undergraduate and graduate programs. Instructors who do research are being paid for their research, not for their teaching skills. It stands to reason that they may do an inadequate job at teaching their students—while teaching is part of the job, it is certainly not the most financially rewarding part. Research institutions simply do not devote enough energy to their teaching facilities. They are here for new endeavors, for breakthrough work on lasers, for the latest criticism of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales. While there is the odd professor or Ph.D who can both research and teach with equal success, the truth of the matter is that most faculty are skilled in one or the other. We students chose the bigname, difficult-entrance universities in the hopes that that meant better instructors. The joke’s on us.

Campus Comment We asked you...

1 Spadina: Real as the streets

the newspaper Established 1978 formerly The Independent Weekly formerly the newspaper Editors Edward Gebbie, Matthew Gloyd, & Peter Josselyn Associate Editors Brenda Cromb, Katie A. Szymanski, & Dora Zhang Board of Directors Rachel Bokhout Photo Editor Mark Coatsworth Contributors Derrick Chow, Andrew Covert, Rosena Fung, Tiffanie Ing, David Kemp, Jason Kieffer, Catherine Lemieux, Morgon Mills, Peter Mohideen, Will O’Neill. the newspaper is the University of Toronto’s community paper and is published weekly by Planet Publications Inc., a non-profit corporation. Contributions and letters are welcome from all U of T community. Writers old and new can drop by our office every Thursday at 4:30 for story assignments and idle chit-chat. 1 Spadina Crescent, Suite 245 Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A1 www.thenewspaper.ca

editorial: 416.593.1552 advertising: 416.593.1559 fax: 416.593.0552 thenewspaper@thenewspaper.ca

If you could have anyone write a song about you, who would it be, and what would you do to make them write it? Chris, Commerce

Lance, Sociology

My friend. I would ask him because he is my friend.

Missy Elliot. For her I would do anything she wanted me to do (and I’m wide open).

Jessica, Imaginus girl

Jesse, student

I would write the song about me. I’d pay myself all the money I have in the world and become a self-made millionaire.

Engelbert Humperdink. I’d buy knee-pads.

Hannah, Poli Sci

Diana, religion

Neil Young. Anything he wanted, I guess.

Courtney Love. X-rated stuff.

Chiara, Classics

Matt, biomed engineering

The truth is I don’t want anyone to write a song about me.

Paul McCartney. I’d hold his pet dog hostage.

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11 September 2003

the newspaper

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U of T Expansion

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cial election, there are no promises to increase this number, only vows to provide funding PAGE 1 for more students. The Liberal crunch in its history. Globe & and NDP election platforms Mail columnist Jeffrey Simpson also propose tuition freezes, but recently wrote a column called these are only partially funded “Universities in peril of running by the province according to aground.” In it, he addressed the documents. How universihow universities will The need for expansion ties, small make and large, and governments’ adher- up the will struggle shortence to existing funding to provide fall is high quality formulas will compromise education for the quality of education undergrads. The combiunknown. nation of deferred maintenance, Already, the U of T endowthe need for expansion, and ment fund has suffered serious governments’ stubborn adherlosses totaling over $400 million ence to existing funding formubecause of a bear stock market. las will compromise the quality As for the crisis ahead, of education, he claimed. Simpson noted: “Students are In Ontario, per capita student rather helpless to do much funding has not changed since about what’s happening, except 1992. In the upcoming provinperiodically complain.”

CONTINUED FROM-

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thanks for hip-hop article, but you can’t spell

To The Newspaper: ��

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I was delighted to discover that your Biblio-Boutique Bureau (4 September). How sad that they ran out of steam before they got to the U of T Book�� store, where they could have found all five of the titles on their list �� The Newspaper, �� unlike the other eight stores they visited. We were recently voted�� and �� Despite misspellings�� of Bizmarky (Biz Markie) Curtis Blow Canada’s campus bookstore of the year for the second time running, �� (Kurtis), I would like to congratulate the newspaper on a great so someone thinks we’re doing the right thing. Anyway, thanks for article about the rulers�� of hip hop - Gangstarr. However, I was disthe plug for our Kenneth Harvey event. sapointed with the absense [sic] of any pictures of the greatest hip Cheers, �� hop producer the world has ever seen (with the possible exception �� Nicholas Pashley of Dr. Dre), DJ Premier. Another issue, maybe? Purchasing Manager,University of Toronto Bookstore -Tim Kocur Editor, U of T Bookstore Review ��

had done�� a search campus-area bookstores �� of ��

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11 September 2003

the newspaper guide to the film festival

Hollywood is not enough

B-Happy d-lights: Chilean film actually exists! cause of much familial shame, but there is some hope when he is finally released that things will “Don’t be afraid…b-happy,” improve. says the poster for the latest film However, being that this is by respected Chilean director a small Chilean film and not a Gonzalo Justiniano. Hollywood blockbuster, things Indeed, he has reason to be don’t. In fact, they start to go happy. He has done the neardecidedly downhill as one by impossible, the Herculean feat one, Kathy’s family deserts her that has almost become the stuff until she is left on her own. of legend because of Much of the B-Happy the rarity with which strength of this film avoids it is accomplished. comes from impeccaHe has made a ble acting. Newcomer schlock coming-of-age film Manuela Martelli and all the plays Kathy with a which is actually worthwhile. usual traps suitable solemnity Premiering at the and toughness that is that plague at the same time laced Toronto International Film Festithis genre with enough fragility val as part of the and vulnerability to Contemporary World Cinema see that she’s just a kid trying to section, B-Happy is a touching do her best. film about a little girl who has Because the film has relato learn to make it on her own. tively little dialogue, Kathy It avoids sentiment, schlock spends most of it just looking and all the other usual traps - at the things around her, at her that plague films of this genre life, and at the people who are – including pop stars who want in it. to make movies, but for all that Martelli looks remarkably bothersome acting. well, and the camera often The story is based on a lingers on her fresh rosyconversation director Justiniano cheeked face as she watches and had with a young waitress in the observes. Kathy’s mother, played north of Chile. It follows a 14by Lorene Prieto, and older year-old girl, Kathy, as her life brother, played by Felipe Rios, slowly crumbles apart. are both perfect counterparts to She lives a meager existence her at times almost indifference in a small rural town on the to the things happening around Chilean coast with her mother her. and older brother. An absent The only truly tender light-fingered father in jail is the moments in the film come with By Dora Zhang

CHILEAN FILM BUREAU

the newspaper talks to the director of B-happy By Dora Zhang

CHILEAN FILM BUREAU

Say the name Gonzalo Justiniano here and more likely than not you’ll be met with blank looks. Say it in Chile, however, and most people will know that you’re talking about one of the most important figures of contemporary Chilean cinema. “One of the reasons I wanted to do this movie,” says Manuela Martelli, the star in his new film B-Happy, “is because I wanted to work with Gonzalo. His name in Chile commands a lot of respect.” So has this esteemed director always wanted to make films? No. According to him, he wanted to be a musician. “There is something about music that is universal. It is the best way of communication because it transcends all languages and boundaries.” Unfortunately for him, he was a lousy musician. Fortunately for film-lovers, he turned to directing. B-Happy is his seventh feature film, and is currently enjoying its North American premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, where it is hoping to find distribution within the US and Canada. The relationship Justiniano has with Hollywood is not so much love/hate as slight indifference. “Of course,” he says, “ I can’t help but be influenced by what I see on the big screen and on TV. 90% of the films we get in Chile are from Hollywood. But I am not fighting to create a cinema that is different. I know it will be different because it is a different reality we live in, but I am never consciously thinking of trying to make something that is specifically not Hollywood. That doesn’t even come into it.” On paper, B-Happy’s tale of a young girl’s sped-up journey to womanhood is very far from the life of its director. It is loosely based on the true story of a young girl Justiniano met while traveling, and he co-wrote the script with some friends shortly after meeting her. He was shocked by the stories the girl told of her rough life, but inspired by her spirit and will to carry on despite every obstacle

thrown in her path. “In so many films in Latin America, young people always end up destroyed, whether it’s just by drugs or crime or whatever. Yes, that does happen, but there are also young people who are not asking for very much, who just to be left alone to figure out a little about life. I wanted to make a film about the anonymous heroes who just struggle to get by day-to-day.” He fulfilled a variety of roles in this film, acting as the director, producer, executive producer and co-writer. This is not something he particularly enjoys. “I am a storyteller, I like to tell stories. I do not like to make presentations to all kinds of people for eight months just to get enough money to be able to tell a story.” However, that’s exactly what he had to do when he ran into problems with the production of the film. He did, eventually, after many of those loathsome presentations, find enough financial backing to finish production. Does Justiniano consider himself a particularly Chilean director? He throws the question back. “Well, my themes are universal, no? Love, life, death, these are all things that happen everywhere.” As for Chilean cinema, it is tough to make a shopping list of distinctive characteristics. “It is easy to know what one is not. I know that this film is not Canadian, for example, or Brazilian. It is much more difficult to know what one is. Perhaps through cinema, we can discover a little more about what it means to be Chilean.” Even if he considers the themes of his films universal, though, they have all been set in Chile. Apparently, that is of no importance. He would have no hesitation about setting them elsewhere. “Take this girl Kathy,” he says, “If you were to put her in Japan, it would still be the same story. Sure, the details would change, but the basic premise of a young girl struggling to overcome adversity would still remain, because that is the same all over the world.” These are the things that he is interested in exploring in his films - things that happen everywhere, that are

common to all humans. Justiniano has firm ideas about this whole directing business. “You must have something to tell. That is the only reason to do such difficult work.” So what, he doesn’t love his job? He’s not one of these Artistes that can’t imagine doing anything else? “There is always a point in the middle of every movie when I decide to quit because I’ve had enough. And then I finish and realize that I must do another one.” It’s a good thing for us he does.

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the budding romance between Kathy and a boy at school named Chemo, played by Ricardo Fernandez. The first sexual experience is depicted in all its awkward, beautiful glory here, and is realistic enough to provoke some memories in the audience. If you can’t choose your father, or your country, Kathy says, at least you can choose who you lose your virginity to. Besides, they say that you always remember your first time, and she wants to remember him. As sweet as the relationship is, however, it provides only temporary reprieve, and ultimately she still has to continue alone. Kathy is not looking for salvation, redemption, or even love. She just wants a little bit of control over her life. The feeling of helplessness in the face of external circumstances is easy enough to relate to, especially for those of us for whom the wound of puberty is still fresh. What sets Kathy apart from scores of other adolescents is her refusal to take things sitting down, even when things seem completely hopeless. Although the situations depicted in B-Happy are very different than typical North American experiences, discerning North American viewers should appreciate the universal themes that underscore them. Beyond that, they should just appreciate a good film.

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11 September 2003

the newspaper guide to the film festival

Portrait Of The Artist As a Young Jellyfish Kurosawa’s Bright Future Reviewed by Katerina Gligorijevic

INVERTEBRATE FILM BUREAU

Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s cryptic, ponderous Bright Future is a departure in theme, though not in style, from his usual eerie, slow-creeping horror (previous Film Fest successes such as Séance, Pulse and Cure). Though it’s not exactly a rollicking comedy about two guys and their poisonous marine creature, the film is infused with subtle humour, and is full of hilarious images and clever, well-composed shots. Yuji, a young man who has (until recently) had vivid dreams of a bright future, works in a factory with his friend Mamoru. The two young men share a dislike for their boss and a fascination with Mamoru’s pet jellyfish. When Mamoru commits a violent ‘act gratuit’ (that is, seemingly without reason or feeling, and motivated by impulses so oblique as to suggest Camus’ Outsider), its

greatest repercussion is to leave the jellyfish in Yuji’s care, with far- reaching consequences for all of Tokyo. Kurosawa’s characters are all outsiders, cut adrift in (and yearning for escape from) a bleak world full of meaningless tasks and unexplained actions. As each character struggles through his personal alienation, they are bound together by the film’s central symbol – the jellyfish – luminous, alluring, and deadly. Yuji’s conflicting desires to touch, destroy and save the jellyfish reflect the unarticulated feelings of confusion, oppression and suffocation in his windblown life. Alone and directionless without his friend’s guidance, Yuji establishes an unexpected bond with Mamoru’s estranged father. As the two begin cobbling together a possible ‘bright future’, one begins to suspect that the film’s title is not totally ironic (and truly, how could a film about a

jellyfish not offer some hope?). Indeed, the jellyfish becomes a beacon of hope, of the possibility of escape from a world full of dead ends and disappointments. Kurosawa’s film is full of long, simmering shots that leave one anxiously anticipating dangers or miracles that may never come. The well-composed imagery of the film is laden with metaphor and symbolism, addressing themes of capitalism (the shooting arcade game in which Yuji’s failure mirrors his failure in the working world), generation gaps, youthful rebellion (watch for the brilliant final shot involving some Che Guevara t-shirts), and of course the bright future embodied in the jellyfish. While the narrative of Bright Future seems at times too elliptical or fragmented – giving us glimpses rather than a complete story – the images seem to have been chosen and constructed with such care that it is difficult to imagine anything

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about the film is unintentional. Though Kurosawa offers some hope for his protagonist, a young man whose dreams predict a future brighter than his present circumstances could sug-

gest, the hope is small. As the resilient jellyfish makes its way through the murky canals of Tokyo, one is left feeling that the future of our world remains equally murky, but that our indi-

vidual paths have the potential to be just bright enough to keep us from getting completely swallowed up in the darkness.

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11 September 2003

the newspaper

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From Robocop to Rosalind the newspaper interviews David Gardner

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arts@thenewspaper.ca

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Tell us about your interesting summer for an upcoming feature.

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What in particular about As You Like It appeals to you? I think what appeals to me particularly is its contrast with city life and country life. And its belief that a love relationship between two people is the one marvelous note of optimism still existing in our world of blackouts and SARS and political elections and you name it. The fact that if you have a relationship that works between two people, you can cope with anything. And, so, I’m a great advocate of love, and it’s as simple as that. And that’s what this play is very much about.

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Why did you decide to become an actor, and to be an actor in Canada? There was really no professional theatre in Canada after the Second World War to speak of. And [Robert] Gill [with whom Gardner did theatre in university] said once to me: “Do you ever want to act?” I said, “…Can I act in this country?” He said, “Well, you’ve gotta try.” The first jobs I did professionally, I sent in my income tax thing, and I was claiming expenses because we were in a series of hotels on the tour. And they sent me a letter saying “I’m awfully sorry, but we have no category for ‘Actor’ in this country, so we have reclassified you as a traveling salesman.” [laughs] Then, suddenly, a year later, the CBC began to have a television network. And a year after that, Stratford Festival opened. And suddenly, it happened.

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I like comedy, and this was a chance to be a pompous idiot, you know, running a corporation, and also, a funny one. I got into lovely situations. For instance, once I was captured by feminists and they dressed me in a dress and wig and so on and they made me sweep floors and all these things as revenge.

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As You Like It director David Gardner at the Hart House Theatre

So they said, “Hey, go look at this, and could you come back tomorrow and audition again?” I thought, “My God, this is a leading role.” So I did that, and I worked hard, and I came back and I auditioned in front of the six executives – very nervousmaking. And then they said “Would you come back and do one more audition this afternoon?” I was all set to do the audition, and I got started into it, and the guy said, “Oh, it’s okay, don’t bother doing any more.” And I said, “Oh, okay.” “Because we’ve decided we’re going to have you do it.” “Oh!” And it was lovely fun to do, because I’m a bit of a comedian.

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PHOTO�� BY COURTNEY �� GIBSON

David Gardner has been acting in Canada since before there were “Canadian Actors,” doing everything from the Stratford Festival to TV’s “Robocop” and “Traders.” His first work at Hart House Theatre was over fifty years ago, and now he’s back to open the season with “As You Like It,” (Running September 10th to 27th, for information call (416) 978-8668) a marked contrast to last year’s production of “Macbeth”. When I came into the office, and said I was interviewing David Gardner, the first thing

one of my editors said was “Robocop!” Hey! How nice of him! How nice. And so I’ve been told that I have to ask about Robocop, and I’d really like to. I’m interested to know how a Shakespearean actor winds up doing “Robocop.” It’s called eating and things like that. Actually, I loved doing “Robocop.” The audition for “Robocop” was fascinating because I was being sent in to [read for] another part, and the producers looked at me and they said “My God, maybe this guy could play the chairman of Omni-Consumer Products.”

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by Brenda Cromb

ROMANTIC MISTAKEN IDENTITY BUREAU

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11 September 2003

the newspaper

Picking up the trash the best of free stuff on SAC Day by Will O’Neill

FRAT BOY BUREAU

the newspaper sent our loyal and intrepid reporter “Fratboy O”Neill” on SAC club day (i.e. SACstock) to rate (and maybe date) the contents and presentation of various booths. This is what he found. Most Disgusting Sentiment: As usual, The Brunswick House is hoping to attract students with the old adage of “Dare to Party Where Your Parents Did.” Yeah, that’s right: whenever I’m grinding into a chick’s ass, the prevailing thought I hope to have is “Wow, this chick is just like my mom.” Classy. Most Hilarious Left-Wing Propaganda: A tie between Action Speaks Louder magazine and random flyer about rock and roll destroying Slobodan Milos-

evic’s regime. The former, a magazine that no doubt features the literary talents of former Soviet intelligentsia, features articles like “Anarchist you and me, possibley [sic] maybe?” The hottest freestyle is probably cut with “then, we were sold to men, with ties in green, men with helmets of coldest steel.” Rhyming is usually about the sound of the word, not back-toback vowels. On this Animal Farm, I think the horses are in charge. The latter claims that Slobodan Milosevic’s regime was destroyed by “ridicule, rock music, and massive civil disobedience.” This, no doubt, refers to the KISS Army, who I understand brought down the government by getting Gene Simmons to perform oral sex on everybody in the country. They’ll be screening a documentary, which will then be followed by a

“one-hour discussion.” I’m sure that it will be fair and balanced, with all points of view represented equally, perhaps even a visit from Slobodan himself. I’m also sure that it will last only an hour, as Socialists are so frequently the coolest kids in school and have countless other things to occupy their time. Most Frightening RightWing Propaganda: The cold, hard stare of Helena Guergis, a local P.C. candidate. Part Hilary Clinton, but mostly Janet Reno, Helena has a look on her face that could melt stone. The collar of her business suit has been injected with so much starch that it looks like a living, enchanted blade ready to leap from her neck to slit the throats of pinkos and reds. She also has some very controversial moral sentiments, such as the belief that drunk driving is bad, that

more doctors are good, and that criminals and terrorists have very little to contribute to society. What would we do without you, Helena? Most Shameless Shill: The Only Human Dance Collective, which features an invitation to their show “Naked” accompanied by a group photo of hot chicks in a dance pose that looks as if they’re reaching for the fourth wall of Uta Hagen’s penis. They also make sly angles towards the recruitment of “curious beginners”, providing an “open forum” where “all are welcome.” Doesn’t this have a little too much in common with a 40+ swingers orgy held at a Best Western featuring fat old truckers and heinous cougars from Oshawa who have the day off from their jobs stacking clothes hangers at Walmart?

ILLUSTRATION BY DERRICK CHOW

Most Fun Club: Falun Gong, a group best known for sitting endlessly outside the Chinese Embassy. Maybe you’re first hooked with a headline like “Forced Late-Term Abortion” or perhaps “Parents Sentenced to Labor Camp; Son Dies When Left Alone at Home.” No announcements yet on their first pub night, but when these guys

finally stand up long enough to attend a 50 cent wing night, the party will be legendary. Some people patiently wait a lifetime for a moment like this. Most Unbelievable Brass In A Single Statement: Varsity Blues Vs. The Windsor Lancers – It’s The Game of The Century!

Jason at University by Jason Kieffer

the five buck lunch

The Soapbox by Rosena Fung

Nestled in the heart of Kensington Market on Baldwin Street just west of Spadina, the European meat market doesn’t look like much from the outside. Actually, it doesn’t look like much on the inside either. But don’t let all the raw meat fool you, this place is a gem. On one side of the imposing butcher’s shop are counters displaying every kind of animal part — red, raw, and ready for your eating pleasure. On the other side is a counter serving up ridiculously good grilled meat at ridiculously low prices. The menu features a Texas burger for a whopping $1.99, and this ain’t the crap they serve up at McDonald’s. The European actually uses real meat. The cheapest thing, a jumbo hot dog, is a mere $0.99, and gourmet sausages like Bratwurst and Debrezini’s can be had for $1.79. In fact, the most expensive item available at the European is a deli sandwich, which comes in flavours like smoked Montreal meat and pastrami for $2.99. Taste is not compromised with price, all the meat is top-notch and grilled to perfection. The only downside is the lack of seating area, which extends to one small bench outside the store. However, if you don’t mind making a mess in public (the fare offered at European is impossible to eat elegantly), the bench is an excellent vantage point for people-watching. —Dora Zhang

the crossword Across 1. Villain in ‘The Lion King’.

5. Ancient Welsh and Irish people. 10. Zero, as in a balance. 11. An Amerindian tribe centred on current-day Nebraska. 12. “____ Brockovich”, a Julia Roberts movie. 13. Ceremonial words, as at a funeral or marriage. 14. Strengthened over time, as in cheese or wine. 15. Chocolate and cream sandwich cookies. 16. “Canadian” brewery. 18. Soft, as in colours. 23. Place for theatrical performance. 27. It holds ice cream (or one of

Madonna’s breasts). 28. Claw, except bigger and more impressive. 29. The price of a poker hand. 30. Love intensely. 31. Stink. 32. Stopped: “with _______ breath.” 33. Goes astray.

Down 1. Water vapour.

2. Shipments go by car, but _____ goes by ship. 3. The Little Mermaid, to friends. 4. Tears apart. 5. Beer customarily served with a lime. 6. Arabic leader (think United

classifieds Arab Emirates). 7. Like you, for nine o’clock classes. 8. Prefix for ‘god’ or ‘religion’. 9. Impudence. 17. Pulled ajar. 19. Frighten, terrify, spook: you get the idea. 20. What your printer keeps whining about. 21. What’s the opposite of exit? 22. Onions’ wild little cousins. 23. Wound with a knife. 24. “Voilà!” in English. 25. How many pigeons leave gifts at the Medical Sciences Building daily? 26. Bloody mess. Alternatively, Bush’s Democrat rival.

RESUME WRITING and job search strategy: Email MBA graduate Doug under subject heading “RESUME” at djs111@hotmail.com

TEACH ENGLISH

Overseas: Jobs $$ Guaranteed-Great Pay. TESOL Certified 5 days in-class (monthly classes), on-line or by correspondence. FREE Information Seminar, every Mon & Tues @ 7pm. 101 Spadina Ave. @ Adelaide. FREE Infopack: 1-888-270-2941 or contact globaltesol.com

next week Should SAC pay for birth control? • 89 Chestnut • www.thenewspaper.ca

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