Issue 22 - March 8 2012 by The Newspaper

age 5˚Remember What kind of woman are you? Take the quiz. Page 4 ˚Barley risotto: a recipe for finding KONY? P

the Titans? The Weinstein Bros

the newspaper The University of Toronto’s Independent Weekly

Since 1978

VOL XXXIV Issue 22 • March 8, 2012

‘Prayer spaces,’ a misnomer says U of T Student union debates fan confusion about providing more prayer spaces

David Stokes

As the UTSU elections come to a close, some of the issues that defined the campaign remain unresolved. At last week’s allcandidates debate, members of both tickets expressed support to provide more space for faithbased purposes. The audience’s reaction was mixed; while some favoured the proposal, a few outspoken students claimed that designated spaces for prayer excluded many members of the U of T community.

Asked to speak to the issue of prayer spaces, Richard Chambers, director of the Multi-Faith Centre, stated that the university should acknowledge the religious needs of students. “Students don’t park their religion at the edge of campus. The university is committed to holistic education,” said Chambers. He was also quick to point out that the University of Toronto does not have any explicitly designated “prayer spaces,” nor will U of T build dedicated space for

see page 2

Hart House Chapel: not just for Christians anymore.

Bar fight on campus

Student union candidates’ proposal to build bar leaves campus shaken, not stirred Aberdeen Berry It is a well-known fact that university students are generally fond of drinking. However, the proposal of Students First, the opposition slate in this year’s student election, to build a campus bar has been a point of serious contention.

Dylan Moore, Students First candidate for VP Internal & Services, said, “Many other universities across Canada have campus bars as a place where students and even faculty from across campus can come together as a community” regardless of their proximity to other bars. “Students at Ryerson have

a campus bar,” he added. Moore pointed out several other advantages of a campus bar, such as “providing students with an opportunity to make their trips to the bar potentially cheaper and safer, given that the bar would be located closer to home for residence students.” However, Team Unity, the

did n’t. Page 6

slate featuring two UTSU incumbents including the current VP External and presidential candidate Shaun Shepherd, are highly critical of the idea of building a bar. “A campus bar is not our priority,” he said unequivocally in the all-candidates

see page 2

the briefs 1) Students Riot in Montreal

Yesterday about 1,000 students gathered in downtown Montreal to protest increasing tuition fees. In confrontations with riot police, who used tear gas to disperse the crowd, five people were arrested and four injured. Quebec tuition fees are currently the lowest in Canada for in-province students. Under the province’s plan, rates will increase by $375 per year for the next five years, making tuition $3,793 in 2016-17. Previous governments have ceded to students’ demands, but Premier Jean Charest refuses to budge.

2) TAs ratify memorandum agreement

On Wednesday, CUPE3902 - the trade union representing TAs, course instructors and other grad student workers at U of T - ratified a tentative memorandum agreement with the administration, averting a strike or further bargaining. Sixty-seven percent of CUPE members voted in favour of ratification. As of Wednesday night, the union had not released a statement. U of T Vice-president and Provost Cheryl Misak and Human Resources and Equity see page 3

THE NEWS

from ‘prayer spaces’ the sole purpose of prayer or worship. Chambers explained that while creating designated “prayer spaces” is not a part of the university’s mandate, U of T does make allowances for reasonable religious accommodation. This includes food provisions (the ancillary services have been offering and/or identifying halal, kosher and vegan meal options on campus since 2009); holidays as appropriate grounds for various exemptions; exceptions to dress standards (such as the wearing of a niqab during exams); as well as space for faithbased purposes. The university aims to adhere to the Ontario Human Rights Commission guidelines, which emphasize religious accommodation as well as the corresponding right to be free from discrimination. In regards to space, U of T recognizes that many students from a wide range of traditions identify themselves as spiritual, and has made available a number of multi-purpose spaces across campus that can be used for prayer, yoga, meditation and quiet reflection. Some spaces can be can booked for meetings, if secured in advance. At present, there are nine such spaces widely scattered

March 8, 2012

all over campus. VP Equity candidate and member of Team Unity, Noor Baig, includes in her platform a proposal to “work to introduce multi-faith space at Robarts,” thus potentially increasing this number. In an email to the newspaper, Students First candidate, Karthy Chin, said, “If I were elected as VP Equity, I would certainly investigate to see if there was need for more multi-faith space on both campuses, and then work with the administration to create more space.” Three of the current locations feature amenities for washing, which allows for ablution, an important part of Muslim prayer. While the rooms vary

in size and style, all are neutral spaces that individuals from any faith can use to practice or reflect. In an interview with the newspaper, Mehdi Zabet, President of the Toronto Secular Alliance, stated that he was satisfied with the current arrangements. Zabet said that secularism is not opposed to religion or concerned with the advocacy of atheism, but rather is committed to the position—consistent with the university’s stated policies— that no religion should be privileged in the public sphere. Asked about future locations for flexible use multi-faith spaces, Director Chambers stated that he could not speak directly

to that issue because the request process is entirely studentled. In spite of the university’s pledge to meet the needs of its students, there remains a certain ambiguity regarding precisely how a group should go about procuring new spaces. Rather than promote alienation or disagreement, the university’s array of flexible multi-faith spaces aim to foster a valuable and equitable opportunity for U of T students to express themselves, maintain cross-religious dialogue, and further their educational experience.

from ‘bar fight’

already failed at U of T. In the 1990s and early 2000s, the Students’ Adminstrative Council (SAC), the precursor to the UTSU, managed a bar called The Hangar in the basement of Sidney Smith, which had room for about 50 students. According to Shepherd, the bar was “an unmitigated disaster.” “Based on archives from the UTSU,” Shepherd said, “The Hangar was extremely expensive to run and very unpopular with students.” Articles from The Varsity indicate that The Hangar was shut down in February, 2001, after a police raid on LGBTOUT’s Homohop dance found instances of underage drinking. Moore said that Students First would avoid repeating past mis-

takes. “It is my understanding that student security was employed and that this turned out to be quite problematic,” he explained. “We would use professional security.” U of T students seem to have mixed feelings about the campus bar idea. Trinity student Feji Odibo said she did not think the bar was a sensible priority. “All I see is lawsuits. It’s not going to [be able to] stop underage drinking,” she told the newspaper. Others were somewhat more optimistic about the prospect of having a bar on campus. Fellow student Lucas Durand stated, “I think it’s fantastic, if properly policed. Nobody else has any good ideas, why not build a bar?”

the newspaper the newspaper is the University of Toronto’s independent weekly paper, published since 1978. VOL XXXIV No. 22

News Editor Geoff Vendeville Associate News Editor Yukon Damov Photo Editor Bodi Bold Associate Photo Editor Nana Arbova Web Editor Andrew Walt Design Editor Samantha Chiusolo

Arts Editor Vanessa Purdy Illustrations Editor Nick Ragetli Contributors Suzanna Balabuch, Aberdeen Berry, Bodi Bold, Samantha Chiusolo, Dan Christensen, Yukon Damov, Talia Gordon, Vanessa Purdy, David Stokes, Andrew Walt. Board of Directors: Chairman Suzanna Balabuch Treasurer Helene Goderis

Features Editor Talia Gordon

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

SAMANTHA CHIUSOLO

Editor-in-Chief Cara Sabatini

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.

debate last week. Contrary to Students First’s claim that the bar would have a unifying influence on campus, Shepherd argued that it “would see us competing with our peers across campus who run campus bars like Suds, the Cat’s Eye, the Arbor Room and the Graduate Students’ Union Pub - all of which are open to all students.” Shepherd added that the construction of a new bar would be costly and would not appeal to all students. “It would drain money from the students’ union that could be used on more inclusive programming and initiatives.” Most importantly, Shepherd noted that a campus bar had

www.thenewspaper.ca

THE NEWS

the briefs cont’d... Vice-president, Angela Hildyard, released a statement saying, “We believe the outcome [...] is good for the University and its students.”

3) Solar storm flies toward Earth, could disrupt power grid, communications, air travel

The federal Space Weather Protection Centre has issued a warning that a giant solar storm will hit the earth over early Thursday morning, potentially disrupting power grids, communications, and air travel. Charged particles released from the massive solar flare will hit Earth at 4 million miles per hour, and may interfere with magnetic, radio, and radiation transmissions. On the positive side, scientists anticipate that the solar storm could cause the Aurora Borealis to dip as low as the Great Lakes region.

4) Ottawa resident claims parking spot is a human right

Pameal Howson of Ottawa was unable to fit her car through the narrow lane dividing her house from her neighbour’s that leads to her backyard parking space. On her street parking is illegal. The City, she said, denied her a permit to build a concerte pad for a parking spot at the front of her house. On Monday, she brought her case before the Ontario Human Rights Commision, on grounds of “discrimination against family status.” For its part, the City says that Howson hasn’t filed a formal application to the city’s Committee of Adjustment, which is responsible for providing zoning exemptions. by Yukon Damov

We eat deadlines for breakfast.

Open meetings Thursdays at 6 p.m.

Write for the newspaper. Highly addictive.

THE INSIDE

March 8, 2012

What kind of U of T Woman Are You? Hey ladies! Ever wondered what kind of woman the University of Toronto will help you become? Look no further. In honour of International Women’s Day, the newspaper presents you with this quiz to help you narrow down your choices. Will you be a chic diplomat a la Adrienne Clarkson, a journalistic icon like Barbara Frum, or an innovative woman of science like Roberta Bondar?

2. Where would you like 4. If you could be good to live in the future? at something other than 1. What is your favourite a) Around the world, with a pit- being an amazing U of T extracurricular activity at stop in our nation’s capital alum, what would it be? U of T? b) Toronto for life! a) writing romance novels Suzie Balabuch

a) Kicking ass and taking names as a member of the Hart House Debate Club b) Hunting down elusive interview subjects for the school paper c) Getting down and nerdy at Aerospace Students’ Association meetings

c) In my hometown, after a trip to the final frontier

b) voice-over work c) photography

a) an award b) my own TV show c) a school

b) Fearlessness c) Ambition

3. In your career as a famous fill-in-the-blank, 5. What is the quality you which would you rather most admire in yourself? have named after you? a) Poise

If you answered....

Mostly ’s: You are most like elegant political powerhouse Adrienne Clarkson You have lived through your fair share of troubles, but are never one to respond to your haters. Some may see you as an ice queen, but those who know you best know that you are a warm, intelligent lady with a gracefulness envied by many. Continue to be involved in your many causes, keep your private life private, and you’ll go far. Maybe even as far as former Governor-General, the Right Honourable Adrienne Louise Clarkson.

6. Your best friend tells you her boyfriend is cheating on her. What do you do to help her get revenge?

a) Have him barred from the Model UN b) Write a scathing review of his stupid play in the paper c) Tell her to forget about the asshole, and cheer her up by having a star named after her

Mostly ’s: You and broadcasting maven Barbara Frum are bosom buddies Your work ethic and style has inspired those around you, and you are bound for great things. Although you seem to have the exterior of a seasoned go-getter, you are a people-person at heart, and have an especially strong bond with the young’uns. Keep chasing those leads and maybe one day, you’ll host your own show or have your own column like the unforgettable Barbara Frum, who inspired a generation of CBC broadcasters.

7. What kind of relationship do you envision for yourself in the future? a) Married once. Or maybe twice. Ain’t no thang, sister! b) Happily married to your university boyfriend with a bevy of kids c) Alone, but never lonely

Mostly ’s: Astronaut Roberta Bondar shares your star sign Known for being the first among your friends and peers to do anything worth doing, you are a chameleon with a penchant for thrill. Although you may partake in the occasional sky-diving expedition, you have your feet firmly planted in academia, and your grades reflect that. Never limit yourself to one thing, experience all that life has to offer, and maybe one day you will be the first Canadian woman to insertyour-dream-here, just like Canada’s first lady in space, Dr. Roberta Bondar.

www.thenewspaper.ca

THE INSIDE

Mushroom Spinach Barley Risotto-tally gonna find Kony in 2012! Talia Gordon

This morning, I woke up and did my usual pre-column-writing world events and social media news sweep. To my chagrin, the thing that 34 of my friends (and surely counting) had posted and re-posted was not about robo-calls, Super Tuesday or the potential attack on Iran by Israel. Instead what I found splattered all over my newsfeed, and then neatly collected into a running tally (thanks, Mark Zucker-robot!) was the KONY 2012 film and campaign by Invisible Children released into cyberspace not even 48 hours ago. If you’ve had your entire head in the sand/under a rock/ you are a Luddite/you are a zombie (without Facebook) today, and no screaming white kid broke down your door this morning shouting buzzwords like “IMAGINE!” “FREEDOM! “JUSTICE!” “UNITE!” then let me enlighten you. The ”KONY” part of KONY 2012 refers to Joseph Kony, leader of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) in Uganda. Kony is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for his crimes against humanity, including the forced recruitment of child soldiers. In an inversion of U.S. election sloganeering, the KONY 2012 campaign has set out to make Kony famous, and bring

international action against his alleged crimes. The campaign kicked off with the viral distribution of a half-hour long documentary-style film, which, if you blur your eyes, looks like an extended promotional video for a summer camp leadership program in neo-Imperialism. Or a how-to video for “how to get a bunch of white kids in the same place holding up peace signs and running in the same direction to nowhere,” which happens for about 25 per cent of the video. The video is worth watching, if only to keep up with popular culture – and popular politics – it’s trending as we speak! But I caution you to exercise a critical eye – a dose of skepticism is crucial when exposing yourself to these kinds of large-scale awareness campaigns. As it turns out, I am not alone in my skepticism. Almost immediately after it was released, the video drew millions of responses from viewers world-wide in support, and contempt of both the work itself, and Invisible Children, the organization behind it. Besides the problematic notion of privileged white kids liberating their Third World African age-mates through yelling and wrist-band wearing (I’d wager money that

most of the members of KONY 2012 can’t even show you Uganda on a map), there is the more disturbing fact of the deployment of 100 American advisors to help the Ugandan government (oh, those poor backward Africans! Don’t they know they can just use GPS to find Kony and his troops?). Not to mention that Invisible Children, started and headed by Jason Russell (who stars in and narrates the video), has come under fire for its questionable motivations, poor accountability, and lack of transparency. According to a refreshingly critical and expository blog response to the KONY 2012 campaign by Acadia University sociology and political science student Grant Oyson, Invisible Children’s financial records show that only 32 per cent of the money generated in 2011 went towards direct services (which is ambiguous enough alone to produce concern). The rest, went to staff salaries, travel expenses (Africa is far away!) and— surprise, surprise—film-making costs. In my mind, Jason Russell, Invisible Children and KONY 2012 smack of the same kind of sneaky and self-serving appropriation of the tragic lives of Others (read: poor Africans) that should have driven Gregg Mortenson and his three cups of tea into the ground. Last

April, 60 Minutes aired a troubling and provocative exposé on Mortenson, an American philanthropist and writer (most famous for his book, Three Cups of Tea) who founded the non-profit Central Asia Institute. The 60 Minutes investigators exposed the holes in Mortenson’s cornerstone tale of stumbling into a tiny village on the way up K2, the world’s second tallest mountain, and claimed that the author had exaggerated or entirely fabricated tales to persuade donors to give millions of dollars to his organizations. According to Mortenson’s original story, he encountered schoolchildren doing their school lessons in dirt, and “made a rash promise that day . . . ‘I promise I’ll help build a school.’” More problematic than the fabrications of a megalomaniac, Mortenson was exposed for having funnelled much of the money generated by his tales into his private accounts, and very little of it into keeping this promise. In his video, Russell describes meeting Jacob, the KONY 2012 Ugandan poster boy and using eerily similar rhetoric, narrates: “Everything in my heart told me do something. And so I made him a promise: ‘We are going to do everything that we can to stop

them.’ I made that promise to Jacob, not knowing what it would mean. But now, I do.” Unfortunately, besides Grant Oyson’s piece and a largely ignored November 2011 article in Foreign Affairs, very little investigative journalism has been applied to efforts of Invisible Children and the KONY 2012 campaign. For example, the Ugandan government appears to have very little fondness for the involvement of the U.S. government and little need for the scant and symbolic offerings of Invisible Children (recall hordes of white kids barging in unison). More to the point, in addition to the problem of Kony himself, the regional conflict runs much more deeply and requires a great deal more than a troop of US ‘advisors’ can contend with—or should hope to become enmeshed in—has been all but completely obscured. Anyway, I am certain that if you have reached this part of the article, I’ve exhausted your critical bone, and whet your appetite for something other than the disillusioned analytical ramblings of a former International Development Studies student. So, onto dinner!

Mushroom Spinach Barley Risotto Here’s what you need: 1 yellow onion 4 cloves of garlic - Portabello, cremini and oyster mushrooms (About 3-4 Portabello, 6 cremini, and a whole package of oyster mushrooms, because they’re more exotic looking and thus will make you seem more fancy and this recipe more esoteric than you, or it really is.) 1 cup white wine (I asked the lady at the LCBO for wine that would work in cooking risotto, and that wouldn’t give me an ulcer to drink. The Two Oceans Sauvignon Blanc was $9.95, and about a quarter-decent by itself. If you’re having this meal with company, and don’t mind serving them leftover white wine that tastes like nail polish remover, there are definitely cheaper dry white cooking wines that will do you just fine for risotto.) 7 cups vegetable broth (2 vegetable bullion cubes)** 2 cups pearled barley Salt and pepper Dried parsley Dried thyme Grated Asiago-go-go

And, here’s what to do: If you only own one skillet, first sautee your mushrooms until brown, and then put them and their meaty juices aside in a bowl. Then proceed as described below (minus the mushrooms-in-a-secondskillet step) 1. Chop up your onion and garlic. Heat some olive oil in a skillet on medium, then add the onion first. Cook until onion becomes translucent or starts to ‘sweat’ and then add the garlic. This should only take 2 or 3 minutes. This is a good time to add the thyme (shut up, food pun reflex, shut UP!) 2. While the onions are nervously sweating, chop up your mushrooms. 3. Throw your mushrooms onto a DIFFERENT skillet and begin sauteeing, or cooking slowly until brown and soft and juicy. This can continue to happen throughout the next couple of steps. 4. Boil some water (7-8 cups) and throw in your bouillon cubes. Mix around until dissolved. Now you have 7-8 cups of vegetable broth. Set aside. 5. Keep an eye on your mushrooms, and get ready to handle the pearled barley. Ready? 6. Add your pearled barley into the onion and garlic and thyme skillet and mix around with wooden

spoon until coated with olive oil. 7. Add 1 cup of white wine to skillet with onions, garlic, thyme and barley. Keep bottle of wine by your side for added enjoyment of cooking process. Simmer wine until completely absorbed. Stir constantly. 8. Now is the time to keep adding ladle-fuls or pour-fuls of broth. The process now becomes a shampoo, rinse, repeat situation. Add broth, let simmer, stir constantly til absorbed, repeat. You should be constantly stirring and constantly checking on your mushrooms, unless you’ve already set them aside. 9. Once your broth has been added in increments and fully absorbed by the barley, stir in your mushrooms. You can even save a bit of broth to stir in along with the mushrooms and their juices. 10. Wash your spinach and rip it up with your hands. Or with your feet if that’s available to you. Add ripped up spinach shreds to risotto and watch it wilt. 11. Add your salt and pepper. 12. Grate some asiago (or parmesan) and throw it in. Be thankful that you’re not a true vegan (or a child soldier). Enjoy.

THE ARTS

March 8, 2012

Calling all Kubricks and Camerons Vanessa Purdy With the excitement of the Oscars dying down, there’s another film competition for U of T students to get excited about-one much closer to home. The U of T Film Festival, now in its tenth year, is a chance for students to test out their filmmaking finesse. The challenges of being a student filmmaker are manifold, not the least of which is financial. This festival, unlike most, is free to enter, which increases the accessibility for—and perhaps the variety of—applicants. One of the goals of the festival is to open doors for students and foster further creativity in the school community and beyond, and the potential for involvement extends past the role of contestant; students are welcome to volunteer at the festival as

judges as well. The jury features local film artists Ross McKie, Dagny Thompson, and Allan Tong; in line with the fest’s mandate of promoting the University’s profile in the arts community by providing opportunities for students to network. Rick Palidwor, the Manager of Creative Classes at Hart House, has some tips for the aspiring entrants. “The most important consideration is sound. Bad sound destroys the best intentions,” he said over email earlier this week. As for length, “Short work always has the best chance of being screened...It’s much easier to take a chance on something if it’s under 2 minutes,” he added. That is not to say that longer films won’t be considered, of course. “We always get a few comedies, a few dramas, a few documentaries and a few ex-

perimental pieces. Music videos too. And fake trailers. You name it,” Palidwor said. Last year, U of T student Tanya Hoshi won the Film Board Prize of Artistic Achievement and the Hart House Film Challenge Best Film to Date for her film Speechless. It was not only her first time entering, but her first film. Since then, she has decided to pursue film studies. “I would highly recommend this festival for first time filmmakers. If I hadn’t taken that first step, I would have never gained the skills and connections that I now have,” Hoshi explained. Another standout entry from last year was Life is a Symphony, by Rudy Silvamera. Silvamera has since been profiled in U of T Magazine, and even garnered attention from the CBC. As for his experience with the fest, he de-

ABERDEEN BERRY

The U of T Film Festival Wants You!

scribed it as “...an unparalleled opportunity for visual artist at the U of T because it can open doors for press and other different festivals in Canada. It is an amazing way to debut a

film,” Silvamera said. Students can submit their films until March 16. The festival is April 2, 7pm. For more information, visit www.uoftfilmfest.ca

Football doc made it to the endzone at the Oscars Another Weinstein Brothers picture was Undefeated for best documentary feature, but fails to touch down with audience Dan Christensen These football players may start a touch down-trodden, but by the end of this doc you won’t even ask for a quarter back. It’s nearly impossible to believe what we’re presented in this documentary. We have a rag-tag group of black kids at an inner-city Memphis high school called Manassas, and their ambitious coach, who wants to turn them into champions. And he does. But it’s not hard to believe for the obvious reason: the fact that (spoiler alert!) the team manages to band together and beat the odds. What’s hard to believe is that this is actually a documentary, and not a complete work of fiction. Starting off as the team whom richer schools would literally pay to play and beat at the outset of the season (apparently a common practise in southern US high school football), their story of team spirit making a triumph over adversity comes right out of the sports movie playbook (Hoosiers, anyone? How about The Mighty Ducks? Or Remember

the Titans?) Similarly, the cast of characters makes us feel right at home. We have O.C., the dull but lovable goliath who acts as the team’s secret weapon; Chavis, the show-off whose pride threatens to break the team’s spirit; Money, whose tragic injury threatens to keep him off the field; and finally Bill Courtney, the tough-love coach who cares more for the team than for his own family. The filmmakers’ ability to perfectly ape the conventional sports film tropes in this doc is truly staggering. But wait, isn’t art supposed to imitate life, rather than the other way around? A confusing question when it comes to this film. Verisimilitude refers to the degree to which a work gives the feeling of truth, rather than how truthful it actually is. ‘Undefeated’ certainly feels as if its dramatic action is so perfect it must have been fabricated. And yet we know it wasn’t. Does this film simply not have enough verisimilitude? Or could it possibly have too much? Also, it begins to dawn on us that, especially in the cases of

Chavis and Coach Bill, the moments might not have been so magic had the cameras been absent. Another question appears: could the presence of the cameras have had a role to play in the amazing Manassas turnaround? In the end it’s doubtful that such a question impacts the quality of the picture. However, as impressive as the drama of Undefeated was, all through the film I couldn’t help but re-

member the last football documentary I watched – 2008’s Harvard beats Yale 29-29 by Kevin Rafferty – which catches up with the players from the legendary 1968 game. Rafferty’s film, through talking head interviews and game footage only, manages to transport us completely not just into the heads and hearts of the players during the game, but into those of the presentday men who evolved from the

players, with the expanse of time in between left up to us. Alternatively, Undefeated fails to move any great distance beyond the coach’s sweet and cozy relationship with the team and the facts of the football season. If there’s a lesson to be learned (as Coach Bill might hope), it’s that especially with documentaries, just because it’s dramatic doesn’t mean it’s engrossing.

“Raaaaaaaaahhhhhhh!!!!!!!!”

www.thenewspaper.ca

THE ARTS

You’ll iguana watch this play Hart House’s Night of the Iguana tips the scales

Hutton takes a rather broad interpretation of the source material, especially in the first act. The exaggerated posturing of many of the characters—notably Maxine, and tour chaperone Judith Fellowes (played by Lada Darewych)—not only do little to add to the play, but overshadow the underlying emotional drama of the piece. Indeed, the variety of tones adopted, despite strong acting on the part of all cast members, gave the distinct impression of watching a pastiche of several different plays (including a nod to another of Williams’ most well-known, A Streetcar Named Desire). Occasional pauses in the action and moments of stark, dramatic lighting, ostensibly intended to create emphasis on especially significant lines, were somewhat distracting. Things pick up in the sec-

Aberdeen Berry Watching the development of a particular interpretation is chief amongst the joys of theatre-going. Continuing in his tradition of high camp, director Jeremy Hutton has created an interesting, if flawed, work in his latest production of Tennessee Williams’ The Night of the Iguana. The play follows the shamed Reverend Shannon (played by a smoldering David Ferry) over the course of one evening as he attempts to avoid both a teenage seductress in his religious tour group, and his inner demons, at a Mexican hotel. Exposed as an all-but-defrocked priest, and removed from his position as tour guide, he is left to the somewhat questionable mercies of recently-widowed proprietor, Maxine (played by Allegra Fulton).

The Crossword Across 1. Exhibition 5. Sharpened 10. Octagonal sign 14. “___ got tonight” (Seger song) 15. Variety 16. Veni in “Veni vidi vici” (“I ___, I saw, I conquered) 1

28 34

44 47

cally. The increased emotional resonance and tighter directorial focus make the second half of the play almost worth the price of admission on its own. Darewych and Ferry have thrilling onstage chemistry, which contributes substantially to the play’s verisimilitude, and the chilling lack of catharsis at its end. As usual, Hutton delivers strong production values. Playgoers who enjoy well-designed sets and audio will presum-

41. Campfire trace 42. Grave’s opposite, idiomatically 44. Prepare pastries 45. Still 46. Romantic flower 47. Gem 48. Morning moisture 49. Man made waterway 52. Grounds 55. Victoria Day display 59. Applications 60. Conceals 61. Not one, abbreviated 62. Item common to sausages and chains 63. Festival 64. Radiate light 65. Bruce Wayne’s phobia 66. Takes a break 67. The most versatile English word, pluralized

36 39

48 53

23 25

ond act, when a power struggle over Shannon’s affections emerges between Maxine and Hannah (played sublimely by Kelly Bolt), an aging and virginal artist staying at the hotel with her decrepit grandfather. Here, the actors and director finally begin to dig into the emotional meat of the play. This section was more coherent, and less rushed. Here, Hutton’s direction is less heavy-handed which allows the themes of the play (loneliness, passion, despair, etc.) to emerge organi-

25. Footwear 28. Ova 30. Had a seat 33. Dispense drinks 34. Ease anxiety 36. Duo 37. Floor covering 38. “Who do you think you ___?” 39. Tennis fault 40. Uncooked

17. Length times width 18. Mock mischievously 19. Way out 20. North by ___ (Toronto music festival) 22. Measurement quantities 23. Arm appendages 24. Suitable 5

Party all day, Iguana all night. Smoldering David Ferry as Reverend Shannon takes five.

Down 1. What the ugly duckling became 2. Magnanimous champion 3. Not under 4. Climate condition 5. Has consumed 6. Terror 7. Green blades 8. Near, middle, or far, geographically 9. Coloured stain 10. Aroma 11. Cab

ably find this play worthwhile. Members of the ensemble cast all give workable performances. The Night of the Iguana is playing at Hart House Theatre until March 10th. Tickets are $15 for students, and $25 for adults, and may be purchased either at the door, or through U of T Tix. Sensitive audiences are to be cautioned: this play contains drinking, smoking, sexuality, and of course, strobe lights.

12. Leave out 13. Domestic animals 21. Possesses 22. Disturb 24. Be on the same page 25. Nozzle setting 26. Suburban dwelling 27. Must 29. Maritime bird 30. Beverage pipe 31. Not asleep 32. Galactic hitchhiking necessity 34. Medieval missile 35. They’re larger than lakes but smaller than oceans 38. Units of land measurement

43. Makes up one’s mind 44. Feels included 47. Set of teeth 48. Compact storage items 50. “___ you a little short for a stormtrooper?” 51. Bird abode 52. It may be incandescent or fluorescent 53. Largest continent 54. Dispatched 55. Digit denomination per 23 across 56. Part in a play 57. Rope binding 58. Mends a garment 60. Feminine pronoun

Andrew Walt

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

“

the campus comment

THE END

March 8, 2012

the newspaper asked: Does U of T need a campus bar?

BEN Archaeology exchange student from London, UK “Yes, for me it was the main place to socialize back at home. A bar provides a sense of community outside academia, plus the bar would be cheaper and it could double up as a student workspace.”

MARY Psycholinguistics, 4th year “No, I think there are enough things around campus. It’s important to have a division between school and having fun, otherwise things might get confusing. Also, it might be a difficult position to be in if you are a student serving other students.”

NICOLE Teacher’s Program, 1st year “Definitely. It is embarrassing that we don’t have one. Every other school has one but why don’t we? I’d like one, just to get myself out of the Maddy every once in a while.”

CAMILLE Book and Media studies, 2nd year TAYLOR Exercise Science Grad program, 1st year “Compared to other schools in smaller towns I don’t think it’s “As a grad student, I never go out to places on campus but I think necessary. Maybe for students who don’t know the city very we should all have a space to get together.” well but otherwise I think it’s unnecessary because Toronto is so big.”

BODI BOLD

MAX Poli Sci and History, 4th year “Yes, it would foster a stronger sense of community. We should try anything to bring students together and a bar would be a good start.”

Dear Suzie

Tomorrow is not a guarantee: How to battle procrastination

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

Dear Suzie, I have a problem with procrastination. I’ve pretty much always been like this, but it’s been getting much, much worse this past semester—and it’s my last one, so it’s especially important that I get down to business. But I just can’t bring myself to. It’s beyond leaving everything to the last minute; now the last minute is a week past due dates. I’m super stressed and anxious, but I can’t keep myself from taking on dozens of other non-school related tasks and watching every stupid video that comes my way. Part of me has always thought I might have ADD; but my family and friends never seemed to think so, so I never asked a professional. If only I could focus, I know I could do well! I’m seriously considering going to a doctor and seeing if I can get a prescription but if I have no intention of using it other than to help me study when I feel I need it, is that wrong? Is that cheating?

Break out your oxfords! It’s spring time.

Dear I’ll Do It Tomorrow, You are going to sit down, right now, and write a list of the things that distract you: websites, objects, sounds, people, whatever it may be. Make a list. Write NO in big letters across the top of your list, and tape it above your desk or wherever else you should be getting work done. In the fight against procrastination, you are your own worst enemy, and to win you have to fight yourself, mentally speaking. We all partake in “time-wasters” like surfing the web or playing video games, but the difference between procrastinators and get-er-doners is that the former wastes time like it’s their job, and the latter wastes time as a reward. If you want to be a member of the latter, you’re going to have to work hard to earn that reward. If you are still having trouble, I’ll Do It, there ain’t no shame in seeing a professional. Although somewhat unlikely, it is possible that you ended up in a prestigious university with an undiagnosed disorder. Before you resort to pharmaceuticals, give self-discipline and outside help the old college try. Good luck, 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.

BODI BOLD

Sincerely, I’ll Do It Tomorrow

who >>> Anonymous what >>> A navy sailor coat makes a comeback for spring paired with a vintage leather messenger bag where >>> King’s College Circle

who >>> Huda, 4th year African studies & Poli Sci student what >>> Wilfred coat, mama’s accessories and Bass oxfords where >>> St. George street