Issue 2 - September 15 2011

10 YEARS AFTER 9/11 page 3

the newspaper University of Toronto’s Independent Weekly

Vol. XXXIV N0. 2

MARTÍN WALDMAN The Monday that brought the news of Jack Layton’s death had the surreal feeling of days that we suspect will stick in our shared memory for a very long time. With the collective wind knocked out of so many stomachs in Canada, many sought instant confirmation in the social media sphere, perhaps in the faint hope that whatever text message or phone call that filled us in had somehow been a mistake. What soon followed, in the online and physical worlds, were emotional tributes that transcended political leanings and amazed through their passion and sheer number.

The genuine (despite comments made in that editorial by Christie Blatchford) and spontaneous nature of this outpouring, confirmed in chalk all over Nathan Phillips Square, at least gave the comfort that my feeling of deep loss was not unusual. Where the feeling was rooted though, and what Jack Layton had come to represent to me,

warranted further reflection.

Jack Layton’s election as NDP leader roughly coincided with my first major engagement with Canadian politics, as a bewildered 11th grade student campaigning for the provincial NDP. Able only to recall a time when Jean Chrétien steamrolled competition with jokes about wetsuits and Shawinigan handshakes, there was something exciting about a mustachioed city councilor who spoke with conviction and played guitar, even if a politics teacher or family friend worried that he might be too camera-friendly.

Years later, during my last months of a political science degree at the University of Guelph, a low-key gathering for the riding’s federal NDP candidate was set to begin at the best pub downtown for decent beer. Vaguely aware of the event, and following a usual weeknight route, a group of glossy-eyed fourth years entered the pub and

Continued on page 2

RIDING WITH HEART

SHEHARA W

FAREWELL, JACK

BLOTTERS Occurrence type: Mischief Location: MSB Date: 2011-09-04 Details: A person reported graffiti on an interior wall.

Occurrence type: Theft Location: Flavelle House (Exterior) Date: 2011-09-08 Details: A person reported a stolen podium.

Occurrence type: Dispute Location: Sidney Smith Hall Date: 2011-0913 Details: A person reported a dispute. All was in order.

GEOFF VENDEVILLE

Occurrence type: Trespass Location: 40 Sussex Avenue Date: 2011-09-09 Details: Three people were issued Provincial Offences Tickets for trespassing.

OUR CRUCIVERBALIST, ANDREW WALT, SITS DOWN FOR A CHAT WITH SAM ROBERTS > PAGE

September 15, 2011

GEOFF VENDEVILLE In 2006, Alex Holton suffered an 8cm dissection of the aorta, a tear in the wall of the aorta interrupting blood supply to the organs normally irrigated by this major artery. He was immediately rushed to hospital where he underwent emergency surgery. After his operation, neither he nor his girlfriend Vanessa Parlette, in her last year of a PhD in urban geography at U of T, believed they could resume the active lifestyle they had previously shared. Former hobbies such as rock climbing and canoe camping were now permanently off limits to Holton because of his strict pulse and weight limit.

He and Parlette also doubted whether they could ever fulfill their long-held ambition to cycle across Canada.

This summer, however, after a lengthy physical and psychiatric rehabilitation at the Toronto Western Hospital, Holton accompanied Parlette on an 8000 km bicycling trip from Vancouver to St. John’s, raising money for the Cardiac Health FoundaContinued on page 8

the news LAYTON

2

September 15, 2011

THE NEWSPAPER ARCHIVES

Continued from page 1

Jack Layton, speaking at Hart House, shortly after becoming the NDP leader back in 2003.

the newspaper Editor-in-Chief Cara Sabatini

Arts Desk

News Desk

Suzie Balabuch Vanessa Purdy

Geoff Vendeville

Photo Editor Bodi Bold

Web Editor Andrew Walt

Contributors

Suzie Balabuch, Aberdeen Berry, Bodi Bold, Dan Christensen, Yukon Damov, Max “Crazy Legs” Gallow, Vanessa Purdy, Animesh Roy, Martín Waldman, Shehara W, Andrew Walt, Mike Winters

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.

took a booth. Moments later, Mr. Layton himself walked past with a half-pint glass in hand.

“Hey Jack!”

“Hi guys!”

There was nothing remarkable about a party leader showing up to a local candidate’s pub night. But there was a strange comfort and familiarity that we all felt in the brief resulting interaction, as if calling him by anything other than his first name was ridiculous. Here was a politician as wily and crafty as any, but with social skills to go along with political astuteness, a combination that felt and remains so rare among our recent federal politicians. Looking back at the discussion that followed our own clinking of glasses with the NDP leader, I realize that he came to define, for me, a belief that progressive ideas need not be pushed to the margins of our national politics.

An increase of two million votes over the previous election, a neartripling of seats in parliament, and a demolition of the traditional bal-

ance of power in Canadian party politics; the NDP’s achievements in the 2011 election still seem difficult to process. With the Liberal Party in shambles and the Bloc Québecois facing its deepest existential dilemma, Layton became (with the exception of Elizabeth May’s oneperson Green Party caucus) the only opposition leader in the House of Commons. It was the moment for a skilled, passionate and courageous leader of the federal opposition to really stick it to the most partisan Prime Minister in Canadian history. Perhaps that’s why it was even harder to accept that now is the moment Jack Layton left us; on the heels of the unlikely and remarkable crowning achievement of a 30-year political career, and in the very moment that we as citizens needed him more than ever before.

Leading a list of candidates brimming with youth and inexperience, faced with the same archaic electoral system as ever, and leaning heavily on a cane, Layton helped accomplish one of the greatest elec-

toral achievements yet. While still a fresh one, and with the overall results yet to be seen, he showed us that it could be done. He showed us how it was done.

Perhaps because of my age, or perhaps because of a Toronto upbringing, Jack Layton and his tremendous moustache embodied an optimism and idealism that I could only admire and strive towards, regardless of whether or not I agreed with his every political maneuver.

Reading and re-reading the words of his final open letter, I discovered just how big the resulting void would be and what the man had meant to my own interaction with Canadian politics.

When he was asked the predictable questions about his surprisingly young Québec caucus, and their alarming lack of experience, Layton’s reply was this: “I don’t share this notion that a young person is somehow not qualified.”

What better answer to hear from a 60-year-old veteran politician?

the debate

September 15, 2011

3

10 YEARS LATER > what the newspaper felt then

The pro

DO THE POLICE NEED MORE POWER? The con

YUKON DUKON

ANDREW WALT

There is a common response to the idea of increased police powers: many citizens are initially skeptical of it, concerned that it may infringe on rights and freedoms. These concerns are sometimes legitimate. Western governments are not exempt from recent historical examples of rights’ abuses. Despite the real possibility of expanded powers leading to increased abuses, the clauses of the Terrorist Act that to be debated do not by themselves necessarily do so.

While whatever decision is eventually made will affect only a small group of people, the implementation of these clauses will be a deep reflection of our societal values. The advantageous verdict will reveal that in order to enjoy a free nation, after a healthy debate, we decided that the circle of certain individuals’ freedoms had to tighten in order for us to continue as we are.

The issue is that these clauses allow for a vague space where the innocent might be arrested without due cause, and henceforth subjected to unfair detention. But these clauses do not disintegrate the ground on which the rule of law stands. These clauses are not enacted or debated in secret, and there are avenues by which guilty members of the security apparatus may be held accountable should offences occur.

While neither primary nor non-existent is the threat of terrorism, if we agree that it exists in some tangible form, history suggests that such attacks are extraordinary, subtle and involve kinds of deceit that work at the level of the individual.

Traditional methods of defence have failed before, and by consequence our world has become murkier, and our rights and freedoms have become less clear. This does not mean that they are slipping towards erosion. It means that extraordinary protective powers have been given for defence against an extraordinary kind of warfare.

Stephen Harper wants to reinstate anti-terrorism clauses that extend police power. The clauses have previously allowed for preventive detention of suspects for up to 72 hours, granted police the ability to arrest terrorism suspects without a warrant and enabled judges to compel witness to testify.

In the aftermath of the horrors of 9/11, the very real and continued threats of terrorism forced governments worldwide to consider the balance between national vigilance and human rights. That is to say, how much liberty can we afford to sacrifice – if any – for the sake of security?

Our response was the Canadian Anti-Terrorism Act, which included certain controversial clauses that dramatically increase police powers, namely “preventative detention” and “investigative hearing.” The former enables police to detain suspects for up to 72 hours without a warrant, while the latter enables a judge to imprison witnesses if they refuse being forced to testify in secret.

These are extreme measures which severely undermine the freedoms of individual citizens. Fortunately these particular clauses are called into review every three years and have been expired since 2007. However, Prime Minister Harper now wants to reintroduce them, claiming that certain realities of the world in which we now live justify having the potential to exercise security measures beyond ethical protocol, should the situation demand it.

However, it must be noted that over the years when the preventative detention clause was available, it was never employed. So why exactly is it necessary now? Indeed, the world has changed in the ten years since 9/11; it’s proven that these extreme security measures have no place in Canada.

The potential exists for preventative detention to be abused more than used justifiably. Last summer’s G20 in Toronto demonstrated that even capable authorities can mishandle extraordinary powers, a precedent that proves the allowance of aggressive preemptive measures does more harm than good.

With that, let us remember the words of Benjamin Franklin: “Any society that would give up a little liberty for a little security will deserve neither and lose both.”

You decide which argument smoked the other. Visit thenewspaper.ca and vote in the poll at the bottom of this article!

the inside

4

September 15, 2011

DEAR SUZIE Hot Yam! serves up responsible noms SUZIE NEWSIE answers your questions

U of T’s vegan food collective returns with ambitious plans

SUZIE BALABUCH

Every week, the newspaper’s resident advice columnist helps you out with your issues, no matter how big or small. Email Suzie at suzienewsie@gmail. com, or submit (anonymously, of course!) at thenewspaper.ca, in the purple box on the left.

Dear Suzie, I’ve had a crush on a female friend of mine for a while (I am a guy). She’s trouble, and I’m a trouble magnet (I was in a toxic relationship for a long time, and got out of it a few years ago). Although she likes to tease me, I’m pretty sure she automatically exiled me to the friend zone when we first met, which sucks.

I’m really into her, and I can’t help but feeling that there is some real potential there. What to do?

Sincerely, Stranded in the friend zone Dear Stranded, Being in the friend zone sucks, and I feel for you. It’s like being stuck in the burbs, with all the cool city stuff constantly out of reach. That being said, your reference to being a “trouble magnet” should be a giant red flag for you. Your brain is frantically trying to tell you to stay away from said troublesome female, while your forgetful heart is

telling you to take another leap!

Listen to your brain, because the leap your lovesick heart wants to make is into the arms of someone who is not there to catch you.

Sincerely, Suzie Dear Suzie, Does Edmund Burke make a convincing argument that a legislator should decide his vote based on his own reason and judgment, even if that vote is unpopular with his constituents?

What rules would you suggest to help a member of Congress decide between his own judgment and his constituents’ desires?

And, does size really matter?

Dear Anonymous, Edmund Burke’s reasoning on the role of a legislator is very compelling, and stands the test of time. In any scenario in life where you have to answer to more than just yourself, it is ultimately damaging for you, and your constituents/boss/audience/co-workers, to compromise your own maturity, conscience, and acumen. As for the questions of size, we can turn to dear Edmund: “It is the nature of all greatness not to be exact.”

Sincerely, Suzie

U of T’s vegan foodies have made a triumphant return in the new school year, just in time to rescue you from that soggy slice of pizza. Hot Yam! is the entirely volunteer run vegan food collective, to which the Graduate Student Union has given the green light to open a full-time vegan cafe on the 2nd floor of the GSU building.

As the culinary landscape on campus tends to be a little bleak, Giovanna Thron, a member of the Hot Yam! team, is excited about the cafe venture (to be names Sweet Peas Cafe).

This observation by the Hot Yam! founders led them to the creation of the popular vegan alternative.

“It’s a lot of big companies making really bad food and charging a lot of money for it,” says Thron, “And the Hot Yam! decided they wanted some food on campus that was healthy, good and good for the world.”

Thron emphasizes that, in

fact, only a few Hot Yam! members are vegans, and the collective aims to accommodate people of varying dietary choices and restrictions. “The main reason we are [vegan] is because we want to be accessible and we want any member to be able to eat there.” Tron goes on to say, “That also means that we take into account allergies and try to at least not have gluten in it, or nuts.”

The group started with a $300 grant from UTERN, the University of Toronto’s Envi-

ronmental Students Union. It now serves 200 people healthy, mostly locally grown food every Wednesday at the Centre for International Experience. Now with the promise of a full-time vegan cafe, the food options at U of T are looking a little bit brighter.

Hot Yam! will begin their weekly $4 lunch programs on Sept. 21 from 12-2 at the Centre for International Experience, 33 St. George Street. Check out www.hotyam.ca for upcoming info on Sweet Peas Cafe.

Funding goes down the toilet U of T prof aims for more efficient toilets ANIMESH ROY In an effort to address poor sanitary conditions faced in the developing world, including an estimated 2.6 billion people, Professor Yu-Ling Cheng of the University of Toronto has been granted $400 000 to devise an economical toilet that can run “off the grid, with no access to running water, sewage systems or electricity.”

The grant, awarded by the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation, is part of $3 million donation given to 8 universities around the world. U of T is the only Canadian university involved in the project.

The winning design of the “Reinvent the Toilet Challenge” will not only be efficient, running on less than 5 cents per day, but will also break down raw sewage into useful byprod-

ucts, such as fertilizer and clean water, in a matter of hours (much faster than conventional compost toilets).

Efforts made by the winners of the grant, working independently, have already given rise to some highly innovative possibilities. Professor Michael Hoffman of the California Institute of Technology aims to design a solar “self-powered human waste treatment facility” that breaks down sewage into hydrogen gas, which could then be used to power fuel cells.

Cheng, head of the Centre for Global Engineering, is following a different approach.

Using “mechanical drying and smoldering,” her team plans to sanitize feces within 24 hours.

“It is essentially a dry and burn procedure. There are lots of technical details to work out, but it will be a fast process,” she explained. Apart from being drawn to a project with the po-

tential to “improve the lives of billions of people,” Cheng also recognized the research opportunities it offered to the faculty and to university students. The current phase of the challenge involves designing and building a prototype. Subsequent fieldtesting is scheduled to be conducted in Bangladesh.

In addition to health benefits, the prospect of safe, affordable sanitation in third-world areas offers enormous economic advantages. The World Health Organization has estimated a monetary gain of $9 billion, due to reduced health care costs and productivity gains.

Despite the aim of the challenge to cater to the poorest parts of the globe, Cheng recognizes the benefits it would offer to developed nations, stating that a clean toilet that required no power, water or sewage system would offer benefits to any part of the world.

the inside

September 15, 2011

5

Between the text The Corrections, as reviewed by a pretentious university student

Tomorrow’s Professionals Apply Today!

Apply Online!

ABERDEEN BARRY The first thing that any reviewer of Jonathan Franzen’s 2001 novel, The Corrections, must admit is that it is an awfully clever book. Franzen is a quickwitted and incisive author, perhaps to a fault. Clocking in at 566 pages in paperback, The Corrections is a hefty tome. At such lengths, his tendencies towards postmodern glibness grow grating.

The novel follows a stereotypical Midwestern suburban family that is dysfunctional under the surface, which neatly mirrors the malaise of modern society. The parents, Alfred and Enid, represent two sides of the social ideal of the fifties. They have three children: Gary, the depressed banker; Chip, the pompous intellectual; and Denise, who is essentially a lesbian version of Dagny Taggart (a workaholic übermensch of Ayn Rand).

None of these characters are at all likable. The plot centers upon Enid’s desire to recreate one last time a family Christmas

in the face of Alfred’s precipitous decline into Parkinson’s disease, and the various personal crises of their children.

At times, Franzen provides hilariously penetrating satire, such as in Chip’s various efforts to write a screenplay about his failed affair with a student. He also offers occasionally surprising depth and sincerity, for instance. However, he leaves readers with the final impression that he is trying to cram too much social commentary into the work. A science-fictional scene involving Enid and her acquisition of a drug known alternately as “Aslan” and “Mexican A” comes to mind, which gives the novel a somewhat inconsistent tone.

On the whole, this book will be an enjoyable read for fans of either Tom Wolfe’s Bonfire of the Vanities or Don DeLillo’s White Noise, though your reviewer insists on a final caveat: under no circumstances should you make her mistake of choosing to read this book while on a family vacation.

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September 15, 2011: Last day to create an account for the online application October 3, 2011: Application deadline

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November 1, 2011: Application deadline for first-year English programs February 1, 2011: Application deadline for first-year French programs May 1, 2012: Application deadline for upper-year programs

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December 1, 2011: Application deadline for English programs March 1, 2012: Application deadline for French programs

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January 6, 2012: Application deadline

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THE CROSSWORD BY ANDREW WALT

Across 1. Egg maker 4. Possesses 7. Tetley product

10. Musician ___ Turner 13. Common opinion softening acronym 14. Sense of self

15. Rodent 16. Is able to 17. A Dali painting, for example 19. Era

20. Before, poetically 21. Horror series “A Nightmare on ___ Street” 22. Frozen water 23. Health resort 24. Auditory organs 27. Mature wise man 29. A piece 31. Protest 32. Homer Simpson’s bartender 33. Overtly masculine 34. Plus 35. Negative prefix 36. Walkie-___ 37. Fringes of civilization 40. German equivalent of “Mister” 43. Wrath 44. Actress Tina ___ 47. Spoken 48. Scam 50. Time long since passed 51. Roman Artemis 53. Makes a mistake 54. Massive storage tank 55. Everything 56. Guy’s counterpart 58. Make a wager 59. Director ___ Roth 60. Feel hopeless 64. Single 65. Far less than an ocean, but not quite a lake 66. Acronym of an Irish revolutionary force 67. Poet Edgar Allen ___ 68. Mule 69. Pyschotropic drug 70. Clairvoyance 71. Formal black suit, for short Down 1. Not hers 2. Flightless bird

3. Niether... ___ 4. Achilles’ weak point 5. Achilles’ commander and rival 6. Sun 7. Hint of evidence 8. Enthusiastic 9. Consumed 10. What you might apply to a bruise 11. Capital of Pakistan 12. Chemical suffix 18. Relaxation 22. Twin 23. Navy force 24. Epoch 25. Assistance 26. Fishing tool 28. Bird on our dollar coin 30. Gardening tool 33. Taint 37. Apple or pear 38. 2010 Bruce Willis film 39. It’s used to make steel 40. Horse food 41. Drag racing evidence 42. Turns 44. “___ whom the bell tolls” 45. Wander 46. Word of assent 49. Squeal of help 51. Racer Earnhardt and his son 52. The book which 4 and 5 down are about 57. Posthaste!

58. Feathery scarf 59. Course for those new to English 60. Be killed 61. Appropriate 62. Note of debt 63. Latin word for king

the inside

6

September 15, 2011

TAYLOR DIXON

FIND YOURSELF, FROSH

BELOVEDWEBEDITOR,CRUCIVERBALIST, LATINSCHOLARsharesfirstbeerwithSAMROBERTS ANDREW WALT As part of U of T’s frosh week and orientation festivities hosted by UTSU, Canadian rock star Sam Roberts performed a free concert at the back campus behind University College on Friday, September 9. We managed to sit down with Sam Roberts before the show for a beer and a quick interview, in which we discuss his new album, the perks of playing campus crowds, and the Canadian rock and roll dream. the newspaper: Do you play campus crowds and frosh weeks often?

Sam Roberts: I’d say we probably play about two or three a year. Strangely enough it just started to sink in that frosh week is often a person’s very first rock and roll show. Just because you’re 18 or 19 doesn’t mean you’ve been hitting the clubs. Music lovers, perhaps, but for a lot of people this ends up being a real memory of sorts in that it’s their first time being exposed to live music. So with that comes a sense of responsibility to make sure that these shows are good ones because you can make some lifelong fans playing these gigs.

Tell us about the new al-

bum, “Collider.”

Well, it was written in a basement. It didn’t have particularly auspicious beginnings, it was just one of those things where winter settled in in Montreal and I went down in the basement and started writing music because our tour had ended and I had all these songs that I’d been bottling up for a long time and I really wanted to flush them out and see what would come. It started off with a folk riff in “Streets of Heaven” that could’ve easily led to a completely different record. But because I added a more sort of groove oriented dance beat to it, it basically set the blueprint for

the whole record, in a way.

What’s the reaction to the “Collider” tour been like?

I think the rhythmic nature of this record has really sort of given a new dimension to what we do on stage. All of a sudden we’re able to shift the show in a different direction every night, and that’s really important for a band who’s trying to keep an audience really engaged. If we went back and I think if we made the same record over and over and over again, the show would become so samey from start to finish that it’s hard to create that sense of a journey.

Whereas now with “Collider”

we can turn on this new sort of perspective and all of a sudden you draw people’s attention in a completely new way. They move differently, they’re engaged with the band differently, so it’s been working really well so far.

What does the future hold for Sam Roberts?

That is a good question; I wish I could tell you. And if you have any clues, let me know too. But if I’ve learned anything, it’s to expect the unexpected.

For a recording and transcript of our full interview, head to www.thenewspaper.ca

7

September 15, 2011

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the arts

8

MAX GALLOW

September 15, 2011

THE DIRT UNDER THE RED CARPET

An expensive pair of over-sized designer sunglasses, a pair of especially painful looking stilettos, and a dress that costs more than some people's automobiles. On her arm, he is wearing a pristine pair of Ray-Bans, and a suit that probably costs almost as much as her dress. The hair, too, looks glamorous. You might expect her hair to look good; after all, she got it done for the premiere, and it matches the thick layer of foundation, the blush, the lipstick, and the dark eyeliner on her face. But his hair is a different story. His hair looks good in the same way that Richard Gere's hair looks out of place in almost all of his roles. It's cut and moussed perfectly, and it makes one wonder why a straight, (supposedly) masculine producer of schlocky Australian teensploitation spends hundreds of dollars on

MAX “Crazy Legs” GALLOW SPILLS EVERYTHING

a haircut.

But what really jars about this scene is not the extravagantly wardrobed couple in question, or the other similarly extravagant people nearby. If I were standing by the red carpet outside Roy Thompson Hall for a Gala Premiere of a Hollywood film with real Hollywood stars, I would hardly be surprised.

Instead, it all takes place in the main lobby of the AMC at Yonge and Dundas where swarms of volunteers in garish bright orange t-shirts, along with other average people, in jeans, tshirts, and hoodies, waiting to see the film, which has no stars, and barely merits the two twoparagraph blurb reviews it re-

RIDING WITH HEART tion of Canada and spreading awareness about cardiovascular disease. Initially, they had hoped to raise $16,000; when they reached the finish line in St. John’s two weeks ago, they had raised $33,292.36. These funds will be used to endow a scholarship on cardiac rehabilitation research and to support the training of staff members at rehab centres across Canada.

Their journey “from sea to sea” on tour bikes loaded with 70 lbs of gear was even more arduous than they had expected. “TODAY. WAS. HARD,” they wrote on their travel blog after climbing the steep Allison Pass leading to Hope, BC. On the way, they came across a pack of grizzlies and had to “flag down a car beside us to serve as a shield between us and an enormous bear.” Although the ride through mountainous British Columbia was the most grueling leg of their trip, each province, they said, presented a different and equally daunting challenge. “It rained everyday in New Brunswick. We had a headwind every single day in

Manitoba, and the terrain, although very beautiful, gets kind of repetitive at the same time, too. And stretching into Nova Scotia, by then you’re starting to get really mentally tired.”

Holton and Parlette stopped at 16 cardiac rehab centres across the country, where they encouraged patients not to lose hope of reaching a comparable level of physical fitness. “After surgery,” Holton said, “I, like many other people, had feelings of inadequacy and depression. I didn’t know what was [physically] possible.” These feelings are particularly prevalent among young people like Holton himself. “Especially when you’re younger you have a tendency to think you’re the only person going through this, and it’s this insurmountable thing, but when you get to know other people have gone through the same thing it makes it normal and OK.” To donate to the Cardiac Health Foundation, please visit Holton and Parlette’s blog at avclubbiking.ca.

ceived in either of Toronto's altweekly newspapers.

But what this scene suggests is the sad truth that the independent film community is basically a third-world industry.

Volunteers are asked to work for little reward, lowly publicist interns such as myself receive only an honorarium, and entertainment journalists sell their dignity and write puff pieces for less than enough to live on; but the select few, the producers, the executives, the buyers, and the sellers rake in 6 to 7 digit salaries for their services in an industry, independent film, in which the product is rarely profitable.

The film in question, a low

budget Australian thriller about teenagers who do too many drugs and have too much sex, may never find a North American distributor. With its lack of stars, low profile, and weak reviews, it never really had a chance, beyond a low key DVD release, but the money was still found to fly in producers and talent from Sydney. The director can't really be blamed. He's a smart young artist who affably quizzed me on the Toronto music scene and expressed genuine admiration of local bands and artists like Fucked Up and PS I Love You. Although the movie isn't very good, it's still his baby, and he'll do whatever he's told by the folks that put up the

money. Likewise, the cast can't be blamed. A complementary trip to Toronto to schmooze and to advance their own careers. They're a group of young people that will take anything their agent sends them.

And herein lies the dilemma, how does one break “independent cinema” away from those with money, away from those that waste money, away from those that don't get that their careers, and the films they make, often with the help of tax credits and state subsidies, do not entitle them to their salaries. It might be nice to think that independent films exist despite their situations, despite small audiences and lack of funding, but after a few years interning at the Toronto International Film Festival, it becomes more obvious that the independent film industry may not be an industry of scarcity, but rather, one of inequity.

September 15, 2011

Contagion: Could spread the fear on a little thicker DAN CHRISTENSEN Off the heels of reneging on his proclamation that he would quit filmmaking, veteran director Steven Soderbergh delivers us Contagion, an ensemble thriller boasting a Hollywood who’s-who cast.

We are presented with the outbreak and accelerated worldwide spread of a mysterious virus contracted by Beth Emhoff (Gwyneth Paltrow) in Hong Kong, which kills its subjects in a matter of hours.

The story is told primarily from the perspective of a series of professionals from the Centre for Disease Control and the World Health Organization, which Ellis Cheever, played by Lawrence Fishburne, and his protegé Erin Mears, played

by Kate Winslet, along with Marion Cotillard as Leonora Orantesand, who all attempt to respond to the epidemic and develop a vaccine.

It may seem like an odd choice to make a group of office-dwellers the centre of your disaster story and the dramatic impotence implied by such a choice is translated onto the screen.

We imagine the screenwriter watching Blindness after completing a draft, another recent epidemic film whose disease follows a similar course, and which revelled melodramatically in the terror of a society starved of leadership and order, and returning to his computer determined to avoid the broad and cheesy mistakes he’d just witnessed. Sadly, in so doing he seems to have wiped away the fear that is intended to translate to the audience.

It might be unfair to focus solely on the suits, as we spend a fair amount of the film with Mitch Emhoff (Matt Damon), a grieving husband and father obsessed with his surviving daughter’s purity, and Alan Krumwiede (Jude Law) a conspiracy theorist blogger who claims to have found a homeopathic remedy to the virus.

However, when these two characters must shoulder the bulk of the epidemic’s impact on the public, and one of them is resolutely motivated to stay in the house and ensure his daughter does the same, while the other is most comfort-

able in front of his computer screen, they do not offer much of a reprieve from the mostly dispassionate exploits of their upper-level health worker counterparts.

Luckily, the curious absence of dramatic tension and reticence to plunge into the emotions of the characters with any depth does not doom the picture. The film is saved by the fantastic direction from Soderbergh as well as superlative performances of its talented main cast, complimented by cameos and supporting performances by the likes of Elliott Gould, Bryan Cranston, Jennifer Ehle, Demitri Martin and John Hawkes.

The talents that appear throughout Soderbergh’s varied filmography, making him both bankable for the studios and consistently interesting for audiences, coalesce here more than ever before.

The lighting we saw in Erin Brockovich appears here in the form of a colour scheme dominated by sickly yellows haunting the health workers wherever they go (traded on heavily in the promotional materials), alternating with sterile blues plaguing Mitch’s isolation.

Soderbergh manages to maintain the stylish feeling of his Ocean’s trilogy while leaving behind the overt flashiness.

This move defines the director’s transition to something of an elusive auteur in this film: from the opening frames we can tell this is distinctively a Soderbergh film, yet without simply responding that it feels like a good movie, it’s difficult to pinpoint why.

Rounded out by a terrific electronic score (with occasionally orchestral high-impact flourishes) in the vein of Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’ Oscarwinner from this time last year, Contagion brings us what we might imagine from the trailer: a classy thriller bolstered by great performances, despite betraying the horror-movie status the publicity has conferred upon it.

Lastly, it seems I was not alone in feeling that the film did not leave me upon returning from the theatre. When leaving the bathroom after the film, never in my life had I seen a crowd so eager to wash their hands.

the arts

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the arts

10

September 15, 2011

U.T.S.U. is YOUR Students’ Union. We are governed by a Board of Directors elected by YOU. Our campaigns and services are shaped by YOU. Our aim is to provide services and events that save you money and enrich your university experience.

The University of Toronto Students’ Union is holding its Fall 2011 by-elections to fill the following positions:

SEAT(S)

POSITION DIVISION I New College

One (1)

Transitional Year Program (TYP)

One (1)

DIVISION II Faculty of Medicine

One (1)

Faculty of Law

One (1)

Faculty of Physical Health & Education

One (1)

Ontario Institute of Studies in Education of the University of Toronto (OISE)

One (1)

To run for a position, pick up a nomination package during the nomination period at the U.T.S.U. office. Please keep in mind the dates and deadlines.

DATES Election Nominations (All Positions)

Friday, October 7, 2011, 09:00 to Friday, October 14, 2011, 16:00

Election Campaign Period

Tuesday, October 18, 2011, 09:00 to Thursday, October 27, 2011, 18:00

Election Voting Period

Wednesday, October 26, 2011, 10:00 and Thursday, October 27, 2011, 18:00

For more information, visit your Students’ Union website at www.utsu.ca or contact the Chief Returning Officer at cro@utsu.ca U.T.S.U. St. George Office: 12 Hart House Circle Monday – Friday 09:00 to 16:00 Weekends CLOSED

the arts

September 15, 2011

Indie game spotlight: Minecraft

11

Every week, Andrew Walt showcases a different indie game and explains why you should play it and how to obtain it. This week, we celebrate the release of Minecraft’s long awaited “Adventure Update” (v1.8) with a look at this indie sensation from Sweden Chances are you’ve heard of Minecraft. A game created

by Swedish developer Markus “Notch” Persson, Minecraft drops players into randomly generated worlds of near infinite possibility with a peculiar balance of creativity and survival. Daytime in Minecraft is characterized by happy architects methodically collecting resources and constructing, while nighttime forces players indoors as monsters roam the land threatening to ruin your hard work.

Astonishingly, Minecraft has become quite the phenomenon.

Still technically in pre-release beta, this quirky little game has already sold nearly 3.5 million copies, generating enough revenue for Notch to establish his own game design company and hire a staff of developers. In fact Minecraft has become so popular and successful that it’s even inspired its own convention – MineCon – to be held in Las Vegas this November.

So what exactly is it about Minecraft that’s lit the gaming world on fire? Comparisons can easily be drawn to Lego and creative hobbies like model railroads, both of which

tend to spark the imagination with grand projects while fostering the patience to see them to completion. You could even argue that there’s a bizarre artistic allure to a landscape comprised of vibrant 16 x 16 pixel cubes, coupled with the peaceful serenity of a private world of limitless possibility and sparse soothing tunes. Plus an enthusiastic community of modders and amateur designers certainly helps, too.

But personally, I find the pride in stepping back after an arduous build to gaze upon the manifest wonders of my imagi-

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nation Minecraft’s greatest reward. It’s one thing to snap your fingers and will your whims into existence, but actually gathering and quarrying your resources, fashioning the tools necessary for their refinement, and constructing your masterpiece block by block; that’s true satisfaction.

Yesterday saw the release of the long anticipated “Adventure Update” (v1.8) which both further varies game worlds and improves the gameplay mechanics. It’s final release on PC and Xbox 360, however, is currently due for November, with pocket

versions for the Android and iOS platform coming soon.

As for now, you can buy into the beta (v1.8) for $21.95 and try a free stripped down version (v0.3) on www.minecraft.net.

Thanks to v1.8, now is probably the best opportunity to give it a shot yet. Just be warned: Minecraft is very much able to ruin your life as you find yourself mining and crafting well into the wee hours of the morning.

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Koffler Student Services Centre • 214 College St • Toronto • ON • (416) 640-7900 Varsity Sports Store • 55 Harbord St, Athletic Centre • Toronto • ON • (416) 977-8220 Campus Xpress at Innis • 111A St George St, Innis College Residence, South Entrance • Toronto • ON • (416) 978-0805

www.uoftbookstore.com

12

September 15, 2011

2011-2012 University of Toronto Students Union

OPT IN & OPT OUT your health PERIODS Students STARTING in SEPTEMBER:

AUG. 29 - OCT. 7, 2011 Students STARTING in JANUARY:

JAN. 3 - FEB. 3, 2012 OPT OUT at: studentplans.ca OPT IN at: U.T.S.U. 12 Hart House Circle For more information: Dan Gillespie health@utsu.ca 416-978-4911 ext. 227

utsu.ca/health

benefits