Vol 40 issue 13

THE VOICE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO MISSISSAUGA

January 13, 2014 Volume 40, Issue 13 mediumutm.ca

Students to vote on expansion fees A second Student Centre referendum is on the way after the first failed ratification last year Larissa Ho News EditoR Luke Sawczak Editor-in-Chief The UTM Students’ Union is holding a referendum on fee increases that would see the levy rise to $50 per semester for up to three years to cover the cost of expanding and maintaining the Student Centre.

After gathering feedback, the executive team decided to run the referendum to replace another with the same terms that was passed in a vote last year but failed ratification due to mishandling of the voter list.

Full-time undergraduate UTM students and Faculty of Medicine students will have a chance to vote for or against the question from January 28 to 30 after a campaign period this week.

TEMPORARY FEE INCREASE The first proposed increase is $27 per student per semester for a

jasmeen virk/the medium

UTMSU’s president, Raymond Noronha, in front of the current Student Centre, built in 1999. maximum of three years in order to raise $2 million for the actual construction costs of the expansion.

The university has promised it will match a student contribution

dollar for dollar up to a maximum of $2 million if a student commitment is demonstrated, yielding a final budget of $4 million for the expansion.

In an interview with the Me-

dium, Raymond Noronha, president of UTMSU, explained that the student contribution had been capped at $2 million in order to maximize the ratio of university to student contributions.

“If we were to collect $4 million from students and the university pitched in $2 million, it would be fifty cents to a dollar,” he said.

Because the total collection from students will not be allowed to exceed $2 million, the duration of the increase could be reduced if enrolment increases.

The duration could also be lowered if outside sponsors were found. Because the Student Centre is the property of the university, the Office of Advancement could put in a request to add the expansion to their list of donor projects.

UTMSU cannot approach donors directly. Any donations would be counted against the money owed, not added to the budget.

According to Noronha, the university has informed UTMSU that its contribution of $2 million depends on students demonstrating their commitment through a referendum.

Fees continued on page 3

Three-day Winter Clubs Week slow Last week’s event saw 40 clubs and societies at the tables, but not so many students $10-million grant for IMI

Maria Iqbal Associate News Editor From Tuesday to Thursday, various campus clubs and academic societies tabled in the Student Centre to recruit new members during the poorly attended Winter Clubs Week.

According to UTMSU’s VP campus life, Grayce Slobodian, the annual event showcased approximately 40 clubs and academic societies. Tables were principally set up inside the Presentation Room and in the lobby of the Student Centre, where club and society representatives chatted while waiting for students to trickle into the building.

“Winter Clubs Week is a bit slower every year compared to

The new Innovation Complex is the recipient of UTM’s largest municipal grant to date.

Medium News, page 3

No need for further delays UTMSU has to stop sending mixed messages about a Student Centre expansion.

Medium Opinion, page 4

Retro music at Hart House The stage adaptation of the classic ’80s-themed The Wedding Singer is a hit.

Medium Arts, page 5

The philosophy of science Christy Tam/the Medium

Students engage with club and society executives during Winter Clubs Week.

September’s, but this year I believe there was a lower turnout than usual due to the weather,” said Slobodian.

“It’s just been really bad traffic,” commented Edna Bovas, the vicepresident of UTM Student Support, a group that helps students

develop useful skills for the job market.

Clubs continued on page 2

A conversation with the renewed Canada Research Chair about his work yields new perceptions.

Medium Features, page 8

Blues lose the clues For the season start, the normally winning women’s hockey team gets mauled by the Lions.

Medium Sports, page 10

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THE MEDIUM 01.13.2014

UTM library waives fines December 18, 4:00 p.m.

Theft Under $5,000 Campus Police investigated the theft of a computer from a lab in the Davis Building.

December 20, 5:15 p.m.

Controlled Drugs and Substances Campus Police, along with Peel Regional Police, is investigating an incident where controlled substances were found inside a residence unit.

Investigation continues.

December 22, 11:30 a.m.

Property Damage Due to severe weather, numerous trees had fallen in and around the residence areas. The Grounds Department ensured the safety of the residence areas and began cleanup.

December 22, 1:30 p.m.

Fire Call A smoke detector in the CCT Building was triggered due to a water leak.

The building was on by-pass and Mississauga Fire Department was not dispatched at the time. All was in order and the system was put back online.

December 27, 4:26 p.m.

Trespass to Property Act Two persons were attempting to gain entry into the gym fraudulently using another person’s membership. Campus Police identified the persons and banned them from the RAWC. January 7, 8:40 a.m.

Personal Safety Concern Campus Police and Peel Regional Police assisted an elderly non-community member who had no place to go. The non-community member was taken to hospital for medical treatment due to the cold temperatures.

January 7, 12:57 p.m.

Harassment Campus Police interviewed and cautioned a male student regarding unwanted online messages. The student was advised to cease all contact with the other student.

January 8, 11:10 a.m.

Fraud Campus Police responded to a complaint about a fraudulent parking permit. The vehicle was issued a parking infraction. Investigation continues.

Alan Lovette/photo

Almost 10,000 pounds of non-perishable food items were collected for UTMSU’s food bank.

Larissa Ho News Editor The Hazel McCallion Academic Learning Centre held their second annual Food for Fines event during the last week of November.

The library donated 9,681 pounds of non-perishable food

items to the food bank run jointly

by UTMSU and Community on Campus, according to the food bank.

UTM students traded one food item for a $2 reduction of their library fines, to a maximum of $20. Many students reached the $20 maximum but still brought in

more than was necessary to clear their fines.

Shane Chan, an information loans technician at the library, was the Food for Fines project lead. He revealed that last year—the first time the tri-campus event was held—UTM raised the most food, with almost 1,200 items.

North Building Phase One named Former staff member wins contest with “Deerfield Hall”

jasmeen virk/the medium

Deerfield Hall has been chosen as the official title of the newest addition to the campus landscape.

Larissa Ho news editor

MMPA

Master of Management & Professional Accounting

The name “Deerfield Hall” has been chosen to grace the extension to the North Building, which is UTM’s oldest academic structure.

Governing Council approved the name last month following a campuswide naming contest. It will be the official name of Phase One of the North Building Reconstruction project.

Chosen from among nearly 200 submissions from students, faculty, and staff, “Deerfield Hall” was sub-

mitted by Amanda Gallagher, formerly a member of UTM’s Information and Instructional Technologies Services, by a committee consisting of senior administration.

Construction began on Deerfield in the summer of 2012. It will be a freestanding building linked at two levels to the remainder of the North Building. According to Principal Deep Saini, who addressed UTM staff in an email last week, the main floor will include food services, study spaces, and rehearsal spaces for the theatre and drama program, and the

remaining three floors will have classrooms, dry research laboratories, and offices for the psychology and math and computer science departments.

“We had a tough time narrowing down the choices, but I hope you will find the name as pleasing and as suitable [...] as our naming committee did,” Saini concluded.

Deerfield Hall is the first of three phrases of planned reconstruction of the North Building. The remaining two are yet to be funded.

Deerfield Hall is scheduled to open in August 2014.

Streak of bad weather hurts turnout • Designed primarily for non-business undergraduates • For careers in Management, Finance and Accounting • Extremely high co-op and permanent placement To learn more about the MMPA Program, attend our information session: Wednesday, January 15, 2014 11:00 am – 1:00 pm Room DV3130, Council Chambers, Davis Building, University of Toronto Mississauga

www.utoronto.ca/mmpa

Clubs continued from Cover “Unless I was in this club, I wouldn’t have known [about Winter Clubs Week], so maybe it’s just an advertising thing,” continued Bovas.

Maryam Khattab, president of the Muslim Students’ Association,

one of UTM’s largest clubs, shared Bovas’ sentiments.

Another student, Maheera Akbani, said she avoids Clubs Week “because there’s people pulling and tugging at you, and it’s such a small enclosed space that you kind of feel obliged to give every club your time”.

All three executives agreed that the poor weather conditions were also a major factor in the belowaverage turnout.

Slobodian added that UTMSU also promoted Clubs Week in the Davis Building this year to increase attendance.

01.13.2014 THE MEDIUM NEWS

Second time’s the charm

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»What do you think of the name “deerfield hall”?

Jasmeen Virk/the MEdium

Unexpected maintenance could be unaffordable with the current levy, says UTMSU. Fees continued from Cover PERMANENT FEE INCREASE The second proposed increase is $10.50 per semester indefinitely as part of the Student Centre levy, in order to cover new operating costs associated with the expansion and to provide a reserve for maintenance expenses, according to Noronha.

Full-time students currently pay $12.50 per semester to the levy. These proposed fees yields a total of $50 per semester to UTMSU beginning next fall for a maximum of three years, down to $23 per semester after the $2 million is raised.

Noronha said that even in the existing Student Centre, costly unexpected maintenance would not be affordable within the means UTMSU currently receives.

food and services as essential steps to making the Student Centre more of a “hub” of student activity, and said that the Blind Duck’s kitchens will also be expanded and InfoBooth services added.

“Once we have an expanded Blind Duck Pub, we will be able to cater to those needs for healthier, possibly cheaper food options, and also more diversity,” he said.

Noronha could not specify which services might be added but said he will be looking at other universities and their student unions as models.

Because it was not possible to sort through the data, the referendum would not have been ratified by higher university bodies, said Noronha, who promised more care this time around.

“We’re making sure that there is no confusion between UTMSU and the offices downtown at U of T, and that we get the most accurate and recent voter list,” he said. “It’s frustrating for students as well.”

IF IT PASSES Of the nearly 13,000 students currently enrolled at UTM, a minimum of 5% are required to vote in order for the referendum to be valid.

If a majority of voters are for the question, work could begin in the summer, including the search for an architect, according to Noronha.

According to Noronha, the same money is worth less every year because of the inflation on construction costs, so not everything originally promised will fit into the budget as more time passes.

The priorities for expansion include multipurpose rooms and club and society offices, said Noronha. At present, clubs and societies are allotted office space by UTMSU’s Clubs Committee based on their activity on campus. The offices are often shared by two or three clubs, and some clubs do not have office space.

Noronha identified improving

THE FIRST REFERENDUM This referendum has been expected for the past year as a replacement for the identical one held last year, whose unofficial results were not ratified by UTMSU’s Elections and Referenda Committee.

Some 18% of UTM students voted in the referendum, of whom about 60% voted in favour of the fee increases and the expansion.

However, human error that the union attributed to then-chief returning officer Babatumi Sodade, who resigned over the incident, resulted in a decision not to ratify the results.

UTMSU had been provided on a T-Card scanner loaded with the voter list for the U of T Students’ Union’s annual general meeting that November, and the list included St. George students, who were not eligible to vote because they are not members of UTMSU. Jill Matus, U of T’s vice-provost of students, alleged that UTSU had breached confidentiality agreements by supplying this scanner to UTMSU, which UTSU denies having done.

Matus’s office had made a CD with the correct list available to UTMSU, but it was never retrieved.

SECOND TRY Noronha was concerned that students were not aware of the results of the first referendum and would be confused about its appearing again this year.

When deciding whether to rerun the referendum, which he declined to use as a platform point in last year’s election, Noronha solicited feedback from students.

As the major beneficiaries of the Student Centre, said Noronha, club and society executives were mainly in favour of the expansion and associated fee increases.

“There’s always that small proportion of students that will be against the idea of a Student Centre expansion because they are against any kind of fee increase, and they just don’t use the premises, period […],” said Noronha. “There was definitely a large chunk of students that I spoke to who were looking forward to the expanded Student Centre.”

The current Student Centre was built in 1999 for a student population of about 6,000, less than half of the current enrolment.

UTMSU has been in talks with the university for an expansion since 2007 and has submitted multiple proposals, one of which was approved in August 2012.

French first lady hospitalized in wake of affair revelations

Accenture confirmed as lead contractor for Obamacare website

French first lady Valerie Trierweiler has been admitted to hospital following reports of an affair between President Francois Hollande and an actress, but will be discharged on Monday, sources said on Sunday.Hollande, 59, threatened to sue celebrity magazine Closer, alleging a breach of privacy after it said he was having an affair with Julie Gayet, 41.

Source: The Globe and Mail

Ryan Mok 2nd year, commerce

Natalie Lam 3rd year, accounting

I guess it’s appropriate, considering the amount of deer on campus.

So weird...

Jiankai Pei 4th year, accounting

Christy Chan 3rd year, commerce

It’s okay, because you actually see a lot of deer around.

It’s interesting. We don’t have names here related to the natural environment.

City invests $10 million in Innovation Complex The University of Toronto Mississauga is receiving $10 million over a 10-year period from the City of Mississauga to help finance the new Institute of Management and Innovation.

The IMI is a four-storey building that will house the Institute for Management and Innovation as well as other related economic and management departments.

The building is scheduled to open in September 2014 and is expected to eventually create approximately 101 full-time jobs and annually maintain $20.7 million in labour income and $1.5 million in business income.

“We are delighted that council has approved this investment that will build substantial competitive advantage for the city,” said UTM’s Principal Deep Saini. “This $10-million grant will produce major economic benefits for Mississauga and our region by creating an innovation culture, building a knowledge economy, and attracting global business.”

The IMI will train graduates in areas such as healthcare, biotechnology, professional accounting, and environmental sustainability.

The IMI is expected to result in an increase in enrolment of almost 3,000 students and the employment of an additional 30 faculty from different parts of the world.

Computer glitches cause further delays at Toronto Pearson airport

Alberta woman who died of H5N1 was in her 20s

Mayor Rob Ford’s Saturday night proves a hit online

Accenture has been chosen to replace CGI Federal as the lead contractor for the Obamacare enrolment website, which failed to work when it launched in October for millions of Americans shopping for health insurance, U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said on Saturday.

The glitches created a political crisis for President Barack Obama.

Computer glitches are causing major delays at Toronto’s Pearson International Airport on Saturday. Officials with the Greater Toronto Airports Authority said there are problems with the computer program that airlines use to register passengers at check-in. The GTAA says passengers should plan for it to take longer to go through the check-in process.

The Alberta woman who died of H5N1 bird flu was in her 20s and a healthcare worker at Red Deer Hospital. It was the first reported death of avian flu in North America. The infected woman, an Alberta resident who recently travelled to Beijing, China, died on January 3. WHO hopes to understand whether human-to-human transmission occurred.

Toronto’s mayor was out and about and all over Instagram on Saturday night. Social media in Toronto, notably Instagram, recorded a wave of Mayor Rob Ford encounters amid Saturday nightlife in Toronto. The mayor has told media that he’s done with drinking in the wake of his crack cocaine scandal.

Source: CBC News

Source: CBC News

Source: CBC News

Source: The Toronto Star

Jade Garrido

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01.13.2014

MASTHEAD EDITORS Editor-in-Chief Luke Sawczak editor@mediumutm.ca News Larissa Ho news@mediumutm.ca A&E Colleen Munro arts@mediumutm.ca Features Maria Cruz features@mediumutm.ca Sports Jason Coelho sports@mediumutm.ca — Photo Jasmeen Virk photos@mediumutm.ca Design Mubashir Baweja design@mediumutm.ca Copy Olga Tkachenko copy@medumutm.ca Online Edward Cai online@mediumutm.ca Blog Michelle Bonsu Safia Amin blog@mediumutm.ca ASSOCIATES News Lily Bowman Maria Iqbal A&E Kathelene Cattell-Daniels Features Alexandra Geddes Madeleine Brown Sports Ebi Agbeyegbe Copy Andrew Nablo Photo Mahmoud Sarouji Christy Tam Cody Greco STAFF Advertising Manager David Sanchez ads@mediumutm.ca Webmaster Kevin Joy web@mediumutm.ca Distribution Manager Warren Clarke distribution@mediumutm.ca BOARD OF DIRECTORS Luke Sawczak, Christine Capewell, Valeria Ryrak, Faris Al-Natour, Matthew Long, Prithvi Mynampati, Corey Belford, Nour Hassan-Agha

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An overdue step towards expansion The more delays, the less bang for our buck. It’s good to see things are moving again The referendum is back.

That’s not a complaint. Last year, a referendum by UTMSU on fee increases to expand the Student Centre was passed by majority vote (with a turnout that blows executive election turnouts out of the water—a whopping 18%!), only to founder in the proverbial shoals of bureaucracy. The experience was, as current UTMSU president Raymond Noronha put it, “frustrating for students”.

The choice of statement is somewhat surprising, given that it seems to have been a bizarre error on the union’s part that gave rise to the said frustration. As reviewed in our cover story this week, UTMSU used a voter list that allowed downtown students to vote (on fees they don’t pay) and the results were contaminated. The university office responsible for the list claims the right list was made available to UTMSU but never used; the list actually used was the one for UTSU’s annual general meeting. The question of how on earth that list got into UTMSU’s hands remains open.

The UTMSU officer in question resigned, but still, a lament for frustration caused by one’s own union rings a little hollow. Never fear: Mr. Noronha has promised the team will be more careful this time.

But what was especially annoying was that this referendum was so long overdue in the first place. The union cites the need for an expansion in terms like “The Student Centre was built in 1999 for 6,000 students, and

must now accommodate 13,000.”

Those numbers are correct (not that a huge proportion of us use the building often, considering most of the food and study space is elsewhere).

But the discrepancy has mostly just been allowed to grow worse—enrolment was already at about 9,600 five years ago in 2009, for example, which is plenty of justification for expansion—while not much has been done to rectify it.

Whether you plan to vote for or against the terms, what would have been unsettling would be year seven of limbo.

In 2007 the expansion discussions between UTMSU and UTM began with a proposal but failed two years later when both parties refused to back down over who would control food services in the expanded building. In 2011, after meeting with focus groups, UTMSU put forth a ridiculous proposal (still available at utmsu.ca at the time of writing) that included a garage door for the pub, lots of soundproof office space, a convenience store, and more, along with an embarrassing number of made-up words. The extravagant budget led to the proposal’s rejection and raised suspicions that the union wasn’t taking its own expansion campaign—

certainly a useful one for its public image—seriously.

So when a new proposal was made in 2012, an agreement reached with the university over matching student funds, and a referendum held to approve the fee increases, it came as a welcome relief—not least because, as Mr. Noronha has argued more than once, the constantly rising costs of construction mean the same amount of money yields less and less each year. So it was understandably perplexing to learn earlier this year that Mr. Noronha declined to make any promises in his election and decided to seek feedback on whether to even hold a replacement referendum. For goodness’ sake, the first one was passed by a solid majority of voters, and recall that the value declines every year, by his own account. What would have justified declining to rerun a successful referendum? Whether you plan to vote for or against the terms, what would have been unsettling would be year seven of limbo.

I’m glad that that won’t be the case.

On the subject of voting for or against the terms, that’s of course an interesting question affected by multiple factors. The timeframe, for one, might dissuade some students: those who are halfway through university now wouldn’t get to see an expanded building. The standard reply to this objection is that we inherited good things from past generations at no personal cost. That one comes down to social conscience, I guess. More in-

teresting to me are the specific terms.

Our current Student Centre levy is $12.50 a semester, and will almost double (with a proviso for 10% inflation per year) if the referendum is passed. An interesting investigation will be how these figures were determined: do students have an easy way of finding out whether the $10.50 per semester increase is appropriate for the projected costs? It’s hard to tell when, according to Mr. Noronha, the services UTMSU plans to add in the expansion are almost totally undetermined. Food options will expand (no guarantees on a pub open late on Fridays, though, says Mr. Noronha).

Maintenance reserves are guaranteed.

Beyond that it seems to be guesswork.

In the end, if an expansion yields practical benefits for students—and attracts more use—it will justify itself.

But in order to determine whether and how there can be such a result, it would need to move on from being a nice idea, played with for a bit and then put down for a bit, and start receiving serious attention.

YOURS, LUKE SAWCZAK

CORRECTION NOTICE The article “Season half: White Christmas” in the Nov. 25, 2013 issue was incorrectly attributed to Eric Hewitson. The article was actually written by Fergus Talbot.

01.13.2014

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Embracing ’80s fun with The Wedding Singer Hart House Theatre shows off their playful side with their sole musical offering of the season COLLEEN MUNRO A&E EDITOR Entering Hart House Theatre for their latest production, The Wedding Singer, I noticed a piece of paper posted on the heavy wooden door at the entrance. Along with a few standard warnings about the production and its content, it also advised audiences in large, bold letters about the show’s use of “dangerously awesome amounts of synthesizer”. Any time you see a warning like that, you know you’re bound to be in for an interesting show.

The Wedding Singer is Hart House Theatre’s third production of the season and its sole musical offering.

The play is based on the 1998 Adam Sandler movie of the same name, set in 1985, and it takes a similarly lighthearted and ’80s-infused approach to the likeable story. It follows Robbie Hart (here played by Isaac Bell), an underachieving wedding singer who reconsiders his choice of career after getting left at the altar at his own wedding by his bride-to-be, Linda (Sarah Horsman).

One of the most memorable elements of the film version was its soundtrack of ’80s hits. In the the-

The Wedding Singer offers audiences plenty of neon-tinged song and dance. atrical production of the show, you don’t get the authentic ’80s music, and the show instead opts for original, Broadway-style songs for the characters to perform. (However, if you’re hankering to hear some For-

eigner or Billy Idol tunes, Hart House does kindly pump the theatre with ’80s-approved music before the show and during intermission.) And while the original songs for The Wedding Singer musical, written by Matthew

DANIEL DIMARCO/PHOTO

Sklar and Chad Beguelin, lack some of the immediate catchiness and distinct sound of the music the movie pays tribute to, there are some gems in the bunch. “Casualty of Love” is a pumping rock number that finds

Robbie defiantly leading a table full of single guests at the first wedding he performs at after his breakup.

Meanwhile, “Saturday Night in the City” sees the cast heading out for a night on the town and captures the hopefulness in each character.

Hart House’s talented cast brought lots of energy to the musical numbers. After quickly shaking off what appeared to be some opening night nerves in the first number, Bell proved a charismatic leading man and perfectly evoked the goofy likeability of Sandler’s Robbie while still giving the character his own twist.

Leading lady Ashley Gibson (taking on the Drew Barrymore role here) has the kind of pure singing voice that seems perfectly suited for Broadway.

Even some of the supporting cast had standout moments. Horsman completely nailed her hair-metal breakup number, unleashing a strong voice perfectly suited to this over-the-top power ballad, and Theatre Erindale alum Charlotte Cattell was hilarious as Robbie’s crass grandmother delivering the memorable rap number from the movie.

Wedding continued on page 6

Walter Mitty shows the value of adventure Ben Stiller takes a more serious approach to filmmaking with The Secret Life of Walter Mitty MATT LONG The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is a rare remake worth the retread. Ben Stiller offers a film with important themes for our generation that never fails to entertain thanks to a fantastic cast.

Stiller stars as the titular character in a moment of crisis. Walter Mitty has worked at Life magazine for 20 years as the manager of negative assets, a role in which he processes the photographers’ celluloid.

When the magazine announces it will convert to an entirely online version, Walter finds himself obsolete except in one final, important capacity. A famous photographer personally sent Walter the celluloid meant for the final cover of Life magazine. This is also the first celluloid in 20 years that Walter can’t find in the delivery package. With nothing to lose, Walter sets out to find the photographer, played by Sean Penn in a small but surprisingly funny turn, and determine what happened to the photo.

Some of the most entertaining parts of the film are the constant diversions into Mitty’s daydreams.

WALTERMITTY.COM/PHOTO

Ben Stiller and Kristen Wiig make a charming pair in The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.

These comedic set pieces offer a break from the somewhat heavy plot. They allow us into Mitty’s mind, and for a man who hasn’t lived a lot, his imagination is wild.

A particular favourite is a fantasy fight scene between Walter and a

heavily bearded Adam Scott, in which the two unlikely action stars hurtle through the streets of New York in a superhero-inspired sequence.

Stiller reveals his dramatic side as the lonely, middle-aged Mitty,

while still being funny enough to be likeable. Kristen Wiig plays Walter’s down-to earth coworker, with whom Walter hopes to start a romantic entanglement, if he can only work up the courage. Luckily for the audience, she frequently ap-

pears in Walter’s daydreams, providing some of the film’s funniest moments.

The film is based on a 1939 short story by James Thurber that was first adapted to film in 1947. Stiller’s version is updated and brought into the modern world with considerable ease, largely because Walter Mitty is such a great character. He’s the dreamer who discovers what life is all about. What better story exists for cinema? The movie offers an important message for all of us: don’t get so caught up in your life that you don’t really live; break away from your patterns and follow your dreams. The beauty of film is that we can experience these stories over and over on the screen, whereas living this kind of story only happens once.

Ben Stiller can be proud of this film, which easily and expertly shifts between dramatic and comedic while capturing some of the world’s beauty in stunning cinematography. In a modern Hollywood scene that tends to focus on the darker sides of life, Walter Mitty is a refreshing film well worth watching. MMMM½

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THE MEDIUM 01.13.2014

The iconic Ms. Poppins Inside the shady Disney flick tells a one-sided but enjoyable history

side of Wall Street Scorsese’s latest delves into debauchery

CHRISTOPHER ANTILOPE

Tom Hanks pleads with a stone-faced Emma Thompson in Saving Mr. Banks.

NESA HUDA Have you ever wondered how the beloved children’s film Mary Poppins was made? Well, the BBC- and Disney-produced Saving Mr. Banks depicts just that, for the most part.

From that description, Saving Mr. Banks may sound like a boring historical drama that dwells smugly on how Disney’s most successful film came to be, but once the film started, I could tell that there was much more brewing beneath the surface.

Mary Poppins was originally based on a series of books written by our protagonist, P.L. Travers (Emma Thompson). To make the

Mary Poppins film, Walt Disney (Tom Hanks) had to acquire the rights from Travers, but she didn’t make it easy for Disney or his team. Presented in parallel with this plot is the story of Travers’ bleak childhood in Australia; it’s a sincere coming-of-age tale that helps the audience empathize with Travers and understand why she was so hesitant to give her story away.

The performances in this starstudded film are absolutely brilliant, with Thompson taking the lead as a truly broken woman not ready to let go of her past. At first, Travers seems insensitive and distant, but over the course of

DISNEY.COM/PHOTO

the film, Thompson successfully opens up her character and reveals her insecurities and fears in a way that I believe that no other actress could have done.

Hanks also delivers a stellar performance as the legendary Walt Disney by doing what he does best: making his character relatable to the audience. I didn’t see Walt Disney, creator of a production empire. I saw Walt Disney, a man who had promised his children 20 years prior that he would one day make a film adaptation of a book that he believed could give people hope.

Banks continued on page 7

Martin Scorsese’s newest film, The Wolf of Wall Street, revolves around the unique topic of making money, and it’s surprising that the film itself hasn’t made more bucks at the box office.

In his latest flick, Scorsese (Goodfellas, Casino, The Departed) steps away from the shady realm of the mafia and into the place where much of the world’s money is made: Wall Street. The film seems like the sum of Goodfellas, Scarface, and Wall Street: a journey filled with money obsession, drug abuse, antifeminism, and recordbreaking profanity.

The film follows Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio), an ambitious New Yorker set on making it in the big leagues on Wall Street.

Alongside him are his second-incommand at the stock firm, Donnie (Jonah Hill), and his second wife, Naomi (Margot Robbie).

The trailer features Belfort claiming that the year he turned 26 he made $49 million, “which really pissed me off because it was three shy of a million a week”.

Throughout the film, this ambitious attitude peaks, and we see countless prostitutes, drugs, and expensive jewellery, clothes, houses, and vehicles—not just cars, but leviathan yachts and helicopters, too. Call him materialistic or crazy and Belfort will curse at you and send you away, because that’s how he is: oblivious. But while Scorsese lets Belfort, otherwise known as the Wolf of Wall Street, howl his way through an extravagant life, the serious consequences of

illegally attaining money, doing drugs, and cheating on his wife come out in the light of the full moon.

This almost-too-scary-to-betrue story is the perfect example of what not to do in life. At the end of the bum-numbing three-hour film, it’s clear that the age-old lessons about the dangers of drugs and greed are always relevant.

Another obvious lesson conveyed here is being faithful to your significant other, as we see Jordan’s life fall apart after breaking up his humble first marriage.

DiCaprio’s fantastic depiction of a self-indulgent character is deserving of an Academy Award—he truly became Belfort in this film.

The actor, who has been nominated for memorable roles in What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, The Aviator, and Blood Diamond, has always left the show empty-handed. But with award nominations already flowing in for this role, one can only hope that DiCaprio’s losing streak ends and that he walks away with gold statues.

The Wolf of Wall Street certainly isn’t a family movie, but it’s also not just for those who enjoy money and numbers. Its recordbreaking use of the F-word (along with other offensive slurs) and three-hour runtime mean that The Wolf of Wall Street falls just short of being a perfect film. It demands a mature audience willing to step out of their comfort zones, and grants viewers a look into a materialistic life that many people fantasize about—until they get it.

MMMM½

’80s invasion at Hart House Wedding continued from page 5 Some liberties are taken with the finer plot points, but overall, the stage version of The Wedding Singer stays pretty true to its source material in terms of story. Some of the dialogue is lifted directly from the screenplay, and the show does of course include Robbie’s touching original song from the movie, “Grow Old with You”. With a large cast and countless costume changes, the wardrobe also incorporates many signature ’80s fashion trends: shoulder pads, parachute pants, neon, and big hair. It’s all the stuff you’d expect, but it does the time period justice.

The ensemble cast here is quite large, and in my experience, productions with smaller casts tend to better suit Hart House Theatre’s intimate setting. At times, The Wedding Singer’s ensemble verged on overwhelming the stage, and

things did occasionally feel a bit hectic. However, I understand their having wanted diversity in programming, and The Wedding Singer has an upbeat energy that would be tricky to convey with a smaller cast.

It’s difficult to talk about The Wedding Singer without using the word “fun”. There’s lots of genuine humour and the musical performances are fast-paced and frequent. It clearly doesn’t take itself too seriously, and everyone involved with the production seems to have the same light-hearted approach to the material. The show delivers pretty much exactly what you would expect from an ’80sthemed musical, and while that’s not going to appeal to everyone, The Wedding Singer is extremely accessible and enjoyable.

The Wedding Singer runs until January 25. Visit harthouse.ca for more information.

01.13.2014 THE MEDIUM ARTS» 7

Indie romance comes to Toronto The Tony Award­–winning musical adaptation of Once is a treat

COLLEEN MUNRO A&E EDITOR Hana Lulu Keepsake Looking at the cover of Keepsake, I didn’t see much. A few black symbols marked an otherwise plain white cover, bringing to mind the incomprehensible Webdings font.

Based on that and the name printed on the spine—Hana Lulu—I envisioned an indie songstress strumming away on her acoustic guitar. As soon as I pressed play, I realized I was in for something very, very different.

The first track of this four-song EP, “Find the Light”, opened with an automated beeping that sounds like someone reaching out for contact via Morse code. Shimmering synths soon set in, as did the British accent of lead singer Kevin Desjarlais. (It turns out the band is actually from Manitoba, so I guess we should call it a faux British accent.) Upon hearing all this, I immediately grabbed the jewel case that the CD came in and searched for a release date. 2013.

So no, this CD hasn’t been sitting around the Medium’s office since 1987, as I instinctively thought might be the case.

The influence of bands like New

Order and their contemporaries are strong on Keepsake. So strong, in fact, that an argument could probably be made that Hana Lulu is directly ripping them off. But as derivative as the band’s style may be, the catchy hooks are undeniable. Hana Lulu also wisely keep their electronic sound fairly simple, but still layered and dynamic enough to not become completely monotonous. Desjarlais’ voice is a combination of an authoritative drawl and an upper-register yelp, bringing to mind Robert Smith of the Cure on more than one occasion.

“Up and Down” offers a dark, off-kilter synth backing that seems to draw inspiration from the likes of Depeche Mode. It hints at a darker, less conventional side of the band. Meanwhile, the hazy pumping of the title track seems like something that could just as easily have spilled from the mind of LCD Soundsystem’s James Murphy.

It’s nothing new, really, but Keepsake packs a quick punch of ’80s dance nostalgia. Hana Lulu pay tribute to some of the catchiest music in history, and if you’re in the right mood, Keepsake is a surprisingly enjoyable listen.

The whimsical world of Disney Banks continued from page 6 Lastly, I wanted to mention Colin Farrell’s performance as Travers Robert Goff, P.L. Travers’ father. He has definitely not received as much acclaim as I believe he should—his performance as a father unable to live in the real world and support his family carries the alternate plot of the film. It’s absolutely fascinating to see how the characters and songs in Mary Poppins came to be, and supporting characters Jason Schwartzman, Bradley Whitford, and B.J. Novak portray these events in a way that’s wholly entertaining and full of heart.

This film has two drastically different moods; the first is a lighthearted, funny tone in the first plot, when Disney is trying to acquire the rights to the novels, and the second is a sombre look at Travers’ childhood. These contrasts were more prominent because the film moved back and forth between the

two in an erratic manner. The connections between the plots need to be drawn by the watcher as quickly as possible throughout the juxtaposition of scenes of laughter and sadness.

The real P.L. Travers didn’t like the Mary Poppins film, but this wasn’t reflected in Saving Mr. Banks. However, creative licence needs to be taken to make a film really hit home with its audience, and director John Lee Hancock did just that. Without this detail, the film wouldn’t have its amazing ending, and one of Thompson’s best scenes in the film wouldn’t be there for us to see.

This film was definitely more emotionally taxing than I expected, but Disney has done it again.

Saving Mr. Banks will pull at your heartstrings with the background of one of the most universally loved children’s movies of all time.

MMMM

Stuart Ward and Dani de Waal star in the Toronto production of Once.

KATE CATTELL-DANIELS ASSOCIATE A&E EDITOR Admittedly, I was a little sceptical when I heard that the musical Once was based on a film of the same name.

How do you write a musical that’s grounded in a screenplay? But a show with as many Tony Awards under its belt as Once has at least deserved a chance. Not having seen the film, I found myself approaching the piece without prejudice, at least in terms of the script and production choices.

One of the show’s most original and engaging aspects is audience participation. As I found my seat— almost, but not quite, late—a raucous cabaret was in progress onstage.

Audience members mingled on the stage, watching a short concert by the actors, all of whom could not only sing but also play an instrument. A similar set-up occurs during the intermission, when audience members are free to wander up and buy drinks onstage, giving the set a highly realistic edge.

It’s hard to say exactly when Once begins. The ritual of dimming lights and actors entering from the wings is dispensed with, and instead those of

the audience who are onstage make their way back to their seats in the brightly lit theatre, which never goes fully dark before the action begins.

Instead, the performers present a few more songs, which had me nearly in tears even before the play itself had begun.

From there on in, Once is absolute magic. Scenes fold into one another almost imperceptibly and tie in with the music, creating a seamless soundscape that perfectly underscores a play about musicians. The set, designed to look like the interior of an Irish pub, works beautifully in both indoor and outdoor sequences. One moment has the two leads, played by Stuart Ward and Dani de Waal, standing on a platform above the set against the brick wall at the back of the theatre, looking at Dublin from above. The floor of the stage is illuminated by tiny lights, truly conjuring up a city at a distance.

The furniture is kept simple and minimal, consisting only of a chair or a desk where absolutely necessary.

This is especially effective when contrasted with the musicians’ instruments: each guitar or accordion is all the more noticeable and attentiongrabbing because everything else is so

JOAN MARCUS/PHOTO

sparse. It’s refreshing to see a Broadway show that doesn’t rely too much on the technology available these days; bells and whistles seem silly when they’re there only for their own sake.

There was no shortage of talent, either. De Waal in the role of Girl, a music-loving Czechoslovakian immigrant and single mother, is absolutely enchanting. She refuses to fall into stereotypes and doesn’t make a big show of flaunting the accent essential to her character. Ward proves a perfect match for de Waal. Neither outshines the other, and both have numerous chances to show off their talents as musicians and actors. Sometimes in musical theatre the performers act when they sing but not when they speak, but I saw no sign of that here.

I know I’m fully engaged in a play when it stops being a show and becomes a story whose outcome I must know. Once grabbed me and refused to let go, and when the final moment happened, I didn’t want to believe it was the end of the story. The end was satisfying, but devastating. I don’t want to spoil it for those who, like me, have yet to see the film, but brace yourselves.

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01.13.2014

The science of active perception Renewed CRC Mohan Matthen talks about the cross-pollination of philosophy and science MARIA CRUZ FEATURES EDITOR Mohan Matthen is a philosophy professor at the University of Toronto, and last November his tenure as Canadian Research Chair in philosophy, perception, and communication was renewed.

Matthen’s work focuses on perception, including how perception is specialized and how it differs between species. His background is varied, including a B.Sc. in physics and an MA from Delhi University before earning his PhD in philosophy at Stanford; his research is, as quoted from a 2006 interview, “a philosophy of science”.

Along with writing his own book, 2005’s Seeing, Doing, and Knowing, Matthen has edited several others and published many articles and reviews. This week, he sat down with the Medium to discuss his research and the position of CRC. The Medium: You just had your CRC renewed in November of last year. How does that feel?

Mohan Matthen: It was terrific news. And I’m sure that my department feels good about the federal government helping out with my salary.

UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO MISSISSAUGA/PHOTO

Canadian Research Chair Mohan Matthen talks about his latest research.

TM: How does it feel to be called “one of Canada’s most promising and innovative thinkers”?

MM: “Promising” seems wrong about somebody my age, but it’s wonderful to learn that my ideas have attracted some attention.

TM: Can you share some details about how far you’ve come with your research on how human senses work?

MM: Seeing, Doing, and Knowing

was meant to offer a comprehensive framework for thinking about sense perception. The main innovation there was the realization that perception is species-specific. Human beings live in the world differently than birds or dogs, and as a consequence, our perceptual systems gather different kinds of information than theirs.

I now realize that I (together with most others) adopted what you might

call a snapshot view of perception, which is, moreover, passive. I now think that when we perceive, we probe the world and interrogate it to reveal its secrets. Active interrogation is a process that unfolds over time, and it integrates vision, hearing, touch, and so on. You get a very different picture when you think about gathering information rather than just receiving it.

I still think that it was important to think of perception as specialized by species, but I didn’t realize how transformative it would be to think of perception as active.

TM: How far have you come since you’ve started your research?

MM: Surprisingly far. For my first few years in Toronto, I followed leads that were hinted at in my 2005 book, and thought that my mission was to fill in and extend that framework, which, as I said earlier, was meant to be quite comprehensive. But my new project of understanding active perception has taken me into completely new areas, such as how we try to eliminate error and uncertainty, how we represent space, and how we evaluate our environment.

TM: What made you want to delve into this topic? Did you feel like research was lacking in the human senses, or did you just want to focus on something specific?

MM: There’s a huge amount of research out there. No lack at all! What I thought was that I could pick out a theme and bring a number of different lines of investigation together.

Matthen continued on page 9

How to eat better than you did last year It’s hard to diet on a campus stuffed with pizza, but the Medium’s got you covered MADELEINE BROWN ASSOCIATE FEATURES EDITOR

into your water bottle before leaving for class.

After a winter break filled with meals of roasted turkey, turkey soup, turkey sandwiches, turkey potpie (I think you get the idea), a slathering of mashed potatoes, and gingerbread houses complete with sickly sweet candy fixtures, the last thing on my mind at the moment is food. Well, not quite. (Could food ever really not be on my mind?)

In fact, like many other UTM students, it’s quite the opposite. The new year and the new term encourage many students to reevaluate their eating habits and adopt healthier alternatives. For most, the change may not be a complete overhaul but rather an editing of their current diet.

I’ve compiled a list of advice to help you get over your post-holiday dinner guilt. This year, rather than trying out that new fad diet—which may not only be unsafe but also difficult to maintain—make small, attainable goals that encourage a healthy, balanced diet. Especially one that will be easy to maintain on campus.

MAKE YOUR OWN LUNCH “It’s hard to find time to pack a lunch [between] work and school,” says Jaclyn Jambaro, a first-year psychology student. Time is precious to a university student. However, a packed lunch allows you to more easily control what and how much you eat each day. Moreover, it’s generally cheaper than buying meals on campus. That said, if you really don’t see yourself portioning out sandwich bags of snacks or rolling up brown paper bags, you should try making your own lunch at school.

For example, buy an On the Go salad in the TFC, but enhance it by cutting up and tossing in a serving of barbequed chicken, tofu, or additional cooked veggies from Elements. Or make your Tim Hortons bagel more filling and appease a rumbling stomach by bulking it up and requesting a slice of cheese, tomato, or any of your favourite sandwich fillings.

Take a good look at your new meal plan.

DRINK UP It’s not what you think. I’m not suggesting towing along a beer to class.

I’m referring to good old H2O. Who knows whether we’re supposed to drink eight, twelve, or twelve hundred glasses of water a day, but no doubt the more you drink, the better.

“My new year’s resolution is to drink more water,” says Olivia Orton, a third-year theatre and drama studies specialist and history major.

“If I drink more water, I won’t drink as much juice or coffee. It’s good for your skin, body, and overall health.”

Bring your own reusable water bottle to campus and fill up it at the numerous water fountains that were installed throughout campus two years ago. Don’t like the taste of water or find it too boring? Flavour it! Add fresh fruits, vegetables, or herbs to your bottle of water the night before to enhance the flavour.

JUNAID IMRAN/THE MEDIUM

Try sliced grapefruit and mandarin orange, sliced lemon and grated ginger, or chopped up mango and kiwi.

Or try cocktail-inspired versions of flavoured water by adding chunks of pineapple with a dash of coconut water, or freshly squeezed lime and crushed mint leaves. You could toss fruit and vegetable slices into your ice cube tray when making ice cubes.

Or save time and just pop some pieces of frozen fruit in place of ice cubes

Food continued on page 9

01.13.2014 THE MEDIUM FEATURES» 9

Your realistic resolutions Be serious. You’re not going to climb Mount Everest this year

Matthen on philosophy and the human senses Matthen continued from page 8

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Think of how much time would have been saved if we’d never made a list at all.

MARIA CRUZ FEATURES EDITOR Here’s a tiny reminder of all the resolutions made this year that probably won’t last the first week of January. Take a deep breath, believe, and say to yourself, “I will...”

GO TO EVERY CLASS Despite the illnesses, the tests to study for, or general better things you have to do that day, you will put school first and ensure you’re in your seat for every class. You’re never going to skip lecture. Or tutorial. Ever. All the readings will be done, you’ll be on top of stuff, juggling your full course load with nary a peep. Okay there.

Not gonna lie, though. Considering you’re paying thousands of dollars to be here, going to class every day might not be a bad idea.

GIVE LESS TIME TO MY PHONE Don’t think that phone companies don’t know we depend on our phones. We need them to ease our

worried mothers with the knowledge that we made it from the front door to the driveway safely, to listen to music, to check the mundane Facebook statuses of that girl you hated in high school, and to do whatever else you pretend isn’t a vital part of your daily life.

Maybe you just meant class. You won’t use your phone in class. But if you’re in a class that bores your very soul, I bet every limb attached to me that you’d be on your phone. Don’t fight it. Just tweet about it.

BE ACTIVE IN A CLUB If you haven’t been a part of a student club or association, you’re probably not going to join one.

Why? Because university is the place where students skip class to study for that same class. There are too many things to stress over already without having to add something else to the list of procrastinations.

Besides, don’t kid yourself. The only reason you go to a club’s event is because they have free food.

EAT HEALTHIER Really? On this campus? I’m relatively sure that switching a pepperoni slice to a vegetarian one doesn’t count as healthy eating. And those little sandwich wraps in the impossible-to-open plastic? If you can manage to rip it out of the packaging, those are probably your best bet. Booster Juice, I hear, is healthy, but there’s a principle involved for me that requires me to not spend $6 on a cup of juice I know is too big for me to finish.

Just follow Ms. Brown’s advice and bring a lunch from home.

GUARD MY MONEY BETTER An admirable goal for the couple who just found out they were having triplets.

But for a struggling student who will face nothing but crippling debt after the first step they take out of university, you’re only lying to yourself.

READ MORE No, you won’t.

TM: Do you think the study of philosophy is sometimes seen as a field that won’t offer something as valuable as a science would?

MM: Sure, a lot of people think that. I wish they didn’t, but you have to face the fact that philosophy is undervalued.

TM: What are your thoughts on this, and how has your research helped in battling these views?

MM: I hope that in the next decade or so, I can combat this kind of negativity about philosophy. I have had some colleagues who have had a huge impact on public perception of a lot of philosophical issues: Tom Hurka and Wayne Sumner in ethics, Mark Kingwell and Joe Heath in politics, Jim Brown in science.

But above all, I would like to emulate Ian Hacking, who taught me when I was at Stanford as a graduate student, and then surprisingly turned out to be a colleague in Toronto. Ian has made a big difference in so many scientific areas. I’ll never forget a very prominent mathematical geneticist in Cambridge tell me how Ian changed his whole approach to statistical prediction.

I would like my research on active perception to develop into a paradigm that scientists can buy into in the same kind of way.

TM: Do you have any more books in the works?

MM: My idea of a book is something very connected, something that brings things together and has an argument that runs from page one to “page last”. When I have an idea, my first inclination is to write a paper. I think about writing a book only when I begin to feel that my ideas can illuminate a whole big area.

That said, I now think I have a book on active perception, in exactly that way: an argument from page one to page last that sheds light on a whole big area and forces you to think of it differently.

In the background are a number of ideas that I’ve been playing around about the perception of beauty and about pleasure in general. But these have not yet gelled.

At least not in the same way.

TM: For your interview back in 2006 on the UTM website, you were quoted as saying, “I think that philosophy has something to contribute in formulating what sorts of questions are important.” How has philosophy helped you in deciding what questions are important for your theories?

MM: I often take traditional questions in philosophy and ask what scientific psychology can teach us about them. For example, philosophers have long asked where our perceptual representation of space comes from. Does it, for example, come from touch, and do the other senses tell us how to reach for tactile information? I argue that when you think about the integration of the sense modalities in active perception, you have to take a very different view. In this work, I think of myself as using a philosophical perspective to draw various lines of scientific inquiry together.

TM: What’s next for you after you’ve completed your work on your curent theory?

MM: I want to think about pleasure. Not a life of pleasure! I want to think about how pleasure informs us about the world around us, and about how it can be right and how it can be wrong.

Dodging the postholiday dinner guilt Food continued from page 8 Or you could grab some oatmeal from Second Cup or Starbucks, but throw in chunks of banana or some honey and cinnamon.

Subway is a classic example of a fast food restaurant that lets you control what goes into your meal.

Jasleen Gill, a second-year forensic science student, appreciates this freedom: “In the new year, I want to eat healthier and eat more greens. I go to Subway. It has the most variety of vegetables to choose from.”

So don’t feel limited by the food options available at UTM. Instead, use them to create the dishes that you really want to eat.

TREAT YOURSELF While you may want to improve your eating habits, you shouldn’t let that interfere with your enjoyment of eating!

“I don’t think you should restrict yourself,” says second-year biology student Vikram Paul. “I don’t want

to look back 10 years down the line and think, ‘I could have had a piece of pie.’ ” Similarly, Alice Yu, a fourth-year CTEP student, says, “This school year, I’m eating less junk food. But I still let myself enjoy candy.”

Give yourself permission to have your favourite food, even if it doesn’t grow out of the ground or have nine cancer-fighting nutrients, but remember to have it in moderation. Designate a certain time of the day to sit down to a treat and take the time to enjoy it rather than eating it while watching the latest episode of Sherlock or texting your friend—you’ll actually appreciate it more and feel satisfied. Have a slice of cake after lunch, but try dividing it up into smaller slices and eat each individually, or have a cookie with dinner, but take a break between bites.

Eating thoughtfully and slowly can be a philosophy for any meal, any time of day.

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Blues lose first game of new year Women’s hockey team sits at third in the OUA after 4-2 defeat against the lowly York Lions ERIC HEWITSON The Varsity Blues women’s hockey team started off the new year unglamorously this past Friday, losing to the York Lions in a nail-biting game by a score of 4-2.

Heading into the game, the Varsity Blues held an OUA-best 113-1 record while their opponents struggled with a 3-11-1 record.

Backed up by a very exuberant crowd making plenty of noise, the Blues started off the game at a quick pace. They outskated the York defenders and constantly sent pucks to the net, but to no avail, and they couldn’t gain a lead at the start of the game.

Halfway through the first period, the Lions’ Mariah Krancevich helped out her team on the power play, banging home a rebound and taking a crucial 1-0 lead.

A minute after York scored their first goal, the Blues tied it with a puck off Courtney Brind’AmourMcClure’s skate. The Blues did what they do best: bring a puck to the net and use their physicality to push it into the back.

After the first intermission, the

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U of T is trailing Queens and Laurier for the top spot in the OUA standings.

Blues went right on the attack and scored to make it 2-1. A shot from the blue line missed the net but deflected off the backboard and onto Arden Cowley’s stick. Minutes later, York managed to jump right back into the game and keep the

score even when Kristen Barbara took the puck and flicked it over the pad of Blues goaltender Nicole Kesteris.

Early in the third period, York managed to take the lead again following a breakaway opportunity in

which Krancevich scored again by sliding the puck through Kesteris’ five-hole.

The Blues had many opportunities in the final four minutes of the game, receiving a 5-3 power play for 30 seconds and having the

man advantage for a majority of the final minutes, but spectacular goaltending from York’s Megan Lee ensured the score remained 3-2 in York’s favour. The Blues had many wide-open shots, but Lee managed to get on top of the puck, precluding a Blues comeback. With 24 seconds left, the Lions added an empty net goal and finished off the game with a 4-2 win.

“Our inability to capitalize on the power play and on other opportunities was our downfall today,” said Blues assistant coach Britni Smith. The Varsity Blues had seven power-play opportunities, and over two minutes of those were spent with a five-on-three advantage.

However, this is a rare discordant note in the team’s recent history—it’s only the Blues’ fourth regulation loss out of 16 games played this season. “Losses like these are bound to happen,” said Smith. “We just have to find that magic we had in the beginning of the season and ride it out the rest of the way.”

After a three-game road stint, the Blues will return to home action on January 25, when they face the Brock Badgers.

The surge of the Politics in what was our game Toronto Raptors

Taking a closer look at Canada’s medal drought at the World Juniors KYLE KUCZYNSKI

EBI AGBEYEGBE The Raptors’ recent success couldn’t have come at a better time for Toronto sports fans.

The Toronto Raptors are 18-17 after 34 games this NBA season, including 12-5 since trading away Rudy Gay. Nevertheless, the good run of form shouldn’t be attributed to his departure but to a complete change of team identity.

The 2013/14 season started off with a lot of promise for the Raptors.

The team had a go-to guy in Gay and the right pieces around him to make a genuine push for the playoffs, but, as usual, the team disappointed. The Raptors started off the season 6-12, and the team’s new general manager, Masai Ujiri, knew it was time to make a change.

The trade was announced before the Raptors were to play the Los Angeles Lakers in Kobe Bryant’s muchanticipated return from an Achilles tendon injury that kept him sidelined for nearly seven months. The trade saw Raptors send Gay, along

with Aaron Gray and Quincy Acy, to the Sacramento Kings in return for Greivis Vasquez, John Salmons, Patrick Patterson, and Chuck Hayes.

“At the time of the trade, all I could think was ‘Here we go again,’ ” says James Chavez, a second-year visual communications student. “Another season with so much promise has come to a stop, and now we’ll be looking forward to the draft where we can hopefully get Andrew Wiggins.”

At the time of the trade, it seemed like the Raptors had thrown in the towel on the season after just 18 games, and were hoping to be bad enough to get at least a top-five pick in the upcoming draft. The Raptors’ trade also seemed like a salary dump, since they owed Gay the equivalent of C$40.4 million for this season and the next, including a player option of 19.6 million next season. It seemed like losing Gay ruined the Raptors’ chances, until something unexpected happened: the Raptors started winning games.

Raptors continued on page 11

Most people who tuned in to watch Canada’s World Junior Hockey Championship this holiday season are probably wondering what’s going on with Canadian hockey. For decades, Canada has been a dominant force at the international level, a country producing the best players in the world. Yet we’ve gone two years in a row without a medal at the World Juniors. At the World Junior A Challenge, the United States has won five out of the last six times. Should we, as Canadians, be worried about our hockey performance? Yes. And the problem lies directly at the roots of the minor league hockey system.

On January 6, the Toronto Star published an article for which many coaches in Ontario’s best minor hockey league, the Greater Toronto Hockey League, were asked for their opinions on the reason for the loss.

Some coaches believe the problem is with the selection process, which is a valid point. As Don Cherry says, this process is too “politically correct”. Canada has three leagues—the

Ontario Hockey League, the Western Hockey League, and the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League—and coaches are asked to choose an equal number of players from each league.

“We need to be picking the best players available, regardless of what league they play in. We can’t be skipping out on NHL first-rounders.”

—Mark Runciman This means that, in some cases, the best junior players aren’t chosen because the coaching staff has to satisfy this requirement. Some players didn’t make the team this year because they are all from the OHL, like Max Domi, son of retired Maple Leafs bruiser Tie Domi, who nearly made the cut for the Phoenix Coyotes roster; Scott Kosmachuk, who recently signed an entry-level con-

tract with the Winnipeg Jets; and Darnell Nurse, who went seventh overall in the 2013 NHL entry draft to the Oilers.

“We need to be picking the best players available, regardless of what league they play in,” says Mark Runciman, a fourth-year criminology major. “We can’t be skipping out on NHL first-rounders. It’s ridiculous!”

Timothy de Medeiros, a first-year sociology major, says, “This loss was embarrassing.” De Medeiros was angry that Connor McDavid, a skilled prospect selected to the Canadian squad, didn’t get enough ice time during the tournament.

But this was only part of the reason the team lost at the World Juniors. The majority of the problem lies in the new taboo on physicality, and a general shift away from contact in young age groups. The shift is a result of attempts to increase awareness of concussions and head injuries resulting from hard hits.

The problem is that junior leagues, the NHL, and its affiliates all play with contact.

Hockey continued on page 11

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Hockey bureaucracies Raptors control Hockey continued from page 10 The physicality of the Canadian game has always been an asset. What comes to mind is the 1976 exhibition game between the Philadelphia Flyers, a team on which all by two players were Canadian, and the Soviet Union, whose players skated off the ice during the game because they couldn’t deal with the level of Canadian physicality. The game is losing a powerful asset, and this year’s Canadian World Junior team was a good example of this. If we want our players to be better, they must learn to play with contact at a young age.

Young players can avoid injuries if they’re taught to properly give and receive a check. Rory Bourgeois, a fourth-year political science major, says, “We wonby playing the Canadian game, which is highly physical.

We can’t beat [European teams] by playing Euro-style hockey.”

The GTHL has produced many amazing hockey players. The active players from the 1992 age group include Jeff Skinner of the Carolina Hurricanes, Tyler Toffoli of the Los Angeles Kings, Tyler Seguin of the Dallas Stars, and Devante Smith-Pelley of the Anaheim Ducks. From this age group, there were four top teams for which these players played: the Toronto Junior Canadians, the Toronto Marlboros, the Toronto Red Wings, and the Toronto Young Nationals. All of these teams managed to win big because of the style of hockey they played. It brought a new level of competitiveness to the game and allowed them to be dominant forces in the Metro Junior A Hockey League.

Scouts often cite the problem of finding good defencemen in the GTHL due to a lack of real competition; they instead look to draft players in the NCAA, AHL, and ECHL

to the big leagues, which makes it hard for players in the GTHL to pursue hockey careers. Many GTHL players have invested thousands of dollars into a hockey career and attended practice as if it were more important than doing homework, only to be forced out of competitive hockey without a scholarship.

Meanwhile, Triple A hockey is getting too expensive for a lot of players. The Toronto Star reports that there are many teams in AAA leagues that cost over $8,000 a year to join, in addition to the weekly $7 skate sharpening, $300 hockey sticks that need monthly replacement, and other expensive equipment, along with the gym membership, personal training expenses, and many other expenses associated with playing the sport.

“There are many players on my team who are talented enough to play AAA, but either cannot afford to or don’t want to deal with all of the politics. Something needs to be done.”

—Matthew Emanuele With Canadian consumer debt levels rising 21% in 2013 alone, to take a single figure, it’s safe to say that these costs are a burden to the majority of families in the GTHL. There are very few success stories, such as the Staal and Subban brothers, who have gone through the Ontario hockey system and ended up in the NHL. In fact, it’s reported that the chances of a Canadian making the NHL are one in 6,000 and that in the 2012/13 NHL season, 3.7% of

all NHL rosters were composed of GTHL alumni, while the top Swedish minor hockey league’s alumni, with substantially fewer hockey players, composed 6.4% of NHL rosters.

Apart from the ridiculous team budgets in AAA, which average $110,000, another problem riddling the GTHL is the level of bribery within these selective teams. That, at least, is the phenomenon as cited by many players who don’t make it to the NHL. The picture they paint is that coaches want to make a profit while coaching, and wealthy parents can pay. When the coach’s salary isn’t written directly into the team’s operating budget, the players’ parents will pay the coach’s salary to award their child a spot on the team. The CBC reports that the average salary of a coach in 2008 was $25,000, although there are many coaches with some integrity who receive these payments as an offer of simple gratuity, with no strings attached. More often than not, players either can’t afford to pay a coach or don’t believe it’s morally acceptable to do so to earn a spot on a team or more ice time, preferring to earn these based on merit.

“AA hockey is not treated as a business, unlike AAA,” says Matthew Emanuele, a fourth-year political science major and assistant coach for the AA Streetsville Tigers. “Our budgets are highly affordable, and it’s rare to see a coach turn a profit from budgets or wealthy parents.

Talent is not concentrated within the top four teams. It’s unfortunate, because there are many players on my team who are talented enough to play AAA, but either cannot afford to or don’t want to deal with all of the politics. Something needs to be done.”

Atlantic Division Raptors continued from page 10 The Raptors have won against top teams in the league, including the Dallas Mavericks, the Oklahoma City Thunder, and the Indiana Pacers, who are currently on top of the Eastern Conference division.

“I don’t know what it is. I’m an avid Raptors fan and I watch the games when I can, but these days when I watch the games it’s like something’s different,” says James Tseroni, a third-year linguistics major. “Our shots are falling and the players seem to be playing with increased energy, and overall they just seem happy to be playing, which is something I haven’t seen in a while from them.”

The Raptors’ shift seems to have happened overnight, but it’s actually been brought about by the efforts of head coach Dwane Casey, who took the position last season.

Casey, who was part of Dallas Mavericks’ championship-winning team in 2011, is a strong defensiveminded coach who preaches a team game concept. His intensity on the sidelines is one of the reasons the Raptors have improved so drastically. His coaching style won Casey the NBA Coach of the Month title for December, making him only the second coach in the Raptors’ history to do so.

Since Gay’s departure, the team has improved their game both offensively and defensively. Gay specializes in post-up and isolation plays, which meant that there was little ball movement and little return on offence if he didn’t shoot a good percentage from the field.

Since Gay’s trade, the Raptors haven’t had to rely on just one play-

er to make things happen—they win games through teamwork.

Demar DeRozan has improved his scoring and is now averaging 21.2 points per game this season, the first time he has averaged over 20 points in his career. Throughout the winning streak, Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry has taken a starring role in the team’s successes, averaging over nine assists per game and keeping offence running more efficiently than it has all season.

Second-year guard Terrence Ross, known for his dunking abilities, has also stepped up this season by improving his shooting and becoming more reliable on the defensive end, which has led to him being given more playing time.

The Raptors are slowly finding their identity in an Eastern Conference with few competitive teams.

Four teams in current playoff spots have a less-than-winning record, which says a lot about the competition in the East. The Raptors are currently on top of the Atlantic division and sit fourth in the Eastern Conference. For a team that hasn’t been to the playoffs since the 2007/08 season, where they lost in the first round, their chances of making the playoffs this season are better than they have been in a long time.

If the team manages to sustain their recent performance, they may have a chance not only to reach the playoffs but also to make some noise in the Eastern Conference post-season. Even if the Raptors don’t make the playoffs, they’ve at least brought some new life and excitement to a Toronto sports scene that’s been itching for something to cheer for.