Issue 18 - February 2 2012 by The Newspaper

e ide: The Ins anslation in th r t Lost in E.R. Page 4

The Arts: Sounds of Sweet Honey Page 6

the newspaper The University of Toronto’s Independent Weekly

Since 1978

SAMANTHA CHIUSOLO

Op-Ed: How not to dr like a milli ess on bucks Page 3

VOL XXXIV Issue 18 • February 2, 2012

Students, faculty pressure province to slash tuition fees “Education is a right. We will not give up the fight,” chanted thousands of students, gathered at the University of Toronto King’s College Circle on Wednesday for the National Day of Action. That morning, students rallied outside Sidney Smith Hall calling for a reduction in tuition fees and a higher quality, more accessible post-secondary education. While this may seem an impossible feat to accomplish in a four-hour tour around campus, the University of Toronto Stu-

dent Union saw the National Day of Action as an opportunity “to get students questioning why they’re actually paying so much for education,” said UTSU VP External Shaun Shepherd. The Canadian Federation of Students (CFS) has not organized a National Day of Action since 2007, but the government’s failure to provide a 30 per cent tuition reduction for all Ontario post-secondary students prompted UTSU to organize Wednesday’s event. “Students want their promises kept by the Liberal Party,” said Sandy Hudson, Chairperson

for the Ontario division of the CFS, “[they don’t want] a grant scheme that makes it seem like we were deceived in the election.” While eligible university students receive $1,600 back in tuition paid, two-thirds of Ontario’s post-secondary students, including part-time, international and graduate students, are excluded from the rebate. According to a report issued by the CFS, when accounting for inflation and population growth, cash transfer payments from the federal government to

see page 2

Firewalled gardens of academia

Cara Sabatini

BODI BOLD

Rally at St. George campus demands more funds on National Day of Action

Students rally at King’s College circle. Jay Z would be proud...

Inside this issue...

The nebulous practices of convenient scholarship Andrew Walt What used to be an ivory tower has now become a “gated database,” according to a recent editorial for The Atlantic. The target is JSTOR, a company which digitizes scholarship for convenient use by universities and other such academic institutions, and its banner is “Free the Research!” The author of the piece, Laura McKenna, argues that JSTOR is a “stubborn tradition” which keeps the public from ever accessing its wealth of information with its reliance on archaic publisher relationships. “If academic journals skipped that needless step of providing

a print version of their journals, they could simply upload the papers to a website and take the publishers out of the process,” she writes. Admittedly, the established model for publishing scholarly material is not widely known and seldom considered, even by the academics responsible for them. “I’ve never really been obliged, or encouraged, to think the issue through,” said Michael Dewar, Professor of Latin Language and Literature at U of T. “As a member of the University’s faculty I am given access to what JSTOR has to offer free of charge. But, conversely, I have never been consulted about its

business model or its costs.” The price for producing scholarly journals is deceptively steep, with respect both to money and to manpower. Dewar, who spent ten years on the staff of Phoenix, a journal of Classical Studies based at Trinity College, was eventually offered the position of Editor, an opportunity which he declined. “There were several reasons for that decision, but an important one was [knowing] that taking on the job of Editor would mean yet more weekends and yet more evenings spent doing work that was usually tedious and, when not tedious, annoying, and

see page 2

Working out more space...

page 2

THE NEWS

February 2, 2012

Ground breaks on groundbreaking new facility Goldring Centre for High Performance Sport to complement Varsity AC Yukon Damov The University of Toronto keeps rising. And the surge of construction projects dotting St. George Campus continues unabated. It was announced on Tuesday that the Faculty of Physical Education and Kinesiology has broken ground on the $58 million Goldring Centre for High Performance Sport, which is expected to be completed in 2014. Ira Jacobs, who has overseen significant change at the Faculty since he became dean last year, said the project will create new facilities to address the dearth of spaces for physical activity and sport while also generating sports and health research.

Situated on Devonshire St. opposite Varsity Stadium, the Goldring Centre is the final phase in the Varsity Centre complex renewal program. The new centre will house international-level volleyball and basketball courts, various sports research laboratories, strength and fitness facilities overlooking the stadium, and an expanded sports medicine clinic. Goldring will be the only university centre in Ontario dedicated to sports science. Research at the centre will include sport nutrition, developing training strategies that affect physiological systems, kinetics, and biomechanics (the laws of mechanics applied to the athletic body).

HART HOUSE HAIR PLACE Finest Cutting and Style Colour and Highlights

7 HART HOUSE CIRCLE MONDAY TO FRIDAY, 8:30 - 5:30 SATURDAY, 9:00 - 5:00 For Appointments Call: 416-978-2431

EXCELLENT WORK & REASONABLE RATES

the newspaper the newspaper is the University of Toronto’s independent weekly paper, published since 1978. VOL XXXIV No. 17

Editor-in-Chief Cara Sabatini

Arts Editor Vanessa Purdy

News Editor Geoff Vendeville

Illustrations Editor Nick Ragetli

Associate News Editor Yukon Damov

Contributors Nana Arbova, Suzanna Balabuch, Rachel Bokhout, Bodi Bold, Samantha Chiusolo, Dan Christensen, Yukon Damov, Wes Dutcher-Walls, Talia Gordon, Vanessa Purdy, Nick Ragetli, Cara Sabatini, Andrew Walt.

Photo Editor Bodi Bold Associate Photo Editor Nana Arbova Web Editor Andrew Walt Design Editor Samantha Chiusolo Features Editor Talia Gordon

the newspaper 1 Spadina Crescent Suite 245 Toronto, ON M5S 1A1

Board of Directors: Chairman Suzanna Balabuch Treasurer Helene Goderis

Editorial: 416-593-1552 thenewspaper@gmail.com www.thenewspaper.ca

the newspaper is published by Planet Publications Inc., a nonprofit corporation. All U of T community members, including students, staff and faculty, are encouraged to contribute to the newspaper.

While such research might seem highly specialized, President David Naylor sees it as having a wide application. “The research into the field of sports science is still limited. There’s huge potential because it relates more broadly to wellness. With an aging population, you want people to be active as long as they live,” he said. “Even though this is a centre for high-performance, it will increase the amount of space for the general population, ” said Townsend Benard, co-chair of the Council of Athletics and Recreation, which is responsible for overall athletics and recreation policy. “It will allow high-performance to move out of the Athletic Centre and move to this building, completely opening up the

AC for the recreational user.” Specifically, recreational users and intramural programs will not have to work around the Varsity teams’ schedules for access to the AC’s track, courts, or fitness facilities. Benard said that the current programming arrangement at the AC will likely transfer to Goldring, and time not reserved for high-performance sports will be set aside for drop-in programs. Benard, President Naylor and Jacobs all emphasized that the Centre will help to alleviate constraints on the intramural program by allowing it to expand, decreasing or eliminating waiting lists. Though the groundbreaking ceremony is behind us, there are still details to be sorted out. The estimated cost of Goldring

is $58 million. But after a $22.5 million gift from the Province and $28.5 million already given from private donations, there remains a $7 million funding gap. At the groundbreaking event on Tuesday, City Councillor Adam Vaughn told the newspaper that the project is “a welcome addition to the neighbourhood,” but it is still awaiting the City’s final approval. There are no significant issues with the building, but Vaughn noted that its design has raised questions about how it fits into the surrounding historical heritage. Neither the funding gap nor the pending City approval is expected to jeopardize the project.

from ‘day of action’

line for February 24. “The Administration is not taking the negotiation process seriously,” said Nugent, explaining that the university does not recognize tutorial size as an issue. With a quarter of tutorials at U of T containing over 50 students, instructors cannot provide them with sufficient support, especially when they must concentrate on the research that brought them to the institution in the first place. “We get the same amount of pay, but they [U of T] are asking us to do hundreds and hundreds of hours more.” “What they [the provincial government] worry about is access, not quality,” said President of the U of T Faculty Association (UTFA) Professor George Luste, who expressed concern about the stagnant number of faculty positions as university enrollment continues to grow. “The students and the faculty are all in this together . . . to teach and

to create research,” he said. Despite support from the UTFA and a letter from the Office of the Vice Provost for Students— which called on professors to excuse participating students from academic engagements “when possible”—the number of students only amounted to a fraction of the total university population. Hudson claimed, “We had a whole bunch of people who were scared to leave class or who had part-time jobs who couldn’t make it.” According to Shepherd, “We actually came close to 5,000 [students]; enough students to fill the circle at Con Hall.” Shepherd attributed the relatively low turnout to a lack of “strong campus life,” and believes the next step is to get more students involved in talking about the increasing price of post-secondary education.

Access Fee (AAF). While U of T, with its annual libraries budget reported to be in the neighbourhood of $72.5 million, can afford such financial costs rather easily, smaller institutions must devote a considerable share of their budgets to such online resources. But McKenna generalizes and oversimplifies. “The situation is more complex than she presents it, and perhaps worse than she allows,” said Dewar. Upon reading McKenna’s claim that “faculty are given course release time to edit the journal and a small stipend,” Dewar snorted out loud. “Far from ever receiving a single moment’s course release let alone a penny of stipend, I do not receive any roy-

alty payment if someone uses JSTOR to read something I myself have published in, say, Classical Quarterly,” he said. McKenna may take issue with how JSTOR and services similar to it function, but regardless of their faults, they remain a pleasant and useful service for both students and professors alike. “I can obtain without leaving my office much that would previously have been available to me only if I hiked over to Robarts,” Dewar concluded. “I’m personally much more concerned by the degradation of undergraduate teaching in our public universities than by the ways in which any of the research they produce is turned into a commodity.”

fund post-secondary education are roughly $1.3 billion short of the level of funding two decades ago. However, the provincial government may not be the only party implicated in the increasingly high fees, as the university administration also bears some responsibility in the issue. “I want to see them [the University] lobbying for more public funds,” said Shepherd. “We’re not just talking about accessible education, we’re talking about quality education,” said James Nugent, chief spokesperson of CUPE 3092, the trade union that represents the university’s education workers. Members of CUPE 3092 saw the National Day of Action as a platform to address their concerns. The union, which has been in negotiations with the university administration over the past seven months, set a strike dead-

from ‘firewalled’ yet less time spent on my own scholarship,” he said. After the exhaustive process of polishing and compiling a journal, its editor sends the final product to a for-profit publisher to produce the physical issue. Publishers then often sell their content rights to companies such as JSTOR in order to cover their expenses, who digitize the material for sale online. “Universities that created this academic content for free must pay to read it,” wrote McKenna. The privilege of accessing JSTOR’s Arts & Sciences I collection, for example, costs U of T a $45,000 Archive Capital Fee (ACF) plus an $8,500 Annual

www.thenewspaper.ca

THE NEWS

Romney’s spoiled predestination The inevitability of the Grand Old Party candidate In the 16th century, the Protestant theologian John Calvin put forward the controversial idea of predestination. We are born predestined for either salvation or damnation, and that’s that. No number of good deeds or displays of piety can change that outcome. Though a man of a very different religious persuasion, Mitt Romney entered the Republican primary season with just this feeling of predestination. This was to be his year. He exuded the confidence of a man assured of victory. No other candidate seemed to have a fighting chance. Of course, there were flashes in the pan: the Bachmanns, the Cains, the Trumps, the Perrys. All their antics, from gimmicky tax-code overhauls to calls for scrapping major federal departments, seemed only to emphasize Romney’s almost laughable normalcy. As each of the clownish contenders enjoyed his or her moment in the sun, ever was Romney there, talking jobs and the economy while they spouted

nto Students’ Union University of Toro Federation of Students

split. Romney, the successful businessman with executive experience and perfect hair, is, as expected, the “establishment” choice, despite the skepticism of many Republicans about his commitment to conservatism. Gingrich, in contrast, has somehow become the insurgent, or at least the more successful insurgent compared to the blatantly-homophobic Rick Santorum and the libertarian Ron Paul. The fact that Gingrich, a former Speaker of the House, who can probably work the Washington system better than anyone else, is able to brand himself as the nonestablishment candidate shows just how square Romney really is. Romney is trying to shed his establishment image—hence the bluejeans and plaid shirts—but this may not even be necessary in the long run. His formidable campaign machine would have rolled over Gingrich long ago if it weren’t for the Adelsons’ gigantic donations to the inanely-named Gingrichfriendly “super PAC” Winning Our Future. Further, a sad truth is that the unsavoury aspects of Gingrich’s personal (spousal)

history will very likely hurt his chances with the more family-obsessed wing of the Republican party. Many Republicans seem to be coming to their senses and thinking ahead to the general election. An Obama-Gingrich campaign would be nasty, and would almost certainly result in Republican defeat. Those who condemn Romney for tailoring his views to his current political needs-which he absolutely does, by the way--fail to understand the nature of American politics. While the primary process rewards extremism, the general election demands moderation, and so the traits that are now drawing so much flak may be Romney’s greatest assets when he inevitably becomes the party’s nominee against Obama. Yes, Romney will eventually win the nomination. But thanks to Gingrich, it will not look predestined.

G IN R P S 2 201

e c i t o N s n o i t Elec Local 98 • Canadian

SAMANTHA CHIUSOLO

about electric fences on the Mexican border and abolishing the entire Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit for being too liberal. He was, as the slogan on his campaign bus reminds us, a “conservative businessman” with the measuredness, consistency, and hair to prove it. Since Newt Gingrich’s rise to the status of Romney’s rival, the story of the Grand Old Party (GOP) primary season has been one of predestination gone awry. Gingrich’s success could be attributed to the delicate balance he has struck. By explicitly branding himself as the truly conservative alternative to the political chameleon Romney, Gingrich seems to be just enough like Bachmann or Perry to create a splash. On the other hand, his strong debate performances, his experience, and his political shrewdness seem to suggest a truly viable candidacy. To the extent that the recent history of the Republican Party can be understood as the interplay of insurgency and establishment, Tea Party and country club, then Romney and Gingrich are living out this

Wes Dutcher-Walls

undergraduates at St. ion represents all full-time es such The U of T Students’ Una campuses. U.T.S.U. provides important servic d TTC ug nte ssa cou ssi dis Mi d d an an g e din Georg book bursaries, clubs fun tral U of as Health & Dental Plans,nts’ Union also represents students to the cenconnects de d an Stu , r students’ rights Metropasses. You d social vernment, advocates for T administration and gopuses to work on common goals, campaigns an cam all oss students acr programming.

The University of Toronto Students’ Union is holding its Spring 2012 Elections to ll the following positions: Position

Seat(s)

Division I Victoria College University College Innis College St. Michael’s College New College Trinity College Woodsworth College At-Large Arts & Science

2 2 1 3 3 1 3 2

Toronto School of Theology

Faculty of Music Faculty of Dentistry Faculty of Nursing Faculty of Medicine Faculty of Pharmacy Faculty of Law Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering Faculty of Physical Education & Health At-Large Professional Faculty

1 1 1 1 1 1 3 1 2

Division II

Division III * Mississauga campus

Executive President Vice President Internal & Services Vice President Equity Vice President External Vice President University A airs

* cross appointed to the Board of Directors of the UTMSU

1 1 1 1 1

Important 2012 Dates:

Election Nominations (All Positions) Election Campaign Period Election Voting Period Election Results

Monday, February 13, 2012 at 09:00 to Wednesday, February 22, 2012 at 18:00 Monday, February 27, 2012 at 08:00 to Thursday, March 8, 2012 at 18:00 March 6, 7, 8, 2012 From 09:00 to 18:00 Friday, March 23, 2012

Nomination Pick-up and Drop-o Locations: St. George campus:

Mississauga campus:

12 Hart House Circle Hours: Monday - Friday, 09:00 to 18:00

UTMSU Office UTM Student Centre, Room 100 Hours: Monday - Friday 09:00 to 12:30, 13:30 to 17:00

To run for a position, pick up a nomination package during the nomination period at the U.T.S.U. or UTMSU o ce. Please keep in mind the dates and deadlines. For more information, visit our Students’ Union website at www.utsu.ca or contact cro@utsu.ca Please note that, at the time of this publication, “University of Toronto Students’ Union” and/or “U.T.S.U.” refers to the Students’ Administrative Council of the University of Toronto, Inc. (“SAC”).

THE INSIDE

February 2, 2012

Tell it to me straight, Doc

New review finds poor communication between emergency room staff and patients leads to increased potential health risks For many, a visit to the emergency room can be a frightening and stressful experience. Patients arriving at the hospital emergency department (ED) with injury or illness are often physically exhausted or emotionally distraught. In addition, research has shown that the discharge process also presents incresed potential health risks. A recent review article co-authored by a team from the University of Toronto, The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), and Children’s Hospital in Boston has found that patients and their families often leave the ED with an incomplete understanding of the patient’s diagnosis, at-home care instructions (including medication use), and confusion about follow-up visits. The review, published in the January issue of Annals of Emergency Medicine, points to poor communication between ED staff and patient-families as the primary cause of many of these risks. Dr. Stephen Porter, Division Head for Paediatric Emergency Medicine at SickKids and associate professor at U of T explained that the article, which looked at over 50 studies of ED care, broke down the issue of communication into four parts: “We looked at papers that discussed problems with content [of discharge information], issues with the delivery of content, comprehension that patients or family members showed as outcomes of the discharge process, and implementation.” Porter added that the review also evaluated existing interventions aimed at improving the discharge process. According to Porter, most studies demonstrated that patients often left with gaps in information regarding their condition. When it came to the delivery of this information, challenges with regard to communication often had to do with the kind of language used by healthcare professionals. “Medicine struggles with not putting our words in clear enough language. We found that standard written emergency instructions were almost at an advanced university reading level, even though in the general population, this is not the case,” said Porter. He also pointed out problems with the overuse of medical terminology. “We have to be

NICK RAGETLI

Talia Gordon

aware of what words we use, what words we write down, and what people will understand,” he said. Often, even if a patient is able to read the written instructions, the medical vocabulary will be unfamiliar. Porter explained that in the area of comprehension, one of the most interesting papers came out of Chicago, where researchers had conducted standardized interviews with adult patients immediately after discharge. Patients were asked to review what they had just been told by the ED staff with regard to their diagnosis, the emergency care they had received, post-discharge care, and indications for follow-up. “Over one-third of these patients had a deficit [of knowledge] in at least one area. And, most of them didn’t even realize that they didn’t know.” This is not uncommon, particularly for patients and families facing other challenges

to health-care access, such as language barriers or cultural differences. In an emergency health care setting that often involves first-time visits for patients, it can be difficult to plan ahead to ensure that translators or cultural brokers are always present when necessary. Through a synthesis of the available literature, Porter and his team have offered a number of recommendations to improve ED discharge communication and clarify instructions to patients and families. “One of the lessons learned in the review is that there are some relatively simple and easy to implement strategies. For example, standardizing the most common discharge instruction in simple language, and making them available in other languages that may be needed,” said Porter. “If there is any concern with the patient’s understanding, it is important to use a read-back

or feed-back approach, and check in to verify that what we said was understood. Instead of just telling patients what to do, we need to show them and have them show us,” he added. Simple interventions such as these require little time and effort on the part of ED staff, but produce tangible improvements to patient health outcomes. The review has opened up areas of further inquiry when it comes to ED care and longterm health status. “In Ontario, people tend to come to the emergency room first, because that’s the most available resource. Often times it’s not acuity that drives them to us, it’s simply a matter of seeking the best option,” said Porter. Efforts to minimize failures of communication and improve patient-family comprehension are certainly central to ensuring good quality emergency room care.

MMMbeet...

Visit thenewspaper.ca for this week’s food column:

Sal(i)vation Talia Gordon drops a beet or two into a delicious winter dish!

www.thenewspaper.ca

THE INSIDE

Politically incorrect comedy show poster denounced Anti-Racism and Cultural Diversity Office censors The Black-Jew Dialogues poster They say a picture is worth a thousand words. But what if those words are taken out of context? This was the problem facing the duo behind The Black Jew Dialogues, a travelling comedy show recently put on at Hart House. U of T’s Anti-Racism and Cultural Diversity Office (ARCDO), a co-sponsor of the show, asked the duo to replace the picture on their original poster, which showed white comedian Larry Jay Tish sporting an afro wig, and black comedian Ron Jones wearing a yarmulke. Until then, the poster had been the subject of only one complaint in the production’s six-year history. The show’s stated goal is to examine cultural stereotypes and open up a dialogue on racism. Sandra Carnegie-Douglas of the ARCDO said the poster was not actually banned, as some other media outlets have reported. However, the ARCDO decided that the poster “need-

ed to be contextualized with additional explanation.” “The poster was not banned from campus. In fact, it was used in a press release which explained the full event and it was also used as the front cover of the program that was distributed to attendees at the event, where the dialogue would take place and provide context.” Carnegie-Douglas added, “A poster with a different image was used to promote the event, without objection from the performers, who have received similar concerns in the past.” Clarice Mporamazina, Secretary of U of T’s African Students’ Association, corroborated the ARCDO’s version of events. The ASA had been invited to the view the performance, and according to Ms. Mporamazina, the poster as well as the performance had elements of cultural stereotypes that she did not feel comfortable with. “It’s all about stereotypes. All the stereotypes they use,

I felt like they were trying to shock. I was also not happy about it. The white comedian was the one wearing the afro. I thought it was a limiting image of black people, how they represent the black person as just an afro-- I didn’t like it.” However, Ms. Mporamazina went on to say that Tish and Jones stayed true to the premise of opening up dialogue about racial and cultural stereotypes. “There was nothing racist about the whole show. They definitely had good goals. They wanted people to stay to the end so that we could talk about all the stereotypes presented and so that we could break them down.” Despite a perhaps misleading event poster, Ms. Mporamazina was able to see beyond the dispute and on to a

The controversial poster in question... different approach to the issue at hand. “I would definitely use a different approach. When it comes to representing those two groups-- the way they did it was very simplistic and ste-

WearAbouts Bodi Bold brings you U of T’s stylish side

reotypical. I would use something less simple. The two groups have so much history and cultural differences that it’s not easy to represent them with one image. I don’t know if I would even use an image.”

Students show off their sleek high street coats and give them a leather edge. These are bound to be a rare site on campus.

BODI BOLD

Suzanna Balabuch

who >> Ola, 4th year Cinema Studies student what >> Double lapel Asos coat with leather sleeve detailing where >> St. George St.

who >> Sahar, 3rd year Cinema Studies student what >> High neck coat from Queen St.'s Carte Blanche and Wang-inspired creeper boots where >>UC courtyard

THE ARTS

February 2, 2012

The Festival of Original Theatre Steps Up Vanessa Purdy Toronto is not a city short on theatrical offerings, nor is the University of Toronto community wanting when it comes to the quality of college productions. But the Festival of Original Theatre (FOOT) exposes a side of artistic life on campus that is just a bit more unorthodox than classic productions of Shakespeare or Sondheim. Celebrating its twentieth year, FOOT showcases the performance and academic work of both students and professors at U of T’s Graduate Centre for Theatre and Performance, as well as new pieces from around the world. Over the past two decades the festival has established itself on a global scale, often welcoming keynote speakers of international significance. This year, along with professors Helen Nicholson from the University

of London and Kathleen Gallagher from U of T, Swedish playwright and professor Suzanne Osten will be giving an address. “Osten literally revolutionized children’s theatre in Sweden and she’s very popular in Europe, so we would like to introduce her to Canadian audiences and Canadian academics,” said Art Babayants, one of two artistic directors for this year’s festival, and a graduate student at the Centre. Of the festival itself, Babayants said, “It’s a place where students have a place to present their own work; their own research and artistic work...It’s an experience-building place.” As both a theatre festival and academic conference, FOOT explores and engages with different formats and conventions of theatrical production. Theatre is more than simply putting on a play; it often includes audience participation.

“One of the wonderful things about theatre is that it’s very in your face once you’re there. You may hate it, or you may love it, but it’s hard to escape,” added Babayants. The theme of this year’s festival is “Theatre and Learning,” with three streams of focus: applied theatre (think, theatre in the classroom), theatre for social change (think, political theatre) and theatre for young audiences (think, Degrassi: On Stage). “I personally think that all theatre is inherently linked to learning,” said Babayants, stressing the importance of fostering a “faith in theatre” at a young age. “Something that Suzanne Osten did, is she introduced the taboo topics to young audiences, things like divorce and violence,” Babayants continued. “Instead of avoiding dangerous things, you can introduce them and discuss them, and young peo-

SAMANTHA CHIUSOLO

This FOOT’s got legs to stand on...

ple can have their voice in those works as well,” he added. Theatre - particularly independent theatre - should always challenge audiences to open their minds. At FOOT, the audience has the chance to turn that challenge back around through post-show round-tables, which offer the opportunity for comments, questions - even debates. The floor is open for playwrights, performers, and professors to discuss their productions and research with the audience in

the theatre lobby; here, challenging the ideas and choices of those behind the theatrical magic is not only tolerated, but warmly encouraged. If you’ve ever been curious about what goes on behind the curtains and closed doors of U of T’s academic and theatrical elite, checking out FOOT is a step in the right direction! Performances are free. February 2nd-5th, Robert Gill Theatre. For more information visit foot2012. wordpress.com

Gospel-jazz group harmonizes equality and justice Founding member talks about Sweet Honey and Barack Sweet Honey In The Rock is a gospel/jazz/African-American all-women singing group founded in 1973. Singing mostly a cappella songs, their music is a call for justice and equality, a reminder of the past and a call to action for the present and future. As part of their 2012 tour, they’re performing at The Royal Conservatory on February 10. We spoke to founding member Carol Lynn Maillard about the way the group works, its commitment to accessibility and equity, and moments that have stood out for her during Sweet Honey’s 40-year journey. the newspaper: You work within a huge variety of musical traditions. How do you decide which songs to sing? Carol Lynn Maillard: First of all, Sweet Honey’s been around for such a long time, and [so] there is a really large repertoire that we pull from. We try to keep much of that music alive and useful, [though] sometimes things fall from the wayside. [Occasionally] we try to build on a particular genre. Sometimes we have a theme that we’re trying to address... An issue might come up – for example, we have a song called “We Are

A Nation” that we actually all wrote together to address the Arizona immigration policies and to encourage dialogue on immigration reform, because we felt the laws were so unfair. tn: You’ve done some arrangements for the group, and Ysaye Barnwell has done some. Do the group members have particular musical responsibilities? CLM: No. We all have to bring in material. Different people have different [interests] and different ways of writ-

you try to keep a lot of your pieces alive and useable. Are there songs that’s you’ve continued to sing through the whole 40 years of Sweet Honey in the Rock? CLM: I can’t say there’s anything we’ve done over the whole 40 years, but since the 80s, there’s quite a bit of material that we continue to use... “Ella’s Song” became something we started singing in the late 70s, and we’ve done a new arrangement of “Ella’s Song”, to freshen it up.

were very family-friendly. … And there was wheelchair access and access for people with any kind of disability, to make sure people could come. Sweet Honey was very impressed by that. [As a result] We have a wonderful deaf audience. It’s always a surprise...Essentially, in deaf culture, people have a tendency not to come to hearing events, because they’re not interpreted for them. But because our message is for fairness and equality and social justice, it’s important that the

ing. That’s why an album will have a range of styles – it won’t all be R&B, it won’t all be spiritual, or all be jazzy. We respect however [the group members] hear the music. tn: You mentioned that

tn: What made the group decide to start doing sign language interpretation with your performances? CLM: In the mid-70s, the women’s rights movement had a lot of energy. Events

The ladies of Sweet Honey In The Rock strike a pose. audience can get the message and emotion. tn: Has there been a really standout moment for you, with Sweet Honey In The

DWIGHT CARTER

Rachel Bokhout

Rock? CLM: One of the things that I really enjoyed was four of us had the opportunity to be in the film Beloved, and that was marvelous for us. We were part of the 30 women leading the song at the end of the movie. And also, being invited by Michelle Obama to come to the White House to perform for some middle school children. ...And connected with that was the time that we met Senator Obama at an event. He was a junior Senator and he was the keynote speaker and we were the entertainment... When [Senator Obama] came in, he walked by us and said hello. I gave him a bag of CDs, and he said, “These are for me?” And I said, “Yeah.” And he said, “Like I don’t know Sweet Honey?”... And then we got up on the podium and he said, “They think I don’t know who they are,” and he started singing “Ella’s Song.” So our music is in their home, and their hearts and their consciousness, and that tells us a lot about the kind of people that they are. Sweet Honey in the Rock performs at Koerner Hall Friday, February 10 at 8PM. Tickets: www.rcmusic.ca

www.thenewspaper.ca

THE ARTS

Check the guests out any time you like, but you may never leave Ti West delivers quality horror fare, in keeping with his previous work Dan Christensen Each time I see a horror film, I can’t shake the feeling that it’s going to be terrible. Maybe I feel that horror is such a well defined genre that filmmakers can’t help but recycle the same plots over and over again. Or maybe it’s because when they make it so clear that their goal is to frighten me, my pride can’t stand that sort of manipulation. So I sit stubbornly, arms crossed through the whole picture, determined to be bored to death before I’m scared to death, and thus determined to call the movie a failure. Consequently, upon seeing the film’s title, I couldn’t resist a little snarky speculation on the plot of The Inkeepers. I expected a couple of teenagers to show up at an isolated, old-timey motel in the woods and get terrorized by its creepy, geriatric staff, who turn out to be demons or something like that. So, turns out I was wrong about everything but the oldtimey motel. Twenty-some-

things Claire (Sara Paxton) and Luke (Pat Healy) are the only two employees working at the Yankee Pedlar Inn on its last week before going belly-up, in the middle of Anytown, USA. They also fancy themselves a couple of amateur ghosthunters. Luke even hosts his own Angelfire website (complete with traffic counter) documenting the spooks he’s witnessed. Each familiar with the oft told local bedtime story of the woman who checked in to the Pedlar but never checked out, they hope to use Luke’s equipment to record some evidence of her hauntings before the motel shuts its doors for the last time. Among the Pedlar’s final few guests is Leanne ReaseJones (Kelly McGillis), who is in town to speak at a seminar about contacting those on the other side. When Claire asks her for help contacting the motel’s eternal guest, she performs a seance and warns Claire that she is in danger and

The Crossword Across 1. Ready to pick 5. Exchange 9. Ocular organ 12. Vast bodies of water 15. Do road work 16. Teenager boys; young ___ 17. Temperature unit 18. Pre-owned 1

5 13

17 20 24

33 39

44 49

59 64

67 70

44. Remove from the picture 47. Raise a question 50. Faucet problem 51. Closer 55. Used a doorbell 57. U of T college

...why do they always go down into the damn basement?

37. Hazard 40. Molten earth 43. Colouring agent

19. Bachelor’s place 20. Cuss 22. Take a nap 24. Baseball hat 27. Snowboard alternative 28. Casual torso garment 31. Applications 33. Hip-Hop genre 36. Informal affirmative

must not continue chasing the spirit. While working on 2009 film, The House of the Devil, writer-director Ti West actually stayed at the Yankee Pedlar Inn, and the whisperings from his crew about supernatural occurrences inspired him to write the film. The unnerving aura about the inn that West manages

66 69

80 83

to capture provides the film’s most memorable feature. I’ll admit, despite the plot and the scare tactics feeling a little familiar, Paxton and Healy’s performances (including her total indifference to his awkward flirting) had me charmed from beginning to end. However, it proves difficult to become totally enveloped by the disturbing proceedings when both the characters and director take such a casual attitude. Rather than descending to a place of true discomfort, we find ourselves buoyantly lingering on the surface. However much I was entertained on the first go-round, the basic and practical direction would doubtfully draw out further richness from repeated viewings. If you’re a horror movie fan, you’d be wise to buy a ticket. You can be sure to feel vastly more impressed than you were by The Devil Inside. The Innkeepers is certainly not The Shining, but the filmmaker actually knows how to make a movie.

59. Budhist deity 60. Plenty; more than ___ 63. Acorn producer 66. Insane 67. Wheel fitting, to a Brit 68. Nickels and dimes 70. Snitch 72. As well 74. Fake sings 78. Be in debt 79. Gage 80. Run of luck; winning ___ 81. Marry 82. Where the heart is, idiomatically 83. “Nice’n’___” (1960 Sinatra album) Down 1. Fishing tool 2. Frozen water 3. Golf tee 4. Aural organs 5. Cowboy’s heel fitting 6. “Fun ___ had by all” 7. Turn away from 8. Feet, in Latin 9. Drained 10. Not nay 11. Conclusion 13. Current events 14. Look for; ___ out 21. Broadcast 23. Bashful 24. Slice 25. First Wednesday of Lent 26. Each

29. ___ Charles (pianist) 30. Definite article 32. Look at! 34. Similar to each other 35. Frying vessle 38. Every 39. Stalemate 41. Delivery vehicle 42. Consumed 45. Adult male 46. Dine 47. “Who do you think you ___?” 48. Our star 49. Full of tangles 52. Computer memory 53. Epoch

54. “Epic,” in a 90s sort of way 56. Director Ritchie 58. Random exclamation 61. Information chart 62. Telephone greeting 64. Lines up a shot 65. Rope binding 68. “___ on!” (Exhortation) 69. Certain 70. Horizontal column 71. Wonder 73. “Cogito ergo ___” 75. Orage pekoe or English Breakfast 76. Possesses 77. Wild blue yonder

Andrew Walt

The Sudoku 5 6 3 3 1 5 7 2 6 4 8 7 8 9

3 1 7 3 8

5 9

6 4 5 5 6 9 4

“

THE END

the campus comment

February 2, 2012

In light of a US presidential candidate’s promise to start a colony on the moon by his second term, and also the recent Canadian Lego adventure into space,

the newspaper asked: if you were responsible for establishing the first Canadian lunar colony, what would be your first enterprise on the moon?

JOSH Commerce, 1st year “Some type of medical field enterprise. A hospital, something to take care of us up there.”

GILLIAN Psychology, 4th year “Some kind of government body to allow everyone to vote. Things wouldn’t be organized otherwise.”

MI Commerce, 1st “I wouldn’t establish a colony on the moon. It’s impossible and impractical. There’s no point.”

KATHERINE Psychology, 3rd year “Creating energy in some way. I don’t know much about the moon, but maybe solar energy, so we can sustain ourselves.”

LANCE Health and Disease, 3rd year “Determining what all the sources of our needs are. Water, food, etc. Determine how to survive and who I wanna have on the planet.”

NANA ARBOVA

JOHN Human Geography, 2nd year “Most likely something to make the moon more accessible to other companies and people going there.”

Dear Suzie

Not buying it: When business gets in the way of friendship Dear Suzie, A friend of mine (let’s call her A) recently started another job as one of those cosmetic sales ladies to make some more money. I supported her by buying a few products, but when she started becoming too pushy, I basically stopped returning her texts and stuff. That awkward moment in our friendship passed, and I thought everything was back to normal. Then yesterday, I heard from another friend—who had met A at my house—that A was contacting her as well as other friends A met through me in order to sell her stuff. The friend seemed a little put off by A’s sales tactics and asked me to talk to her. Frankly, I’m a little torn because A is a friend who is trying to be financially proactive, but I’m also pretty annoyed that she’s basically preying on me, and now my friends in order to make money. What should I do? Signed, Confidante, not customer Dear Confidante, There should be an eleventh commandment out there stating that friends and money simply don’t mix. Anything having to do with making money off the important people in your life almost always leads to disaster. It’s nice that you supported A at the start of her new venture, but it was not so nice that you didn’t let her know what was bothering you, and instead just gave her that old elementary school-style silent treatment. Now that someone else has presented you with the opportunity to be a true friend and tell A the truth, you should take it. Thinking about how awkward it’s going to be is not going to help one bit. Bite the bullet and let the Avon Lady know that, as much as you love her and want to support her, your friends are unable to to shell out the extra money on her products right now. If she continues her behaviour after you’ve voiced your concern, then you really have grounds for some grown-up cold shoulder. Sincerely, Suzie Want to ask Suzie a question? Email Suzie at suzienewsie@gmail.com, or submit (anonymously, of course!) at www.thenewspaper.ca, in the blue box on the lower left.