the newspaper
www.thenewspaper.ca
toronto’s student community paper
Capture The City! By Matthew Pope Were I a cantankerous old man, NewMindSpace’s (NMS) capture the flag game on Friday night would have been a nightmare. Luckily, I don’t think I’m quite there yet, because I had a blast. I’ve been to NMS events before and masterminds Kevin and Lori play gracious hosts and make sure people have fun. A little research at the NMS website yielded rules and maps for the event and information on the organizers. The basic rules of the game are: 1) Divide playing field in half. 2) Divide players into two teams. 3) 1 flag per and the teams hide them in their territory. Objective: capture the enemy’s flag
and bring it back to your territory to score a point. The team with the most points at the end of the allotted time wins. It’s Capture The Flag! The game took place in the Financial District, and as I approached the corner of Bay and King I saw a staggering number of people; final guesses placed the number of participants at about 1500. With a few exceptions the crowd was overwhelmingly under 21. Once everyone had a map and a glow stick for visibility and team identification, the rules were announced over a loudspeaker. A few friendly warnings were issued, team captains identified, and everyone was sent off to hide their flags. The game was afoot!
Over the course of the next two hours countless attacks, counter-attacks, defenses and methodologies were put forth by the teams and most were met with limited success. I had fun experimenting with direct assaults, covert ops, and mass kamikaze missions, but after an hour or so, I was done running my ass off (with a backpack attached) in a futile attempt to outrun the Pinks (I was Blue team). I went with my companions to a nearby Timmies to warm up and get a coffee. While we were there we watched a variety of CTF players come through, showing various states of wear and tear. The most notable was a young man
the inside: the newspaper Steps Into the Twilight Zone. Kind of.
pg. 5 Jock Talk Goes to the Movies
pg. 3 People Tell Us What They Think About Stuff
pg. 4
See City cont. pg. 12
the science
by Timothy Ryan
New Comic!
pg. 8
New Drug May Cause Racism African-American with congestive heart failure? We’ve got just the thing for you. BiDil, a combination of isosorbide dinitrate with hydralazine which combats heart failure, is a race specific drug which has been on the mainstream market for just over a year now. The drug was originally rejected by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) citing that the drug had showed inconclusive benefits for patients overall. However, a study by Taylor et al. in 2004 showed that the drug reduced
mortality by 43% in AfricanAmerican patients who, as a group, respond less effectively to conventional congestive heart failure treatments. Despite this breakthrough, debate still rages concerning its approval by the FDA on the basis that approving a drug for use only by blacks could be interpreted as validating a genetic basis to race that does not exist. These critics, some of whom are prominent medical researchers, believe that the FDA is implying
October 18 2007 Vol. XXX No. VII
that there is some fundamental physiological difference between black and white Americans, citing that race is a crude and invalid scientific concept. On that basis there is no argument here However, no one is claiming to be genetically identifying these individuals as “black” or “white”. There is no insinuation that there are “black genes” and “white genes” and it is clear that race is defined by society and not by science. In fact, throughout the trials performed by Taylor,
the 1,050 patients tested were self-identified blacks, meaning they simply checked a box designating themselves black. The drug may affect ethnic groups differently due to a number of factors such as environment (diet, exposure to pollutants), sociological factors (access to good health care) and genetics. It is most likely a combination of all three. The inherent racial nature of this supposed, positive medical discovery has drawn a plethora of unfounded
Photo by Matthew Smith
criticism. Scientists complain that people are being racially profiled by their genetics, while anti-racism crusaders believe the implications of this drug and its different action on various ethnicities may be used to promote racist thinking. It becomes a footnote that we have found a drug that is saving African-Americans from heart failure. That is something to be celebrated and exploited, not bitched about.
A Year in the Making By Mayssia Elajami
Recreation, Athletics and Wellness Center @ UTM
The day has finally come for UTM to celebrate the official opening of the Recreation, Athletics and Wellness Center (RAWC). And although that day is Friday October 19 2007, the center was officially in use by the students and the faculty about a year ago. Ken Duncliffe, the director of Physical Education, Athletics and Recreation at UTM, says that the opening of the gym “was consistent with the commitment that was made to the students with respect to the fee increase”. The facilities that are now available include 3 full size gyms (one with a seating capacity of 800 people); a competitive
pool and a hot tub; a fitness area with over 100 stations of cardio and strength equipment; a high performance centre with Olympic weight lifting equipment; golf training facilities; three multipurpose teaching studios; and a indoor track that circles around the facility overlooking the main gym. The new facility will also house a sports/medical clinic, which should be open in early 2008. The Toronto Argonaut’s also use the new complex. Duncliffe explains the organization “has an agreement with the university, which includes the use of the athletic center and the sport field for training purposes”. Duncliffe points out
that this new complex is much larger than anything UTM has previously had access to: “this development of a new athletic space had been well received by students, staff and faculty. The previous facilities were built to service a student population of 2500 and we now approach 12000 in which the old facilities were definitely inadequate.” With the increasing population of students flooding the university campus, a need to improve facilities, and create more space will be on the agenda for the university’s administration. Creating a new space for improving the physical wellness of stressed students is definitely a step in the right direction.
18 October 2007
2 the newspaper
Crowds Roar and Shout for More as DanCap’s Drowsy Shows Off By Amanda Campbell Whether the flashy conventions of the Great White Way cause you to sing or groan The Drowsy Chaperone uses the guise of musical theatre to present a comedy making fun of its stereotypes and extra cheese. Originally, the show was a wedding present for Second City performers Bob Martin and Janet Van de Graaff. Martin became involved in creating this pastiche on 1920s musicals. He plays the show’s narrator, Man in Chair, with perfec-
tion and amusing candor in the DanCap production, having already played the role on Broadway (and winning a 2006 Tony Award for the show’s book). Martin’s dialogue with the audience is witty and appears totally spontaneous. The comedy exists on two levels. For those on their own chairs with cast albums, tap dancers and monkeys on pedestals, each passionate burst of excitement resonates with charming -and sheepishtruth. For those who don’t identify with this erratic neu-
rotic man, he’s so hilarious a worn-out CD of Cats isn’t required to “get it”. Andrea Chamberlain, as Janet Van De Graaff, captures the 1920s ingénue whose charm evokes the sensual duality of the innocent girl next door and the daring, high kicking “modern woman”. Nancy Opel plays The Drowsy Chaperone fraught with delicious tributes to Merman, Garland and Minnelli, as she weaves layers in her performance of the distinguished Broadway actress masquerading in a role she
loosely holds as an onstage persona. The Drowsy Chaperone has everything a good musical should. Man in Chair undercuts it with the perfect amount of cynicism to thrust the show into today’s jaded world, while still keeping the charm of the perfect happy ending we all still secretly long for. The Drowsy Chaperone plays at the Elgin Theatre until October 14th. For tickets visit www.dancaptickets. com, or call (416) 644-3665.
that “there’s not a plethora of work out there, because there are so many talented people… so there isn’t really enough to go around”. For Epstein and Farb, being producer and performer fuels their creativity and they are exhilarated about having a project they can claim as their own. As far as the Toronto theatre community is concerned, as Epstein says, “artists support artists…you want to go see everyone else’s work and so they will come to see your work and that builds a community”. The community, Farb stresses, develops strength as young people branch out and begin working on smaller projects. Epstein notes that “you can’t sit there waiting for your agent to call -you have to make your own opportuni-
ties”. Caught in the midst of excitement surrounding the rejuvenation of musical theatre in Toronto, Farb and Epstein are optimistic about its future here. After the success of The Drowsy Chaperone, they hope producers will begin to give Canadians a fair shot and allow this nation’s performers not only to star in shows from the past in their own theatres, but also to premiere new musicals on main stages in Toronto. Edges will be performed on Saturday, October 13th at the Centre for the Arts. 263 Adelaide Street. W. 5th Floor. To read the full interview with Gabi Epstein and Sara Farb, visit Amanda’s blog at http://mt-champion.livejournal. com.
Serving up a good time Every time since 9T6!
Edgy Productions By Amanda Campbell Amidst hectic schedules, I sat down with Gabi Epstein and Sara Farb to speak with them about their upcoming staged reading of a new musical, Edges, written by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul. When asked how they chose this somewhat obscure musical, Sara Farb recounts that while she was at Circle in the Square Theatre in New York, a student sang an amazing song which he said was from Edges. The moment Farb listened to the demo CD she fell in love with the music. Gabi Epstein emphasizes that it is a song cycle, like the very popular Jason Robert Brown show Songs for A New World, which as Epstein says, “is so hot right now”. Farb adds that these
Editor-in-Chief Joe Zabukovec News Editor Steven Borowiec
Managing Editor Sean Liliani Arts Editor Niya Bajaj
Associate Editors Shannon Thorndyke, Timothy Ryan Art Director Brendan Keen
City cont. from pg. 1 with a large gash on his cheek and skin so pale it looked like make up. One of my companions with emergency medical training inspected him, realized the boy was in the early stages of shock, and convinced him to go to a hospital. My only
real criticism of the event was that there did not appear to be anyone with any kind of emergency medical training, or even a first aid kit. Given that a variety of minor casualties are inevitable during events like this, it would seem prudent to have something, or someone, on hand. Kevin and
Lori were stationed at the meeting place with extra maps and glow sticks. Despite a few people missing The Game (i.e. fun) for part of the night, it seemed clear to me that this was a successful, communityoriented way to take back and make use of the public cityscape.
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shows are geared toward people in their twenties, who are generally excited about this sort of thing; this makes for a built-in audience. The musical is current (even making reference in song to Facebook!), it’s compelling, profound, and it “touches on things that some people don’t like to confront”, which makes both the actors and the audience vulnerable. After keeping their “little treasure” a secret from other people in Toronto looking for hot new musicals to produce, Farb and Epstein found two of “the most talented boys in the city” in Bye, Bye, Birdie at Talk Is Free Theatre. “Of course we cast ourselves, but that was sort of the point,” Epstein notes, as both girls laugh. Epstein adds
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the newspaper 3
the jock talk
by Alan Osadetz
Movie Review: The Bodybuilder and I I watched this independent documentary on Friday night while drinking my usual Friday night bottle of rye. Expecting to be truly inspired by the unmatchable power and charisma of bodybuilders, I was planning on heading out to the bar afterwards and cleaning up. Unfortunately, as it turns out, “this movie is to bodybuilding as Tom Cruise is to heterosexuality”. Sure there’s a very abstract association, but it is all just for show. I put that in quotes because I’m hoping that when they promote the movie they will quote me with that line, because it’s probably the best they’re going to get. The title isn’t a com-
plete lie, but it is misleading. “The Bodybuilder” – the man who is the focus of the documentary - is a 59 year old going through a severe midlife crisis. He competes in amateur bodybuilding competitions in the 50-60 year old
“this movie is to bodybuilding as Tom Cruise is to heterosexuality” age category. To make the film even more vomit-worthy is the commentary by the cry-baby, fourteen year old girl, trapped in the body of a grown man,
who also happens to be “The Bodybuilder’s” son. More focus is given to the strained, emotionally distant relationship between the father and son than to the important stuff –pumping iron. The son (who is the “creative genius” behind this documentary) is constantly trying to find ways to bond with his father and confront him about why he was never present as a loving father during his youth. This is a real life example of somebody taking the completely wrong approach to patching up a relationship with an estranged relative. What the son should have been doing is hitting the bench press. If I had a 59 year old father who could bench more than me I would seek the immediate consultation of numerous professionals in the fields of physiological and psychological health. Clearly the father didn’t respect his son because he was embarrassed of his physique. I suppose one positive comment I could make is that something can be learned from this documentary. Anyways, somewhere near the end the DVD started skipping, as was expected of an advance screening copy from the Butt-Fuck Nobody film production company. I didn’t see how it ended -not that I cared. It was getting extremely boring and I was just about seeing double (which is the point when I’m ready to go out). The most entertainment value this DVD had was the words “Do Not Duplicate” printed on it. That night we (the newspaper) went to Circa. Their publicist invited us there and then made us pay $15 to get in. That place hasn’t changed at all from Lucid. Once again they’ve managed to attract a terrible crowd, and it’s going to go under in a matter of months. I blame the bad night on the disappointment of the documentary.
Northbound Leather Switches Things Up By Niya Bajaj For eleven years Northbound Leather has been hosting the worlds largest mega fetish party, and this year is no different. The doors to Switch, held at the Polson Pier open at 9 pm on October 20th and the party continues until 6 am. To mark the stores’ 21st anniversary George Giouris, Northbound’s proprietor, and designer Gary Rotman have switched up the format, so that the party begins right as fetish devotees walk through the door. There will be no waiting for the show to begin since this year there are 3 stages, which enhance the interactive perfor-
mance art environment. The visual onslaught of what can only be called a kink variety performance combines runway shows featuring Rotman’s designs, and a star-studded list of kinky performers. Topping the catalog is Buck Angel, the only female-tomale transsexual porn star, who will be performing for the first time in Canada. Joining Buck is Canada’s most famous transsexual, the incredibly stunning Nina Arsenault; Midori, the world’s pre-eminent bondage artist; Vincent Rother of Hangtime Circus, who will perform a series of aerial acrobatics; and club performance artist Lena Love.
Of course, in between shows, performances and kinky play, fetish DJ Jimi Lamort and special guest DJ Dwayne Minard will keep the energy high with everything ranging from 80’s retro and electro to deep soulful house and rock classics. All of this of course is coupled with Go Go dancers to keep things moving. So do as Northbound both allows and encourages: trade in your straight-laced daytime persona for your secret fetish alter ego and come be a part of the worlds biggest annual fetish party, slated to be the hottest, wildest party of the year!
opinions
4 the newspaper
18 October 2007
The Ontario Government Does an Awesome Job at Wasting Money: 2007 Provincial Elections By Arsheen Devjee Elections cost a lot of money and much of the time it is unnecessary money. As a poll officer for the Ontario elections, I witnessed many instances of taxpayer’s money being thrown around as superfluous amenities for elections. Where should I start? There’s the training session where each employee receives a massive colour copy of all the possible procedures for election day (a book that I did not even open), or the DRO (Deputy Returning Officer) who receives a special official “Elections Ontario” duffle bag to carry all
the ballots. An official elections duffle bag? Did it ever occur to Elections Ontario that the ballots could have been delivered in a plastic bag, since they already provided at least four other plastic bags to organize ballots? Another complete waste of money was the amount of election employees hired for such long hours. At times the poll booths were busy, but usually only for about three of the twelve hours they were open. For the majority of the day in the Eglinton-Lawrence McLuhan school polling station, there were about 15 employees getting paid approximately
$15.00/hour to facilitate voters that were trickling in at about a speed of 35vpr (voters per hour). On average, I assisted five vpr, and got paid $15/hour to do so. I could not help but think that the Ontario government could have taken our entire polling station’s pay for this election and used it to improve their inefficient system of voting. To add to my list is the ballot cards, which I am assuming had to be printed on white paper, coloured entirely with black ink, except the candidate names and circles beside them, which were left in the original white background. Not to men-
tion that my polling station poll kit, along with the other polling stations at McLuhan school, came with about 24 Scrutinizer nametags, when only three Scrutinizers approached all six polling stations in the gym. This brings me to the topic of Scrutinizers. Contrary to what their name suggests, a Scrutinizer’s job is not to scrutinize the poll clerk and DRO’s procedures, but rather to look over a list of the electorate that has already voted. The Scrutinizers, who are the representatives of the local candidates, then check the “already voted” list with the list of those people who have pledged their support
to the candidate. After checking their list with the “already voted” list, they proceed to make phone calls to “supporters” that had not voted, reminding them of their promise of support. “My home was called twice and visited once on election day,” says Janan Botrie, a student at U of T who lives in the Don Valley West riding, “by campaigners for the Liberal candidate running in my riding, just to be sure that voters in my household were going to come out and vote for said candidate.” The only thing positive I can say about Scrutinizers is that they don’t get paid.
people believe in it. The youth of today are stuck in a postmodern period, where more than a few people are creating hybrids of cultural practices, though a hybrid of religion and science is yet to be seen. With the advancement of both scientific theories and religion that are taking place in this period, creating a hybrid is essential. Globalization is a part of everyone’s life, but we all need
to come together and create a peace between religion and science. I can’t really give you a concrete ideology on how to create a hybrid, so I leave it up to you people. This may not be as important as poverty or global warming, but you would be doing me a big favour.
Science vs. Religion: A Thought By Sumaiya Ahmed How many times have you heard arguments regarding religion and science? Probably more than enough. Well, have you ever been stuck between the two and not known which path to take? I have. Religion at home and science at school can drive a person crazy. I am a Muslim, who tries to follow her religion as much
as she can but always ends up falling short. It does not mean that I follow science to it’s full extent either. Sometimes when I want to believe a concept in one of them, the other interferes. For example, as much as teachers and Western thought would like me to believe in the theory of evolution, I am not able to because of my religion. At the same time, when my religion forbids me to in-
terfere in the works of God, as in new biological discoveries, I find that this is wrong. I believe that it is good for our society, that new biological and medical discoveries take place. Who to believe and what to believe? The best solution that comes to mind is a hybrid of religion and science, but can one exist? Any form of cultural practice can only be achieved if a collective group of
The Truth About Gravity
The Twilight Exhibit
performances as the oddly attired bohemian barrista, the inarticulate ex boyfriend and Combining poetry, physics, the research coordinator with love, obligations and conversaa convincing Swiss accent, are tions with famous dead people, convincing and believable, Justin Blum’s The Source of Gravnone of the characity packs a lot into its ters seem necessary. short runtime. DirectIn fact, save for proed by Lydia Wilkinson viding minor points and starring Courtof context, none of ney Cauthon, Jordana the minor characCommisso, Roxann ters seemed to make Lee, Keith Bennie, enough of an impact and Tory Mountain, to render them crucial this production showto the production. cases a newly revised The one perforscript and design vimance that did seem sion. strangely executed Opening was that of Madame with a pair of sisters Curie. While playing who couldn’t be less a long dead woman alike, the frenetic fein what looked like male physicist and a quickly cobbled her markedly mellow together Halloween poet sister are both costume can be a chaluniversity educators lenge, putting on a with the inability to consistent French achold down a relationcent really shouldn’t ship, but do great be. work in their fields. While the perSome of the binaries, formance had some especially in terms of Roxann Lee (left) and Courtney Cauthon (right) funny moments and the arts vs. pure sciences, or work vs. family and might also be worth rethinking made valid points about the love vs. money are made pain- in order to create a more syn- commonalities between a pure fully clear by using obvious chronous production that flows science, like physics and poetry juxtaposition rather than subtle smoothly from one scene to the that makes science work, doing next without rehashing issues The Source of Gravity needs to suggestions. Juxtaposition aside, the that played out two scenes ago. work on it’s balancing act a bit While Keith Bennie’s more, else it may fall flat. show has some genuinely funny
By Tia Maryanne Kim
lines. On the whole, the revised script needs a touch more work and some tightening, especially in terms of presenting the female academic condition. The expanded cast
Photo by Michelle MacArthur
By Niya Bajaj
I was marching up the creaky black stairs to the Whippersnapper Gallery, where Ukula Magazine’s Twilight Exhibit was to be unveiled. Dull visions of cloned frame photos of “twilight” danced in my head, and the eerie theme song from The Twilight Zone (Da na na na da na na na) flowed through my ears. I stepped into the gallery and realized I was completely wrong. Invisible were the generic photos of skyline and nature. Instead, hung a gigantic owl-mask representing a creature of the night, sculpted to life by dozens of intricately folded handkerchiefs to imitate a rainbow of feathers. A mystical mirror in a gypsy’s purple hung omnipotent above, giving you a pondering reflection of your own image. I wondered how the hell these artists could take something so lifeless and transform art into interpretations we’d never imagine? “It totally flows natural,” says Tim Oakley, the latter half of the artsy duo dubbed ‘Wall & Oakes”. Oakley and his partner April Walsh have been designing art collaboratively for the last several years. Together,
their unique and innovative styles stitch together seamlessly. “It starts with a lot of throwing and shouting. We talk about [our ideas] for five minutes. Then we start,” explains Walsh. Kevin Renton and Graeme Maclean, founding publishers of Ukula Magazine, conjured up the idea for the show. Ukula is a cultural arts magazine that was conceived in 2005 from a monthly DJ night in Montreal and Toronto. Through a “Six-degrees-of-Separation” kind of cycle, various artists became aware of the competition. They had to submit their individual perception of twilight as art, and were then carefully selected for the exhibit. Even though all artists were given the same idea, every piece at the show was completely different. “It just shows you about art and how human minds all work differently,” says Michelle Calvert, who did the PR for the event. The difference in what I was expecting and what I experienced that night was exhilarating, and I highly recommend that you check it out for yourself. Although, I still think that a quiet rendition of the Twilight Zone theme song would have helped the atmosphere.
18 October 2007
the newspaper 5
Pat Ransom: The Urban Pulse Series By Matthew Smith Pat Ransom’s work at the Red Eye Studio Gallery in Toronto’s Distillery District was literally eye-opening; her new series entitled Urban Pulse explores the Toronto urban landscape from a bird’s-eye view. I had the pleasure of chatting to the artist about her work and the state of contemporary art in Canada. Ransom is a graduate of both OCAD and the University of Guelph. As a professional artist, she has exhibited throughout Ontario and is included in numerous private and public collections in Canada, the U.S., Mexico, and the U.K. In addi-
tion, her work adorns the covers of several published books in Canada. Ransom works from photos taken from our famed landmark, the CN tower. Through numerous sketches, she manipulates the photograph to a state of expression, hoping to facilitate the blurring of boundaries between representation and abstraction. Ransom states that the works are “not abstract but abstracted” views of the city, meaning that fragmentation alters the cityscape to achieve an artistic, expressionistic end. She links her work with Cezanne, a Post-Impressionist ‘Art-god’
who, like her, repeated subject matter consistently (in mountains, still life, etc.). Living in our city taught Ransom to “paint what you know”. Much in the same way Braque and Picasso painted studio life, Ransom paints the life of the city that encompasses her. Interestingly, she speaks of the city as a living entity or being that contains “arteries” (roads) that lead into the “heart” (core) of the city, feeding it with life. Five years of looking and painting these images connects her with the city on a unique level, seeing our surroundings as a guardian, opportunity, happiness, and a sav-
Bay St. #6 iour. Ransom genuinely suggests that “everyone owns
the landscape” and has found her niche in representing it. And she’s found us.
Revisiting Laws, Labels and Liberations By Sumaiya Ahmed On September 29th, 2007, three esteemed guests from various parts of North America gathered in a room full of young university students in the Bahen Centre. The purpose of the seminar seemed simple on the surface –to teach young people in Canada about what is happening in the Philippines. But when the students got to the seminar room, they discovered books and posters surrounding the issue of political imprisonment, particularly the case of Professor Jose Maria Sison. The talks that all three judges gave were more about the contributions of Professor Sison than the injustice happening in the Philippines. Nonetheless, the seminar was jammed packed with information. Nevertheless Emman-
uel Sayo, who is an important part of the Philippines-Canada Task Force on Human Rights, started the seminar by giving a brief introduction about Professor Jose Maria Sison, who has been struggling for justice in the Philippines for the last forty years, and has spent ten years in jail because of his activism against the Philippine government. Soon after his release in 1987 he moved to the Netherlands, hoping to find a free life, and at the same time create awareness about the unjust situation in the Philippines. The movement he started in the late 60s is still going strong –a movement that is there to work for social and political justice in the Philippines. Following Sayo was Ninotchka Rosca, a renowned journalist, novelist and activist.
Of all the three, she was most directly connected with Professor Sison, and was able to provide more of an inside account of his recent arrest. According to her, there were several events that took place before Professor Sison’s arrest. On July 25th 2007, three lists turned up which consisted of names that were supposedly a threat to Philippines. On the list, there were several activists and one of them was Rosca herself. Soon after, another list was issued with more names than the previous one. On August 9th, she and her two other colleagues, were stopped from leaving the Philippines because they were, according to the list, connected to the Taliban. It was ironic; one can only try to find reasoning behind this allegation, considering that she is a Filipino-American and is not even a Muslim.
They were allowed out of the country on August 13th after a series of demonstrations. Last was Luninging Imperial, a second generation Filipino from Vancouver, BC. She is a lawyer and human rights activist with International League of People’s Struggle (ILPS). She focused more on Professor Sison’s legal battle with the justice system over the past four decades. There are several personal reasons for his fight against the justice system: epic legal battles, the lack of compensation for his several arrests, political asylum, false criminal charges and false terrorist charges. She described his present condition in the Netherlands, he is currently imprisoned. He is put in a room by himself and everyday for five to six hours where he has to go through severe interrogations, though he has maintained his
silence. She ended her speech by asking a few questions from all of us – who is responsible for who we are? And how can we change ourselves? This seminar might not have been exactly about the anti-terrorism laws or its impact as a whole on society, but instead it focused on a single person. Professor Sison is an important part of Philippine activism, maybe even the root of it. His arrest created an imbalanced atmosphere in the Philippines and other countries where allies of Professor Sison reside. The next court date for this case is on October 3rd 2007, til then one can only hope that these so-called anti-terrorism laws do not claim another life.
type and CNN-fueled images of Al-Qaeda, and often suffer interrogations and humiliating searches. “The media focuses so much on the connection of terrorism and Muslims,” says Mariam Al-Kabeer VP of the Thaqalayn Muslim Association on campus. “The general population in the west seemed to forget that terrorism is done by people from practically every religious and ethnic background. There are good and bad people everywhere.” Words like ‘jihad’ are beaten around like a soccer ball, and the public understanding of them is misconstrued and misunderstood. In Arabic, the word jihad literally means struggle, and in Islam it refers primarily to a person’s inner struggle with the things that he grapples with. These words are appropriated by Western media and used negatively so that the North American understanding of Islam is one of war and rigidity. Western views of Mus-
lims are not the only things that are changing, the Muslim view of their own identity is also changing. Often as a result of such typecasting, people begin to recognize their own differences in more heightened ways, further dividing Muslims and non-Muslims and eroding the diversity that exists within the Muslim community. “I think Muslims perceptions of themselves have changed,” says fourth year Religion major Arsheen Devjee, “they are more conscious that they are Muslim, and part of the “other”, they are conscious that they are different.” This sets a precedent for how Muslims of this generation will assert themselves in the face of subtle and overt prejudice, and how they will respond to it. I saw someone on television a few weeks ago that bore a shirt that stated, “My name causes national security alerts. What does yours do?”
Muslims in North America By Rehaana Manek The sentiment that 9/11 changed everything is avid in most people in North America, Muslim and non-Muslim alike. What is often overlooked is the aftermath in which Islam and Muslims have been put under the spotlight. As the government and the media’s invisible hand raises the temperature on an already simmering pot – creating hellfire over there and sending embers over here. Antagonism towards immigrants in North America has always been present, but after 9/11 for Muslims, specifically visible Muslims, it has never been more overt. The Western media’s role in creating “Islamaphobia” is completely apparent. The media has power in the words and images they employ that create those stereotypes that literally define our ideas of what the “other” as a category of identity is. When the Toronto Star showed the picture of a young man and stated “The face of a terrorist”,
our minds instantly relay this face and every face like it to fear and war and of course, terrorism. Networks like CNN and Fox feed into these stereotypes by emphasizing these signal
“We see this subtle fear everywhere; walking into an airport is akin to walking into a police station.” words with terms that on their own are benign. When reading a newspaper like this one, and instead of seeing a story about “a man”, you read about “a Muslim man”, instantly importing images and misconceptions into the mind about this person’s background and religion creating a bias when there should be none. When acts of violence are performed here in North America by non-racialised individuals, their religion and ethnic-
ity are not called into question. Why does this become an issue of race or religion when it comes to those who are racialised, and happen to be Muslim? That is not to say that Muslims cannot commit acts of terrorism. However so can a Christian, or a Jew, or anyone else that has a religion or a heartbeat. Terrorism is not the effect of religion, but rather religion is the happenstance of a terrorist. Our mired understanding is compounded by national debates over issues relating to “sharia” law and faith-based schools, in what Toronto Star Columnist Haroon Siddique refers to as “John Tory’s ill-advised idea of funding private schools, opposition to which is no longer driven by anti-Catholic bigotry but fear of Islamic schools”. We see this subtle fear everywhere; walking into an airport is akin to walking into a police station. Muslim men, with beards and Arabic names become the victims of stereo-
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NOTICE OF REFERENDUM The University of Toronto Students’ Union (UTSU) will be holding a referendum in conjunction with UTSU’s fall 2007 by-elections. Those eligible to vote in the referendum are members of UTSU, including full-time undergraduate students, registered at the St. George campus. PROPOSAL & QUESTION
BACKGROUND The St. George campus of the University of Toronto is one of the only Canadian university campuses without a large studentcentred community facility. Students at the Mississauga (UTM) and Scarborough (UTSC) campuses both enjoy one – but students at St. George do not. In 2005, the University of Toronto Students’ Union (UTSU, formerly the Students’ Administrative Council) conducted a plebiscite and found that a majority of students voted in favour of building and financially contributing towards such a facility. An interim project planning report, approved by the University’s Governing Council on June 25, 2007, describes a “Student Commons” facility that would provide the following kinds of space and services: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
24-hour student space commuter space prayer space club offices and space lounge space study space meeting rooms healthy, affordable and diverse food options (e.g., Halal, Kosher, vegan) rehearsal space used bookstore large multi-purpose space offices for student organizations food bank workshop and design space bicycle repair space space to sell discounted TTC Metropasses for longer periods of time space to provide UTSU services more effectively and efficiently
The Student Commons would be managed, operated, and governed by students – therefore protecting the Student Commons from commercialization, corporatization, and privatization. UTSU envisions the Student Commons as a nexus of student community, co-operation, and communication. The Student Commons would be built with a view to achieving Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification. The Student Commons would be an accessible facility. The University has conditionally approved construction of the Student Commons on “site 12,” located on the west side of Devonshire Place, just south of Bloor Street. It is expected that construction would commence in September, 2008.
UTSU is seeking the support of its members registered at the St. George campus to demonstrate that we are fully committed to contributing financially towards the construction and operation of the Student Commons. The proposed student levies being requested would be less than the similar levies being paid by UTM and UTSC students. The University would match student contributions to the Student Commons at a minimum rate of 50%.
VOTING PERIOD Wednesday, October 31 to Friday, November 2, 2007 9:00 am - 5:00 pm, daily
VOTING LOCATIONS Alumni Hall (St. Michael’s College) Medical Sciences Building, Stone Lobby Sidney Smith Hall, lobby South Building, food court (UTM campus) Student Centre, main hall (UTM campus) Trinity College Warren Stevens Building (Athletic Centre) Woodsworth College Residence
Be it resolved that: 1. Every member of the University of Toronto Students’ Union (“UTSU”)* registered at the St. George campus (“St. George Member”) shall contribute financially to a Student Commons facility (“Student Commons”) on the express condition that the Student Commons shall be managed, operated, and governed by students through UTSU. 2. For construction costs of the Student Commons: (a) beginning in the summer session of 2008, and until the opening of the Student Commons, every St. George Member shall contribute up to $5.00 per session; and, (b) upon opening of the Student Commons, for a period of no more than 25 years, every St. George Member shall contribute up to $16.00 per session. 3. For operating and capital renewal costs of the Student Commons, upon opening of the Student Commons, every St. George Member shall contribute up to $6.50 per session. 4. Financial contributions collected from St. George Members for operating and capital costs of the Student Commons shall be adjusted annually to a maximum of ten percent (10%) in order to address inflationary cost increases.
Are you in favour of the proposal, as appearing above? o Yes
o No
* NB. “University of Toronto Students’ Union” and/or “UTSU” refers to the Students’ Administrative Council of the University of Toronto, Inc.
News, information, updates, and official notices in relation to the referendum, including any changes relevant to this notice, will be posted to the UTSU website (www.utsu.ca). Please note that advocating committees are required to register in accordance with UTSU’s Charter for Referenda. Inquiries should be directed to UTSU’s Chief Returning Officer by telephone (416-978-4911 x 228) or via e-mail (cro@utsu.ca). Please note that, at the time of this publication, “University of Toronto Students’ Union” and/or “UTSU” refers to the Students’ Administrative Council of the University of Toronto, Inc. (“SAC”).
18 October 2007
8 the newspaper
Where the Fuck is This?
the sticky stuff
by Shannon Thorndyke
Sex, Love, and the Stuff that comes between… Hey Shannon, I don’t really know if you’ll be able to help me out with this or not. My girlfriend and I have been dating for a couple years and we’ve been playing around with the idea of moving in together. When I bring it up with friends and other people there is always a comment made about how it’ll “kill our sex life”. Is this true? Because I really enjoy the sex we’re having right now. A lot. I’d like get an honest answer from someone about this, but none of my friends live with their girlfriends. Moving in is just such a big step in general, and no sex would cause an immediate problem. Is this myth or reality? If I move in with her and the sex stops, then what’s the point of even dating? -Frederick Just to be clear: are the same
friends who are preaching the pending death of your sex life the ones who don’t live with their girlfriends??? My quick and simple answer is no, moving in together will not immediately kill the sex. However, living in close quarters with someone can/will change the dynamic. There will be arguments about dishes, dirty socks, money, and all other things domestic. You will get the opportunity to look fondly upon the open box of tampons sitting on the back of the toilet on a monthly basis and these thing can possibly lead to a little less passion. They can also lead to a new sense of comfort and closeness. The intimate connection between the two of you may grow and the sex with it. Depending on your current living situations you may find that shacking up under the same roof allows all kinds of extra freedom. Morning bj’s in
the
the kitchen can be a very bright way to begin the day. What does kind of worry me is that no sex would cause an immediate problem. What kind of problem? If it is a “I think I need more then you have to offer” kind of problem, then save yourself the cost of the movers and stay put. Also, the “without sex what is the point of dating” comment. Ummm… I hope that you do not really mean that. Assuming that you do in fact really feel as though sex is the corner stone of your possible co-habitation’s success, I would say that you are not ready to move in together. You are absolutely correct about moving in being a big step, but it requires a bit more depth in the relationship then steamy carnal encounters. Send your sex and relationship questions to sex@thenewspaper.ca
The Zenlightened Ones
comics
Photo by... we can’t even tell you! You’ve seen it before, but you just can’t put your finger on it... If you can, e-mail the newspaper at thenewspaper@gmail.com. First correct answer gets a prize. You know who put his finger on last week’s photo? Marcel DeChamps. He knew that it was the ceiling at E.J. Pratt. Nice work Marcel.
By Mike Kuo
Toothpaste for Dinner
Drew
Pandamonium (n.):
This Week’s Problem
A state of chaotic uproar caused by a panda.
I’ll Sudoku You!
Last Week’s Solution
Bob the Angry Flower
By Stephen Notley