Issue 4 - September 27 2007 by The Newspaper

the newspaper

www.thenewspaper.ca

toronto’s student community paper

Name Change Unannounced to OCAD Students By Jade Colbert Changing OCAD’s name to include the word ‘University’ has been in the cards since the 1990s says OCAD president Sara Diamond. Yet several students are wondering why they had not heard of the Renaming Project until this summer. According to Diamond, the OCAD Board of Governors looked into possible name changes several administrations previous to her own, when the school first put forward a proposal to the Ontario government to become a degree-granting institution. In the 1990s the OCAD Board of Governors went to the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities, asking for four actions: to give OCAD degree-granting status, to confirm its positioning in the university sector, to give a differentiation grant, and to allow for a name change to include the word ‘University’. Diamond argues that the request was laid low until

quite recently, because OCAD’s degree-granting status was a sensitive issue amongst other universities at the time. “The thing we were not able or willing to do at the time was to change the name, because it was a bit of a hot potato in the university sector to even give OCAD university status,” Diamond explained in a phone interview. Now that the issue has cropped up, though, the initial move for renaming is a point missing from recent communiqués regarding the Renaming Project. Take for instance a Brief to the OCAD Community circulated during the summer. It suggests initial interest for renaming was made by the Ministry. “Recently, the Government of Ontario has expressed an interest in OCAD making a formal proposal for a name change,” it reads. Part of the issue is that the Ministry and other organizations dealing with academic

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institutions draw a sharp line in Ontario between what constitutes a ‘College’ and what a ‘University’. More than simply an issue of image —whether a school is perceived as being a community college or as an internationally-competitive centre of excellence— the two words carry different meaning in terms of funding mechanisms and governance structures. Degree-granting status was given to OCAD on the basis that it instituted bicameral governance, meaning that it has an Academic Council and a Board of Governors. As for funding mechanisms, this most recent call for a name change came in response to the additional infusion of funding lobbied for by the school to support its new Strategic Plan. According to Diamond, the Plan was developed to confirm OCAD’s status as a university, and the government

the inside: the newspaper Goes to the Circus

pg. 6 Shock Treatment, “BRO!”

pg. 5 Iraq’s Hustle and Flow

pg. 3 Sloppy Kisses

pg. 12

See Name Change cont. pg. 8

Pharoahe Monch Brings Back Desire By Christina Sackeyfio & Steven Borowiec While 50 Cent and Kanye West were facing off in a battle of first week sales, it became perhaps more obvious than ever that the

hip hop industry now directly equates quality with sales. While this was going on, many knew that the album of the year may actually be Pharoahe Monch’s Desire. Pharoahe had taken six years since his last full-length release before dropping Desire to critical acclaim. He took a few minutes out of an afternoon cruise through New York to chat to The Newspaper. When asked about his new album’s soulful feel in an era where synth-based beats Pharoahe is serious about his music curing AIDS dominate, Pharoahe and Cancer. See. This is his serious face. said he was “trying Photo by Michael P. Anderson

to bring more passion, to bring about an emotion in each song that expresses something. From a production standpoint there’s a lot of instruments. It’s a little more simple, but sometimes simplicity has genius in it as well. Lyrically I still tackle big issues, like I talk about the color issue in America through the eyes of different characters that I play in each song. It’s very conceptual, and there aren’t many of those types of albums nowadays.” Pharoahe explained how he decided on the album’s simple but powerful title. “It was mostly inspired by my own personal experiences and how I felt the need to go forward. People go through life and struggle every day, and I talk a lot about that but it’s not a sad record. You need to be persistent and

push forward when faced with adversity.” Going back to earlier in his career, we discussed the track “Simon Says”. The track is Pharoahe’s biggest commercial hit, but doesn’t have as strong of a social message as some of his other work. Pharoahe explained his thinking behind the song’s creation and its impact by saying, “when ‘Simon Says’ came out it got a lot of people amped up. People heard it who maybe had never really danced before, but that was a song that made them get out on the dance floor. Maybe when that person danced for the first time they may have met a young lady, who he later on ended up marrying and having a child with, and that child may develop a love for biochemistry and end up making progress fighting

AIDS and cancer. So music, in a way, music is partially responsible for a lot of good.” Pharoahe turned that abstract metaphor into a discussion of the question of positivity in hip hop today. “We’ve been told so much how negative this music is, but it’s still a powerful art form and a lot depends on your perspective. Violent art didn’t ever give me a thirst to buy a gun, but it left me inspired to create powerful art myself. You can listen to hip hop and take something positive from it if your head is in the right state. We’re quick to blame music, but if the kids were educated in the right way they’d be able to look at music and get the right things from it. At the end of the day it is entertainment and escapism that you can make into what you want.”

Toronto Urban Music and Art Manifest Themselves By Steven Borowiec

Toronto’s Hip-Hop Elite Preform at Nathan Phillips Square.

Manifesto was a celebration of urban art and culture that featured the work of almost one hundred artists over four days in Toronto this past weekend. The festival was the culmination of months of work by a team of inspired Torontonians. The festivities started on Thursday with an art show

exhibiting work by Toronto and New York artists. Friday held a b-boy/b-girl showcase that had wildly creative dance groups from all over the city rocking for a crowd in the same spot where sermons were once held at Berkeley Church. Saturday featured a contest that gave young entre-

preneurs the chance to pitch their art and business ideas to a panel of experts and have the chance to win a variety of prizes. The daylight hours also had a hybrid skateboard competition/block party. Sunday’s main event was a day long exhibition of music and urban art See Urban Music cont. pg. 8

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campus comment

the editorial What Is In A Name? In case our very own name didn’t give it away, the newspaper doesn’t care much for names themselves. It is our belief that more often than not names give us false pretenses, faulty expectations and inaccurate ideas of whatever label carrying noun we are looking to define. While name origins often have specific meaning behind them, how long can they retain these meanings until they are lost in the fog of modern connotations? How many people would know the Iroquois origins of our country’s own name if it weren’t for the ‘Heritage Moment’. The names Bart and Homer once evoked biblical images and philosophical prestige, but are now generally associated with doughnuts, skateboards and slingshots. For hippie parents who call their kid ‘Seven’, names like Mike, Steve or Matt might stir up suburban stereotypes. For someone named Habib, the name Mohammad might mean the prophet; for someone named Skylar however, it might connote terrorism. As frequently as names set up false pretenses and stereotypes, so too do they mislead us with faulty expectations. It may be legally true that McDonald’s hamburgers are 100% ‘pure beef’ but in reality the contents of their meat have some seriously non-cow related ingredients. Blue Mountain might be labeled as such, but a trip to the Rockies will reveal that a more appropriate title would be ‘Blue section of the escarpment’. Dr. Dre may flash that name on his album cover but a medical patient in distress would be dismayed to find out that the only illness he specializes in is making sick beats. Dr. Dre’s self proclaimed prefix brings up the important problem of those people who give themselves names they have done nothing to deserve. So commonly in this city will corporate names attach themselves to a distinguished brand in an attempt to buy a certain reputation. For example, instead of being so obviously opportunistic as to label this weekend’s festival ‘Scotiabank’s Nuit Blanche’, why can’t the corporate sponsor let the local artists who actually put on the show receive the acclamation. Instead of being able to buy an image we should all have to earn the titles we seek. We are not calling for the abolition of names altogether but instead just the acknowledgement that they often mean nothing. Until names are used with the descriptive purpose of acknowledging traits or vocation –my name for example could be ‘writer of abstract editorials’– they will remain nothing more than something to call someone by.

If you could change your name to anything what would it be?

“Polly Pocket!”

Natasha Matijasic “Living the Dream” “David Hasselhoff.”

Managing Editor Joe Zabukovec

News Editor Steven Borowiec

Arts Editor Niya Bajaj

Associate Editors Shannon Thorndyke, Timothy Ryan Art Director Brendan Keen Contributors Matthew Bell, Alan Osadetz, Jade Colbert, Matthew Smith, Aya Kiriliuk, Christina Sackeyfio, Samhita Gupta, Amanda Campbell, Garth Mercer, Erica Sum, Shannon Wheeler, Stephen Notley, Drew 1 Spadina Crescent, Suite 245 Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1A1

editorial:(416) 593-1552 fax: (416) 593-0552 www.thenewspaper.ca

Serving up a good time Every time since 9T6!

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the newspaper Editor-in-Chief Sean Liliani

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27 September 2007

the newspaper 3

Stuck Between Iraq and A Hard Place

Illustration by Yoojin Guak

By Steven Borowiec

the jock talk

by Alan Osadetz

the finance The most common complaint about the student life is having little or no money. In this edition of Jock Talk I will discuss some ways to make you money with the little spare time you have, and ways to make that money go further. With these helpful tidbits you should have a little extra spending cash at the end of each day. A great moneymaker for students that is commonly overlooked is offering your body and mind to scientists for medical research in exchange for money. You might hear that there are risks associated with this, which is exactly what you get paid for. However, I’ve been a medical research subject for about 4 years now, and so far I haven’t experienced any side effects, other than epilepsy, periodic blindness, and losing the ability to multiply two numbers –minor annoyances barely worth mentioning. It is undoubtedly worth the money and you’d have to be mentally challenged not to do it. Remember: what doesn’t hinder your bench press ability can only make you stronger. Be sure to ignore any requirements you don’t meet. In my case I chose to disregard that fact that I was not a “Non-smoking female between the ages of 18-35”. It was a great opportunity to meet chicks who are risk takers and will most definitely put out -girls that do these tests generally don’t respect themselves. Boning someone considerably older is another great money saver. Keep in mind that an older hump partner will have absolutely no interest in you other than for your looks and your body. These include ladies and gay guys: especially older men. So, as with everything in this complicated world, it starts with getting in the best shape of your life. Guys: great places to meet rich cougars are the ritzy gyms in Yorkville. You’ll be killing two birds with one stone. Most of them offer a

free one-week membership, so you can get in for free. Girls: you’ll be the best off financially with a perverted workaholic businessman. So put on a short skirt (a schoolgirl outfit is ideal, with your hair in ponytails) and hang out around the lounges and restaurants in the financial district and wait for one of the hundreds of sleazy executives to approach you and offer to buy you a meal. For health reasons, I would recommend avoiding any CEOs who frequent Thailand. For both sexes, always remember that the less you say, the better. Financially, intellectual conversation will never get you anywhere. With someone paying for your meals and buying you expensive gifts to nurture your superficial relationship, you will surely find that your morbidly high Toronto rent is not as threatening as it used to be. Now that you have some cash flow, be sure to increase the gap between your intake of money and expenses. Switch to whey protein instead of weight gainers. At first it seems more expensive by volume, but when you look at the percentage of protein you are getting it is a better bang for your buck. I can’t stress the importance of a muscular chest and well defined biceps. You never know when you’ll impress a store owner and they’ll give you a discount. One final tip that is ideal for students, but takes some practice: go to bars with no cover and show up a little later. Then, hit on the most intoxicated person there and convince him or her to buy you drinks, and pay for your cab ride home. These obvious, yet simple cost saving methods, are guaranteed to preserve your hard-earned dollars. Business students at UofT and elsewhere in Canada may quote Alan Osadetz in their future business plans for a small nominal fee with his consent.

Recent events in Iraq have shown how deeply the American government and its partners have underestimated the country’s internal complexity. Not only did they not have to plan to appropriately deal with Iraq’s diversity, the occupation’s destruction has turned the various ethnic groups and religious factions against each other. While the Bush administration surely feels political pressure to stay in Iraq ‘until the job is done’, they never clearly defined what exactly the ‘job’ is or how to accomplish it. Their failure to do that has created a climate of fear and desperation that has turned neighbors into enemies. Millions of Iraqis have become refugees fleeing the violence that plagues so much of the country. Many have crossed the borders of Iraq’s neighbors, particularly Syria and Jordan. Those countries have recently introduced visa requirements that will make it more difficult for Iraqis to enter and to be able to stay if they are among those fortunate enough to get in. Iraqi refugees are already prohibited from legal employment and are subject to many forms of harsh

discrimination. An even larger movement that may actually be more consequential for Iraq is the series of massive internal movements taking place within Iraq. Iraqis of all religions and ethnicities are moving around the country in search of some enclave of relative security. In the mid stages of the occupation it was widely suggested that sectioning Iraq off into semi-autonomous regions that correspond with Sunni, Shiite and Kurdish identities would be a way to stem the tide of conflict and instability. As a result of the internal migrations, the different regions of Iraq now have mixed populations. The quick fix option is the latest casualty of the occupying forces’ prolonged clumsiness. The high degrees of internal movement have removed any sense of ethnic or religious consistency in any of the country’s regions. Some analysts have suggested that with prolonged strife Iraqis would retreat more amongst members of their own sect and that the subsequent uniformity would lead to decreased violence. Instead of moving along the lines of re-

ligion or ethnicity, Iraqis have migrated based on their expectations of finding employment and housing. Much of the migration is from rural areas to larger cities, as many groups that face persecution in their home regions head for Baghdad, since it’s the largest urban center and is assumed to hold more opportunity than anywhere else in the country. Whatever peace or prosperity existed in pre-occupation Baghdad has crumbled beneath the weight of American mismanagement. The migrants typically struggle to find work and have no choice but to live in urban slums and makeshift shanties. A big problem with the occupation is the exclusion of Iraqis from the rebuilding process. Because of the transfer of Iraqi businesses into foreign hands, almost none of the revenue from Iraqi resources is being reinvested into the country. As long as this commercial element of the conflict continues, it will still be more of a business boon for offshore companies than the ‘freedom’ bringing project it was sold to the public as.

April 14th, 1914: A Sinking Ship By Matthew Smith April 14th, 1912 by Theatre Rusticle, winner of NOW’s best movement-based theatre award, had everything you could ever want in a production: singing, narrative, dancing, lighting, music, staging, costumes, and acting. Who could ask for more? I could. With a wonderful story, experienced cast, and the potential to dazzle the eyes and stir the heart, April 14th, 1912 was alas underwhelming. In case you aren’t ‘up’ on your world history or James Cameron films, April 14th, 1912 is

Lucy Rupert as the Titanic

the infamous day the HMS Titanic sank on her maiden voyage crossing the North Atlantic along with approximately 1,517 men, women, and children. Inspired by this tragedy, director Allyson McMackon attempts to convey the real-life story of junior wireless officer Harold Bride and his efforts to save the sinking ship and its passengers. Bride, played by veteran actor Patrick Conner, recounts his life and events leading up to Titanic’s destruction through the interplay of dance, acting, and song, creating a world where imagination meets fact. Aided by fellow actors/dancers Matthew Romantini, as Bride’s senior officer Jack Phillips, and Lucy Rupert, who represents the ship itself, Conner put forth a convincing performance fostering the chance for theatrical chemistry. B e t w e e n Bride’s touching narratives, Rupert, an obviously gifted dancer, sometimes in conjunction with

Phillips and Bride, sporadically ran, leaped, tumbled, and punched across the stage exhibiting the physicality Theatre Rusticle is noted for. However, I’m not sure if the choreography was inspired by the modernism of Martha Graham or the Tae Bo of Billy Banks. It is difficult to forge a link between McBride’s heartfelt narratives of looming death and frequent ambiguous, overdramatic sequences of movement. Highlighting these confusing actions were the uninspired lighting arrangements. Credit must be given however, to set designer Lindsay Anne Black for making the most of plastic; transforming the lifeless material into a realm of water, ice, and snow. I wish Rupert’s dress had been made with such attention as the manifestation of the Titanic wore a long dress of greens and greys looking more like a dishevelled garden than a majestic vessel. Theatre Rusticle’s April 14, 1912 yearned for more substance throughout. A 30-minute performance prolonged to an hour-long affair. The story of the Titanic and of Harold McBride provides so much material to work with that content will always be heavier than artistry. This production was heading in the right direction, but like the Titanic, the right direction has many obstacles in its way and will probably not enjoy a successful voyage.

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the newspaper goes to the theatre... and then writes about it Alchemy’s Dream “Rocks the Ground” of Sleepers By Amanda Campbell and Samhita Gupta Only four lovers slept as Alchemy Theatre kept its audience wide-eyed and enthusiastic in their production of Shakepeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream. Not just your yawn-inducing 21st century Shakespearean trainwreck, director Simon Michellepis draws on Peter Brooks’ influential 1970 production to create a vibrant jungle dreamworld. Here a hulking Oberon, played commandingly by Andrew Chandler, appears monstrously gorilla-like in a hideous commedia dell’arte mask

and his rag-tag fairies scamper like little mischievous monkeys onto trees (draped pillars on the either side of the stage) to spy on the unsuspecting lovers. Titania, portrayed beautifully by Diana Vailius, channels the grace of a Greek goddess, and together she and Oberon are reminiscent of Beauty and the Beast. Like Brook before him, Michellepis has chosen to double the roles so that Chandler and Vailius play both the pairs of Theseus and Hippolyta and

of Oberon and Titania, respectively. For the audience this doubling is intellectually exciting and invites them to draw parallels between Shakespeare’s plot and subplot. However, Michellepis has also taken this production of the Dream in his own direction by choosing to double the role of Theseus’ servant Philostrate with Oberon’s servant Puck, which suggests a lingering magical presence within Theseus’ court and intertwines the world of Athens with the world of fairies.

It is also striking that a spritely, petite and delightful young actress plays Philostrate and Puck. From her child-like fairy accent to her constant nimble footwork, Melanie Easton’s Puck exudes energy with every impish twinkle of her eye. Also delightful are the bumbling Mechanicals whose comic timing and physical humour add a lovely light-hearted optimism to the play. Specifically Michael Cooper as Bottom delivers a flawless performance and Jennifer Dzialoszynski’s portrayal

of the Moon (the “man in the moon” to be correct) is a definite highlight of the show. Located in a small black-box theatre, Alchemy Theatre’s 6th season opener is definitely a thriller. Shows run until September 30 at the Alchemy Studio Theatre, 133 Tecumseth Street; Wed-Sat @ 8:30 pm, Sun PWYC @ 2:30 pm. For more info visit alchemytoronto.com/ or call 416-998-7503

Morals Tomorrow! Get Comedy Tonight in Forum at Hart House Theatre By Amanda Campbell It wasn’t always a toga party for the actors on the stage in ancient Rome. They could be booed and pelted with rotten fruit if the audience was unimpressed or uproariously drunk. A far messier fate than any theatre review, no matter how scathing. To insure the future of his supper, Roman playwright Plautus, on whose farces A Funny Thing Happened On the Way to the Forum was constructed, strove to pepper his plays with “something for everyone” to keep his audiences entertained. The actors in Hart House’s A Funny

Thing Happened On the Way to the Forum have nothing to fear -there will be no rotten fruit. At Hart House, the seamless direction by Graham Maxwell and gigantic, bawdy, outrageously funny performances by several crucial actors proved that this company wouldn’t lean on the crutch of witty dialogue and catchy tunes provided by Sondheim, Shevelove and Gelbart. They are determined to claim their production as unmistakably unique. It is difficult to comment on Graham Maxwell’s

Blood, Toes, and a Little Green Pig: CanStage’s Pillowman is Horrifically Funny By Amanda Campbell When is a story just a story? This question haunts Martin McDonagh’s play The Pillowman. Not for the faint of heart, McDonagh forces his audience to contemplate when a story crosses a fundamental line, ceases to be words on a page, but emerges into something heart-wrenching and dangerous. The Pillowman is only a story, acted out by performers whose lives continue into curtain call, but it’s difficult to remind yourself of this when the production is hauling you

headlong into the depths of a very dark and twisty world. Whether audience members are disgusted by the horrific images, taken with McDonagh’s sophisticated dark humour, or transfixed by insightful questions raised about freedom for art, you wonder at what point an artist can be blamed for actions inspired by his work. Until you bear witness, you can’t know which reaction you’ll experience most intensely. Despite the profundity of the questions it raises, Can-

direction of this show, as his choices seem so natural and effortless that they fade into the background, drawing no attention. This is a feat in the midst of a show laden with mammoth production numbers, endless exits and entrances and every clichéd stage convention an audience has ever seen. Wrapped in the comfortable cloak of comic traditions dating back centuries, Maxwell’s vision is fresh, energized and pokes fun at each convention alluded to in the play. Inspired by the idea of various

touring acts to dozens of cities in a very short time, Maxwell’s show feels like a well-rehearsed Vaudeville set with dancing girls, cross-dressers, romantic ballads, an ingénue, a eunuch, musicians, clowns, melodrama, complimented by a singing, dancing, body builder with a particularly large sword, entering and exiting in a rapid whirlwind of laughter. Cory Doran, as Pseudolus, stole the show. From his flawless vocals and comic timing, to his bawdy physical humour, Doran fills the audi-

ence with the confidence that he is able to do anything, while still remaining delightful enough to get away with it. All in all, for a break from the ‘hysterium’ of the first month of classes take a moment for comedic relief and go see A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum playing at the Hart House Theatre Wednesday to Saturday until September 29th.

Stage’s The Pillowman is a story portrayed with conviction, emotion and nuances of inescapable human experience. It’s

difficult to keep the characters at a distance. Katurian, played by Shaun Smyth, is a writer who lives in a totalitarian state.

Despite a horrific childhood, Smyth’s Katurian seems cautiously optimistic. He nurtures See Pillowman cont. pg. 11

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Gimme Gimme Shock Treatment By Aya Kiriliuk While University of Florida student Andrew Meyer lacks the rebel moxie of the rabble-rousing Ramones, his recent faceoff with campus police, described as the “zap heard round the world,” has turned him into an instant internet celebrity. The controversial use of the taser to subdue Meyer for disturbing a question period with Sen. John Kerry has become a lightning rod for an impassioned debate on free speech, police brutality, and campus safety. Amazingly, there are many conflicting reports of what transpired, despite the accessibility of the complete footage. For those who have not seen the video clips, Mayer confronted Sen. Kerry after his lecture and delivered a loud and unwieldy diatribe involving such topics as electoral disenfranchisement of black voters, war with Iran, Clinton’s impeachment, and Kerry’s supposed membership in the Skull and Bones secret society. Because of his disruptive demeanor and use of profanity, Mayer’s mic was cut and officers asked him to leave the auditorium. At this point, Meyer chose to continue screaming and fighting against the officers who were trying to remove

him from the room. The force of his resistance was such that the officers judged him to be a danger to himself and others, evidenced by the police report stating that several officers suffered bruises and other injuries. After repeated warnings that he would be tasered if he did not comply, and their inability to handcuff him, the officers used a taser on Mayer to allow them to subdue and handcuff him. According to eyewitness accounts, Meyer then peacefully followed the officers downstairs to the police cruiser, until the cameras reappeared, at which point he resumed screaming, “You can’t kill me,” and “They are giving me to the government.” He was unwilling to give his name at the time of arrest, and was identified by a business card on his person reading, “theandrewmayer. com: speak my mind.” Meyer was cooperative on the way to the station and at his booking, though he wanted to know if there would be cameras at the jail. Meyer was charged with disturbing the peace and resisting arrest with violence, and spent the night in jail. The most striking feature of the incident is the use of the taser to subdue an unarmed

student in front of a crowded university auditorium during a lecture, and pervasive misinformation has crept into accounts of the tasering. To clear up any confusion, Andrew Meyer was not “shot” by the taser, but rather “shocked.” The difference is that when someone is “shot” by a taser, they are shot from a distance with two barbed probes through which an electrical current is transmitted, causing neuromuscular incapacitation (NMI). Secondary effects of NMI can be serious, including bone and organ damage, and there are documented cases of fatalities. This is not what was done to Mayer. The video clearly shows that he was able to stand and walk seconds after he was cuffed and pulled upright. What actually happened was that he was “shocked” with the taser, a much less serious form of “pain compliance.” The officers used the device in “drive-stun mode,” referred to as a “contact tase” in the police report. This does not cause NMI and the electricity is only effective as long as the taser is in direct contact with the subject’s clothing. The purpose of the “shock” is not to incapacitate the subject, but to allow the of-

ficers to subdue the subject long enough to get him or her under control. The video clearly shows that as soon as the officers were able to safely cuff Meyer, the tasering was stopped. While the circumstances were unusual, University of Florida Police officials insist the use of the taser was well within the department’s use of force policy, which states that when a suspect is showing “active physical resistance,” including erratic movements and pulling away from the officer, the use of chemical spray, baton, or taser is permissible. However, none of these explanations satisfy those concerned about the use of excessive force to stop Meyer from speaking his piece. All this attention threatens to eclipse the serious questions arising from this incident. Devotees of Naomi Klein’s new book, The Shock Doctrine, were quick to point out the highprofile footage as proof of freely promulgated police brutality in the wake of campus safety concerns following the tragedy at Virginia Tech. End of America author Naomi Wolf comments on her blog that she sees the tasering of Mayer as a potent example of the way that the “use of force begins to be deployed

in highly visible, strategic and visually shocking ways against people that others see and identify with as ordinary citizens.” While universities are a forum for freedom of speech and debate, this does not include the freedom to act in an erratic, disrespectful, and irresponsible manner, just as the First Amendment does not allow airline travelers to make jokes about carrying bombs in their shoes. Following the incident, Sen. Kerry stated, “In thirty-seven years of public appearances, through wars, protests and highly emotional events, I have never had a dialogue end this way.” Perhaps in these highly charged and sensitive times, it is advisable to act with a little more common sense than Andrew Meyer demonstrated, just in case. In the days following Meyer’s arrest, University of Florida students organized demonstrations which numbered up to 300 protestors. Two police officers involved in the tasering were placed on paid leave pending further inquest into the incident, and Mayer was released without bond the following day.

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The Secret Lives of Acrobats

Dai-Nipponjin

By Sean Liliani

Directed by: Hitoshi Matsumoto

Delivering more emotion than a surge of hormones and more visual disbelief than two hits of acid, Kooza successfully took me to another world for its twohour duration. Cirque de Soleil’s latest spectacle may be performed in a tent that sits within the industrial wasteland of Cherry St. but, once within her walls you are truly taken to a fantastical world where Newton’s laws have not yet been legislated and the absurd rules over reality. Kooza strays away from the dark and mysterious imagery that is often associated with Cirque de Soleil. An imaginative story, Kooza follows the youthful innocence of the central character (co-incidentally named The Innocence) as he embarks on a turbulent journey filled with acrobatic encounters. Hidden behind the curtain is a live band that really brings the show to life. With an original score, composer JeanFrancois Cote draws on everything “from 70s funk to orchestral music”. The show often interacts with the crowd and evokes much traditional circus imagery. On multiple occasions police chases wind their way through the audience. Taking all the staples of a classic circus, this production manages to twist them into a unique experience. The lighting, costumes and set design turn the stage into something that looks more like a cartoon than reality. Some parts of the show are reminiscent of Tim Burton-like creations. Unlike most trips to the circus, when the lights went down I felt not as if the show was being performed for me, but as if I (and 2000 others) had

stumbled upon some strange, foreign ceremony. While an individual audience member might leave having gained a very personal and almost spiritual experience, I learned earlier that morning that this experience is only made possible by the intensive training and meticulous efforts of the crew. With a coffee in hand and some serious sleep depravation I checked into the backstage entrance that morning to see what exactly goes into such a production. To my left wardrobe artists were ironing out imperfections, to my right I saw t-shirt clad youngsters spinning fifteen feet through the air to execute perfect landings atop a pyramid of people. Standing amidst such professionalism my ego as an editor was quashed. These guys are among the best in the world at what they do and still work all day every day to perfect their maneuvers. Angel Quiros Dominguez is a high wire acrobat from Madrid. In regards to the time commitment that is put into such an out of the ordinary vocation he told me “it’s just like studying to be a doctor or a lawyer, you have to work hard every day”. While the characters seem abstract and supernatural on stage, such seamless performance is actually the result of decades of dedication. The Cirque de Soleil comes at a higher cost than your usual night out but that is because you really are paying to see the best in the world. Kooza will be in town until October 7th. Students can buy discounted tickets for $25 at www.cirquedusoleil.com/studentdiscount.

Guess how he picks up chicks at the bar?

At first glance, it seems the premise of Dai-Nipponjin (literally, the “great Japanese”) fulfills the basic requirements of TIFF’s Midnight Madness program, which specializes in cinematic romps through the excessive, violent, bizarre and potentially offensive. The film features a pseudo-documentary of Daisato, a rather reserved Japanese man whom, with the help of electrical power plants and specialized nipple clamps, transforms into a giant tattooed, purple spandex wearing hero who battles giant monsters attacking various Japanese

cities. Yet, while Dai-Nipponjin offers your typical cult fare, its narrative pacing and introspection make its extremity muted, if such an adjective can be applied to a film, which features, among other things, a giant monster with a comb-over and what may be best described as an anal arrow that deposits eggs. Daisato is a far cry from a glorified hero. His fights air on late night television to low ratings and his fellow countrymen are often disapproving of his work, despite the fact that he is a 6th generation hero in a line of giant Japanese men who battle

C+ the “baddies”. Dai-Nipponjin is not simply a film that is extreme for the sake of extremity. Issues regarding the erosion of Japanese traditions, the commodification of its culture, constructions of identity, and tensions between shifting attitudes and values, are always hovering on the periphery of what appears to be a series of amusing and innocuous interviews with Daisato and those he associates with. Approach this film with an open mind By Erica Sum

27 September 2007

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27 September 2007

8 the newspaper Name Change cont. from pg. 1 responded to it as such: “as our funding came through, they also suggested to us that we consider that we find a name or suggest a few names that include the word ‘University’ and bring that back to them.” Research collected for a recent student forum suggests the school is exerting greater influence in instigating the name change than it lets on. An email from Nancy Watkins, a senior policy advisor in the universities branch of the Ministry, to the forum’s organizers reads: “I understand that you are seeking clarification with respect to who initiated the potential for a name change at OCAD. OCAD approached the Ministry to discuss the use of the term “university” and to explore the potential for a name Urban Music cont. from pg. 1 that took place in Nathan Phillip’s square. Many of Canada’s best known urban music artists took the stage in between the downtown skyscrapers. The weekend’s events were proof that our city holds plenty of talented young people. The downside was that so much of Sunday’s concert seemed dedicated to reminiscing over Toronto hip hop’s past. The late evening performance dedicated much more time to artists whose prime has already

“...now more than ever, talent isn’t what sells in music...” passed. It was unfortunate that the emphasis was so heavily on the rappers who were expected to blow up in the late 90’s. At that time, many believed that Canadian hip hop was on the cusp of blowing up internationally. It ended up being a peak that Canadian urban music has yet to surpass. Maybe the festival organizers didn’t have much choice, as only very few of our city’s talented young people have managed to find mainstream success. A lot of that can probably be explained by the fact that now more than ever, talent isn’t what sells in music and Canadians have an especially difficult time gaining recognition. Maybe the best thing about Canada’s art and culture scenes is the amount of young people who are involved and learning, developing skills and having fun. The festival’s organizers, supporters and artists all deserve credit for a well-organized, executed event. Things happened on time, without many of the delays and noshows that plague many largescale events. Hopefully many of the kids who attended Manifesto this past weekend will be Canada’s stars of tomorrow.

change. Pursuant to the Ontario College of Art and Design Act, 2002, OCAD is a legally autonomous institution.” Watkins also adds that should the OCAD Academic Council and Board of Governors choose to change the institution’s name, the amendment to the Ontario College of Art and Design Act, 2002 would require the approval of the legislature. That research was conducted by fourth year Graphic Design student Ghazaleh Etezal. Last year she organized the multisession 2006 OCAD Student Forum to ensure that

student concerns were written into the school’s Strategic Plan for 2006-2012. Like the rest of the student body, she heard of the name

change this summer, when an email announcement was sent out to the OCAD community. She says she would have heard of the change earlier if it were part of the Strategic Plan discussions. “We weren’t told at all that there was a name change,” she says. “It came out of nowhere.” After it became clear at the community brainstorming session that students are concerned about the Renaming Project, Etezal organized the 2007 “What’s in a Name?” forum. Several of the students

at the forum felt that the name change had been dropped on them without warning. As recently as 2004, in a press release announcing OCAD’s “Cornerstone” logo, the university stated that “The word ‘College’ will continue to be in OCAD’s name, to recognize the value of its long history in Ontario”. Students like Etezal are pointing to an even more recent opportunity, though, when administration could have let students know what was in the works. The Renaming Project comes hot on the heels of OCAD’s 2006 Strategic Plan. Available online, the 71-paged document sets out the vision and mission of the school as well as a number of strategies —for learning, research, outreach, and funding— as well as set

27 September 2007

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27 September 2007

10 the newspaper

Stupid Heaven By Jade Colbert According to Barbara Fischer, curator at Barnicke, Stupid Heaven marks a new vision for the gallery by providing a comprehensive look at a Toronto artist’s body of work, contextualizing it and thereby allowing for close analysis. “One of the things we’d really like to do, because we’re in a university, is to examine something in depth. There has been a lack in Toronto of institutions looking seriously at a body of work of an artist or a particular interest of what’s happening in Toronto, of artists who live here. That’s something we would like to do.” Walking through the exhibition with Fischer, you begin to see what she means. Stupid Heaven is a collection of works by Kelly Mark from the past dozen years. Mark, who studied at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, has lived in Toronto for over 15 years and has shown extensively, yet this is the first major survey of her

work, one that allows the viewer to appreciate how the artist has consistently grappled with questions on time—how we spend it, what we want from it, how we respond to it. According to Fischer, the stupid heaven referenced in the title is the moment, the now that we spend doing something other than what we perhaps feel we should be doing. “In and Out” and “Broken Meters” also seem fairly clear-cut. In the former, several racks of time cards, each rack for a year, have been filled for every hour Mark has been at work as an artist (she keeps a punch clock in her studio). A work in progress, she plans to continue punching these cards until she retires in 2032. Possibly the most thought-provoking on display, though, are Mark’s film works. Those viewers looking to these works for a commentary on television itself —on the news media or blockbuster films, say— might be disappointed.

Take, for instance, “A Man, A Woman…”, a movie preview that never gets past its own beginning. For the next eight minutes the preview continues to name roles, ones generally not thought of as being as significant as the first two. By playing on this convention, “A Man, A Woman” shows just how accustomed we have come to reading (into) that convention. We don’t have stock plots in which these characters can all be significant. Attempts to imagine such a plot breaks down into the absurd. It’s the same play on the movie-goers compulsion for narrative that is present in “REM”, a feature-length “true story of assassination, apocalypse and apnea” edited from 170 movies that have been broadcast on television. Make time to see it: as part of the installation, four living rooms have been provided for your viewing pleasure.

The Jane Austin Book Club Directed by: Robin Swicord Starring: Emily Blunt, Mario Bello, Amy Brenneman, Himmy Smits, Maggie Grace The upcoming film The Jane Austin Book Club seeks to achieve far more than remotely possible with such a lacklustre script, unreal characters, and contrived premise. It’s a try-hard that falls flat at practically every stage along the one hour and forty odd minute laboured journey of painful viewing. Having said that, there may be a particular demographic this film may appeal to; perhaps 11-14 year old girls, or anyone who likes their entertainment with extra cheese. As much as it pains me to say the hackneyed and tired phrase, it is a chick-flick. The story weaves around the lives of five women who struggle with every day life; loneliness, bad marriage, divorce, and general unhappiness. Through Jane Austin’s work they find parallels to characters that seem to generate solutions to their respective woes. It is thusly filled with cliché, and if someone is not familiar with Austin’s characters it can easily take the viewer out of the film. There are moments of somewhat witty dialogue, but they are too few to balance out the rest of the weak screenwriting. The best part of the film is the cast, starring Emily Blunt, Maria Bello, Amy Brenneman,

Jimmy Smits, Maggie Grace, Marc Brucas, and Hugh Dancy. They had only so much to work with, however, and therefore none were able to make use of their superior skills. Like most films that don’t make the cut, the characters were weak. For the life of me I couldn’t imagine Blunt’s character Prudie, a sophisticated French teacher, even dating Dean, played by Brucas, let alone marrying him. Dean is the typical beer drinking, Playstation playing, football watching, truck driving guy, who seemingly does everything a man shouldn’t do to keep his wife happy. However, if we are to believe the film, reading Jane Austin can turn around such a man, making him a sensitive and kind gentleman. The idea is ludicrous. The ending of the film is what strikes the viewer hardest. Everything, for all the characters, is wrapped up wonderfully in a tight perfect bow and handed to the viewer as happy ever after. As the film drew to a close the young woman to my left leaned over to me and said what I think summarizes the entirety of the film: “Wow, that’s even too girly for me!” By Garth Mercer

27 September 2007

Fur and Gold Bat for Lashes Fur and Gold, the debut album from British singer/songwriter Natasha Khan under the moniker of Bat for Lashes, is both a piece of focused expression, as well as a fragmented, schizophrenic listen. This division is due largely to its instrumentation. The best pieces on the album

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C+ are the ones allow Khan’s incredibly expressive and beautiful voice room to breathe. The sparse backing on songs like ‘Sad Eyes’ and ‘I Saw a Light’ push Khan to the forefront for good reason. Many of the other tracks, such as the unfortunate ‘Horse and I’ and ‘Tahiti’, never quite coalesce. Particularly on

‘Horse’, the use of the harpsichord suits the song so poorly that it feels as if it was chosen simply because it runs contrary to the clichéd instrumentation of most pop music. However, the songs that are good on Fur and Gold are very good, and evoke a subtle gothic landscape of musicality. When used sparingly, the music behind Khan’s singing accentuates the imagery her lyrics convey quite well; be it the British countryside of ‘Seal Jubilee’, or the “caves of our mouths” of a song like ‘Bat’s Mouth’. Indeed, Fur and Gold is an attempt to infuse the personal world of the individual, with the grandiosity of the natural one that we all reside. Now, if Khan can just understand that artistic ethos should be less is more, her next album should be amazing. -Matthew Bell

Pillowman cont. from pg. 4 his brother, has a strong sense of morals, yet a skewed sense of reason when using extreme violence to protect innocence and children. Smyth holds all of Katurian’s complexities and contradictions in his hand, while encouraging the audience to believe such a human can exist and be so likeable. Paul Fauteux is painfully innocent and happy-golucky as Katurian’s mentally handicapped brother Michal. Fauteux’s gestures, movements and vocal intonation create a brilliant unspoken subtext between the actor and the audience, which enriches Michal’s past and illuminates the stories. Director David Ferry allows McDonagh’s story to speak plainly through his cast of brilliant performers. One choice that works well is his use

of puppets to depict Katurian and Michal’s childhoods. This allows the audience distance from disturbing imagery and gives a gift of comic relief in an intense show. With its outstanding performances, tough questions, horrific imagery and humour audiences can’t help but laugh at, despite suspicions laughter isn’t the appropriate response, CanStage offers an intense opening to their 2008 season. After all, there is no room for “appropriate” in a Martin McDonagh play. The BirdLand Theatre Production of The Pillowman at the CanStage Berkley runs until October 27th, 2007.

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12 the newspaper

the sticky stuff

27 September 2007 by Shannon Thorndyke

Sex, Love, and the Stuff that comes between… about big wet willies! With that said, all hope is not lost. First things first: you must say something to him. It is possible that he is not aware of his offensive kissing style. Hell, maybe someone is his past enjoyed the full-face makeout sessions. Make it a sexy game. Suggest that each of kiss each other’s different body parts with a varied styles of kisses. (For a G rated version use your lips, neck, and face.) Show him the way that you like to be kissed. Explain to him what it is about that style of kiss that appeals to you. For example: “Oh, I really like it when you use your lips softly like that” or “ It feels nice to have the light touch of your tongue on my ….” you get the idea. Keep it light and fun. When it comes time to start the full on frenching you are already in a guiding position and he should be receptive to your suggestions and pointers. If he doesn’t get the

subtle hints then you may have to launch a larger campaign. Tell him in the most honest and straightforward way possible that his kissing ways really turn you off. Let him know how much you like him and that you think he is nice, cute, and funny…but this could be a deal breaker for you. Hopefully he will take this well, and be open to your suggestions. Enjoy locking lips… If he can’t handle the criticism and does something like starts to cry or gets angry with you, maybe it is a good time to hang up your hat. If this topic is too emotionally charged for him to deal with maturely, imagine what will happen when you criticize his other pleasuring skills or have to talk about something really serious. That is it for me this week. Write me with your relationship and sex questions and send them to sex@ Come here baby. I wanna give you something wet. thenewspaper.ca

Bob the Angry Flower

the comics Toothpaste for Dinner

By Stephen Notley

By Drew

I’ll Sudoku You!

I have been dating a guy since July and things are going good. He is really cute, funny, and is very nice to me. My only real complaint at this stage is the way he kisses. He is really slobbery. His mouth is way bigger then mine and almost covers the entire lower half of my face. I don’t want to be shallow but I am beginning to wonder if I am going to be able to continue seeing him. I find myself avoiding his kisses and making all kinds of excuses to side-step the dreaded event. Do you think this is a reason to break it off, or could there still be a chance??? -Kelly That old 60’s song “In his Kiss” popped into my mind while reading your question. I would have to agree the kiss could tell you a lot about the future sexual prowess of a person, though it is not always accurate. I have a personal aversion to the use of tongue in any snake like fashion. This includes stuffing your tongue down my throat or in my ear. I find nothing erotic

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