January 24 2013

Plans for UTM student centre may double student fees.

See story below

the newspaper

The University of Toronto’s Independent Weekly

Peace will soon prevail for Palestine and Israel: Finkelstein ‘Everything is in place for a resolution,’ says controversial lecturer Author and academic Norman Finkelstein presented an optimistic, if polemical, argument that expected an end to the Israel-Palestine conflict in the near future. Over one hundred people--mostly Palestine supporters--filled the OISE auditorium Wednesday night to hear the controversial speaker.

An American Jew and the son of Holocaust survivors, Finkelstein has faced much scrutiny over the years for his hard stance against what he believes is an uncompromising Israeli position toward Palestine.

He argued that much of the world is coming around to view-

Since 1978

VOL XXXV Issue 18 • January 24, 2013

Inside U of T sex party:

Succesful, safe and despite long lineup in negative temperature, hell didn’t freeze over p2

ing Israel in a negative light. The Arab Spring was prominent in his lecture, both as an inspiration to Palestinians and as an indicator that official attitudes toward Israel are changing in the region.

Israel’s main Arab ally, Egypt, and its main Muslim ally, Turkey, are switching course, he said. The popular constituencies in those countries place Palestine at the top of their agenda.

More tangibly, he argued that Egypt and Turkey pressured the United States into keeping Israel from launching a ground offensive into Gaza during the latest conflict in November.

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ANGELA ZHU

Yukon Damov

Protesters ‘greet’ massive lineup outside Oasis Aqualounge on Monday, January 21.

UTM prepares for referendum on student fee increases Once again students must choose between better amenities and fatter wallets From January 29 to 31, University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM) students will vote in a referendum to decide on a proposed levy increase. The yearly increase will fund the expansion of the student centre to create a greater number of office spaces for student organizations, multipurpose rooms for campus events, and improve food services.

UTM students currently pay a $12.50 levy per semester for the centre. If the referendum passes this will be permanently

increased to almost double that.

For the first three years after the referendum there will be an added fee coupling the levy per semester, and the combination will cost UTM students $102 per year. After those three years it will finally decrease to roughly half that amount.

The proposed levy will generate approximately $2 million and will be matched by the university for a total of $4 million.

All funds will go towards the expansion as well as future maintenance of the student centre.

Following a referendum in 1999, the centre was built to

serve the six thousand students that were then attending UTM. Enrollment has since risen to over eleven thousand, and is expected to continue rising.

There are currently over 110 student organizations at UTM, of which fewer than thirty have access to storage and meeting space. Though the proposed expansion would raise the number of bookable office rooms in the center from 14 to 28, it is unclear whether this will completely solve the problem.

The plan also aims to revitalize and expand the multi-purpose rooms throughout the centre

to provide increased access to study and event spaces for UTM students.

A complete overhaul of the student centre pub, The Blind Duck, is supposed to improve the speed and efficiency of food preparation, eliminate long lineups, and create more jobs on campus for students. Overall, the plan is meant to stimulate a more vibrant, accessible, and resourceful student life across UTM. UTM Chief Returning Officer Babatumi Sodade, though not allowed to officially endorse the proposal, commented, “Campus

life here at UTM can at times be dull.” But, he added, “Perhaps this referendum can be part of the solution.”

Those who oppose the project are concerned that the students who will be paying the most to fund the expansion will be the ones who benefit from it the least. In UTM’s student paper The Medium, student Lily Bowman stated “Things are developing on campus that I won’t get to see. It’s coming out of my pocket, but I won’t be around to BODI BOLD

Isaac Thornley

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2

THE NEWS

January 24, 2013

Despite the weather, hell didn’t freeze over U of T sex party a safe success

Master of Management & Professional Accounting

• Designed primarily for non-business undergraduates • For careers in Management, Finance and Accounting • Extremely high co-op and permanent placement To learn more about the MMPA Program, attend our information sessions: Wednesday, January 30, 2013 11:00 am – 1:00 pm Room 2198, OISE Building, 252 Bloor St W, University of Toronto Thursday, January 31, 2013 11:00 am – 1:00 pm Room 2198, OISE Building, 252 Bloor St W, University of Toronto

www.utoronto.ca/mmpa

from “electoral reform” see the changes on campus.”

UTM Students’ Union (UTSMU) President Chris Thompson emphasized the long-term nature of these issues and encouraged students to look beyond their own time at UTM. “The student centre expansion has been over four years in the making. [It was] only endorsed by the Board this year because

of the hard work that went into ensuring that students did not have to carry the whole weight of the project. The UTMSU was successful in negotiating a dollar-to-dollar match from the University up to $2 million for this historical project.” He added, “This was our number one campaign point and goal because UTM students have wanted this for so long.”

the newspaper is the University of Toronto’s independent weekly paper, published since 1978.

VOL XXXV No. 18 Editor-in-Chief Cara Sabatini

Copy Editors Sydney Gautreau

Managing Editor Helene Goderis

Web Editor Joe Howell

News Editor Yukon Damov

Comment Editor Dylan Hornby

Associate News Editors Sebastian Greenholtz Emerson Vandenberg

Contributors

Arts Editor VACANT Photo Editor Bodi Bold Illustrations Editor Nick Ragetli the newspaper 1 Spadina Crescent Suite 245 Toronto, ON M5S 1A1

Spencer Afonso, Sarah Boivin, Sinead Doherty-Grant, Lou Doyon, Sydney Gautreau, Sebastian Greenholtz, Joe Howell, Jane Alice Keachie, Lauren Mansfield, Natalie Morcos, Nick Ragetli, Kaleena Stasiak, Kelsey Stasiak, Isaac Thornley, Emerson Vandenberg, Angela Zhu

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.

SPE˜CER AFONSO

MMPA

On Monday, January 21, students from all over the city got to party (mostly) naked at Oasis Aqualounge, a sex club in the downtown core. Hosted by the University of Toronto’s Sexual Education Centre, the event gained notoriety after the website Reddit dubbed it -- somewhat erroneously -- an “orgy.” The description alone evoked a spectrum of reactions ranging from conservative Christian outrage to anticipatory hormonal excitement.

However, the earth neither opened up and swallowed the sinning heathens nor turned out to be the illicit orgy of the ages. What occurred unsurprisingly met the primordial expectations: a sex positive space for students to party.

More surprisingly, the event also involved encouragingly open discussion between the young party-goers and their Christian brethren.

The party drew more people than anticipated: 450 enthusiastic students came out to explore what was going on. The club reached capacity at 6:30 pm, and by 9 o’clock, there were at least 100 students overflowing the Mutual St. sidewalks in line.

Instead of the usual Torontonian grumbling over how freezing it was -- very, thanks -the lineup was vivaciously excited, with smiles, whoops, and laughs rising over the crowd.

There was a cop car parked near the entrance, with policemen trying to keep people off the road. This was paired with roaring evangelists across the way spitting into their microphones and raising their banner portraying most notably silhouettes of naked women and one word: LUST. The street was alive with energy. It was rad. More importantly, it was positive.

Inside, attendee Rhiannon White described the atmosphere, saying “[It was] like a big house party, people chatting, drinks in the pool and squeezing past each other in hallways, with the exception that everyone was pretty well naked.”

Event organizer Dylan Tower remarked that during the day things were calm and relaxed with activities ranging from playing Magic the Gathering to ordering pizza, and generally “getting comfortable with the environment.”

Later events included a demonstration on consent and safe, healthy kink practices from a “Dungeon Master,” bringing the night’s focus on safety and learning to the foreground.

Tower said that he spent most of his time at the event answering questions. Although the rules of the club themselves answered the most frequently asked questions, volunteers were clear to let students’ questions and openness guide learning at the event. Rather

than strictly defining what makes sex positive, the event allowed for individual exploration in a positive space.

White commented further, “anyone who went would agree that it was an amazing night and after seeing everyone so comfortable in their own bare butts, felt a little more confident with themselves by the end of the night.”

On one level, this event will have an institutional effect.

Oasis will honour student nights with student prices ($5) for the next three Mondays.

SEC leaders are hoping the success could lead to increases in funding for the centre. Additionally, the event has been studied in U of T classes including sociology, journalism, and sexual diversity studies.

Power to Change (formerly named Campus Crusade for Christ), notably, distinguished itself from traditionally conservative Christian organizations by handing out hot chocolate to students outside the club in support of the event.

Even the evangelicals with the microphone and the lusty banner were open to discussion. Smoking on the sidewalk in the January freeze, excited students engaged in a conversation with protesters about faith, agency, and personal rights. Even if persuasion from one line to the other was futile, at least for a while the microphone was silenced in favour of open discussion.

The social ramifications of this success are pervasive. The event has shown that students are eager and responsive to open, positive venues for sexual exploration and that there is a demand for open discussion of sexuality and sexual values. This party stood for a de-stigmatization of sexuality, and students responded multitudinously. It became a chance to explore one’s body and oneself in an environment that didn’t need require people to be anything other than their authentic selves.

Oasis Aqualounge is located at 231 Mutual St.Toronto, ON ,M5B 2B4. (416) 599-7665. It is open from 11am-2am Thursday-Saturday. 19+

Has Toronto’s political leadership failed us? visit thenewspaper.ca to learn more

KELSEY STASIAK

Sarah Boivin

from “Finkelstein” Finkelstein then broadened into the international context, arguing that most of the world views Israel negatively. He pointed to a BBC poll of 26 country’s citizens. Israel placed with Iran, Pakistan, and North Korea in the bottom four, when individuals were asked whether a certain nation has had a mostly positive influence in world affairs.

The United Nations General Assembly resolution to upgrade Palestine’s status to a non-voting observer state was also a positive condition for reconciliation, said Finkelstein. 138 states voted for the resolution; 41 abstained; nine voted against, with Canada among them.

“Israel does very well in Canada. In Canada, Israel does better than Canada,” he remarked, and the crowd laughed. “But even in Canada, where Prime Minister Harper is probably more supportive of Israel than [Israel PM Benjamin] Netanyahu, only 23% view Israel positively,” according to another BBC poll.

But the abstentions were also telling, he argued, as the United

Kingdom, and according to Finkelstein, Israel’s staunchest European ally, Germany, “broke” with the US and abstained.

Public opinion in the US is also a favourable condition for an end to the conflict, he argued.

Last year, Americans were divided in their opinion of Israel, showing that more Americans are beginning to view Israel negatively.

With global perception turning against Israel, the question becomes, said Finkelstein, what is the solution? He quoted Gandhi to explain that a popular movement in Palestine, like what happened in Arab Spring, must have a proper goal, or solution, in mind.

“He [Gandhi] said, politics is not about trying to change public opinion. Politics is about getting people to act on what they already know. ... But no matter how moral the tactics you use, unless the public agrees with your goal, it is not going to work.”

Finkelstein pointed to two criteria to argue that the solution is quite clear.

Firstly, “The most representative institution in the world,” the UN General Assembly, has

3

THE NEWS an annual vote on the “Peaceful Settlement of the Palestine Question.” Its terms for resolving the conflict are a two-state solution following June 1967 borders and a just resolution of the Palestinian refugee question based on the right of return and compensation. The vote regularly passes by a large margin.

Secondly, arguing that the conflict is ultimately a question of international law, he argued that the International Criminal Court is the “most enlightened” institution on the subject. In 2004, the ICC rendered an advisory opinion on critical aspects of the conflict. It argued for a two-state solution. It also argued that East Jerusalem, Gaza,

and the West Bank are illegally occupied Palestinian territory, because they were captured in war. All Israeli settlements are also illegal under International Law, according to the ICC. Finkelstein concluded by dismissing the complexity of the conflict, especially the permanent status issues, since the ICC says that West Bank and Gaza are occupied Palestinian territory and the Israeli settlements are illegal.

“These issues are not, in the real world, controversial,” he said, without a touch of irony.

Despite his optimism, controversy will probably be the last thing to leave the region--even after settlement comes.

Public opinion turning against Israel, argues Norman Finkelstein.

LOU DOYON

www.thenewspaper.ca

Green urban economy talk touches social currents David Miller and Frank Cunningham on transit, jobs, and community involvement Sebastian Greenholtz On Wednesday, January 23, the Hart House Social Justice Committee hosted a talk titled “Just and Green Cities.”

Former Toronto mayor David Miller and Professor Emeritus Frank Cunningham discussed how cities around the world -- Toronto in particular -- have pioneered the use of green technology to address environmental and economic concerns. Miller discussed environmental initiatives he pursued in office, while Cunningham focused on academic philosophies concerned with environmental and social justice. Together, their talk’s themes mirrored the social discourses and concerns of students today.

One of the policies Miller proposed was an improvement to the Toronto transit system. Fears of TTC fare hikes, deteriorating bicycle infrastructure, and the crumbling Gardiner expressway may contribute to increased anxiety among the 75 per cent of U of T students who com-

mute. Miller presented a solution: the Transit City program, which would expand light rail to create a network of reliable, emissions-free transit servicing more of the city. Addressing the goal of reducing carbon emissions, Miller explained, “As a network, people are far more likely to get out of their cars and take transit.”

When discussing the difficulty in finding jobs facing recent graduates, Miller emphasized possibilities for job creation through green technology. As part of his green initiatives, Miller affirmed, “I think we should have managed trade. And part of that is to ensure that when we’re spending billions of dollars on public infrastructure, the jobs should go to Canadians.”

Furthermore, the green initiatives create job possibilities for low income residents. Miller cited the Toronto Tower Renewal project, which would install solar panels on the concrete apartment buildings in Toronto’s low income neighbourhoods. This would simultaneously make the buildings

energy efficient and provide jobs to the neighbourhoods’ residents, who would install and maintain the panels.

The slew of recent protest movements have showcased the rank and file of humanity speaking out against the world’s problems. In a similar vein, Miller and Cunningham emphasized the role of citizens in enacting change. Both claimed this can be done by expressing support for green programs like Miller’s Changes in the Air Climate Change Action Plan. The plan passed unanimously in city council, which Miller believes is due to pressure from the city’s constituents.

Miller saw this support first hand. He said, “People used to stop me in the street all the time and say ‘I want to do something, what can I do?’ ...

We realized one of the things we need to do is actually go out and talk to people and support them and educate them and help them with their goals so they can achieve within their own lives and within their neighbourhoods and their

communities, and act.”

Cunningham agreed on the need for citizen support, saying, “It seems to be obvious that [green initiatives] can be made to work. ... There has to be a commitment by ordinary citizens both to social justice and environmental sustainability.”

The sea of nodding heads was testament to how the speakers’ comments resonated with the audience. Perhaps it was Miller’s statement, “Social justice, jobs, and the environment: the world I want to live in, the city I want to live in, has to present all three.”

Or perhaps it was Cunningham’s affirmation that “Every single citizen has a right to participate in the affairs of the city, and in the governance of the city.” Through theory and through policy, Miller and Cunningham showed how the governments and residents of cities like Toronto can work together to lead the world in cleaning up our planet and reducing inequality.

the briefs No teacher, school paper keeps on publishing As part of the protest against Bill 115, which limits teachers’ ability to collectively bargain, many teachers in Ontario schools have stopped overseeing extracurriculars, duties outside of their official contracts.

The editorial board of the North Toronto Collegiate student newspaper decided to push on with publishing, including raising the $1400 they needed to put out 2000 copies of the 32 page paper, named Proxy as a stand in for the usual paper, Graffiti. The paper comes out January 30.

Billboard tax to fund the arts in Toronto

On the tail of an unusually smooth budget vote, Mayor Rob Ford’s executive committee voted to use proceeds from the new tax on billboard space to fund arts programs across the city. Billboards merely take up community space, argued visual artist Devon Ostrom, who first suggested this funding in 2001, therefore advertisers should give back to the community. Allocation of funds has not been decided, however suggestions have been made to bring arts programs to disadvantaged youth in low income communities.

Lupe Fiasco booted out of pre-inaugural concert

Rapper Lupe Fiasco was kicked off stage Sunday night during a pre-inaugural concert for US president Barack Obama for some comments made in his lyrics that criticized the second term president, including announcing that Lupe did not vote for him. While the event organizers’ official statement argues that they are staunch supporters of free speech, their twitter feed reads that they were “disappointed that an artist took opportunity to use an event celebrating innovation/startups to make a political statement.”

- Sebastian Greenholtz

4

THE DEBATE

January 24, 2013

What’s the big deal with doping?

MOTION: When it comes to winning gold, performance enhancing drugs are no longer relevant.

Last week, cycling legend Lance Armstrong finally admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs to help win seven consecutive Tour de France titles. Armstrong now joins a rapidly expanding group of professional athletes whose winning reputations have been tarnished because of doping scandals. With such frequency, should doping not be taken so seriously? Or should it remain unethical in the world of sports?

Former seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong is the latest athlete to be successively raised to a pedestal, adored by all, exposed, questioned, and subsequently scapegoated as a cheater for using “performance-enhancing drugs.” It has been good business for sports media to consistently deify and then demonize high profile athletes. The question is: are these constant anti-drug witch hunts really necessary for the overall wellbeing and maintenance of professional sports or have they become irrelevant?

Sports culture is largely founded on a philosophy of fairness, rule-abiding, but also competition. This competitive aspect is of a higher intensity, particularly in our society which pays most professional athletes ten times the income of the average middle class taxpayer. We expect a lot from them; and they cannot and should not let us down. With such high monetary incentives, it is no wonder that many athletes attempt to rise to the top by any means necessary.

It should be pointed out that the line between legal and illegal performance-enhancing substances is not quite as cut and dry as we think. One sporting authority might brand steroids and blood transfusions as illegal performanceenhancing substances, yet condone the regular intake of caffeine, or the daily consumption of vitamins and protein shakes. However, caffeine is a drug, too, and just like other drugs it has the ability to enhance performance, possibly at the detriment to one’s health.

There is no universal set of laws governing the use and misuse of various performance-enhancing substances; rather, every major sporting establishment from the Olympic Committee to Major League baseball has its own specific

equal access to substances while strictly monitoring any health risks would ultimately make professional sports fairer and safer.

set o f regulations and legal grey areas.

The bottom line is that any restrictions on performance-enhancing substances should be made on the basis of health and safety.

Anabolic steroids should be monitored not because they are performance-enhancing or ‘unnatural’, but because they

may produce a d verse health effects if used excessively.

Allowing all athletes

Lauren Mansfield Lance Armstrong’s interview with Oprah last week stunned the

world as he publicly admitted to illegal doping.

However, what was particularly striking was his statement that he would not have been able to win the Tour de France seven times without doing so. Winning seven times is clearly a near impossible feat for any athlete, let alone one competing with the prevalence of an unfair playing field due to performance-enhancing drug use.

Sports are meant to embody the spirit of competition and fair play, but when issues such as doping become so prominent (as they have become in many sports, especially cycling), this tradition is abandoned. According to the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, of the 21 top three finalists in the Tour de France during Armstrong’s winning streak, only one of them has not been tied to doping. Such a staggering number indicates that, when the nature of modern sport entices a majority of players to cheat in order to win, the tradition of sport is lost; it becomes unfair to those who pursue excellence by the rules and respect their own health.

One might argue that the existence of performance-enhancing drugs and their frequent use reveals a new direction for the sporting world.

It is true that sports need to evolve with the times, but there is a difference between natural adaptations and doping. Performance-enhancing drugs that fundamentally change the composition of the body, and are known to come with drastic health effects, are a lot different than a new type of bicycle shoe or training strategy. Condoning an environment where athletes feel pressure to compromise their health in order to be the best goes against the fundamental values of sport itself.

Strict regulations on performance-enhancing drugs will always be relevant in sport in order for it to stay true to its meaning. When great athletes are no longer simply the strongest, fittest and fastest, but rather those with access to the best drugs, the pursuit of excellence becomes meaningless.

KALEENA STASIAK

Isaac Thornley

www.thenewspaper.ca

5

THE INSIDE

RED ROCK RISING

The insurgent story of rock and roll in China Natalie Morcos On Friday, January 18, musician and author of Red Rock: The Long, Strange March of Chinese Rock & Roll, Jonathon Campbell presented at INDePth, a three-day conference about economic and social developments in China.

Hosted by the University of Toronto’s Asian Institute and the Pan-Asia Student Society, Campbell spoke about his experience in Beijing’s under-

ground Rock & Roll scene and the insight this gave him into the political and social implications of the ever-growing subculture that emerged.

Following a brief historical survey of Chinese events from the Long March of the 1930s through Mao’s death in 1976, Campbell boldly filled in the next 30 years, stating “the story of yaogun [Chinese rock and roll] is the story of modern China, the story of how we got from Mao to here.”

The 1980s saw China begin to look outwards. Students, journalists, businessmen began to travel. Then Vice-Premier Deng Xiaoping donned a cowboy hat at in Texas. Globalization rose, and with it an influx of new music.

“Cassettes with cut spines were being sent over on freights for dumping,” Campbell explained. The American recording industry’s castaways began to appear in port cities, hoarded in darkened

alleys and distributed to a of individualism and disilludiscontented youth. Eventu- sionment that was uncharacally making its way inland, teristic of a communal society this clandestine distribution that valued conformity and of disruptive, visceral music obedience. prompted a social movement In a short video clip, Kang Mao, that is still lively in China to front-woman and vocalist of this day. punk outfit SUBS, explained “Karaoke culture doesn’t what drives her and her band even begin to describe it,” said mates: “we play rock and roll Campbell about China’s mu- because we need to be more sical conventions and the rar- free. We need more balance.” ity of bands in such a singer- Campbell paraphrased, “They centered society. According to play because they’re angry.

Campbell, the significance of It’s about showing others ‘hey, the genre goes well beyond in- we exist, and you can exist as strumentation. He continued, we do – with a guitar, with a suggesting that in a censored paintbrush, as you want. You world, “yaogun doesn’t mean don’t have to toe the line – get a guitar and drums, it means a job, get a wife, get a fridge.” musical expression.”

English pronunciation aside, Strong political undertones these artists sound like they also came to surface. Often could be from anywhere. SUBS touted as the father of Chinese might have been the Yeah rock and roll, artist Cui Jian Yeah Yeahs or Fugazi, Cui Jian was known to perform with a could be a slightly excited Van red cloth drawn over his eyes. der Graaf Generator. However, His 1989 release, Rock ‘n’ Roll Campbell believes otherwise: on the New Long March, in- “Yaogun is something spetentionally drew parallels to cial and different, not just a the communists’ march of geographical marker. It’s that the 1930s. The album’s first spirit that used to be and is no single, Nothing to My Name, longer – that spirit that rock performed during Tiananmen and roll was going to change Square protests later that year, the world.” expressed western sentiments Jonathan Campbell speaks on the underground world of Chinese rock and roll.

Alumni give hope, advice to students in the arts at U of T Faculty of Music grad wins Golden Globe, another nominated for Grammy Jane Alice Keachie U of T alumni have recently made headlines not just in the academic sphere, but as nominees for a Grammy, Golden Globe, and a couple Oscars.

Given the university’s position as a renowned research institution, such accolades in the Arts may come as a surprise.

The University’s reputation as a leading school within the sciences, humanities, and social sciences, sometimes prevents deserved recognition to arts based programs. Composer Mychael Danna and opera singer Hannigan are both key examples of the intellectual and artistic talent students require and develop while studying at U of T. U of T alumnus Mychael Danna received a Golden Globe Award for best original

score in a motion picture for Life of Pi. He is excited to be recognized for his contribution to a project with such strong Canadian roots– Life of Pi is based on the novel of the same name

by Canadian author Yan Martel. After his Golden Globe win, Danna thanked his friends and kids “back in Toronto.”

Danna often merges nonwestern music with large-scale orchestral and electronic composition typical to film scores.

According to U of T News, Danna was first exposed to world music techniques during his time at the Faculty of Music, and also collaborated with theatre groups on campus as a way to experiment with compositional venues. He studied towards a music degree in composition at U of T and was the first recipient of the Glenn-

Gould Composition award.

Danna is also nominated for two Academy Awards: best original Score and best original song for “Pi’s Lullaby.”

Barbara Hannigan has been nominated for a Grammy for best choral performance. She also recently made a very successful title role debut in Berg’s Lulu.

In an interview with the newspaper, Hannigan describes studying at U of T as what allowed her to develop into a “complete creative person.”

This included being apart of an African drumming ensemble, working out at the Hart House gym, and taking comparative religion courses as her art electives. She also praises the size of U of T, citing the various resources available to students.

“The university is so big and if

you (…) take advantage the opportunities are boundless.”

Hannigan’s love for the Faculty of Music led her to return to Toronto in order to earn her masters, despite having the opportunity to attend almost any other school in the world. Hannigan saw her return to the Faculty as “a testament to the musical and cultural life of the city and to the academic life at the University.”

At a large university it is easy to get lost in the crowd, but Hannigan offers some advice as to students: “you should only really compete with yourself.” While U of T is known for its competitive and rigorous academics, Hannigan strongly believes that the university fosters students who are multifaceted within both the intellectual and artistic spheres. “A

university degree at the level of U of T shows that you have the discipline, the endurance, the ambition to actually carry through those four years (…) it shows that you have the discipline it takes to then have the career.”

U of T alumnus Barbara Hannigan receives Grammny nomination.

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7

THE ARTS

www.thenewspaper.ca

The Gladstone invites you to Come Up to My Room Art and design exhibit makes bold request Carissa Ainslie Come Up to My Room, a seemingly brazen request, is an art and design show that opens Thursday, January 24, at The Gladstone. In its tenth year, the exhibition invites artists and designers to create unique spaces within the Gladstone using various mediums and methods. “[CUTMR] brings together art and design in a very unu-

sual way and is also unique in that it’s quite hands off in the curatorial approach,” said second year veteran of the show Noa Bronstein in an interview with the newspaper. Bronstein completed her masters at U of T in Museum studies and brings to the table experience as a curator and director of public programs for the Design Exchange.

Founding curators Christina Zeidler and Pamila Matharu

Designers Tomas Rojcik and Andrew Lovett-Barron combine woodworking, 3-D printing and technology in their installation “Firesite.”

intended for other curators to take over the show, adding a new perspective each exhibition. When the show first started in 2003, it was rare to find an exhibition that brought together artists and designers to experiment with contemporary art practices.

Collaborators are brought together with completely unrelated practices to create a melting pot of concepts and installations.

This exhibit is an excellent way to see the blending of design and art, two often opposing forces that deal with different methods of creation. There is also a strong interaction component because the show invites the public to “come up to my room,” a typically private space, and connect with the displays and the creators.

This year’s lineup includes designers Tomas Rojcik and Andrew Lovett-Barron who created an interactive lighting installation that explores the social aspect of fire, combining craft with technology.

The installation incorporates

wood and 3D printed joints with embedded computing.

According to an email by Rojcik, the lights use data to “invite congregation, applying our newest interactive technologies to summon our most primitive needs for safety and community.”

Bronstein envisions expansion in the future, taking the show outside the Gladstone and around the city, furthering the evolution that is encouraged every year.

Bronstein recommends taking in the exhibit during one of the slower times on Friday afternoon. This gives viewers the opportunity to discuss the installations with the artists and designers and really get to know the processes that went into their creations.

Come Up to My Room opens at the Gladstone Thursday, January 24, 6-8pm; Friday 11am8pm; Saturday 11-10pm; Sunday 11am to 5pm. Friday. $5 student tickets with valid ID.

WTF TO DO THE EXHIBIT What? A Heavy Accent, An Interpretive Dance | Solo Art Show by Hanna Hur Where? O’BORN CONTEMPORARY | 131 Ossington Ave When? Jan 25 – Feb 23 | Opening Jan 25 from 6-9pm FREE THE FESTIVAL What? Big Smoke Music Festival Where? TALLBOYS CRAFT BEER HOUSE | 838 Bloor St W When? Jan 24-26 at 8pm each day $10 THE LECTURE What? Kodak Lecture Series | Mark Sealy *Sealy’s exhibition is on at main gallery of the Ryerson Image Centre Where? RYERSON UNIVERSITY | 350 Victoria St., Library, Room LIB-72 When? Jan 24 at 7pm FREE THE FILM What? Italy: Love It or Leave It *Doc comically and poignantly examines a question currently faced by many Italians: whether to ditch their home country for less fraught pastures.

Where? BLOOR HOT DOCS CINEMA | 506 Bloor St. W When? Fri, Jan 25, at 4:30pm, 6:45pm; Sat, Jan 26, at 2pm, 7pm. $11 - Kelsey Stasiak

Sinead Doherty-Grant Ellington’s Music & Café is so far removed from the hectic atmosphere of Starbucks that it seems strange to put them both in the category of “coffee shop.” Located in the upand-coming stretch of St. Clair West running from Christie to Oakwood, Ellington’s combines a Caribbean aesthetic with an old-time jazz vibe. The

unique draw of Ellington’s is definitely the live jazz music played at the back of the café -- it helps create the perfect atmosphere for a leisurely morning cup of coffee.

To read the music placed on a single music stand, the musicians must crowd around the old upright piano with their array of brass instruments.

Despite the lack of space, they

play a variety of jazz standards with pitch perfect clarity and ease. Every weekday morning, the pianist and singer Ben D’Cunha plays jazz standards -- Cole Porter, Gershwin classics with a few more obscure pieces to peak your curiosity -with an upbeat modern twist.

Winston, the friendly owner, keeps the place low key and serves regulars like old friends.

The food and drinks are delivered at a leisurely pace so don’t expect the quick coffee and money exchange that characterizes your average Starbucks or Second Cup experience.

The laid back style of the place lends itself to sitting down for at least a good half hour so as to benefit fully from the atmosphere.

Most of the food is average

SINEAD DOHERTY-GRANT

Ellington’s Music & Cafe serves up java and Jamaican jazz

coffee shop fare, but the coffee itself is uniquely delicious.

Freshly brewed on the premises, the fair trade coffee draws many regulars from around the neighborhood who often linger for hours over multiple cups to listen to some great music.

Although the jazz is hot, this is a kid friendly place. A box of toys awaits eager children in the corner next to a tall Jamaican drum. Parents with

toddlers and babies mill about while children freely play and run around -- the music loosens the place up and dampens any extra noise the children make. So if you have a relaxed morning schedule and a passion for jazz played with feeling, this is the place for you.

Ellington’s Music & Cafe is located at 805 St. Clair West, by Oakwood Avenue. Reservations not accepted.

8

THE END

YOUR HEALTH & DENTAL

January 24, 2013

PLAN BENEFITS For more info please contact your studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; union: U.T.S.U. Health & Dental Plan Office 12 Hart House Circle health@utsu.ca

THE U.T.S.U. OFFERS TWO INSURANCE PLANS An extended health plan; and a dental plan. Students who have comparable health coverage may optout of the health plan while any student may opt-out of the dental plan. Students are required to opt-out on an annual basis.

Students may enroll their spouse (including a common law or same sex partner) and/or children to both the health plan and the dental plan for an additional fee.

GET MORE INFO ONLINE Visit utsu.ca/health for benefits information.

Once your account is activitated, register at greenshield.ca/ studentcentre to get personalized claims forms, claims history, to print your Green Shield ID card and to get discounts on dental and vision with exclusive Discount Networks.

WHO IS ENROLLED?

All full-time undergraduate, professional faculty and theology students at St. George or Mississauga are automatically enrolled in the U.T.S.U. extended health and dental plans.

Plan members who are first year students or returning from a leave of absence are covered starting September 1, 2012. Although coverage is effective from September 1, new plan members will not be able to receive reimbursements until their accounts are activated by the end of November.

Provider info: 1-888-711-1119 greenshield.ca/ studentcentre

OPT-IN & OPT-OUT DATES

Students starting in September: Aug. 27 to Oct. 5, 2012 Students starting in January: Jan. 7 to Feb 1, 2013 OPT-OUT ONLINE AT STUDENTPLANS.CA/UTSU ENROL BY VISITING HEALTH@UTSU.CA

YOUR INSURANCE PROVIDER IS GREEN SHIELD. YOUR GREEN SHIELD ID IS:

SAC (U of T ID#) - 00 i.e. SAC 999999999-00