the newspaper University of Toronto’s independent community paper
Volume XXXVIII Issue IV October 22nd 2015
Since 1978
Joyce Wong
“WEED ALL ABOUT IT!” INSIDE 3
DEMOCRACY U of T town hall tackles liberalism
5
SYRIA interview with a Damascus student
7
HALLOWEEN we list the best places to celebrate in downtown Toronto
BOOZE & SPOOKFEST @ the newspaper Thursday, October 29th 8PM til ?AM 256 McCaul Street BYOB & BYOC (bring your own costume)
High expectations for Trudeau’s majority by Dylan Hornby On Monday, Canadians handed Justin Trudeau and the Liberal Party a surprise majority government, putting a concrete end to nearly a decade of Stephen Harper’s rule. It was one of the greatest political comebacks in Canadian history, and the party’s gain of 148 seats is the largest in our electoral history. Trudeau floated into office on a bed of significant spending promises, and has promised a deficit to back them up. Nevertheless, while much has been made about new spending in a Trudeau government, less attention has been put on the new streams of revenue the Liberals have promised to introduce, one of the most lucrative being the regulation and taxation of marijuana. Marijuana was the first step in the slow, calculated rebuilding of a Liberal Party in shambles after the 2011 election. It started in January 2012 during a biennial policy convention in Montreal, when 77 per cent of its members voted to make the legalization and regulation of marijuana party policy. When Trudeau won the nomination in 2013, the Liberal leader’s admission to smoking pot “about five or six times in my life” (woah) equally captivated the media spotlight. In this sense, it would seem that longtime advocates for legal cannabis would have a major political ally for the first time in the Liberals. Nevertheless, Trudeau has little enthusiasm to tie his party to the existing culture of marijuana activism. After all, these people were treated as criminals under Harper, and even previous Liberal governments.
Jodie Emery, wife of Canada’s “Prince of Pot” Marc Emery, even tried to run for the Liberal nomination in Vancouver East, and despite touting an open nomination process for candidates, the party quickly rejected her bid. While Conservative attack ads would suggest Trudeau would scheme with these people, our next Prime Minister has echoed our last one in some concerning ways on pot. Trudeau voted for Bill C-15 in 2009, a bill that would have imposed mandatory minimum sentences for cannabis possession and dealing. He was also an opponent of the party’s initial shift to legalization in 2012. Despite the policy playing well overall for the Liberals, the new government’s actual strategy for legalizing weed is hazy at best. This is a crucial issue because the illegal cannabis industry in B.C. alone is worth more than $6 billion, which is more than B.C.’s forestry industry. Bringing this well-established illegal industry out of the shadows will be a tremendous undertaking. Yes, there are now precedents south of the border, but a state like Colorado is one thing. How does the world’s second largest country regulate weed for a population of over 35 million people? Will the legal marijuana industry be provincially-run like alcohol and tobacco? Will we see that truly apocalyptic future where people can buy pot in corner stores like Stephen Harper warned? Or will we see the establishment of government-run LCBO-type stores (MCBO?) with specialty ‘vintages’ sections for the true cannabis connoisseurs? Let’s investigate some questions in detail...
CONTINUED ON PAGE 5
The UTSU is holding a Plebiscite. The proposal you are asked to consider is: “Are you in favour of moving the start of Orientation Week to a few days before Labour Day in order to allow for the introduction of a Fall Reading Week?”
Polling days: October 27-29 Polling times: 9:00am-6:00pm Polling locations: Galbraith, Sidney Smith, Gerstein, Wetmore, OISE, TYP, Old Vic
@UTSU98
Masthead
For more information, visit your Students’ Union website at utsu.ca or contact the Chief Returning Officer at cro@utsu.ca.
the newspaper
University of Toronto’s independent community paper since 1978 the newspaper is published by Planet Publications Inc., a non-profit corporation
Editor-In-Chief - Dylan Hornby Managing Editor - Zach Morgenstern Arts Editor - Prisca Lam Music Editor - Melissa Vincent Comment Editor - Fraser Allan-Best Online Editor - Isaac Thornley
Design Editor - Ariel Ryann Marketing Director - Neil McKenzie-Sutter Photo Editor - Stefan Bird Senior Copy Editor - Alina Butt Web Design - Christopher Bathgate Chief Custodian - Mathew Neeson
256 McCaul St. Suite 106 Toronto, ON M5T 1W5 thenewspaper@ gmail.com
Contributors Fraser Allan-Best, Stefan Bird, Alina Butt, Astoria Felix, Dylan Hornby, John Khoury, Prisca Lam, Hilary Lo, Zach Morgenstern, Grant Oyston, Emily Posteraro, Barbod Pournajar, Ariel Ryann, Joyce Wong All U of T community members, including students, alumni, faculty and staff are encouraged to contribute to the newspaper.
www.thenewspaper.ca
by Astoria Felix
the news 3
Resisting Democracy
photo by Stefan Bird
APUS town hall speaks on the “trauma” of liberalism by Zach Morgenstern
On October 15, with the Canadian federal election just around the corner, students and community members gathered at the Multi-Faith Centre to hear a series of speakers on the provocatively-titled theme of “resisting [liberal] democracy.” “You’d think we were asking for the bloody moon!” The first speaker, Deena Ladd, came from the Workers’ Action Centre, a labour rights organization with a particular focus on the struggles of racialized women. Her talk emphasized the struggles of Toronto workers, noting that over 50% of jobs in Toronto and Hamilton are unstable, temporary or part-time, and noted that these positions generally don’t even allow workers to take unpaid sick days. Ladd told the story of representing a woman who had spent years packing salads in a supermarket, not getting a raise and not getting to take sicks days off for the good of her and produce-seekers alike. Ladd also criticized conditions for workers employed by temp agencies. She told the story of Angel Reyes, who worked for almost five years as a garbage sorter. Reyes was hired through a temp agency, meaning he did not get the same pay and benefits as his fellow employees. He was fired by his employers without notice when he shared his story with the Toronto Star, and is now suing both his employer and the temp agency. Ladd did not directly denounce liberal democracy in her talk, but she did emphasize how hard it is to make gains for struggling workers in the current political environment. She noted the strong reaction from right-wing voices against last summer’s $0.75 increase in the minimum wage. “You’d think we were asking for the bloody moon!” she complained. Ladd noted that the fight for a $15 minimum wage is making progress in Canada and in the U.S., but attributed this success to movements, not politicians. She hailed the victory of the University of California system adopting an internal $15 minimum wage, and is eager to push for U of T to do the same. “His first word was ‘radio check.’” Tracey Mann of No One is Illegal, an organization committed to fighting for immigrant and First Nations rights,
spoke second and took on the issue of liberal democracy directly. She defined liberal democracy as being based in private property rights, political rights and civil rights. She denounced private property entirely and noted that political and civil rights are not easily accessible to the poor and undocumented. She noted there are between 150,000 and 200,000 undocumented immigrants in Toronto. Mann denounced the current Canadian political and legal climate as hostile towards immigrants. She criticized Bill C-51 for criminalizing certain forms of environmental activism and C-24 for labelling immigrants as uncommitted to citizenship if they need to return abroad to visit family members. She also spoke of squalid conditions in detention centers, telling the story of a mother whose son spent his infanthood in detention, noting “his first word was ‘radio check.’” Mann’s talk focused on one story in particular. On December 20, Lucia Vega Jimenez was caught travelling without a fare by TransLink police. TransLink has an agreement with Canadian Border Services, so, due to what Mann denounced as racial profiling, Jimenez was turned over and put in a Vancouver detention cell, where she hanged herself eight days later. “Where’s our law?” “The word ‘democracy’ is violent and traumatizing,” said Black Lives Matter organizer and York Federation of Students VP Campus Life Alexandria Williams. She went on to note that what is known today as democracy was built with slavery and colonialism. While noting she was more than happy to celebrate “Stephen Harper’s Going Away Party,” Williams focused her talk on Bill C-51 and the NDP and Liberal relationships to it. She expressed her support for the NDP voting down the proposed security legislation, but denounced their failure to discuss anti-black racism in their critique of expanding the Canadian security state. As for the Liberals, Williams said “basically, fuck Justin Trudeau.” The comment was in response not just to Trudeau’s support for C-51, but concerns he expressed about absent fathers and misogynistic lyrics in “certain types of music” that Williams saw as thinly-veiled anti-black racism.
Williams noted that African-Americans are killed once every 28 hours by police or vigilantes. She criticized the parliamentary parties for supporting various security laws that ignore the obvious insecurity and disproportionate incarceration rates faced by black people in North America. “Where’s our law?” she asked. Williams encouraged attendees to become familiar with what she described as an “uprising in Baltimore,” emphasizing that movement’s demands, which include no longer being called “enemy combatants” by the police. “I don’t actually exist.” Sabrine Azraq of Students for Justice in Palestine (UTSC) focused on how even the language surrounding the Canadian and Israeli states is colonial. “I’m a demographic threat,” she said, noting how she and fellow Palestinians are described in certain pro-Israel documents. Her co-presenter Abu Bakr noted that Israel refers to much of its Palestinian population as “Israeli-Arabs,” obscuring the reality that they are a distinct, colonized nation. “In order to exist, I need to fuck with the system,” Azraq explained. Bakr elaborated on Azraq’s criticisms, focusing his talk on how Western rhetoricians often frame Palestinians and Israelis as equal adversaries. He views this paradigm as ridiculous, noting that Palestine lacks an airforce and navy, and argues that even by Canadian and American standards Israel meets the definition of a rogue state. Azraq elaborated on how her identity is policed and disallowed by both the Canadian and Israeli states, which she noted are both settler colonialist entities. In Canada, she asked how someone like her could meaningfully vote when her choices are “three white Zionist men.” “Don’t tell me to vote,” she added. “That’s violent.” She also went on to say that while doing student union work, she had a poster on her door advertising her pro-Palestinian activism. After complaining to school administrators about threats she’d received from a confrontational Zionist, she was simply advised to take the poster down and keep the story a secret. Meanwhile, when visiting her family in Palestine, Azraq has to take an elaborate, indirect route that includes her having to go through Israeli check-
points. She denounced the absurdity of having to seek the permission of European teenagers to visit her home. “When it came to choosing between our peoples’ lives and waiting in traffic, they chose to take our lives.” Coty Zachariah, a Mohawk and black-Nova Scotian activist with the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS) Aboriginal Caucus, discussed the non-parallel experiences of First Nations and settler Canadians, noting the tragedy of people living on a reserve two hours from Toronto not having access to water that doesn’t give them leukemia. He also recalled the Oka Crisis, in which Mohawk protestors defending their land from being turned into a golf course were confronted by local police and the Canadian army. “When it came to choosing between our people’s lives and waiting in traffic, they chose to take our lives,” Zachariah exclaimed. At Zachariah’s school, George Brown, a student union executive complained about reading a First Nations land recognition statement (which is common practice at student union events), saying “they should just get over it already.” This prompted Zachariah to get involved in student politics. He eventually found himself lobbying at Parliament, where a Conservative MP kicked him and fellow CFS activists out of his office after just five minutes. A Liberal MP, meanwhile, made fun of Zachariah for not coming in a fancy suit. Zachariah noted his troubled relationship with liberal democracy. As a CFS activist, he encourages students to vote and genuinely believes in working to have student perspectives heard in Parliament. On the other hand, he struggles in relating to an electoral system in a country where native artifacts and inclusion-quotas are merely used to “redwash” a system that doesn’t care about people like him. Bemoaning the present hopelessness of Canadian democracy to First Nations, Zachariah stated, “My people didn’t land on Canada, Canada landed on us.”
4
the interview
The state of Syria Student life in Damascus by Grant Oyston
photo by John Khoury
the newspaper recently had the opportunity to speak via internet relay chat with a university student living in Syria about what life is like for those who are choosing not to leave. John Khoury is 19 and studies at Arab International University in Damascus. The conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity. The views expressed in this interview do not necessarily represent those of the newspaper.
every street and they search the cars for bombs or weapons or such. Still they don’t do that much good work, because sometimes cars slip by unsearched. I live in an apartment with my parents and my younger sister. My dad still works every day, but he can’t always go to the hospital that he works in because it’s right inside the line of fire. OYSTON: It’s amazing that he goes to work at all.
October 2, 2015
KHOURY: Yeah, well you gotta keep your family alive, you know. He is trying everyday to transfer me to a university outside of Syria. I study IT, so I want to continue my studies in English.
OYSTON: Tell me about life in Damascus right now. Are you safe where you are?
OYSTON: What would you say the main thing people outside Syria get wrong is?
KHOURY: I won’t call it safe, but it’s better than … most parts of this country. It’s still normal, but I’m worried everyday that ISIS or the other terrorists who call themselves the Free Syrian Army (FSA) will get into my city, especially because my house is like, in front of the line between our military and them. ISIS are not as close as the FSA, and while nothing has happened to me or my family, the FSA keeps throwing mortar bombs at the civilian spots in the city—from time to time, not always. My university had to change its place to a bunch of hotels because it was in a bad zone.
KHOURY: Hmm, well there’s a lot of things, but the main thing is our government, I think. It’s bad, but not as bad as those who are trying to take it down. And the most important thing: it respects Christians like me, not like the terrorists. People should stop thinking that the FSA will be a better government than the current one. If they’re willing to kill hundreds of innocent civilians to make the government weaker, then they’re not better than it, but worse.
OYSTON: How are living conditions? KHOURY: Last couple of weeks it was hell, electricity only came on for four hours a day, and those four hours were like half an hour every now and then. Last couple of days it got better, now it cuts three by three. We have gas but sometimes the supply will be low. Police are still working, courts not that much, but to be honest it’s not the police that keep things going. We have a military stop in
and he made it—he’s in Greece, trying to go to Germany like all the others, and then he can get his parents and siblings there easily by a plane. There are people who my parents know that didn’t survive. OYSTON: What do people think about foreign involvement? KHOURY: They love that Russia just got involved and is helping us (because Russia and China were the only ones in the beginning who supported us and not the terrorists) and we don’t like the rest getting involved, especially if the U.S. got more involved in it. OYSTON: What will be the hardest part of rebuilding Syria after the war ends? KHOURY: That’s really hard to say, but I think the hardest part will be [the] people. A lot of good people left Syria in these years, and especially in the last two months. I’m afraid that all the people that will be left here are bad ones. OYSTON: Have the last few years changed your religious views? Either your own, or about how you feel about Islam?
KHOURY: I want to believe that there’ll be, but I really doubt it. I will get out of here with my family before that happens. I don’t really know how, I just wish that it would happen. Transferring won’t work because the universities in Syria are no longer acceptable outside.
KHOURY: My view of religions in general didn’t change, but I got reminded of how the Islamic religion really is. The things you see on TV that ISIS does, that is the exact Islamic religion in its heart. People say it’s not representative of “real Islam,” I say yeah it’s the original, real Islam, though I don’t think that all Islamic people are like that. Of course the majority of Muslims will not follow their religion to the word, and these are the good types. Not that I mean people who don’t follow their religion are better, but in the case of the Islamic religion, I think that it’s true this way.
OYSTON: Do you know people who’ve left on the boats?
OYSTON: Have you travelled outside Syria much?
KHOURY: Yeah, a lot. Fortunately they made it. Even my cousin left a week ago,
KHOURY: Yeah, back when I was younger. I’ve been to Lebanon, Turkey, Malay-
OYSTON: Do you think there’s going to be a positive end as other countries get more involved?
sia, France, Jordan and Egypt. My favourite was France. When you’re a child, you see France (mostly Paris) in every single cartoon and it makes you want to go so bad, and of course because of Disneyland. OYSTON: Do you feel unlucky to be Syrian? I feel very lucky to be Canadian talking to you. KHOURY: No. I like Syria as a country. The years before the war were amazing. We didn’t have everything, yeah, but who cares? It was beautiful.
I spoke with John again nine days later and got a brief update on the situation. October 11, 2015 OYSTON: How have things been since we last talked? KHOURY: When you first talked to me, it was one of the worst times I experienced since the beginning of this war. That’s why I was a bit sad at the time. But from the last time we talked until now, things changed a lot. They got a bit better actually. Russia helping us really improved a lot of things. People for the first time have a bit of hope that this might end soon and the terrorists are getting afraid, so they aren’t throwing as many bombs as before. The Russian army got into Syria and they’re helping us beat the terrorists (ISIS and the FSA). They’re going for some hard-to-beat places first though, not near my city, so the threat of the terrorists next to my city is still there, but I think they’ll get to them sooner or later. It’s hard, but I’m having more hope than before of this ending. My cousin now got to Sweden. It’s hard for him because you know he’s away from his family, but the government there is giving them money and food, so it’s kinda good I think.
the legislation 5 “Weed all about it!” Continued from front page Provincial or Federal? While marijuana has been legalized in the states of Colorado, Oregon, Washington and the District of Columbia, there have still been hundreds of citations for using the drug in federal parks, even if they are in states where cannabis has been legalized. The current law prohibiting recreational cannabis is a federal law, as is the law that allows for medical marijuana. Nevertheless, while Trudeau can pull the plug on federal law, does the regulatory process then move on to the provinces? If the decision is given to the provinces, then we may see differing forms of implementation. British Columbia produces roughly 40 per cent of Canada’s illegal cannabis, and has already started the process of regulating dispensaries. However other provinces such as Ontario and the Maritimes are well behind, and it will take time for them to catch up. The smoking age may also differ from province to province as it currently does. Just like we see 18-year-olds currently make the traditional pilgrimage to Montreal to buy a 2-4 at the grocery store, we will likely see young stoners also flocking to Québec to get their product. How will pot be grown? Currently, the federal government has licensed medical marijuana supply to a tightly-regulated group of private companies to grow the drug. The current medical cannabis industry has been valued by the Financial Post at approximately $80 million to $100 million, and it is predicted that a regulated industry would start off
with a market value of at least $5 billion. The Conservative government has prevented medicinal patients from growing their own supply and have orchestrated a tediously slow rollout of the system. What’s of more concern to cannabis activists however is its current restriction to investors with deep pockets. Cigarette companies, already experienced with the practice of processing and rolling tobacco, will undoubtedly want to jump at the chance of getting into the marijuana business. In the state of Washington, the system is more attuned to the needs of small businesses. There are three types of licenses that people can purchase: marijuana producer, processor and retailer. According to the law you cannot hold a retailer license if you have the first two. The license application fees cost a modest $266 and a renewal fee of $1,062. Growing marijuana for personal use is also allowed in Colorado in an enclosed private space to a maximum of six plants, with three to be allowed in the flowering stage. Of course, given that we have so much land in Canada that isn’t being constantly watched, having such a law would be much more difficult to enforce. How will pot be sold? In early September, the newspaper reported on Melanheadz, a dispensary at Broadview and Danforth that was shut down for selling marijuana to the public for recreational use since last winter. While its closure made headlines in the stoner community in Toronto, these private dispensaries have existed in Vancouver for years. The problem being that while some recreational dispensaries are run by legitimate medicinal activists who ask for medicinal I.D., others have more
sinister connections to gang activity such as the Hell’s Angels. An entirely government-run system of weed dispensaries is possible, but will be costly to implement and will have to compete directly with already well-established networks. The solution we’ve seen currently in British Columbia involves a licensing system for private dispensaries, a way to both ensure regulation across the board and create incentive for small businesses to invest and employ people in legitimate cannabis establishments. A recent report in the Globe and Mail found that more than 98 unique cafés and dispensaries like Melanheadz are currently operating in Vancouver, a sharp increase from 14 since 2012. The commonality of dispensaries led the city to establish “a special licence category for ‘marijuana-related’ businesses, including dispensaries.” The system would see an end to expensive raid operations but introduce community consultation for new dispensaries, distance restrictions regarding their proximity to schools and community centres and an annual licensing fee of $30,000. Where can you smoke pot? Plenty of people who use marijuana fantasize about a future where you can light up a fat joint and walk down Yonge Street without having to worry about police. But is that a reasonable expectation during Trudeau’s tenure? Unfortunately, stoners should expect that the social stigmas that surround marijuana, and smoking in general, will continue. The anti-smoking lobby has already pushed for restrictions on cigarette smoking with immense (and some would say excessive) success. Although canna-
bis is not as deadly as tobacco, we would expect the respective governments to enforce the same laws with smoking cannabis as they would with tobacco. In Colorado, it is still technically illegal to smoke marijuana in public areas. People caught puffing a joint in downtown Denver may be given a citation, largely depending on how much they are disturbing the peace. In other words, smoking a spliff in public is handled the same way as drinking a mickey or bottle of wine. You can have it on you, but if you pop off the cap and take a hit, you’re risking a ticket. Much like the current culture, which thrives in alleyways and parks, cannabis smokers will likely have to remain discreet when smoking in public. Can I smoke pot and drive? This is, of course, one of the most controversial areas surrounding legalized weed. In Canada, the legal limit of 0.05 is enforced for intoxicated driving under the influence of alcohol, but finding an accurate measurement for someone using marijuana has proven to be more difficult. Several studies have shown that casual, occasional weed smokers can become severely impaired when they are high behind the wheel. Yet, daily smokers show negligible difference between being sober and ‘impaired.’ The legal limits in Colorado and Washington states are currently enforced with blood tests, with the limit set at 5 nanograms per millilitre of blood. This is already controversial law since marijuana can stay in the blood system for long periods of time after its effects have worn off. Officers are allowed to test drivers at their own discretion, and refusal to take a blood test is currently handled the same way as refusing a breathalyzer sample.
Bill C-24 and the slow death of liberalism
An Iranian-Canadian perspective on how the bill ends centuries of liberal thought
by Barbod Pournajar
I’m an Iranian-born Canadian, my parents immigrated here when I was three and I hold both an Iranian and Canadian passport. Bill C-24, the Strengthening Canadian Citizenship Act, broadens the pretenses for the revocation of my citizenship. While previously it could be revoked “if it was obtained by fraud or under false pretenses,” it can now also be revoked if I commit an act of treason.This bill puts me in a very difficult position. On one hand, I have a debt to my country of birth to undergo the 18 months of military training that are mandatory for all males who finish high school. On the other hand, under this legislation I have to live in Canada for 183 days of the year, or the Prime Minister’s Office has the authority to revoke my citizenship. If I pay my 18-month debt to Iran, I am guilty of treason. This bill puts me between the Prime Minister’s Office and the Islamic Republic of Iran. Harper seems to forget that Canada was built by immigrants. We have all come here from across the world and founded a country that isn’t based on the old monarchies of Europe. And let’s not forget: the monarchy was based on the absolute rule of the sovereign. Bill C-24—and C-51— effectively encroach on the principles that Canada was founded on, as well as reframe the Prime Minister as a monarch instead of a representative. This phenomenon isn’t exclusive to Can-
ada. America, France and Britain have passed laws that degrade the rights and freedoms of their citizens, and that is a travesty. Western liberal democracies are founded upon two ideas: a limited constitutional government and the rights of the individual. Bill C-24 dismantles the foundation of liberal democracies because it expands the power of the government, giving it unconstitutional authority over the rights of the individual. The bill puts cracks in Canada’s foundation. WIlliam Pitt, the Prime Minister of Britain in the late 18th century, said, “Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom.” It seems fitting that the narrative of the Harper administration is that it is necessary to be able to revoke citizenship. There goes the work of John Locke, Montesquieu, Thomas Jefferson, Rousseau, Thomas Paine and John Stuart Mill. Two centuries of liberal thought have been shattered by a phobia so great that it is grounds to revoke the freedom of hundreds of thousands of Canadians. Under this law, 800,000 people have become second-class citizens. I am one of them. I don’t have the same rights, I don’t have the same freedoms, I am simply not as Canadian. I have been condemned to a status lesser than a citizen, and why? Because I wasn’t born here.
6 the music
If you want to sing out, sing out Why artists shouldn’t keep their politics to themselves by Zach Morgenstern
“Who? Why should musicians influence my political decisions?” Those were the words of the newspaper Editor-in-Chief and ardent Liberal Dylan Hornby in response to Nova Scotia indie rocker Joel Plaskett’s decision to endorse the NDP. While Plaskett’s endorsement seems well informed—he cites opposition to C-51 and support for an inquiry on missing and murdered First Nations women as the reason for his decision—Hornby’s response is not unfamiliar. The idea behind it is that celebrity voices get disproportionately heard, regardless of their political qualifications. That said, I would like to present the following points: 1. Everything is Political The rule that celebrities should avoid politics and just do their jobs is subject to inconsistent enforcement. In 2012, Miami Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen was suspended for saying he “respected” Fidel Castro. By contrast, Major League Baseball regularly holds ceremonies to honor the American military. While too many people around the world supporting the U.S. military is far more offensive than expressing a reserved respect for Castro, in America, supporting the troops is too mainstream to even be seen as political. Therefore, the “shut up and play/sing” mantra is often just code for “shut up if you’re a radical.” 2. Political Songwriting is Political Art The combination of political thought and music often makes for distinctly good art. Buffy Sainte-Marie’s “Universal Soldier” and Pete Seeger’s “Where Have All the Flowers Gone” both take advantage of repetitive and cyclical folk music traditions to discuss the absurdity of war with unique poignancy. Phil Och’s criticism of the political centre in “Love Me I’m a Liberal” is made catchier and thus more effective by its simple
There really is an app for everything When it comes to note-taking, AirAudio will help both students and professors by Emily Posteraro
melodic refrain. 3. Challenging anti-music culture Not only do a lot of Conservatives wish musicians would shut up about politics, they’d like them to shut up in general. Stephen Harper has repeatedly been dismissive of arts funding, arguing it has no appeal to “ordinary” Canadians. This view was also seen on an interview on the now-defunct Sun News Channel, where acclaimed Canadian dancer Margie Gillis was invited solely to be berated about the subsidies she’s received. Musicians should speak out politically, both to defend against attacks on the arts and to make it clear that arts are not just a meaningless, niche entity, but an intellectually deep component of greater society. 4. Solidarity Well-known musicians tend to be financially comfortable, if not ridiculously well off. By speaking out for social justice causes, musicians can show that despite their privilege they are at least superficially willing to criticize the system that has given them (or to be fair, their labels) their wealth. Furthermore, in the context of arts cuts, successful musicians have a responsibility to challenge anti-arts governments so that under-funded talents can have the same success they’ve had. Finally, if musicians and Hollywood stars stopped making political statements, there would still be rich people out there willing to use platforms to spread their views. Frankly, I’d rather hear Roger Waters talk Palestine or Danny Glover discuss Haiti than a certain New York real estate mogul talk about birth certificates.
5. Connection Because there is often a wealth gap between musicians and their fans, talking about issues that affect fan bases is an important way for musicians to overcome this divide. Flogging Molly regularly plays in their current home of Detroit, making their 2008 recession-inspired Speed of Darkness album the product of a quasi-democratic relationship between them and their fans. Since listening to music is an emotional and subjective experience, making yourself likeable can make your music sound better. Connection is as important for fans as for musicians. Being a fan can mean developing an over-the-top devotion to someone you know little about. It’s certainly reassuring to know that a person you claim to admire or at least have a crush on agrees with you on at least some issues of fundamental moral importance (cough, cough … guy in the Brady shirt … you know he endorsed Trump, right?) 6. Truth We live in a society that sees value in both truth and impartiality. The truth, however, is rarely impartial—we cannot engage with certain parts of life without recognizing their political relevance. I’m sure there are some conservative parents out there who wish Raffi kept his politics to himself. But if Raffi’s going to keep teaching children to love “Baby Belugas,” then we can’t blame him for denouncing a government that in 2012 laid off Canada’s only marine mammal toxicologist as part of a series of sweeping cuts from Canadian water and species conservation programs. Joel Plaskett’s political stand may rattle a few heads, but my reservations about Tom Mul“blair” aside, I’m glad Plaskett decided against keeping his politics to himself. As a student of popular music, I’m glad he provided a snapshot of his political thinking, helping in turn to contextualize his apolitical Canadiana tunes, like “True Patriot Love.” As a conscientious human being, I’m glad he raised his voice on the issue of missing and murdered indigenous women when a far more powerful voice in this country, Stephen Harper, told Peter Mansbridge it was not on his radar. I can’t say I’ve listened to much Plaskett before, but now that I’ve gotten to know him a bit, I might want to give that new Park Avenue Sobriety Test record a spin.
When three university graduates—Tejas Mehta from U of T and Jawwad Siddiqui and Amin Nikdel from Queen’s University, who completed degrees in engineering, business and computer science, respectively—observed a lack of communication between students and their professors, they created software to bridge this gap. After a notable period of collaboration, they developed the SharpScholar tool, which is already in use at a number of universities, including U of T, Queen’s, Waterloo and Western.
A doctor who teaches human biology was one of the first U of T professors to use the software.
Broadly speaking, SharpScholar enables more collaboration between students and their teachers, as students can make notes directly onto materials that their professors upload, which can then be seen by everyone in the class. This allows them to provide feedback on what they missed or didn’t understand so professors can better tailor their material towards their students.
AirAudio differs from SharpScholar in that it’s used for note-taking during lectures, rather than content that is uploaded online. While AirAudio will be able to record lectures and transcribe them, that’s actually not its most important function. Students will be able to use an app on their smartphones to “time-stamp” parts of the lecture: just by pressing a button, they can indicate
“Students didn’t have a real voice in the class,” says Amin, “and teachers were having a difficult time teaching what they wanted to teach and making an impact on their students’ lives, and improving their performance.” In addition to SharpScholar, Amin and his team believe that an app-based tool, AirAudio, will facilitate in bridging this gap between students and professors.
which segments of their lecture were especially important; it’s basically like the audio version of highlighting your notes. Stamped segments are stored separately from the rest of the lecture. Furthermore, all of this information is stored automatically in the same system, which the professor has access to too. This provides them with feedback on what their students find important so they can highlight those parts and better emphasize and explain other important parts that their students didn’t stamp. For now, this app is undergoing test runs in order to gauge how effective it is, how much students and professors like it and if they’d be willing to pay for it. So don’t close your laptops or put your pens down quite yet, but if all goes well, AirAudio could be ready for use in just three to four months.
the halloween 7 What the hell to do downtown this Halloween by Ariel Ryann Night of Dread Where: Dufferin Grove Park 875 Dufferin Street When: 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on October 31 Admission: FREE If you want to experience Halloween in its purest form—that is, with all of the eerie erraticness the holiday was intended to have—the Night of Dread at Dufferin Grove Park is the place to go for all the most spine-chilling spectral spectacles of the night. The public parade, hosted by Clay & Paper Theatre, has a schedule crammed with fantastical events, ranging from a massive march complete with fire spinners, monstrous puppets and a big brass band, to live music and eccentric theatrical performances in the park. Dufferin Grove will be ablaze with a roaring bonfire and abuzz with costumed creatures of the night. Though admission is free, participants are asked to donate what they can so that the Night of Dread may be revived again next year, and for those who lack their own costumes, we’ve been told that the alternate dress code is “black, white and ghoulishly creepy.” The best part is, because it all ends at 9 p.m., you’ll have plenty of time to party on at another one of these degenerate Halloween destinations! The Village Halloween Street Party Where: The Village 519 Church Street When: 6:30 p.m. on October 31 until 3 a.m. on November 1 Admission: FREE Though The Village’s annual Halloween party isn’t the biggest street fes-
tival the neighbourhood hosts every year, it’s certainly one of the most wellknown places to monster mash downtown. This year the area will be blocked off from Gloucester to Alexander to make way for thousands of visitors to drop in and explore all the niche shops, snazzy cafés and riotous bars the neighbourhood has to offer, making it the ideal spot for an all-night Halloween pub crawl!
treasure hunters will be at risk of being charged with possession, and more importantly, no innocent park goers or animals will stumble upon the weed.
Haunted Halloween Marijuana Treasure Hunt Where: High Park 1873 Bloor Street West When: 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. on October 31 Admission: FREE Of all the treats you could get in your bag this year, a certificate for free marijuana of questionable legality might as well be added to your stockpile. In celebration of the holiday and the overwhelming Liberal victory this election, the third annual Haunted Halloween Marijuana Treasure Hunt will be hiding over $50,000 worth of certificates for JuJu Joints around High Park for anyone 19 or older to find, and the dispensary redeeming said certificates will be distributing the prizes regardless whether you have a medical marijuana license or not.
Sneaky Dee’s Shriek A Tail Where: Sneaky Dee’s 431 College Street When: 11 p.m. on October 31 Admission: $5 Sneaky Dee’s is famous for its good food and good times, and its eighth annual Shriek A Tail is no exception. The event is a spookified reprise of the Shake A Tail dance party held at Dee’s every Saturday night for nearly a decade. Head south of campus to their venue on College this Halloween for a night of candy, prizes and old school tunes to shake, rattle and roll them bones to!
If you think the scariest part of this Halloween treasure hunt is the possibility of being caught, you have nothing to fear. There will be no joints, dime-bags or any form of marijuana hidden in the park. Only the certificates, which will have an address, contact information and instructions on how to redeem it, will be up for grabs. This means that no
Liberals bound to electoral reform Trudeau should use majority to fix democratic imbalance by Fraser Allan Best
After Trudeau took office with a healthy majority, there are a few bits of policy that are guaranteed to quickly become a reality. Just a day after the election, we have already heard that fighter jets will be withdrawn from Syria. Outside of Parliament, we have also seen the de facto legalization of marijuana as law enforcement anticipates policy change in the very near future.
Failure to introduce electoral reform would compromise the Liberals’ already weak footing as the progressive choice. But, more urgently, it would diminish their chances at recapturing a majority next election. The Liberals must also avoid overhauling the system too radically. Transition to a completely proportional system would make their shot at keeping their majority very unlikely.
These policies are all the simple flipping of switches. We are either in Syria, or not in Syria; marijuana is either legalized, or not legalized. But Trudeau’s success will rely on his ability to solve a nuanced puzzle: electoral reform.
Under a proportional system, even if the party had the exact same unexpected success at the polls, they would only hold a minority in the House of Commons. However, ranked ballots may benefit the party, as NDP and Conservative voters are more likely to support the centrist Liberals than their left-and right-winged counterparts.
The Liberals are in the perfect position to find a reasonable solution on this. As a majority government that earned less than half (39.5 per cent) of the popular vote with the promise of reform, their interests are perfectly balanced. Maintaining a majority in future elections requires the Liberals to act as moderates on this issue. On one side, the Liberal Party is inclined not to alienate those who voted for them on their dedication to electoral reform. For Canadians, failure to follow through on reform would demonstrate that the party has lost its way as “Canada’s Natural Governing Party.”
The pressures on Trudeau match the diversity in public opinion. The success of his leadership will be measured on his ability to balance an overwhelming demand for fairness with equal concern over condemning Canada to a future of ineffective minority governance. If the Liberals want to make themselves re-electable—as any party should—it needs to make meaningful, but not radical, reform. With this recipe, and with their current majority, the Liberals are fully equipped to tackle electoral reform.
So if you feel like doing some adult trick-or-treating midday this Halloween, come to the aptly named High Park and get hunting. Costumes are optional. Running shoes are highly recommended.
Rocky Horror Picture Show Where: Bloor Hot Docs Cinema 506 Bloor Street West When: 7:00 p.m. and 10:30 p.m., October 30 and 31 Admission: $16 If outdoor festivities aren’t your thing, or if you’re just a straight-up perverted, low-down, cheap little punk, come to the Halloween showing of the Rocky Horror Picture Show at Bloor Hot Docs and join the cult following. Since the film’s release in 1975, the classic rock n’ roll freak show musical has had an
internationally active following along with weekly showings at select indie theatres around the world. Each showing is an interactive event, with props being supplied to audience members and a shadow cast of live actors mirroring the show as it plays on screen. RHPS will be shown twice nightly on both October 30 and 31, making it a great Halloween Eve event or a thrilling highlight of your Halloween night. Come freaky, feisty and open-minded, and give yourself over to absolute pleasure. Corsets, fishnets and fetishwear are encouraged, but optional. HotNuts Halloween: A Nightmare on Sesame Street (w/ Poisonous Relationship) Where: The Garrison 1197 Dundas Street West When: 10:30 p.m. on October 31 Admission: $10 Is Rocky too dark and leather-clad for your pervy tastes? Get your head up and head down to The Garrison cantina on Dundas for a flashy and colour-clashy fiesta that’s sarcastically inclined to be a “wet dream come true.” The people responsible for the gaudy gala are part of HotNuts, a dance party organizer famous in underground queer culture for its DIY garbage glamour aesthetic and unorthodox Halloween party themes. This year they’ve peaked in peculiarity with the theme “Nightmare on Sesame Street,” and are encouraging guests to take their promiscuity to the extreme by dressing down pop culture characters and sexying them up a bit. Recommended costumes include Oscar the Grudge, Nosferatutu and Drake-ula.
student Victory! Campuses commit to sexual assault policies, prevention and consent education after pressure from your provincial students’ union: the Canadian Federation of Students–Ontario.
Ontario student group push es Kathleen Wynne for sexual assault policies
Members of the Canadian Fe deration of Students met wi th the premier at Queen’s Pa call for action on sexual vio rk to lence, including education pr ograms for students.
United with over 350,000 other students across the province, your membership in the Canadian Federation of Students-Ontario produces victories like the sexual violence action plan produced by the Premier of Ontario. When we work together, we get results. Sexual violence on campus will continue to be challenged by you as an individual member, as well as the collective of hundreds of thousands of students just like you, through our Federation. For more information on how you can be involved with our Federation on your campus, email federation@cfsontario.ca.
Canadian Federation of Students–Ontario
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