Issue 5 - October 4, 2012

INSIDE THE STACK 6

HELENE GODERIS

^

COVER STORY

Arts: Before I die ... 11

the newspaper

The University of Toronto’s Independent Weekly

Since 1978

VOL XXXV Issue 5 • October 4, 2012

Debate: Ban it or bag it? 5 First Muslim chaplain in Canada 2

Dracula 101 10

2

THE NEWS

October 4, 2012

TTC fare increase puts finance burden on passengers Olivia Dziwak, who has an hour and a half

Sebastian Greenholtz Faced with a budget shortfall, TTC has approved a 5 cent fare increase, the latest in a long history of fare increases.

While the increase would not affect cash fares, the price of an adult monthly Metropass will go up by $2.50 per month.

And for the estimated 85 per cent of University of Toronto students who commute, the increase could strain already tight budgets.

The increase comes less than

a week after Mayor Rob Ford restated on his radio show his desire to freeze TTC fares once and for all. This scenario is impossible, responded TTC Chair Karen Stintz, if routes and service are to remain the same.

Corey Scott, UTSU Vice President of Internal and Services, says the majority of students use public transit. The student union office sells discounted post-secondary student Metropasses to reduce those transit costs.

U of T commuter student

HART HOUSE HAIR PLACE Finest Cutting and Style Colour and Highlights

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

EXCELLENT WORK & REASONABLE RATES

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

VOL XXXV No. 5

Editor-in-Chief Cara Sabatini

Managing Editor Helene Goderis

News Editor Yukon Damov

Design Editor Samantha Chiusolo

Arts Editor Vanessa Purdy

Contributors

Photo Editor Bodi Bold Illustrations Editor Nick Ragetli Web Editor Joe Howell the newspaper 1 Spadina Crescent Suite 245 Toronto, ON M5S 1A1

Suzanna Balabuch, Sarah Boivin, Bodi Bold, Dan Christensen, Samantha Chiusolo, Yukon Damov, Lou Doyoun, Helene Goderis, Sebastian Greenholtz, John Han, Dylan Hornsby, An Hu, Christina Maravegia, Keely Maynard, Felicia Perricelli, Nick Ragetli, David Stokes, Emerson Vandenberg

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.

commute from Mississauga, expressed concern about the increase. “I don’t know if I can be against it because obviously I hear lots and lots of complaints about the TTC, but I’m sure they’re not doing it for no reason--I’m sure they need the money.” Without the TTC, her alternative route would “take a third longer,” which with the distance already traveled

the briefs ASSU nixes elections from scheduling conflicts

Elections slated to vote in three new members of the Arts & Science Student Union (ASSU) this week were kiboshed when two out of five of the candidates dropped out. Jane Seto, Executive Assistant of ASSU, said the reason for this was that both drop-out candidates had “conflicts with the meeting time.” Kevin Lunianga, Jacob Raggiunti, and Abdullah Shihipar, the remaining candidates, were appointed the three positions on the executive team.

The ASSU comprises a total of 7, normally, elected executive members and 3 fulltime staff members. If the elections had gone through this week, executive members and presidents of the nearly 40 course unions comprising the ASSU, would each have had their

would o n l y make the morning commute more exasperating.

The TTC budget consists of a 30 per cent municipal subsidy and the rest is recovered from fares, so without an increase in government funding the TTC had to choose between increasing fares or decreasing service.

TTC CEO Andy Byford stands firmly against the latter.

Scott sees the increase as yet another economic burden for students, on top of the highest tuition fees of any province.

“Governments need to start prioritizing investment in public vote for their three favourite candidates.

- Lou Doyon

Jarvis bike lanes voted down

On Tuesday, October 2, City Council rejected efforts to save bike lanes on Jarvis Street, despite heavy leftwing lobbying. Instead, the city will start work in about a month to install a fifth car lane. Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam, who motioned to the vote, commented, “You’re not going to remove cyclists by removing bicycle lanes. They’re still going to be there, they’re just going to be riding very unsafely.”

While supporters of the lanes argue that they increase biker safety, those who voted against argue that the new lane, which will decrease traffic congestion, is a more important project.

-Sourced from Now Magazine, Sebastian Greenholtz

NICK RAGETLI

U of T student union continues to fight for commuter student majority

sectors, including public transit infrastructure, to help offset these increasing costs,” he said.

The UTSU has been fighting to expand public transit and keep costs low through government investment, rather than having to choose between higher fares and service cuts. “The UTSU has been meeting with Toronto City Councilors and the TTC Riders group to pressure all levels of government to invest in public transit,” said Scott, “And we continue to stress the importance of protecting the student metropass.”

The TTC has yet to decide whether student Metropasses will also experience an increase.

Ontario is home to the Mafia

Ontario has become a safe haven for the Italian Mafia, who evade prosecution under Canadian law.

In the past two years over 30 Ontario men have been accused by the Italian authorities of having Mafia ties, with 10 sporting Italian arrest warrants. The RCMP have labeled a faction called ’Ndrangheta as a Tier 1 threat to the GTA. Italian law includes a “Mafia association” law that helped authorities jail dozens of men with Mafia connections. The Canadian Criminal Code has no similar law. Experts say that Canada’s current laws cannot manage the complex nature of international crime.

-Sourced from The Star, Sebastian Greenholtz

www.thenewspaper.ca

First Muslim chaplain in Canada

3

THE NEWS

Christina Maravegia On Monday, October 1, the University of Toronto’s first full-time Muslim chaplain took up post, hoping to erase stereotypes of Muslim students. Canada’s first Muslim chaplain, Amjad Tarsin, will serve the fast-growing U of T Muslim population and endeavour to provide guidance and create positive relationships with students of all religious backgrounds.

Like a Catholic chaplain, a Muslim chaplain is a religious figure who is there to interact, form relationships and support students through counsel.

Of course, unlike a Catholic chaplain, a Muslim chaplain reaches into the Islamic tradition, beliefs, and scriptures, in order to provide guidance.

“The Muslim chaplaincy and Islamic chaplaincies in Canada will really be a way of creating a new form of Islamic leadership in North America,” explained Tarsin in an interview with the newspaper. “[The chaplaincy] is creating a new field which has a lot of

potential . . . and hopefully can allow even greater society to recognize the value that Muslims can contribute to communities, society, and campus societies.”

Muslim Students’ Association President Aisha Raja said that before the new full-time chaplaincy, part-time chaplains worked as volunteers.

“We can now support Muslim students not only in terms of what they are already doing but also in terms of problems and issues they have in order to foster a healthy youth Muslim community,” Raja said.

Along with his “dynamic and unique personality,” Raja noted that Tarsin’s background and education made him aptly qualified for the position. Tarsin graduated from the University of Michigan where he studied Islamic Studies and English Literature. He also graduated from Hartford Seminary to become a chaplain.

With all these characteristics, Raja hopes Tarsin will help break down Muslim stereotypes that concern a large population of the U of T com-

U of T Administration, Faculty, Student Union talk back to the Ministry the newspaper breaks down latest feedback to the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities Emerson Vandenberg, Dylan Hornsby, Sarah Boivin In June, the Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges, and Universities (MTCU) released a discussion paper seeking feedback for its proposals to reform post-secondary education (PSE). The deadline for submissions from individuals, student and faculty unions and associations, and institutions was Sept 30. The newspaper has compiled and highlighted points of the submissions of the U of T Administration, the Faculty Association, and the Students’ Union.

Each submission is mostly critical of the proposed changes, such as increased online learning, three-year baccalaureate degrees, and an easier, simplified credit-transfer system amongst universities and between universities and colleges.

KEELY MAYNARD

Amjad Tarsin aims to combat stereotypes at U of T

U of T theology school Emmanuel College opens its doors to first Muslim chaplain. munity. The Muslim Students Association raised $70 000 to create the position in an online funding campaign during the summer.

Coinciding with new Muslim Studies program at Emmanuel College, Tarsin’s position involves encouraging, and participating in, interfaithdialogue. “The world is becoming much smaller,” said Tarsin.

“In order for there to be better cooperation and more harmony in the world, interfaith relations are extremely important.”

Nevin Read, a professor of Muslim Studies at Emmanuel College, expanded on the definition of inter-faith dialogue. “[Interfaith] dialogue is people

Administration

1. The Administration sees the discussion paper as driven by ‘cost-containment.’ MTCU is attempting to maintain quality, affordability, and availability through technological and “process” innovation.

2. Using the Bologna Declaration in Europe as a reference is problematic for the U of T administration. It was implemented across jurisdictions and has no equivalent in North America.

Mobility between institutions is not as fluid as reported. Its effective compression of a fourdegree into a three-year degree has left students unprepared for post-grad or employment.

3. Three-year baccalaureate degrees granted in Ontario would be unrecognized outside of Ontario.

4. U of T has already entered into a credit transfer consortium with six other Ontario universities and expanded its online course offerings.

conversing with one another and understanding the Other and understanding oneself--so it’s self identification and it’s open ended,” said Read. “With dialectic, two people are arguing for different points, each one to prove the other wrong.

Interfaith dialogue is different in that way--so its an idea that we are all part of a whole.”

Tarsin estimated that U of T has 5,000 Muslim students, which reflects the city’s diversity. Toronto hosts the highest percentage of Muslims in North America, and the numbers are not stagnating. According to a study published last year by the Pew Research

Center’s Forum on Religion & Public Life, Canada’s Muslim population is expected to triple in the next 20 years. As the Muslim population continues to grow, so does the demand for dialogue.

Tarsin is excited for his new position and has already interacted with U of T students and faculty. “One of the ways that I think the Muslim chaplaincy will be a positive contribution for Muslims and other students [is] to really serve everyone and to recognize the good that is in themselves and to share that with others,” he said.

University of Toronto University of Toronto Faculty Association Students’ Union 1. The UTFA argues that research as a public good is not recognized. Instead, the paper focuses only on the direct, commercial applications of research.

There is no discussion of the link between higher education and advanced research.

2. The UTFA criticizes the move to standardize courses, even at the introductory level, for not reflecting the strengths of various institutions and staff. The freedom to design programs and curricula is a hallmark of academic freedom.

3. Online learning may not foster the kind of divergent thinking sought after in some programs. There is no acknowledgement of different types of instruction, nor the fact that some types of instruction do not translate well to online media.

4. The UTFA criticizes MTCU for not taking geographic and contextual differences into account when using the Bologna Declaration in Europe as a model for a revamped transfer-credit system.

1. The UTSU systematically rejects the Paper’s proposals and reiterates familiar goals, such as lowering tuition by 25 per cent and improving the student-faculty ratio.

2. UTSU slammed the threeyear degree plan for being inflexible and restrictive as students struggle to enter a rapidly changing economy.

3. UTSU criticized increased online education, stressing that the ‘social and intellectual interactions’ of post-secondary experience are vital to educational success.

4. The Union’s qualms with the credit transfer system proposal range from claims of the effect of the system on academic freedom to essentially mandating institutionalized mediocrity.

The statement emphasizes that the work of individual professors defines the character of a university department; standardization would impose on that academic diversity. UTSU criticized the validation of a system based on European models, along with the financial implications of such a move.

4

THE INSIDE

October 4, 2012

Vampires give lifeblood to new course in seminar series Why U of T is offering non-traditional classes to first year students John Han & Natalie Morcos A university classroom is not the first place you would expect to discuss vampire dramas such as True Blood, but in Professor Erol Boran’s class it’s built into the syllabus. A German language, literature, and theatre professor, Boran heads a class called Our Vampires, Ourselves.

From the title, it sounds like the course might be better suited to be held at an arts school, as a series in some dingy hipster cafe where everything is organic, or even at Hogwarts. However, the themes and subjects explored in this first year seminar course on Dracula are actually on par with the University’s academic curriculum.

Boran’s course is just one of the 124 seminar courses offered to first year students this year.

These non-traditional classes, capped at 24 students each, “allow [professors] to explore

areas not necessarily related to our research that we personally find interesting and which we believe will be of interest to the students,” explained Brock Macdonald, a senior lecturer at Woodsworth College. Macdonald is the creator of the course Roll over, Beethoven, which explores the cultural ripples caused by advancements in music technology.

Macdonald’s reasons for creating the course echo those of Physics professor Bob Logan in terms of personal importance and interest. “I take the social responsibility of the scientist very seriously,” he stated. Adding that he felt public levels of science literacy had lead to some bad decisions among politicians in recent years, Logan said that he created his humanities course ,The Physics of Poetry and the Poetry of Physics, to “contribute in the small way that [he] could.”

However, the motivation behind offering these courses is

not solely to allow professors and students to explore areas of interest. Macdonald explained that part of why these seminars are being offered to first years is to serve as “University 101 classes.” He added that the small class sizes increased participation among the incoming students, as well as facilitated their familiarity with both professors and the university system.

Despite attractive pop-culture titles, the courses are academically rigorous. Boran elaborates that Bram Stoker’s Dracula, one of the required texts for the course, deals with transnational issues, while the television series True Blood deals with identity, sexuality, and modernity.

These issues along with colonialism and gender struggles all come together in Boran’s course.

The majority of seminar classes transcend rigid discipline boundaries but can broadly be classed as Humanities. Students develop critical thinking skills

Watch closely. This scene could be on your next exam. and the ability to develop an informed, personal opinions more than they learn concrete skills and facts. “It’s not like I teach them how to build a house or plant a tree; it’s more subtle,” Boran said.

With these small, discussion based seminars the university aims to offer a unique classroom experience to students without

sacrificing the quality of the learning. Judging by students’ enthusiasm, it’s working. A former first year student conceded: “I wrote the best paper I think I’ve ever written in my seminar class. The topics were just so interesting--unlike anything we were talking about in my other classes.”

The Comment: Queer Orientation To build social support make Queer Orientation earlier and resources always available

Sebastian Greenholtz Queer and trans* youth can feel an overwhelming feeling of differentness when put in a new environment, and for many students no environment is newer than first year university. In order to combat these feelings the many and varied LGBTQ organizations on all three UofT campuses hosted Queer Orientation, a week of events to unite the queer and trans* community. While the events provided ample opportunities for queer students of different interests and backgrounds to find camaraderie,

those opportunities were often lost in finding the time to attend them.

Queer Orientation excelled in providing different settings and contexts for building social bonds. For those who enjoy a party-like atmosphere LGBTOUT Meet and Greet brought together all three campuses in one room, playing loud music and making physical content a spatial inevitability. I get in-

timidated by large groups so I enjoyed the LGBTQase social, which provided a more casual setting plus a geekier group of kids. Other events catered to the athletic or those who love the nightlife. By providing various types of activities, students can pick out what they enjoy and thus meet other students who enjoy the same things, ideally creating friendships.

Furthermore the Queer Orientation events were littered with information on how to find queer community after the week was out. My inbox and desk are overflowing with emails and pamphlets on dropin centres, support groups, further social events, and office

hours for the LGBTQ support networks on campus. This ensures that students find queerfocused support and social spaces, even if attending events did not result in a new group of friends.

However, building social intimacy is difficult to do without connecting with the community, and connection-centred events are hard to attend when they occur during classes. Because Queer Orientation occurs during the second and third week of school both lectures and tutorials are in full swing and professors are handing out mountains of reading. This makes finding the time to come out to events extremely difficult.

There were at least five or six events that sounded both timeconsuming to have planned and extremely enjoyable but which

took place during my lectures.

If events could have been just a week earlier, before students have had time to fall behind on work, then they could be more accessible for building social bonds.

Overall, Queer Orientation serves an important role in the beginning of year events at UofT. The need for social inclusivity and connectedness in the sizable queer community has to be addressed early on so no one will feel stranded or ostracized. Next year’s planners should improve accessibility by hosting events a week earlier, and make support information more readily available outside of the events. With these two improvements Queer Orientation and the community it supports would go from fair to fabulous.

^^ www.thenewspaper.ca

^ ^ 5

THE DEBATE

The Debate: Bag it or ban it?

Motion: City Council is right to ban the distribution of plastic bags in Toronto A few months ago Toronto City Council voted to ban plastic bags, following a trend

PRO

throughout several North American cities. On Wednesday Rob Ford’s allied counselors attempted to reopen the debate in city council but fell short of the two-thirds vote needed. Proponents argue that plastic bags are wasteful and unnecessary. Those opposed to the ban claim it was too hastily passed, having been tacked onto another bill.

Dylan Hornsby

After Mayor Rob Ford tried to scrap the 5-cent plastic bag tax in June, Toronto’s city council took radical action. Instead of scrapping the tax, Council went the complete opposite way and voted 27-17 to ban all plastic bags in Toronto, starting in January 2013. Why? While Ford is a businessman with right-wing beliefs, much of city council remains fixed in David Miller-era environmental politics. In this municipal tug-of-war, City Council saw the perfect opportunity to put the Mayor in his place and make Toronto a world leader for sustainability. They may have won the fight in June, but what they didn’t consider were the consequences.

Making matters worse, groups representing Ontario’s convenience stores and Canada’s plastic industry have threatened to take the city to court, spending even more public funds. If you consider how many plastic bags are used in this city of millions, as well as the jobs and industry that depend on them, this could be a minor economic crisis just waiting to happen.

From a business standpoint, few local stores could afford to manufacture their own cloth bags, and would inevitably turn to paper. Not only are paper bags more expensive for business than plastic, their manufacturing process harms the environment just as much.

Given these consequences, what was wrong with the original 5-cent tax?

When it was imposed in 2009, many families bought cloth bags to avoid paying extra at the store. The result was plastic bag use dropping in half, meaning less impact on the environment and minimum inconvenience for taxpayers. Furthermore, the proceeds from the tax (which currently go back to the retailers) could be put into environmental programs instead. In the end, it seems that Toronto’s city council simply made a risky decision to satisfy a green agenda.It should be council’s job to get our finances in order and provide great public services, not to save the world from city hall.

Sarah Boivin Another day, another story of Rob Ford vs.

The World.

This past June, Rob Ford finally won the battle “for taxpayers” against the 5-cent charge on plastic bags. In retaliation, City Council proposed to ban bags altogether

by January 2013. The motion passed.

Ford, eloquently evaluating the merits of council action, was quoted in the Globe and Mail to have proclaimed: “We’ve done some dumb things, but I think banning plastic bags, that’s just outright stupid, never mind dumb.”

The outcry to the banning of plastic bags has been substantial. People don’t know how they will carry on. The Ontario Convenience Stores Association and the Canadian Plastics Industry Association are threatening to sue, saying that the ban impinges on the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The mayor thinks we’re all dumb.

But I think all Torontonians can be reassured that, just like the 5-cent fine, we did not come up with this calamitous plan all on our own. Several other places, including the state of South Australia, San Francisco, and Fort McMurray, Alberta, have all banned bags, and are reportedly still standing.

Residents elsewhere have adapted to life with alternatives to readily available plastic bags, something I believe Torontonians are well capable of. Let us remember that the ban of distribution of plastic bags does not mean they will not be sold elsewhere or you will be fined for possession. They will not disappear.

In terms of legal prosecutions, Council is still waiting to hear from their legal team on the threat of suing associations. From this humble view, however, it seems that if Fort McMurray was able to avoid being crushed by Canadian Plastics and the likes, a city with the size and influence of Toronto should be able to manage.

There are those who say the environmental impact is negligible, and that it is an invalid reasoning for the ban. But really is any environmental effort a bad thing? South Australia’s bag ban saw an enormous decrease in litter production.

The heart of this argument, however, is not the plight of the everyday plastic bag-less existence, legal issues, or the environment: it’s political. Ford struck back at city council on the bag fine and they decided to try to kick him down with something unpassable-- but it did pass. The war between Ford and council has brought council action on grocery transportation to extremes.

If it’s good for the environment and sticks it to Ford, why are we complaining?

NICK RAGETLI

CON

6

THE INSIDE

October 4, 2012

Inside the steam plant

A look inside the technology that’s kept UofT hot for 100 years

It

helps everybody; nobody knows about it. A massively complex operation of millions of working parts.

Miles of tubes. Intense heat.

Explosive pressure.

This is U of T’s Central Steam Plant, located at Russell and Huron Street. You’ve seen the chimney towering over the St. George campus. On cold days, it’s what’s puffing out the giant white cloud of vapour. The facility heats 75 campus buildings and provides electricity.

The plant is the reason classrooms aren’t freezing and the lights stay on.

How it does this is simple: it boils water and sends it out.

The heat stored in this water warms the air before returning to the plant, where the cycle

can start again. This is an efficient and uncommon system known as district heating. This year marks the 100th year that U of T has been heated this way.

The plant’s capacities are impressive. But more exciting is the day to day life within the plant itself.

Boon-Teak Lee is the chief engineer and head honcho of this place. Boon-Teak, a slender, short older man with glasses and a friendly voice, has been working at U of T since 1977 and it’s his steady direction that keeps the steam plant running smoothly. It’s evident that this has been his life’s work, and he, quite literally, has run a tight ship: he got his start running the diesel turbines of ocean freighters, as a marine engineer. “We

used to run from the Persian Gulf to Europe in a big tanker, 250,000 tonnes, the length of the CN tower, that’s how long the tanker was,” he says.

Boon-Teak is a certified operating engineer, which means he has passed the government tests required to run the plant.

“You can take a professor and he’s not allowed to run the plant.”

“We operate machinery; we don’t do design or study.” The steam plant is the St. George campus’ only working engineering site, a status that sets it apart and makes it a world of its own.

And it’s an active one: the plant is in operation 24 hours a day. “We never stop...it’s always on.”

From his office, Boon-Teak tells me that I’d viscerally feel

the plant working. “It’s not that nice,” he warned. “It’s hot.” He hands me a pair of cellophanepacked neon ear plugs that I shove in my ears. Evidently, it would be loud too.

We walk out of his office and down a short hallway. What had been but a hum in his office becomes a roar. This is the steam plant proper.

The inside of the plant is a visually confusing landscape of criss-crossing bright coloured pipes, blinking light, levers, pulley systems, and knobs that surround in all directions.

The smell is pungent and oily, and the noise is a thousand different sounds trapped in one place, punctuated by loud releases of pressure. It feels like navigating the subconscious.

And then there’s the heat.

Boon-Teak measured the walls

of a portion of the plant once and they were over 70oC. And yet, in the winter, it sometimes snows in the building, the flakes sucked in en mass by the air intake fans.

I was still adjusting to the psychic shock of the space but Boon-Teak was in his element, a Virgil guiding me through familiar territory. He eagerly related every aspect of building while ducking around pipes, walking up yellow metal catwalks and staircases, passing hissing valves and clanking machinery. He has to yell over the noise, I have to strain to hear him.

Right away he points out the boilers. The boilers are enormous four-storey metal boxes, the largest units in the facility.

And it’s within these that gas is ignited to turn water into

www.thenewspaper.ca

BY DAVID STOKES Photos by Helene Goderis

steam.

When the building was built in 1951, there were only two boilers; now, after a succession of building expansions and upgrades, there are four. The largest of these can generate 200,000 pounds per hour of steam.

The boilers used to burn coal until that practice was phased out in the late 1960s. Now they have been converted to burn mostly natural gas, consuming over one million dollars worth of gas a month. The exhaust exits through the 300 foot chimney. The white vapour visible in cold weather is water vapour condensing out from the gas exhaust, and not the exhaust itself, which rises invisibly.

In 1992 the facility acquired the ability to produce electricity (6 megawatts, or about what’s used by 5,000 homes).

And in 2000 the plant added a system that draws heat out from the exhaust to warm even more water. This is a major advance in efficiency, and the plant was an early adopter of this system. People have come to the plant to learn about this system, proving that it’s a leader in its field. In winter, the heat recovery system recovers 13 million BTU’s per hour. To put that in perspective, each one million BTU is 1,000 cubic feet of gas that you don’t need to burn or buy.

Walking through the plant, Boon-Teak opened an inauspicious metal hatch in one of the boilers. Behind this seemingly inert hunk of metal was an inferno. The boiler chamber contains two jets that release a whirling, roaring blue flame wide enough to drive a car through. The chamber has a negative pressure that can change unpredictably, which can result in flames flying out of the hatch. Given the danger and high heat, we can only observe the flame quickly. The sight is super cool. All in all, the plant has eight of these massive jets, yet the pipe that brings in natural gas into the building is only 8 inches wide.

The intensity of the jets are regulated from the control room. Computers display realtime graphs of data. There are

THE INSIDE

Tunnels for the steam and hot water pipes run underneath the entire campus like a giant subterranean web. giant electronic switchboards (a recent upgrade). But there are still some analog levers and knobs. An engineer made sure my backpack didn’t graze any levers and inadvertently cause a disaster during the tour.

As the season grows colder, the engineers increase the amount of natural gas that is burned. In fact, it’s one worker’s job to check the weather every morning, like an enormous version of your mother setting the thermostat at home.

Buildings on the east side of St. George are supplied with steam; to the west, it’s hot water. The steam goes out at 200 pounds per square inch and 388oF -- and in the winter, the hot water goes out at 240 pounds and 375oF. This hot water is under such extreme pressure and is so energy dense that any leaks are potentially explosive.

Of course, there are emergency procedures that the crew can take to shut down in case of error, including a number of big red emergency shutoff buttons. But more critical in the event of an emergency are the embedded physical safeties -- valves designed to burst past certain pressures and vent steam automatically out the roof. With Boon-Teak at the helm, there’s been no system failures.

And the system is enormous.

Tunnels for the steam and hot water pipes run underneath the entire campus like a giant subterranean web. When asked about the tunnel map, Boon-Teak is quick to respond: “We don’t show anyone - especially students.”

But the tunnel network has been penetrated in the past. “There is a group, they call themselves Infiltration,” shares Boon-Teak. “They have our pictures.” He sounds bemused and genuinely concerned for people’s safety.

I got a chance to experience the tunnels myself when Dominic, a U of T physics graduate who is a trainee at the plant, later took me through a portion of the tunnels referred to as the “free sauna.” Starting at the foot of the plant, we walk the cramped, ill-lit, impossibly

hot tunnels, winding around and eventually descending below St. George Street.

“Don’t touch anything that’s metal,” warns Dominic. He used to wear a gold chain around his neck, but because it absorbs the extreme tunnel heat, he got burned by it too many times.

Dominic shares that the assumption by outsiders is that the steam plant workers stare at a screen all day. “But it’s not like that at all.” The crew, made up of engineers and machinists, run around solving problems all day and night. Routinely, crew members weld, saw, and clean, among other tasks. “The work never ends there’s always something to do in here.”

Boon-Teak comments that a lot of engineering students “study engineering but may never see any equipment.”

Here, evidence of that equipment at work is obvious in the organized chaos of the plant floor: in every corner there are ladders, fans, half-filled barrels, cardboard boxes, air tanks, discarded gauges, and rusty metal. In his office, Boon-Teak keeps a pile of jagged, ruptured pipes to show visitors.

On the way out, Boon-Teak shows me photo albums of turbines on his computer. After a dedicated 35 years, he’s retiring next year.

Exiting onto the cool and quiet street, all is normal and dull like waking from a dream.

The Central Steam Plant -with its labyrinthine building and committed crew -- is proof of the powerful forces at work that allow us to go about our studies in comfort.

It expels warmth and electricity everywhere, but the energy that leaves the plant is a far cry from its inward intensity.

Chances are, if you’re reading this on campus, the steam plant is physically affecting you too.

Photos of the University of Toronto Central Steam Plant.

Sometimes a chimney is just a chimney....

7

8

Your health & Dental

THE INSIDE

October 4, 2012

Plan Benefits For more info please contact your students’ 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

www.thenewspaper.ca

9

THE INSIDE

Escher ain’t got shit on our steam plant.

10

THE ARTS

October 4, 2012

FU2: down to folk?

Urban folk collective Fedora Upside-Down throws eclectic culture party Natalie Morcos Before you get offended, FU2 stands for Fedora UpsideDown 2. Taking place this Saturday, October 6 at Toronto’s Ukrainian Culture Center between 2 pm and 2 am, FU2 marks the second in a tradition of annual festivals put on by urban folk collective Fedora Upside-Down.

In the words of spokesperson Mark Marcyzk, Fedora Upside-Down is “all about reenvisioning traditional folk culture--which is traditionally a rural thing--in an urban core that is really multicultural.”

Gaining their name from the image of the upturned hat often seen accompanying street performers, FU began to take shape a year and a half ago as one-off performances by the Lemon Bucket Orkestra and Freeman Dre &

The Kitchen Party. Frustrated by the profit-oriented and “culturally obtuse” music industry, they took promotions into their own hands. What then started small as a movement to “reclaim the streets” has now grown into a veritable organization, spanning 17 musical acts and having numerous other ties to folk communities.

This year’s programming is noticeably different than last year’s-- largely in an effort to align with FU’s mandate of creating an inclusive community space; one in which music is more a lifestyle experience than anything else.

“Last year we just had an evening thing,” said Marcyzk, “but this year we’re starting much earlier and trying to have an event that’s more allages.” FU2’s day programming includes a handful of workshops – from Balkan folk danc-

ing to scarecrow making – as well as children’s’ activities and a musical puppet show run by The Frolick Theatre.

Though it’s been announced that the main room will feature two stages (one made entirely of hay bales), Marcyzk won’t give away any more.

When asked what FU had in store that could possibly top last year’s 30-foot garbage art and mini-forest installations, he only hinted that “there will be something as spectacular, and there will be things upside-down.”

Marcyzk did provide a snapshot of what to expect from the other rooms. For example, the Stray Cat Cabaret room, hosted

by Kosa Kolektiv and based off the modernist Stray Dog Cabaret of 1920s St. Petersburg, will be a candle-lit-café style space with an interesting

selection of vodkas and teas from around the world.

“This is the first time we’re inviting poets in and not just doing the crazy parade. We’re having a quiet space where people can listen to each other in a different way.” Poets performing the half hour sets here will include Toronto’s former Poet Laureate Pier Giorgio Di Cicco. A short film by Marcyzk will also be screened.

Though there is an argument to be made against throwing a festival on Thanksgiving weekend, the Fedora Upside-down crew avoid this criticism by consciously

building it into their programming. Hosted by Impulse Six Clowns, FU2’s Thanksgiving dinner will take place in another side room, dubbed the Frolick space, and is poised to be the cherry on top of the inclusive sense of community this event was designed to foster.

To purchase tickets and find out more, visit http://www.fedoraupsidedown.com/

SAMANTHA CHIUSOLO

Babel towers over top forty

Mumford & Sons’ latest Babel brings more of their signature sound Jon Foster Over the past few years, the English Folk/Rock band Mumford & Sons climbed the charts to international acclaim, even though odds were against them. It seemed that the only music able to reach Top 40 was over-produced songs with hooks that stuck in your head for weeks after hearing them once. Mumford & Sons are amongst only a handful of bands that provide an aesthetic alternative on the popular music charts.

Their second studio album, Babel, saw its North American release last week. Having already sold approximately 600,000 copies, they have taken the

number one spot for highest debut sales of 2012. Boasting an audience as large as any other, Mumford and Sons have opened up a new appreciation of real instruments and multiple voices. Those that desire the high energy pace found in Mumford songs like “The Cave” and “Little Lion Man” will still get their fix from songs off the new record such as “Hopeless Wanderer” and “Below My Feet.”

As for listeners who crave emotionally packed love songs, there are plenty of romantic lyrics to satisfy your senses.

In fact, Babel seems to carry a theme of someone on a journey of self-discovery. Many

of the lyrics portray a person who is lost and finding their way, often identifying with a lover. The feeling of their lyrics is palpable; Mumford & Sons have an admirable way of using music to illustrate words.

The band’s characteristic sound lies in the organic nature of their instrumentation and song writing as a whole.

By incorporating changing time signatures and interesting chord progressions they are able to heighten the emotion of the song. Babel has simply further solidified the distinction of the Mumford & Sons sound from that of other popular music of today.

www.thenewspaper.ca

11

THE ARTS

All the right art in all the public spaces

Mural tasks pedestrians with confronting their own mortality Felicia Perricelli “Start a family.” “Go to space.”

“Buy a slapchop.” This is a small sampling of the stories, aspirations and quirky commentary shared by fellow Torontonians this week via the Before I Die interactive mural in Parkdale. The mural exemplifies one way that public space (parks, sidewalks, plazas) can provide an outlet for personal expression, and spark dialogue between community members.

The idea for Before I Die, born to New Orleans artist Cindy Chang during a reflective time after a loved one passed on, inadvertently asks pedestrians to think about death. The mural has been replicated in various cities around the world, and reflects her personal goal of “making cities more emotional,” according to Chan’s website.

The large-scale chalkboard mural was installed last week on a disregarded, barren wall at a construction site at the corner of Dufferin and Queen

Street West. The repeating phrase “Before I Die...” and a stack of chalk invite pedestrians to publicly share the goals and dreams they wish to accomplish before their lives end.

Local volunteers in Toronto’s Parkdale community, supported by Toronto’s Public Space Initiative (TPSI), are responsible for the installation. Of the project, TPSI’s CEO, and project director Jayme Turney said, “It’s a great example of animating public space and engaging the community in a creative, fun way.” TPSI is a Toronto-based non-profit that provides resources (such as funding and consulting) to residents who wish to enhance public spaces.

Turney sees public spaces as hubs of activity and engagement, which create communities across social and ethnic divides. According to Turney, public spaces are critical to forming a democratic community, as they provide health, economic and social benefits to residents. “[Public spaces]

are one of the few areas where people can, in theory, protest and organize (almost) freely.”

Humanity’s historical desire for public expression can be observed even in our first cave drawings; depicting stories and culturally rich symbols, acting as language between viewers.

The innate human desire for expression persists globally today, and the transformations it sparks can completely change the physical and emotional en- Mural at Queen and Dufferin: Before I die . . . I want to travel to Uranus . vironment of a community.

If public art and interactive regular maintenance. All of cally enhance the surface that spaces create deeper, richer these hurdles can be daunting, it covers.” Whether or not a communities, why aren’t simiand funding is usually the big- particular art piece adheres to lar projects popping up on gest. these standards is decided by every Toronto corner? Surely, For those left thinking that the City of Toronto. amongst designers, artists and advocating for public space The Before I Die mural is the local residents who know transformation is just a go- just one example of a successtheir community best, a limitahead for vandalism, it’s worth ful transformation project in less bank of ideas are waiting noting that the City of Toron- a previously neglected area. to be discovered and executed. to’s Art Exemption Applica- Given Toronto’s size, diversity, An idea is just the first step. tion authorizes maintenance and richness in culture, TurFrom there, the idea needs an of public murals. The Toronto ney advised: “You need many available space, and to agree Graffiti Management Plan different types, or a network, with local policies. Then, it validates public works when of public spaces to serve a must be approved by its muthey are, “installed with the city.” It is ultimately a matter nicipality, undergo the labour property owner’s permission, of resources--both human and necessary to complete its exeadhere to community charac- financial--to foster such space. cution--not to mention receive ter and standards, and aestheti-

It’s time you found yourself...and killed him Looper’s take on time travel may leave you loopy

Dan Christensen Joseph (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is a looper. He’s an assassin who has only one type of victim – mafia targets sent back to him from the future.

But there’s one thick string attached: a little thing called ‘closing your loop.’ When your employer Abe (Jeff Daniels) wishes to end your contract, he sends your future self back for you to kill.

Sure you get the next thirty years to live out your wildest dreams, and a massive stack of gold bars (ominously attached to the back of your final victim) to pay for your constant vacation, but once the thirty years have gone by, no one can escape his destiny.

However, when it’s time for Joseph to close his loop, despite his best efforts to follow orders, old Joseph (Bruce Willis) has other ideas, and he’s

prepared. A moment’s hesitation from young Joseph (can I call him YoJo for short? How’s about just Joe?), one gold bar to the gut and just like that Joe’s let his loop get away.

Alright, no time-travel paradoxes yet. But wait, in the very next scene, the scenario plays out again, and this time Joe

blows Joseph away no problem. Well, turns out the first version we saw, where things did not go to plan, was actually the second time around, and now we’re seeing how it went the first time.

But how could there be a “first time” and “second time?”

Isn’t time a single continuous

line? Are we confused yet? Joe finally summons Joseph to a diner and Joseph explains to Joe how his memories of what Joe is about to do go from fuzzy to clear as the possibilities become realities. But Looper has so much more to offer beyond the time travel.

Most obviously, Johnson is

a stylish director. Looper retains scaled-back versions of the noirish elements we saw in his debut, Brick, but he really gets to show off with the telekinesis.

Some ten percent of society have TK, which usually means they can float a nickel in their hand if they concentrate. But four-yearold Cid (Pierce Gagnon), has the power in spades, which makes for some memorable visuals. Cid explodes a body with his mind at one point, and Johnson makes the slowmotion scene nothing short of breathtaking.

Match Johnson’s efforts with some strong performances from the actors, artistic visual effects that impress without overwhelming, and we have bar none the best time-travel movie in recent memory. I should be careful though. My memory may change on me.

“

THE END

“

12

October 4, 2012

the campus comment

the newspaper asked: Would you consider taking a majority of your classes online instead of going to lectures?

2

ISRAH Specialist in Sociology, 3rd year “I think it’s a great option to have, especially for commuters as it might be difficult to attend lectures at crazy hours. However, it doesn’t replace the learning process.”

CATHERINE Life Sciences, 3rd year “I disagree with the idea of it as I enjoy my lectures as it is more personal, and I learn better by being there and absorbing the information. Online courses might be more applicable to other programs such as Humanities.”

PHIL Masters in Divinity, 1st year “I dislike the lack of communication and community with the class and I’ve always taken online classes and I must say I enjoy attending lectures much more. Online courses also make you less committed to the class as the hours are much more flexible.”

SIMON Masters in Urban and International Development, 2nd year “I think education should be kept more exclusive, there are way too many over-qualified individuals out there without jobs, and if we add the option of online courses, there are people paying less for an education and more competition for other people.”

Dasmond Pathobiology, 4th year

AN HU

TALEEN Urban Geography, Alumni “I would personally choose attending lectures instead as I like the interaction with other students and professors. It is also more personal, and I learn better.”

“I could definitely consider this as an alternative since I’m a commuter and sometimes it’s difficult to make it to class on time. Also I often record my lectures so if my courses are online I would not have to waste the time to look for a certain section as all the notes are going to be online.”

Dear Suzie Next Door Ex: What to do when you’re in close quarters with a former flame DAREEN Pathobiology, 3rd year “I concentrate better with an actual professor, and if I’m taking an online course, I think I would get distracted much easily, especially since I’m on the computer.”

Dear Suzie, I just broke up with my boyfriend who lives in the same res as me. What am I supposed to do avoid him or be the friendly neighbour?

Dear Anonymous,

Let’s imagine you happen to run into your ex in the doorway. If you go the route of total avoidance, it will be a very awkward moment indeed, as you try to slink out of the door without making eye contact.

Now let’s imagine the friendly neighbour option: you don’t ignore him, and instead make forced conversation and fake smiles as you’re desperately making an escape plan in your head. Neither of these situations are really ideal for your currently fragile state.

So why don’t you try the following: avoid a little, but not so much that you’re afraid to go do your laundry. Don’t seek him out for a cup of sugar (or anything else because this is a bad, bad idea), but do give a polite hello if you happen to pass him in the hall. Trust me, you’ll be surprised by how much easier it will get over time.

Best, Suzie

Got a question for Suzie? Submit it anonymously at the newspaper.ca in the blue box