January 21 2010

Deibert talks Googly

Wingin’ it

page 2

page 6 & 7

the newspaper

University of Toronto’s Independent Weekly

U of T sucks blood to save lives

LEWKO HRYHORIJIW

ASCHILLE CLARKE-MENDES

President Naylor is expected to be reappointed as President of U of T.

Governing Council, U of T’s highest decision-making body, will announce its recommendations on whether David Naylor will be reappointed as President of U of T on January 21, potentially extending his term for another five years. In the review process, the Executive Committee interviewed student unions, faculty associations, and labour unions by invitation-only to inform its recommendation. It is expected that Naylor will continue as President until 2015.

President Naylor sat down with the newspaper in his Simcoe Hall office to talk about his road to the President’s office.

“It was an absolutely typical small-town childhood. Woodstock, Ontario. About 19,000 souls and a household where the main memories I have are of books,” Naylor starts. “Specifically, my parents did not allow a t.v. in the house until

1967 when the Leafs were in the Stanley Cup play-offs.”

In the summers before attending University, Naylor worked the typical small-town jobs: schlepping boxes at a curtain rod factory, working the golf course, and picking tobacco.

“It was politically incorrect, but quite a lucrative way to work in the summer,” Naylor confesses, not breaking eye contact. “You had to get up at dawn and drive to be in the field as the sun rose. A friend of mine had done it the previous summer. He had a car. He would pick me up. I would stumble out of the house. It’s still semidark outside. We’d drive along to the farm and away we’d go, driven out to the fields on the back of a tractor and…we’d just motor through the fields, pulling leaves off the plants...All the sunshine you could eat.”

An unexceptional student with spotty attendance and a rock band to distract him from school work, Naylor only paid attention to his grades towards

the end of high school, when he realized his academics would need to improve to enter U of T. At U of T, Naylor remembers feeling intimidated: “As an undergrad, my aspiration was to avoid getting run over by all the smart people.” Academics became a priority during his two years at University College, as he aimed to enter either med school, law school, or grad school. Once in med school, Naylor’s extracurriculars kept him out of class for the first few years, but by fourth year, he was intent on becoming a doctor. “I thought about neurosurgery believe it or not, until I realized I was a klutz.”

Since graduating from med school, Naylor has accrued an impressive curriculum vitae: after U of T, he studied at Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar; he co-authored 300 scholarly publications; he was chair of the National Advisory Committee on SARS and Public Health; Continued on page 4

Canadian Blood Services (CBS) has initiated an ambitious effort to collect 5,000 units of blood between January 11 and March 31, 2010. Their challenge, Blood 101: Canadian Students Saving Lives, involves 23 Canadian campuses, including UofT, challenging each other in a friendly competition to meet or exceed desired blood collection goals.

Canadian Blood Services is a not-for-profit, charitable organization dedicated to managing the blood and blood products supply across Canada. They collect roughly 850,000 units of blood annually, screening each donor for transferable diseases.

In conjunction with the Canadian Blood Services Youth Committee, they hope to dwarf last year’s tally of 2908 units.

Currently, baby boomers represent the highest percentage of blood donors in Canada. As this generation ages and becomes recipients themselves, the next age group must take the reins to keep the blood pumping.

“It is imperative to educate the next generation about the importance of blood donation

so that they can continue to supply Canadian patients,” said Roop Sidhu, CBS Community Development Coordinator “Every donation can save up to three lives.”

Blood products are used every day to treat a variety of medical problems from bleedContinued on page 4

ALEX NURSALL

President Naylor looks towards 2015

SEMRA EYLUL SEVI & HELENE GODERIS

January 21, 2010

Vol. XXXII N0. 17

U of T student Sarah McIntosh donates blood on Wednesday at the College St. clinic.

‘Leave the Pack Behind’ Kicks butt at U of T CHRISTINA CIDDIO At 360 hours into the new year, exactly 1,088 Canadians have died due to complications caused by smoking. That is three deaths every hour. If we continue on like this for the next 365 days, 26,295 lives will be lost in Canada alone.

To coincide with National NonSmoking Week, running from January 17 to 23, the youth-based anti-smoking campaign Leave the

Pack Behind (LTPB) has organized a “would you rather...” contest.

Participants quit smoking or stay smoke-free in the hopes of winning prizes including free tuition, iPods, and gift cards.

Funded by the Ministry of Health, Leave the Pack Behind began in 2000 as a program to control tobacco consumption among young adults in Ontario’s post-

Continued on page 4

the guest editorial

2

January 21, 2010

MELINDA MORTILLARO

Google calls out China

NICOLE LEUNG On January 12, Google shocked the world, especially China’s 384 million netizens. In his statement “A new approach to China,” CLO David Drummond threatened to

pull the company’s business out of China after it discovered that the Gmail accounts of Chinese human rights activists had been hacked. “We have decided we are no longer willing to continue censoring our results on Google.cn,” Drummond wrote. “We recognize

the newspaper Editor-in-Chief

Managing Editor

Helene Goderis

Dan Craig

Arts Editor

News Editor

Miki Sato

Amy Stupavsky

Associate Arts Editor

Associate News Editors

Cailin Smart

Tomasz Bugajski Tejas Parasher

Layout Editor

Illustrations Editor

Natalie Rae Dubois

Mike Winters

Photo Editor Science Editor

Alex Nursall

Tim Ryan

Web Editor

Copy Editor

Laurent Noonan

Melinda Mortillaro

Contributors Gord Brown, Christina Ciddio, Aschille Clarke-Mendes, Sandra DeGrandis, Andrew Gyorkos, Lewko Hryhorijiw, Adam Kupevicius, Nicole Leung,Cara Sabatini, Semra Eylu Sevi, Thiru Shathasivam, Amina Stella, Joseph Uranowski, Mnrupe Virk

Business Manager Taylor Ramsay ads@thenewspaper.ca the newspaper 1 Spadina Crescent, Suite 245 Toronto, ON M5S 1A1 Editorial: 416-593-1552 thenewspaper@gmail.com www.thenewspaper.ca the newspaper is U of T’s independent weekly paper, published by Planet Publications Inc., a non-profit corporation.

All U of T community members, including students, staff and faculty, are encouraged to contribute to the newspaper.

that this may well mean having to shut down Google.cn, and potentially our offices in China.”

The Chinese government tried to downplay Google’s actions, stating that its internet environment is free and open. Many Chinese netizens mourn the retreat of Google, while others dig up conspiracy theories. Western experts and media look to possible reasons and implications.

Last year, as an exchange student in Shanghai, I experienced internet censorship firsthand.

YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and some forums were all blocked.

Whenever I tried to type sensitive terms into the search box, the page would come up with an IE error message. No matter how many times I refreshed the page, my access to the website was blocked.

If Google does say goodbye, what will that mean for Chinese netizens? Given my personal experience, I feel that Google’s retreat will further alienate the Chinese from engaging with the world, limiting their options.

Despite China’s rapid economic development in the global stage, its people will remain isolated by comparison.

An editorial in Southern Metropolis Daily, one of the most outspoken media outlets in China, expresses concerns about the social implications of the world’s largest search engine’s potential pull-out from the fastest-growing internet market. They wrote that the Chinese network is denied access to most international communities, and that integrating its netizens into the cyber age needs to be brought in line with international norms.

Google has taken a major step to combat censorship. “Google’s principled policy may be a wakeup call for those concerned with internet business and security,” wrote Ron Deibert, Director of the Citizen Lab at Munk Centre for International Studies at U of T, in The Globe And Mail. He

sees Google’s actions as a heroic move, setting a precedent for other companies dissatisfied with the Chinese government.

China is not the only country putting pressure on international companies. Rebecca MacKinnon of the University of Hong Kong questions whether Google would stand up to democracies, such as France and Italy, that also impose internet censorship on citizens.

“Other countries are slightly different because there is, at least in most of them, a public law that Google can make reference to when making decisions about whether to remove information,” Deibert told the newspaper. “In the case of China, they were being asked to remove information at short notice. Often these requests were connected to corrupt party officials, and had nothing to do with national security or political stability. There is no law that was backing up their requests.”

Since launching its Chineselanguage site in 2006, Google has failed to become the top search engine in China. It controls 31.1 percent of the web search market, but has not beat out its local rival Baidu, which only displays results in Chinese, at 63.9 percent. China only accounts for a small portion of its worldwide revenue ($200 million USD annually); therefore, pulling out of the country would not be a disaster profit-wise.

While Google would like to hold negotiations with the Chinese government to avoid shutting down their Chinese offices, their relationship has been strained. “I am assuming that [the Chinese government] will not allow an unfiltered search engine,” said Deibert. “They will start filtering Google, and perhaps will make it difficult to operate in the country, forcing them out of the market.”

If Google does pull out, one wonders how long it will take Chinese netizens to adapt. Nevertheless, they will be the biggest losers.

CALLING ALL THEUSUALSUSPECTS: hardened newswriters, gossips, ad men, mad men, writers, cartoonists, more writers!

OPEN WRITER’S MEETING Every Thursday at 5pm, newspsaper office.

the editorial

January 21, 2010

3

FOUR HUNDRED WORDS EACH

Sanitizer insanity Ladies and gentlemen, we live in an era -- and a city – that is hyper-aware of the nature and consequences of the migration of communicable disease.

As a result, containers of hand sanitizers began to appear just about everywhere, including many buildings on the U of T campuses, when the H1N1 virus began to migrate from Mexico to both Canada and the U.S. in the same way that SARS migrated from Hong Kong to Toronto.

Consequently, many of us have begun to get into the habit of swabbing our hands at opportune moments.

But is the use of these products – found at the entrances to buildings as well as around washrooms and food courts -- a good idea?

The answer: yes they are. They are actually an effective means to fight the spread of disease and to protect one’s own health. There is, however, some misinformation floating around (the blessing and the curse of the Internet) regarding the use of hand sanitizers.

Part of this has to do with the confusion of alcohol-based hand-sanitizers with the growing trend toward using anti-bacterial soap. Doctors and researchers have warned that anti-bacterial soap may have a role in creating super bugs that are resistant to antibiotics. Research on this

issue is inconclusive but worrying. Commercial hand sanitizers to combat this recent epidemic, however, are alcohol-based and are quite effective at killing bacteria and other pathogens. A dead bacterium can’t mutate. Problem solved.

In fact, a proper sanitizer (i.e. with minimum 62% isopropyl alcohol or the industry standard) are proven to be more effective than water and bar soap in stopping the spread of pathogens. To be most effective in stopping the spread of disease, use sanitizer especially before eating or shaking hands and certainly after coughing or blowing your nose.

Remember that running water is not always available or handy in these situations. Running water is still necessary to remove dirt or blood (for you MedSci students), but again is not as effective in dealing with pathogens.

Sanitizers also have to be in sealed containers (alcohol evaporates) and should include moisturizer (to protect skin). The containers found at the university and in other office buildings meet these criteria. Make use of these facilities (you might also want to keep a small bottle in your pocket or purse) until at least the end of cold and flu season.

After all, nobody want to fill out the paperwork for missing a major deadline or an exam for illness.

By now we’ve all seen them. Waiting for us by the exit to the washroom, or by the entrance to the shopping mall, or in the arms of a couple of my drunken friends after Nuit Blanche. Hand sanitizers: Modern, dogood iconoclasts who are stealing the jobs of hard-working hand soaps. Saviour or menace? Two writers. Four hundred words each.

ANDREW GYORKOS

MELINDA MORTILLARO

GORD BROWN

Aside from doctors, nurses, and surgeons, the everyday fellow simply has no use for alcohol based hand sanitization.

The full effects of such sterilizing rubs only last for mere moments before open air exposure contaminates the hands once again. While the quick fix may well recreate the end result of soap and water washing in a fraction of the time, it’s still an endeavour that’s nowhere near as robust as a good lather.

Firstly, people need to acknowledge that hand sanitizing is a different kettle of fish from hand washing. Hand sanitizers function on an antimicrobial level, primarily used to eradicate the vast majority of germs and effectively sterilize the hand.

Hand washing, however, while not committing germ genocide to such an efficient degree, nevertheless cleanses the hand of soil, stain, and debris.

Using Purell won’t get rid of the filth present on hands due to everything from finger food to dirty jobs. It will sanitize the mess, sure; but the grime will still be there until you’re bothered to break out a bar of soap.

Hand sanitizers are meant to eliminate the lingering germs on hands that are free of visible detritus, not take care of both in a single fifteen second rubbing.

the blotters

the op-ed: Student life or something like it JOSEPH URANOWSKI On December 30, 2009, PM Stephen Harper prorogued parliament, creating a catalyst for debate on accountability in democracy and the power of elected officials. For the majority of his political life, Stephen Harper opposed making appointments to fill vacancies in the Upper House, described pejoratively as “Canada’s Unelected Senate.”

A debate over the accountability of elected vs. appointed officials is happening here at U of T, although not in an open university forum.

The UTSU has received criticism for a perceived lack of transparency and accountability on the part of its executive, specifically the VP Campus Life position.

The Executive has six members: the President and the VPs External, Internal/Services, Equity, University Affairs, and Campus Life. All of them receive a substantial salary paid for by students’ ancillary fees (the 2010 budget assigns $745, 000 for the “Salaries and Wages” of the executive and its employees), wield considerable power, and manage

sizable budgets. Surprisingly, only five of these positions are elected.

The VP Campus Life is chosen by the Executive and ratified by the Board of Directors.

The change from democratic election to executive appointment of the VP Campus Life is a recent one. At a UTSU (then SAC) Annual General Meeting in 2005, the position was changed as part of a reform package. The change was justified to prevent the VP in charge of club funding from providing “patronage” to the clubs who helped him/ her get elected. This argument implies that the VP Campus Life could get away with such graft without exposure; simply appointing the position would not fix the larger problem of transparency.

The VP Campus Life runs the UTSU’s club recognition process and allocates a budget of approximately $178, 000 dollars to the university’s clubs. Recently, the position faced controversy when EFUT was denied funding because it did not properly follow the club recognition process by not providing a member list. Instead of being asked to provide a list, they were simply

rejected and told to reapply.

Clubs must apply for funding in October and await the Campus Life Commission’s November verdict. If rejected, they cannot reapply until January. In response, the B of D held an emergency meeting on Dec. 3. EFUT received less funding than it requested. In the Jan. 7 issue, The Varsity reported that “UTSU warns clubs that if they do submit a statement of appeal, there is the possibility that they will receive no funding at all.”

Appointed politicians should operate above politics. They are only effective if they serve for extended periods, bringing the benefits of their experience without pandering to populist bases. There is no incentive to redress the decisions of the Campus Life Commission because the VP is not accountable to the electorate, although he/she are on the Executive and paid. It seemed as if prorogation was an arcane tool of parliamentary procedure that could not affect Canadian democracy. Two years and two prorogations later, we should closely examine our electoral systems, even at the micro-level of the UTSU.

Then there’s the fact that hand sanitizers are received differently based on skin type. The high alcohol content dries the skin, which makes it unappealing during colder weather and virtually intolerable for eczema sufferers.

If the user is compelled to reach for moisturizer immediately after sterilization, does that not defeat the purpose?

People with weaker skin who use too much alcohol based hand sanitizers at once or too often also run the risk of being more susceptible to germs and viruses. Certain rubs with high alcohol contents are occasionally found to chemically deteriorate the layers of natural oil responsible for keeping bacteria at bay, in turn increasing vulnerability.

And thus is the flaw of alcohol based hand sanitizing revealed: its goal is not so much to cleanse the skin as it is to destroy the nasties present on it, even if it means undermining the integrity of the dermis’ natural defences. Hand sanitizers are a convenient and efficient solution for germaphobes who dread using handrails and doorknobs. But when you get right down to it, a quick fix is really all it is. A dab of antimicrobial magic is perfectly fine as a sterile layer of polish on the palms, but there’s simply no replacing the power of the lather and rinse routine.

In an effort to put a little more pulp in our paper, we present you with the scoundrelly deeds that occurred on campus this month.

January 2 Occurrence type: Controlled Drugs and Substance Act Location: 725 Spadina Details: Campus Police investigated 2 persons for using a controlled substance. Both persons released with a caution.

January 6 Occurrence type: Mischief Location: Sanford Fleming Building (Exterior) Details: Campus Police investigated two person(s) for Mischief.

All was in order, upon further investigation.

January 10 Occurrence type: Indecent Act Location: Philosophers Walk Details: Campus Police investigated a report of an indecent act.

January 12 Occurrence type: Trespassing Location: O.I.S.E (Interior) Details: Campus police investigated one person for Trespassing.

The person was cautioned and released.

January 14 Occurrence type: Theft Location: McLennan Physics Details: Campus Police investigated the theft of copper tubing from a room.

the news

4

Naylor cont’d from page 1

recovery, but we will recover.�

Naylor quotes that fundraising has doubled from $80 million to over $160 million and that admission numbers are also up. “Despite the concerns about the Flat Fees dispute, students are still applying to U of T as their first choice.�

Looking toward 2015, Naylor hopes to complete the graduate expansion, increase student space, and build better facilities. “We really have had a massive shift with graduate expansion underway primarily on the St. George campus...It is this kind of bimodal universe that we struggle to reconcile when I think the corollary is that as we expand, we have to be very careful that we don’t erode undergraduate student experience.�

After sharing his life story with the newspaper, arguably a meteoric rise from picking tobacco to shaping our university’s future, Naylor eschews the spotlight. “I’m just the old guy in this office who’s trying to set a general direction and find some money.�

To listen to the full interview, visit thenewspaper.ca.

Blood

Pack

ing disorders to cancer patients

secondary institutions. A researchbased cessation program, it works through campus health clinics and peer groups. Fifty-one universities and colleges are involved, reaching over 540,000 students.

The campus clinics campaign year-round to provide students with the information and resources they need to quit. St. George students can get information and Quit Kits at the Koffler Centre, where the LTPB Campus Coordinator is Lindsay Vanstone, a fourth-year Physiology and Health Care Ethics student. “I want to help students develop and maintain healthy lifestyles,� she says.

Lindsay Taylor, LTPB Assistant Manager of Communications, believes that the student-centred program is what “causes them to be receptive to it. Students will often come up and tell us how happy they are that the program exists on campus, because they will know there is somewhere to go if they want information about tobacco and how to quit.�

Statistics show that 64 percent of smokers want to quit. Using tactics like LTPB’s Smoke/Quit booklets can reduce smoking rates by 15 percent, compared to an unaided 5 percent. Taylor says LTPB’s main goal is to reduce the prevalence of smoking among Ontario’s young adults, who constitute 27 percent of active smokers. “The odds of quitting are five times higher for smokers who sign up for the LTPB contest compared to those who go it alone,�she says.

When this reporter polled a few U of T students, however, most of them seemed skeptical. “The program is a good starting point, but it’s not the most useful tool,� says Katie Pennie, a firstyear student who has been a casual smoker for four years. “It’s not targeting any reasons why someone starts smoking in the first place.�

Pennie believes that teaching students how to cope with stress and school issues should be more of a focus to stop people from smoking. As long as there is stress, people will smoke. She remains skeptical that she will kick the habit anytime soon.

cont’d from page 1

LEWKO HRYHORIJIW

he was Dean of Medicine and Vice Provost at U of T; he was appointed President of U of T in 2005; and was appointed Officer of the Order of Canada in 2006.

It’s interesting to note that during Naylor’s student days at U of T, then President John Robert Evans holds much in common with our current President. Both were U of T undergrads, both were Rhodes Scholars, both were medical doctors by profession. Asked if he consciously followed in Evans’ footsteps, Naylor admits, “to my embarrassment, yes.�

We switch gears to Naylor’s impact as President: “A large part of what you do as President is you set a general direction, try to raise the resources, and take the heat. That’s just the reality – heat rises and credit should be refused.�

And Naylor has faced much criticism on his strategic vision for U of T’s future, including

Flat Fees, Towards 2030, and questions of ethics surrounding U of T’s investments.

As Dean of Medicine, Naylor was caught in the middle of the Dr. David Healy case. Healy was offered a job with CAMH and U of T in 2000. Months after being hired, Healy delivered a lecture discussing Prozac’s link to increased rates of suicide; soon after, Healy’s contract was rescinded. The move raised questions about the relationship between the university and companies, like Prozac’s manufacturer Eli Lilly, that invest in U of T. There is complete silence while Naylor pauses to reflect before answering to his involvement in the case. Naylor distances himself as a secondary actor in the Healy affair, “I regret any disputes that are acrimonious to his life, but I am not sure looking back how easily we could have played that one differently.�

Naylor goes on to express optimism about the future. Despite losing over $545 million in endowment funds at end of 2009 fiscal year, Naylor says, “it’s a small blip; it may be a long-term

January 21, 2010

and birth defects. Sidhu encourages students to donate individually or with a group at the 67 College Street clinic. Students can also donate platelets. With a shelf life of only five days, platelets are used for heart surgery, chemotherapy, and marrow transplants.

Waiting to be screened, young Matthew from Richmond Hill has been a regular donor for years. “My father got me into it,� he said. “It always makes me feel good to do something for my community.�

Meanwhile, Don was given juice and crackers to begin replacing fluids and to increase his blood sugar levels after his donations. “Since my blood type is very rare, they asked me to donate some platelets as well,� said middle-aged Don. “I started donating blood when I was about sixteen and I’ve been donating regularly since.�

Siwei Chen, a second-year Toxicology and Psychology student, is the President of the CBS Youth Committee. She said the group’s objectives are to recruit and retain blood donors through communitybased events, but more importantly, to educate the public about the need for donations. “I became more informed about the blood system through volunteering for Canadian Blood Services,� she said, “and I wanted to share that passion with others who wanted to make a difference.�

The 67 College Street clinic is open for donations four days a week, 12:00 - 7:00 p.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays 7:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Students can also donate at the Multifaith Blood Drive (67 College) on Jan. 27, 2:00 - 7:00 p.m. Register at www.multifaith.utoronto. ca. The Med Sci Mobile Clinic will run 11:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. on Feb. 11 in the Stone Lobby of the Med Sci Building.

Naylor shares a tender, mesmerizing moment with Sevi.

cont’d from page 1

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ic.gc.ca/careers

the news

January 21, 2010

U of T raises funds, awareness for Haiti Students ramp up aid efforts SANDRA DEGRANDIS On January 12, Haiti was hit by one of the worst natural disasters in the impoverished nation’s history. The earthquake, measuring 7.0 in magnitude, caused devastating infrastructural damage, leaving hundreds of thousands of people injured and without medical aid. The death toll has now hit 70,000.

In the wake of this disaster, U of T students have come together to help the victims. While student organizations raise money for earthquake relief, they also hope to open students’ eyes to the social ills that plague Haiti on a daily basis. Haiti is not only a hot spot for natural disasters, but one of the poorest nations in the West due to its fragile social, economic, and political institutions.

“As students at U of T, we are equipped with various resources that help us to take initiatives to make a difference in our community and globally,” said Maisha Syeda, president of the Kids can Free The Children (FTC) chapter at U of T. “We have the ability to inspire and motivate our society, and we can definitely play an active role

in making positive changes.”

FTC has joined forces with the New College Student Council (NCSC) to present the FTC Best Dance Crew. The January 28 event will raise funds for Haiti and the group’s Adapt a Village Project. The Best Dance Crew will feature U of T and community dance teams who will compete in a friendly dance competition. The $12 registration fee will go toward the earthquake fund. FTC will also hold bake sales throughout the month of January.

Oxfam at U of T, a humanitarian aid and human rights organization, is also planning a bake sale and pub night in February. Their efforts are not purely monetary. “Oxfam is providing assistance on the ground in Haiti, focusing largely on providing clean water and sanitation,” said Co-President Anda Petro.

U of T will show its support for Haiti at “A Public Observance in Solidarity With the People of Haiti” on January 21 from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. in Hart House’s Great Hall. The event will focus on the earthquake’s impact and educate attendees

on Haiti and Haitian culture.

Organizers aim to aspire solidarity and morale among Haitians and the U of T community during this troubled time. “The outcome of this event is twofold: to help people from the U of T community who have family in Haiti, while calling the university forward and together to see what we can do to help,” says Joan Griffin, Student Policy Initiatives Coordinator.

Guest speakers include Haitian-Canadian student ClaireHelen Heese-Boutin, Prof.

Melanie Newton of the Department of History and Caribbean Studies, and Prof. Gage Averill, UTM Dean and ethnomusicologist specializing in Haitian music.

All members of the UofT community are encouraged to attend. While there are many student efforts to assist, this event also encourages participants to discuss how the university can contribute to rebuilding Haiti.

For more info about the student-run events, contact FTC at club.ftc@gmail.com and Oxfam at oxfam.ut@utoronto.ca.

5 the brief the campus

the local

U of T engineering researchers Prof. Baochun Li and Prof. Yu Sun and the Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering are the 2009 McLean Award recipients. Jointly funded by alumnus William McLean and U of T’s Connaught Fund, the $100,000 award is presented to exceptional researchers within 12 years of their Ph.D. who are conducting work in physics, chemistry, computer science, mathematics, engineering, or statistics.

In a surprise move on Jan. 20, a member of the Toronto 18 terrorist group entered a guilty plea. Mohamed Durrani, 19, pleaded guilty in the terrorist plot on Parliament. Brampton Superior Court Justice Bruce Durno delivered a 7.5-year sentence.

With time served taken into account, Durrani will be free after one day in prison at the Maplehurst correctional facility.

the weird

the world

British DJ Steve Penk faced major criticism for playing Van Halen’s “Jump” while police negotiators tried to talk a suicidal woman down from a highway bridge in Manchester last Thursday. Penk said the song was requested by a commuter frustrated by the highway shutdown caused by the woman’s suicide attempt.

Canada is bolstering its relief efforts in earthquake-ravaged Haiti with a deployment of 1,000 more Canadian soldiers, Defence Minister Peter Mackay said on Sunday.

Troops will be involved in peacekeeping and reconstruction in the capital city of Portau-Prince.

-Amina Stella

the inside

6

January 21, 2010

the newspaper raids 6 local hen houses Duff’s St. Louis’ L ocation : 558 College St. P h one Num be r : 416-963-4446 P ric e: $9.75/lbs. of wings

L oc atio n : 376 Bloor St. W. P ho ne Nu mb er: 416-925-6689 P ric e: $9.95/lbs. of wings (+ fries)

Overall Rating: 3.12/ 5

Overall Rating: 2.94/ 5

Honey Garlic: Mild Medium: Armageddon:

H+H: Mild: Hotter than Hell:

3.22/ 5 3.25/ 5 2.9/5

3.45/ 5 2.63/ 5 2.8/5

Serving the famous “Buffalo”-style of chicken wings in Toronto since 1998, Duff’s has built itself quite a local reputation. The most distant from the centre of campus, but also serving up the spiciest wing, Duff’s also has a great atmosphere and even a bit of class. If you want your eyes to water and your throat to burn long after you chomp down on your first wing, then Duff’s is well worth the journey down College St.

The first comer in what has become a miniature chicken wing district along Bloor west of Spadina, St. Louis’ Wings and Ribs offers a cozy space to settle in for some wings and beer. While their ‘Hotter than Hell’ flavour was not quite as hot as we imagined Hell to be, overall they provided consistently juicy wings and friendly service. Try their Hot & Honey wings for a well-balanced flavour and spice combo.

Honey Garlic: “Real honey garlic. Real garlic!”

- Tim Ryan

Hot & Honey: “I like it! Sweet!”

- Ayuko

Mild Medium: “Great smell! Juicy, not greasy. Wonderfully MEATY. Good spicy bite.” - Lewko

Mild: “Crunchy. Traditional. Good!”

- Semra

Armageddon: “I can’t do this. I think Tim is crying. Tim looks like he is crying. I’m in pain. And I should’ve seen this coming.” - Helene

Hotter Than Hell: “Sweet. Tangy. I can feel my face again.”

- Tim Ryan

Ein Stein’s

Wing Shop 366

L ocation : 229 College Street P h one Num be r: 416-59-STEIN P ric e: $9.95/lbs. of wings

Lo c ati on : 366 Bloor Street W. Ph one Nu mb e r: 647-345-4584 Pr ic e: $10.98/lbs. of wings

Overall Rating: 2.66/ 5

Overall Rating: 2.31/ 5

Honey Garlic: Medium: Hot:

Mild: Devil Sauce: Chef’s Sauce:

2.94/ 5 2.31/ 5 2.71/5

2.71/ 5 2.42/ 5 1.81/5

Ein Stein Cafe & Pub (affectionately known as Einstein’s by most) is a known engineering and Latvian national hang-out, conveniently located within stumbling distance of CAMH. On the walls inside the bar are various accolades and awards for “Best Chicken Wings”. We decided to put them to the test. Although their wings did not come out on top, one notable feature that separates them from the rest is their $10 pitcher of beer.

Emerging on Bloor Street this past August, the Wing Shop 366 boasts a selection of 66 different wing flavours. We decided to look past the interior decorating mistakes and take a chance on their supposed staple food. The results were questionable. But before you discard them as an option, one editor would like to point out that they do have fantastic hamburgers. Maybe they should have called it Burger Shop?

Honey Garlic: “Decent sauce taste. Fairly saucy. Meaty.”

- Graeme

Mild: “What genius cooked this up? The beauty is on the inside.”

- Helene

Medium: “Pizza wings... Hmmmmm, not bad, not good.”

- Tomasz

Devil Sauce: “Go back to the chicken you rode in on.”

- Tim Ryan

Hot: “Pretty good. Meaty, not too juicy.”

- Amina

Chef’s Sauce: “Smells like fish food. Tastes like sawdust.”

- Dan

the inside

January 21, 2010

7

the newspaper lays an egg, lets it mature to make other eggs, lets them mature, then slaughters and fries the wings, then eats them.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF ALEX NURSALL & HELENE GODERIS

Sneaky Dee’s

Puck ‘N Wings

L ocation: 431 College St. P h one Num be r: 416-603-3090 P ric e : $8.70/lbs. of wings

L oc atio n: 362 Bloor St. W P ho ne Numb e r: 416-901-7825 P ric e: $9.99/lbs. of wings

Overall Rating: 3.39/ 5

Overall Rating: 3.64/ 5

Medium: Mild: Hot:

Pineapple Curry: Baton Rouge: Mild:

3.3/ 5 3.38/ 5 3.5/5

3.45/ 5 3.73/ 5 3.75/5

Long-time late-nite dining staple and border-line Toronto institution (Toronto Jokes!) Sneaky Dee’s provided us with a pleasant surprise when we sat down to sample their wings. While their flavours weren’t all that creative or exotic (Medium, Mild and Hot) they certainly delivered in terms of delicious enjoyment.

Providing tons of meat, and great consistent flavours, many of us realized that Sneaky Dee’s is about more than Nachos and typhus. Try their wings next time you’re there!

Located just west of Spadina on Bloor, Puck’n’Wings is the latest arrival on the Bloor West chicken wing scene. Open for only a few months, this hockey themed sports bar is packed to the ceiling with big-screen TVs and hockey puns, as well as a proud selection of original chicken wing flavours. In our blind tasting test, Puck’n’Wings shot and scored a game-winner.

Medium: “It was good, as sweet wings go. Tasted like they used real honey.” - Tejas

Pineapple Curry: “Saucy good! Good unique taste. Good size.”

- Graeme

Mild: “Delicious!

- Dan

Baton Rouge: “Sour. Good! Meaty. Meatiest wings.”

- Amina

Hot: “I could eat pounds of these all day long.”

- Gyorkos

Mild: “Very YUM. Very meaty. Good medium. No problem eating a TONNE of these.” - Lewko

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the science

8

green at U of T TEJAS PARASHER U of T St. George recently got a ‘B’ on the 2010 College Sustainability Report Card, the largest survey of environmental commitment amongst North American educational institutions.

The annual Report Card is published by the Sustainability Endowments Institute, a Massachusetts-based NGO and research group affiliated with the Rockefeller Foundation. Using both student input and data provided by administrative officials, the institute evaluates over 300 colleges and universities in the US and Canada on energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, recycling and compost programs, construction methods, and endowment priorities.

Although U of T has improved slightly on its B-’ grade from 2008-2009, it still lags behind a number of major Canadian universities, such as McGill, UBC, York, and the University of Calgary.

The report identifies U of T’s main shortcomings as lax construction standards—“only one building on campus meets LEED-EB criteria”—and a lack of administrative attention towards environmental issues.

The university received an ‘F’ in the ‘Shareholder Engagement’ category, which evaluates whether investors are urged to consider sustainability in policy-making.

But the report also makes it evident that U of T’s strength in tackling sustainability rests not so much with administrative decision-makers, as with the concerned activism of its nearly 50,000 students. Student involvement in solving environmental challenges at U of T is amongst the highest in North America. The Sustainability Report praises student initiatives like the Environmental Management Committee, EcoChallenge, and Bikechain, and underlines their pivotal role in trying to achieve sustainability on such a large, diverse campus.

In light of this, the newspaper presents a two-part series on ongoing efforts towards a more sustainable, environmentallyfriendly U of T.

THIRU SHATHASIVAM One hundred million sheets of paper. That represents the annual consumption rate at U of T’s St. George Campus alone. Further compounding the environmental impact of the raw resources required to make this much paper is the associated 1,500 tonnes in greenhouse gas emissions this consumption produces.

Conscious of this carbon footprint and the associated $600,000 in costs, the U of T Sustainability Office has recently instigated several paper conservation initiatives, to reduce total consumption and/or increase the usage of more sustainable products.

According to the Sustainability Office, paper recycling at the university is quite satisfactory. However, recycling and utilizing postconsumer recycled paper only decreases (not eliminates) energy consumption and greenhouse gas

emissions. Consequently, a more significant impact can be made by reducing paper usage.

The Gerstein Paper Initiative is a forerunner in addressing paper usage. Campus libraries, where students print and photocopy, account for a significant proportion of the total paper consumption.

Since last October, all the public computers at Gerstein Library are configured for double-sided printing as a default. Students are actively encouraged to print multiple pages per sheet and perform double-sided photocopying.

To further promote their cause, posters were re-purposed from old print advertisements obtained from TTC and CBS Outdoor.

The project already appears to be successful. The public printers are using 31 per cent less paper and over 26,000 sheets have been saved within the first two months. Currently only 14 other campus libraries (out of more than 30 libraries) offer double-

ALEX NURSALL

easier to be

sustainability at u of t: Gerstein saves paper

Gerstein saves a forest with double-sided.

sided printing. Given this succes, this program should be extended to all of the libraries at all three campuses.

Administrators of BIO150Y, one of U of T’s largest undergraduate courses, with an annual enrollment exceeding 1,600 students, have certainly adopted a similar mentality. Headed by course coordinator Corey Goldman, several changes have been enforced to reduce paper consumption, including double-sid-

ing of assignments, eliminating cover pages for assignments, adjusting page margins on tests and distributing TA newsletters electronically. It is estimated 16,000 sheets were saved last year.

Given the nature of the university and the sheer volume of its papers usage, a similar sustainability ethic should thus be embraced by all departments, offices and courses at U of T. After all, even simple changes can produce major savings.

Vermiculture worms its way into Vic ADAM KUPEVICIUS The need for landfill diversion is becoming increasingly apparent in an era of rampant consumerism and waste creation.

Vermiculture is one method of on-site composting embraced by the Victoria College residence to reduce overall waste through food waste processing.

Vermiculture uses different species of earthworms, including white worms and red wigglers, to break down food waste into a nutrient-rich fertilizer known as vermicast. Fruits, vegetables, coffee grounds, eggshells, you name it: All can be churned by these organisms to produce a highly effective fertilizer that enhances the physical

structure and microbial activity of soil, leading to more productive plant germination, growth, and yield.

This process can occur within on-site bins made of various materials, which would house the worms and turn waste into fertilizer. By processing waste on site, transportation is entirely removed from the life cycle of the item being processed. This means lower carbon emissions.

For this reason, environmental groups looking to improve the sustainability of commercial buildings have embraced vermiculture.

The Victoria College vermiculture program was begun by forward-thinking dons four years ago. The college has since made

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ALEX NURSALL

It’s getting

January 21, 2010

You didn’t want to see the photograph, trust us.

vermiculture bins available to each floor of the residence in an effort to curb landfill waste and reduce carbon emissions. The college has also established a Green Bin program at the residence to redirect organic waste from landfill. Although not as clever or effective as the vermiculture bins, it remains a step in

the right direction.

The next logical steps would be to make the vermiculture bins mandatory on each floor, as well as in the dining hall and to use the on-site fertilizer for local gardening efforts. In any case, it is good to see Victoria pulling out their little red wigglers for the benefit of society.

HART HOUSE HAIR PLACE Finest Cutting and Style Colour and Highlights

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the science

January 21, 2010

9

TIM RYAN This past Tuesday at U of T’s Athletic Centre, 100 new solar collector panels became functional and began supplying energy to run the facilities within the building. In peak sunshine months, the panels will generate enough energy to contribute approximately 25% of the heat used by the shower and laundry services, significantly reducing overall consumption of natural gas. This initiative is the biggest of its kind in the GTA and U of T believes the largest of its kind at a Canadian university.

Solar panels, commonly made of silicon or cadmium telluride “cells”, use light energy to generate electricity via the photovoltaic effect. When photons of light strike the solar panels, their energy is transferred to an electron within an atom in the cell. With its new found energy, the electron can escape its normal position within the atom and become part of a current

in an electrical circuit. The solar panel has a built-in electric field with the voltage required to push the current through an external load -- such as a water heater or light bulb.

The reduction in natural gas use will result in fewer greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions throughout the year. The annual reduction in GHG emissions will be the equivalent of taking 11 cars off the road and, simultaneously, the energy saved will be enough to heat 11 fully detached, average-sized Canadian homes.

Finally, although these renewable technologies come with an initial associated cost, in the long-term, these solar panels will quickly pay for themselves and become a considerable money saver for the university.

Moving forward, solar panel technology, now well past its infancy, needs to be embraced and gradually expanded upon at U of T, where there is no shortage of flat roofs on which

ALEX NURSALL

the 2010 progress report AC Solar Panels

The laundry room may not be pretty, but at least it keeps the environment looking nice.

to place them. Although there is a high cost of installation, there are avenues of subsidization for these projects; one-third of the AC solar panel initiative was funded by the Ontario Solar

Rewire: the 4th R A radical new approach towards energy conservation has recently been changing the face of environmentalism on the St. George campus.

Rewire, a student initiative coordinated by the U of T Sustainability Office, is a project which gives the university community first-hand experience of the importance of energy-conservation. Rather than trusting abstruse, bureaucratic policies, Rewire takes involved campus debate and small changes in daily routine as the keys to long-term sustainability.

“Nothing like this has existed on campus before,” says Leah Sumnauth McIntosh, Project Coordinator at the Sustainability Office. “It is the first program that tries to build a foundation for social change by actually engaging people.”

As part of Rewire, residences and offices around campus get monthly toolkits with specific suggestions for more environmentally-conscious behaviour.

The toolkits have individual themes, such as how to be more efficient with a laptop, or how

ALEX NURSALL

TEJAS PARASHER

Csenka Favorini-Csorba has a bright idea. to make sure that lights always get turned off. Everything from regular emails to movie-nights is used to get the message across. Each building also has a Lead Coordinator and numerous Floor Representatives to oversee the program.

Students from the Sustain-

ability Office regularly meet with building-leaders to check on the progress being made at each Rewire site.

Rewire began in 2006, when three Trinity College students sought to develop a more grassroots-level environmentalism by using social psychol-

Thermal Heating Incentive and the federal ecoENERGY for Renewable Heat Incentive.

And if that isn’t enough motivation, Captain Obvious told me that renewable energy sources

pay for themselves in the longterm! It seems so logical, just take the free energy, yet we continue to struggle with it.

ogy techniques. Their idea was supported by the Sustainability Office and given a rudimentary trial run at University College.

Its resounding, unexpected success quickly led to it being implemented throughout campus. Currently, Rewire operates in 19 different residence buildings. Plans are also underway to implement it more intensively in staff and faculty offices, such as Simcoe Hall and 215 Huron Street.

In its first year, Rewire was able to achieve an 8 % reduction in energy wastage. By the end of 2009, after extensive student feedback and a more concentrated focus on electric-

ity-consumption, this decrease had jumped to nearly 15%.

The Sustainability Office is so satisfied with Rewire that it would like to see the program’s impact extended beyond just U of T. “It has been very successful for a behaviour-change campaign,” says McIntosh. “We are currently meeting with other campuses and institutions. We would love to see our infrastructure exported to other settings.”

Any student-groups or organizations who would like to sign up for Rewire are urged to contact the Sustainability Office at rewire.utoronto@gmail.com.

the arts

10

January 21, 2010

Red Sky lights up with Tono CARA SABATINI U of T graduate Sandra Laronde’s pioneering vision continues to impact both local and international communities. As founder and Artistic Director of Red Sky - a Toronto-based theatre, dance, and music company - Laronde’s work conveys the culture and artistic expression of indigenous peoples on a global scale.

As it celebrates ten years of groundbreaking artwork, Red Sky’s recently acclaimed project, Tono, owes its inspiration to both Laronde’s travels throughout Asia and her Northern Ontario roots.

An arrangement of dance and live music, deemed “ravishingly beautiful” by the Globe and Mail, Tono showcases a triad of indigenous cultures from Canada, Mongolia, and China.

No stranger to the international stage, the performance will be a highlight of the Cultural Olympiad at this year’s Vancouver Olympics and will perform at the 2010 Shanghai World Expo in May. A combination of intercontinental travel and ties to her native land is the compelling force behind Laronde’s creative vision. Growing up in Temagami - home to the People

of the Deep Water - Laronde feels fortunate to have come from a place with expansive land on which she could roam and wander as a child. She sees this land as “a place to speak, to act, and to understand from.”

This deep connection with the land is what bridges the gap between indigenous cultures across the globe and allows for a sense of “cultural reciprocity and dialogue.”

Though she holds strong ties with her home, it is also her background that feeds her interest in “the creativity of all cultures”.

In 2004 - four years after the birth of Red Sky - Laronde was chosen to participate in the GovernorGeneral’s Canadian Leadership program. She calls her work in the program “a wakeup call”. By being involved with other progressive minds, Laronde had a realization that, “in the real world, with other promising leaders of tomorrow, there are still many challenges and the need for a lot more bridges to be made.”

While exploring issues concerning the politics, diversity, and complexity of the nation, the insightful program gave her a chance to work with other world leaders; among them Canadian film producer, Zacharias Kunuk.

Though one of the oldest forms of human expression, Laronde notes that “people have not yet been exposed to the artistic scope and cultural vitality that indigenous art offers.”

Celebrating a decade of artistic expression, Red Sky promises to bring something fresh to the local community this week and to

Something is a F.O.O.T.

The Graduate Centre for Drama’s annual arts festival is back!

MNRUPE VIRK From January 21 to 23, the Graduate Centre for the Study of Drama will be holding its annual Festival of Original Theatre (F.O.O.T).

Founded in 1993 by U of T Graduate Students of Drama, F.O.O.T is an entirely student-run event that incorporates theatre, film, dance, visual art, performance art, and conference papers which aim to introduce and explore a wide range of topics.

This year’s festival focuses on the theme Performing Space/ Space in Performance. “I am interested in cultural geography and ‘scenography’ in production, and how that can become a very pow-

erful and useful element for interpretation and reception,” explains Melissa Campbell, a PhD student at the Graduate Centre for the Study of Drama and the event’s Artistic Director. “However, that’s just one aspect, and this year’s festival has been developed to include a wide variety of topics and research interests.”

Past F.O.O.Ts have seen wideranging themes such as Intercultural Performance (2007), Feminism(s) in Representation (2008) and Representations of Violence (2009).

Campbell and her team of volunteer PhD and MA Drama students deliberately left this year’s theme ambiguous in order to encourage

a variety of scholars and practitioners from a number of departments to get involved. “It helps to open up ideas of ‘performance’ as more than just a theatre or drama term,” explains Campbell.

This year’s festival is no exception to F.O.O.T’s interdisciplinary vision. Speakers from several universities will represent their fields from theatre and dance to journalism and political science.

“There are some fantastic and original papers being delivered this year,” Campbell remarks. She makes special mention of Rebecca Harries’s paper, SurroundSound, which will be delivered on Saturday. Harries is one of the original co-founders of F.O.O.T.

the world community next month: “When we are exposed to other cultures we realize both our strengths and our weaknesses.”

Two performances of Tono take place Jan 20-21 (8 p.m.) at The Music Gallery (197 John St.) For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.redskyperformance.com or call 416-585-9969.

* Web Exclusive!

Everything old is new again!

Check out www.thenewspaper. ca for Amy Stupavsky’s review of the ROM’s Cut/Paste, a creative redesign exhibit.

This year’s F.O.O.T has been in the making since June and is shaping up to be a stimulating and unique look into ideas of performing space.

F.O.O.T 2010 runs through January 23 at Robert Gill Theater (214 College St.) and is free and open to the public. Admission to performances held at 8 p.m. on 21-22 is $5.00 or a canned item in donation to the University of Toronto Food and Clothing Bank. To reserve a ticket for nightly performances, call the Drama Centre box office at 416-978-7986. For a full schedule visit http://www.graddrama.utoronto.ca.

the arts

January 21, 2010

TIFF lists Best of the Decade

11

Low Fidelity

Thai film takes top spot ANDREW GYORKOS MIKI SATO TIFF Cinematheque (previously Cinematheque Ontario) - the year-round screening program of the Toronto International Film Festival - has, under the direction of Programmer James Quandt, compiled a selection of the 50 best films of the past ten years.

Who, you may wonder, is the authority behind this Best-ofthe-2000s list? The rankings are based on a poll of over 60 experts from around the world, with films that got equal votes sharing a ranking.

Ranked number one by various curators, archivists, historians, and programmers, is Thai director, Apichatpong Weerasethakul’s bifurcated masterpiece Syndromes and a Century, followed by Platform and Still Life (Jia Zhang-ke, China), Beau Travail (Claire Denis, France), and In the Mood for Love (Wong Kar-Wai, Hong Kong).

The list includes 21 films from France, nine from the U.S., seven from Germany, six from Taiwan, and four each from Japan, China, and Italy.

Canada secured three spots, with Guy Maddin’s The Heart of the World and My Winnipeg, ranking 23 and 25 respectively,

Many were pleased to find Wong Kar-Wai’s In the Mood for Love in the top 5.

and Zacharias Kunuk’s Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner at 29.

Another Canadian who made the list was David Cronenberg for A History of Violence, though his film was categorized as American.

Some might be familiar with a few of these titles - such as Pedro Almodovar’s Talk to Her, David Lynch’s Mulholland Drive, and Michael Haneke’s Cache - but may argue that the list excludes some undeniably important films of the last decade, such as No Country for Old Men or Zodiac.

Though it was no easy task,

the panel (some of whom did indeed vote for Lord of the Rings and Gran Torino) narrowed it down to a list that is composed of mainly art cinema. Hollywood-populist films just don’t make the cut here, and this a good chance to see art house films that have previously only been screened at film festivals and rep cinemas.

Best of the Decade: An Alternative View runs from Jan 21 - Feb 23 at Jackman Hall (317 Dundas St. W) For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.cinemathequeontario.ca.

Henri Fabergé is adorable Elusive Indie band rocks Arbor Room ASCHILLE CLARKE-MENDES The music bubbling out of Arbor Room last Thursday was that of talented Henri Fabergé and his band of travelling gypsies, The Adorables.

Their melodic, feel-good brand includes family classics such as Crawl Back, Rub & Suck & Tug (‘Til My Vacation’s Over) and Ventriloquist Love.

The enigmatic Fabergé began his musical adventures as a disgraced, exiled prince from an unspecified European country.

“It was a heavy heart that I left behind in my homeland, many hearts to be sure, aching beneath the breast of many beauties, and others,” explains Fabergé. “My proclivity towards these individuals and our enjoyable times together were not in keeping with the ambitions of my family line. I fear for my safety in saying more.”

He fled his home to venture around the world with a constantly changing group of

musicians. If their self-entitled first album’s cover bears truth, The Adorables should consist of about nine members.

“The duo I perform with currently are a husband and wife affair from Belgium,” he says.

“I met them in a tavern and we bonded loudly over a shared interest in backgammon.”

However, only three graced the stage at their Hart House show, displaying versatility in music genres - from giddy-pop to metal-punk. Bassist, Andy, a U of T English major, explains where the band members find their common musical ground.

“We played a cover of White Stain once on tour, and otherwise we play what we feel.”

Their melodies, coupled with Henri’s clever lyrics, also manage to hit the funny-bone.

Fabergé weaves together wellthought out verses that leave the audience cracking up.

Henri Fabergé and The Adorables venture onward to Kingston for a February 13 show.

As for an upcoming album, Fabergé suggests something delightful. “The Fountain of Mouth, an archival institute charged with the documentation of Henri Fabergé’s output over the years, will release its findings in February.” Untill then, you can check them out at www.myspace.com/hfab.

Faberge, AKA Henry Fletcher, is a disgraced European Prince

While mix tapes and vinyls might have gone largely out of style, music elitism and snobbery certainly have not. If nothing else, director Mark Selby’s High Fidelity, the musical stage adaptation of the 1995 Nick Hornby novel, certainly reminds us of that.

Rob (David Light) owns the last “real” record store in town, and has recently broken up with his girlfriend, Laura (Jamie Arfin). In Rob’s quest to win back Laura, he compiles and mulls over lists of songs and break-ups, has a one night stand with songstress Marie LaSalle (Jennifer Walls), and ably demonstrates how not to run a record store.

High Fidelity has many problems, the biggest of which lies in its characterisations. No doubt the core of the performance is built on the tried and true “couple breaks up/couple reunites” method, but while High Fidelity has no shortage of reasons for why Rob and Laura would separate, no good reason for why they would get back together is ever presented.

Rob only ever appears more desirable in comparison to those in his immediate company and not in comparison to the average person. We want Laura to get back together with Rob, not because he’s a truly special once in a life time catch, but because he’s undoubtedly a step up from her rebound, Ian (Jason Zinger).

However, I could easily look beyond the sloppy narrative if the writing and music were more entertaining. Sadly, this isn’t the case.

Characters are defined solely by their ability to rattle off bands and songs and not by their actions or aspirations, the belief being that it’s not “who

you are” but “what you like” that defines a person. The leads think and speak in top fives and condescend to those who do not, which admittedly presents an easy developmental arc that (likely deliberately) isn’t capitalized upon.

The only character that begins a metamorphosis is Rob’s meek lackey, Dick (Carl Swanson), who’s immediately chastised for suggesting there’s more to a person beyond their favourite bands. Rob himself doesn’t change at all by the end, and Laura could be understood to have changed for the worse.

The music is certainly a step up from the writing, but still fairly poor in its own regard. On the execution level, the band does well with the slower pieces and ballads, but begins to fall apart during the up tempo sections. On the composition level, it’s generally serviceable, but lacking any real highlight and not a single melody indelibly kept in mind.

So what’s good about High Fidelity, then? Despite all the nasty things I’ve said about the characters, the actors themselves remain appreciably enthusiastic and energetic throughout. The set design and staging are, for the most part, exceptional, and there are some entertaining moments in the second half (a lampoon of Neil Young in particular). It’s just a shame that you have to trudge through a swamp of inconsequential blathering to get to it.

The material may work well as a novel or film, but on stage, it’s just far too saturated.

High Fidelity runs through Jan 30 at Hart House Theatre.

To purchase tickets ($25; $15 students/seniors; $10 students on Wednesdays), visit www. uofttix.ca or call 416-9788499.

Erynn Brook as Charlie, Cora Matheson as Alison, Jamie Arfin as Laura, Jordie Currie as Sarah, and Karen Scobie as Penny in Hart House’s production of High Fidelity

12

January 21, 2010

the fashion

the comics

We are thrilled to bring you the first entry of the Fashion, U of T’s only Fashion column. Every week, we will explore the art and romance of fashion while mapping out the eclectic personal style of people on campus. No matter what else we might speculate on, in the words of Christian Dior, “Fashion is always right; it has a fundamental rightness to it, that those who create it, like those who follow it, often CAILIN SMART do not suspect.” Enjoy!

Julia Hori, 3rd year, English Specialist 13th floor of Robarts

Tom Avis, 4th year, English Specialist Sidney Smith Hall

My favourite place to shop is the boy’s section of the Lansdowne Value Village, its my secret for finding greatfitting blazers and shirts. That said, most of my clothes are hand-me downs—clothing in itself is sort of transient for me. What I get quite attached to are hats and accessories—like my Union wool hat from Greenwich Village.

If I buy something, like a conversation piece, it will often be out of spite because someone has told me “you’ll never wear that.” Oh yes I will!

I think I probably dress the way I do because my enthusiasm for playing dress-up hasn’t waned despite my no longer being six years old. My favorite item of clothing is an incredibly intricately knitted sweater vest my mother made for my father when she was pregnant with me that has found its way into my wardrobe. My favorite place to buy clothes tends to be suburban charity shops as they are dirty dirty cheap but they’ve generally not been picked clean the way that the downtown Value Villages generally have.

Across 2. Gases 6. Hut 7. French film festival 9. Roman consul from 8784BC 10. Candid 11. Affliction 12. Reduction 16. Common male neckwear 17. Motel 18. Be lenient towards 19. Poisonous 20. Also 22. Go astray 24. Hume or Kant 27. Embarrasses 29. Provoke 30. Death notices, for short 31. Swaggers 32. Windy 33. Atlantic or Arctic

Down 1. Mourn 2. Truth 3. Least 4. Damaged sink covering 5. Bluish purple 6. Underling 8. Sixth planet from the sun 12. Greek fabler 13. Register 14. Soldier 15. More kind 20. Notion 21. Credit 23. Cure 28. Mediocre 29. Unique book code