the backpage
the arts
A carpe noctem guide to Nuit Blanche
The social nitwit
page 8
page 4
the newspaper University of Toronto’s Independent Weekly
Vol. XXXIII N0. 3
It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s...an ornithopter!
Proposed changes to A&S meet opposition at town halls
JAMAIAS DACOSTA
YUKON DAMOV
DAVE BELL
By this time next year, the Faculty of Arts and Science may experience considerable changes if major planks of its existing Academic Plan are implemented. This past week, two town halls were held as part of a public consultation process. There was broad opposition expressed toward the plan, including concerns surrounding the consultation process itself, as well as the economic rationale underpinning the plan. Before an almost-full OISE auditorium, Meric Gertler, the Dean of the Faculty of Arts & Science, made a short presentation before handling questions from concerned parties. In his responses and by extending the consultation process into next summer, the Dean showed a willingness to compromise on parts of the Plan that were most controversial. Such a disposition, combined with hefty opContinued on page 3
September 30, 2010
Students reacted against cuts made to A&S at two town halls held over the past week.
University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies (UTIAS) PhD student Todd Reichert has recently become kind of a big deal, especially in the world of aeronautical engineering. The last few weeks have been a whirlwind of international interviews and media coverage, making headlines in every major media outlet worldwide. The big deal is Reichert’s recent triumph: the world’s first fully functional, human powered ornithopter, which Reichert and his team have dubbed “Snowbird.” What exactly is an ornithopter, you may be wondering? According to Reichert, it is a lightweight aircraft that takes flight just as a bird would: through the flapping of wings. Reichert began his project four years ago under the supervision of Dr. James DeLaurier, Professor Emeritus at UTIAS. “Dr. D,” as he is affectionately known amongst his students, established a research team in the 1970s that eventually led to Continued on page 2
Making LOVE @ UT Given the daunting size of U of T’s student body, most students find asking for lecture notes a challenge, let alone finding “the one” on campus. Despite this, the students behind Love@UT believe they have the solution to this problem. Love@UT is a brand new online dating service designed to help U of T students in meeting new people, starting a new relationship, or simply making friends. The brainchild of Joey Nodalo, Matthew Saunders,
Samantha Joel, Andrew Danks and Lori Lee, Love@UT seeks to make campus a “more friendly and romantic place.” “The U of T student body is so large that it creates a barrier for students to be able to find others with whom they can develop a meaningful connection” explains Danks. “In addition, we all have assignments, tests, and perhaps part-time jobs which leaves little room for building a social life.” Unlike other online dating sites, which match individuals up using automated algorithms,
Love@UT puts the work in the hands of the students. Students create profiles for themselves containing information regarding their academics, their appearance and their lifestyle. In addition, they can also write up little blurbs to provide more personalized information about themselves. Other students can search these profiles by filtering a number of properties (such as program of study, campus, drinking habits, hair colour, etc) and Continued on page 3
DAVE BELL
MNRUPE VIRK
The lust-tron says it all.