Vol 40 issue 14

WRITING CONTEST RUNNERS-UP PAGE 11

THE VOICE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO MISSISSAUGA

January 20, 2014 Volume 40, Issue 14 mediumutm.ca

Strike can’t stop us

Different battles

Cross the Atlantic

Gunning vs. cancer

Blues even out

UTM held its doors open a little later than ever for international students who were denied visas.

We should stop lobbying for exciting but not so useful goals. There are better fish to fry.

At the Blackwood, one artist commemorates the brave—or insane— journey of another.

Canada Research Chair Patrick Gunning on his research inventing molecules.

A gripping game sees Rotman narrowly send the Blues back to nurse their wounds.

Medium News, page 2

Medium Opinion, page 5

Medium Arts, page 6

Medium Features, page 10

Medium Sports, page 14

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«NEWS

THE MEDIUM 01.20.2014

International students accepted in January Campus allows international students to start studies two weeks into the winter session Larissa Ho News Editor UTM officials allowed international students affected by the foreign service workers’ strike to begin their first-year studies in January “on humanitarian grounds”, according to Principal Deep Saini.

This is the first time UTM has allowed students to begin their firstyear studies in the winter session.

“Imagine if you’re sitting in a far-off land, and you’ve gotten an offer from the University of Toronto. You’ve accepted it, and you’ve basically turned your back to all other potential offers you may have had elsewhere, and then suddenly you find that you can’t get to Canada because you can’t get the visa,” said Saini. “It was a pretty brutal situation for these students, so we decided that this year it’s important that we allow students to start in January.”

Because of the foreign service officers’ strike last spring, international students were left in the lurch when the process of getting their student visas approved was delayed.

Last April, the officers responsible for processing Canadian visa applications went on strike to campaign for increased wages.

The Professional Association of Foreign Service Officers—which

jasmeen virk/the medium

International students at UTM’s International Centre in the Davis Building during drop-in hours. represents 1,350 non-executive Canadian diplomats—was then embroiled in the longest-running public service workers’ strike in Canadian history.

The strike caused delays in processing visa applications around the globe, which affected the applications of international students at UTM. According to Saini, some 150 international students were admitted for the winter session, and a larger number received offers.

Every year, a few students are re-

fused visas by the Citizenship and Immigration Centre due to the assessments of their financial capability and health records, among other factors. However, due to the special circumstances surrounding the processing of student visas this year, UTM made an exception.

“This year was special,” said Saini.

Dale Mullings, UTM’s director of residence and student life, said that UTM reached out to international students over the summer to encourage them to apply for their

study permits online. The CIC also encouraged the application for study permits online, which were sent out worldwide to be reviewed and processed much faster than the paper copies being circulated.

Mullings said students were allowed to start classes two weeks into the start of the winter session, as they needed time to prepare for study and book flights after receiving their permits.

“I think the efforts have been successful in managing the number for January here,” said Mull-

ings in an interview.

To accommodate the students beginning their studies in January, an additional orientation must be planned for the winter.

“We have to repeat the process now, on a smaller scale,” said Saini.

According to Mullings, one struggle faced by international students, identified by International Centre student-user focus groups and peer academic leaders in the InternationalLIFE program at UTM, is engaging with students not from their home country.

Mullings said new student coordinators have been hired in response to this issue and that programming aimed at international students and domestic students with an international interest will begin next week.

“Rather than the one-day, larger, international orientation-type activity that would happen with a large population in September, this is more one-on-one peer-based focus to get them connected with the appropriate resources on campus now,” said Mullings.

According to Mullings, another challenge faced by international students is “navigating the systems”, including ensuring that their study permits don’t expire, for example. UTM is looking at launching an alert system to help students keep track of them.

Students seek to get hired Ian Orchard to take The Career Centre’s fair drew a record number of students

up post at Waterloo

Ian Orchard was UTM’s principal for eight years.

Students gathered at the RAWC for the Get Hired Fair last Wednesday.

Larissa Ho News Editor The Career Centre provided students the opportunity to get noticed by employers with its newly renamed Get Hired: Summer & Full-Time Job Fair last Wednesday.

The fair, which was previously called the Summer Job Fair, has been known to attract the most students of all Career Centre events in previous years. This year, the Get Hired Fair attracted 1,816 students to the RAWC, whereas last year’s fair attracted approximately 1,200 students. According to Michelle Atkinson, the coordinator of events

and employment services at the Career Centre, this year’s was the biggest turnout of any fair hosted by the Career Centre to date.

The goal of the Get Hired Fair, said Atkinson, is to connect students with organizations that are hiring for either summer positions or full-time positions (for recent graduates). At the fair, representatives from 80 exhibitors were on hand to chat with students.

The Career Centre encouraged students to bring their updated resumes and to dress appropriately for the fair, since ”first impressions are important”.

Various summer camps and tu-

Christy Tam/The Medium

toring companies were present, as well as American Eagle Outfitters, GoodLife Fitness, Peel Regional Police, and the Royal Canadian Navy, to name a few.

“It’s important that students know of job opportunities that are out there—some from great organizations that they may not have heard of until the fair. That will help with their job search,” said Atkinson. “On the flip side, we want employers, both locally and outside of the GTA, to know that UTM is brimming with qualified candidates across all disciplines, and that a UTM student is a great hire.”

Dylan Prior Professor Ian Orchard, former vicepresident and principal of U of T Mississauga, has been appointed VP academic and provost of the University of Waterloo.

During his eight-year tenure as principal at UTM, Orchard was a major patron of UTM’s expansion. Major projects he oversaw include the construction of buildings such as the Instructional Centre, the RAWC, and the Hazel McCallion Learning Centre. He did this while nearly doubling enrolment at UTM. Before stepping down from the principal’s chair in 2010, Orchard concluded the Canadian Perspective Lecture Series with “The Little Campus that Grew: You Can’t Get There from Here”.

utoronto.ca/photo

A distinguished professor of biology, Orchard’s devotion and expertise earned him praise and recognition, including the 2013 Research Excellence Award for his contributions to science: the discovery of Rhodnius prolixus and its link to Chagas disease.

He was previously the University of Toronto’s first vice-provost, students, and also held positions as vice-dean and associate dean in the Faculty of Arts and Science. The university established the Ian Orchard Student Initiatives Fund in 2010 with a goal of enhancing the student experience by funding student-led and studentdriven projects.

Orchard will take up his post at the University of Waterloo for a five-year term, effective July 1.

01.20.2014 THE MEDIUM NEWS

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Fossil fuel divestment encouraged David Suzuki petitions U of T’s Meric Gertler about the campaign

January 9, 1:13 p.m.

Fraud Campus Police responded to a complaint in regards to a fraudulent parking permit. The vehicle was issued a parking infraction and the driver of the vehicle was located and interviewed by Campus Police.

January 11, 1:10 p.m.

Hate-related graffiti Hateful graffiti was written on a wall in the RAWC. It was removed by caretakers. Peel Regional Police were made aware of the incident.

January 12, 11:45 p.m.

Threatening Peel Regional Police and Campus Police investigated threatening messages sent to a student. A student was arrested and charged with uttering threats.

January 13, 1:35 p.m.

Fraud A student seeking employment online reported a scam. Someone asked for money to be sent oversees. The trans-

action was not made by the student.

January 13, 4:00 p.m.

Theft under $5,000 Two books were stolen from a desk at the library. The culprit was not located and the books were not recovered.

January 14, 12:04 a.m.

Controlled Drugs and Substances Act Campus Police investigated persons believed to be smoking marijuana in an on-campus townhouse. The persons involved were interviewed by Campus Police.

January 14, 5:30 p.m.

Theft under $5,000 A watch was stolen from an unsecured locker in the men’s change room at the RAWC. January 15, 5:25 p.m.

Theft under $5,000 A student reported the theft of a brand-new textbook from a table in the hallway outside the library. He had left the book unattended for half an hour.

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David Suzuki, the famous environmentalist, urges U of T administration to support divestment.

Atika Azhar David Suzuki, a world-renowned environmentalist, wrote a personal letter to U of T’s president, Meric Gertler, requesting a fossil fuel divestment. The divestment campaign endorsed, by 350.org, has gained the approval of many prominent members of the community. Among the 1,000 signers, a former mayor of Toronto, David Miller, has acknowledged the importance of the campaign.

Led by local environmentalist group Toronto350.org, which has been building support for divestment of fossil fuels for the past year, the divestment campaign involves U of T staff, alumni, and students calling on the university to make an immediate statement of intent to divest from fossil fuel companies for the next five years and to stop investing funds into the fossil fuel

industry. The group claims that U of T is heavily invested in fossil fuel companies.

The divestment campaign is calling on U of T’s administration to declare its interest in divesting stock holdings in nearly 200 fossil fuel companies, including Royal Dutch Shell, one of the leading oil and gas companies based in the U.K.

“The issue of responsibility to future generations overrides all others.”

—David Suzuki In his letter, Suzuki insists that to keep the agreement made by the federal government during the 2009 UN Climate Change Conference to allow no more than a two-degree rise in temperature, “We can only

burn a small fraction of our known reserves and leave the rest in the ground.” Suzuki also asks Gertler to consider the “moral and ethical issues” because “the issue of responsibility to future generations overrides all others”.

The divestment movement was first launched in Swathmore College in United States to fight against mountaintop coal removal. Since then, the movement has gained power and aims to relocate the billions of dollars invested in fossil fuel to renewable energy. “Divestment presents an opportunity to build movement power that lives longer than a single campaign, the kind of power we will need to push for legislative changes and to stop fossil fuel expansion projects in their tracks,” said Cameron Fenton, the national director of the Canadian Youth Climate Coalition.

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«NEWS

THE MEDIUM 01.20.2014

Online learning set to expand Courses will be transferable between signing institutions

»What do you think of the

student centre referendum?

Marlo Young-Sponga 2nd year, PWC

Ahmad Refai 3rd year, biology

I think the information that students get tends to be incomplete.

The only thing I’ve ever heard about it is vague remarks.

Muzz Abdur-Razak 4th year, botany

Qianru Guo 3rd year, commerce

Expansion is good. As the campus grows, so should the Student Centre.

I think I saw an email about it, but I didn’t know we were paying for it.

wikimedia.org/PHOTO

A Centre of Excellence for Online Learning is set to launch in 2015, according to the Ontario government.

Nortei welcomed the initiative, listing off the benefits of her own experience in the online ENV100Y course offered in the summer.

“I didn’t lose out on time to work and save up for school,” she wrote in an email. “I had time to enjoy my vacation with my family [or] friends because I could plan out when I could do my assignments.”

Hummel said that online cours-

es were especially convenient for students who had to commute long distances to come to class.

Hers was up to an hour, which is not uncommon at UTM. “Stay-at-home parents, young people with part-time or full-time jobs, and [others] could all benefit from online education. Also, it’s very green because it means less commuting,” she said.

Hummel expressed concerns that online course instructors don’t always take sufficient measures to prevent academic dishonesty, since the majority of the evaluations are completed online.

Specifically, she said students could cheat by doing each other’s work and discussing answers during online tests.

“It isn’t fair that some work hard for their marks and degree while others have the answers written in front of them. If this issue could be better addressed (possibly through the use of new technologies or assignment types), then I see no reason why more online classes [shouldn’t] be available,” she said.

In addition to offering online courses, Ontario Online will serve as a platform for colleges and universities to share ideas and research on methods for online instruction.

Putin says Russia must “cleanse” itself of homosexuality

Scarborough widow loses ring to hugger in “distraction theft”

Russian President Vladimir Putin defended Russia’s anti-gay law by equating gays with pedophiles and said Russia needs to “cleanse” itself of homosexuality if it wants to increase its birth rate. Putin refused to answer a question from the BBC on whether he believes that people are born gay or become gay.

Source: The Globe and Mail

Maria Iqbal associate news editor Last summer, Joycelyn Nortei juggled summer school, spending time with her friends and family, and working part-time. She finished her course with an 85%.

Mary Hummel also did well in the same course two summers earlier without having to step out of her Burlington home.

The Ontario government’s announcement of their intention to create a $42-million Centre of Excellence for Online Learning last Monday means more students will be able to take online courses that are transferable between participating colleges and universities. The move is intended to increase accessibility to students facing obstacles to their education, such as jobs and long commutes.

Set to launch in 2015, Ontario Online will serve as a centralized platform where each online course will be recognized by all participating schools. According to an article in the Globe and Mail, participation of individual post-secondary institutions will be optional, but the ones that choose to join Ontario Online must agree to grant credits to stu-

dents who take approved courses, regardless of which college or university offers those courses.

“Ontario Online will help all students access the world-class education that they need to succeed, when and where it works for them,” said Brad Duguid, Minister of Training, Colleges, and Universities.

“It isn’t fair that some work hard for their marks and degree while others have the answers written in front of them [in online courses].”

—Mary Hummel

New plan underway to protect UTM women Anti-violence project launched this week

A new anti-violence plan has been launched on campus to protect young women, since UTM is home to many women aged 15 to 25, who are reportedly at the highest statistical risk of experiencing gender-based violence.

UTM’s CampUS Safety Project launched its Community Safety Plan as part of the Health & Wellness Fair at the RAWC this Thursday, according to a press release last week. The plan’s spokesperson is Chad Jankowski, acting assistant director of UTM’s Health and Counselling Centre.

Initiated by UTM in collaboration with Interim Place, a Peel-based shelter for young women, and with additional funding from Status of Women Canada, the plan calls for campus administration, social service providers, and Campus Police to come together to address the prevalent problem of violence against young women.

The CampUS Safety Plan is the result of recent consultations with UTM students and staff. Projected results include changes to police reporting procedures and the physical environment of the campus, according to the press release.

Look for more coverage next week.

Sochi Olympics security concern rekindled after threat

Caroline Ouellette takes Team Canada’s women into new era

Angry air travellers call for U.S.-style complaint disclosure

A Scarborough widow is without her wedding ring after becoming the victim of distraction theft, a crime that’s been sweeping across the GTA. Police told Thornton she’s not the only one reporting this kind of crime. Distraction theft is a constant problem across the city, said Toronto police spokesperson Victor Kwong.

A video posted Sunday on the website of the militant group Vilayat Dagestan showed two Russian-speaking men warning about upcoming suicide attacks and threatening tourists who will visit the Olympics site. The men claimed responsibility for the bombings at a train station and on a bus in Volgograd last December.

Veteran Caroline Ouellette will be the captain in Sochi replacing longtime captain Hayley Wickenheiser. Wickenheiser, who will compete in her fifth Games in hockey, will be a permanent alternate captain. The men’s team named Sidney Crosby the captain with Jonathan Toews and Shae Weber as alternates.

Passengers angered by air travel ordeals say it’s time Canadian airlines were required to publicly disclose complaints of baggage problems, cancelled flights, and delays, as they do south of the border. Michael Janigan, a lawyer for the Public Interest Advocacy Centre in Toronto, said we need an overhaul of passenger rights laws.

Source: The Star

Source: CBC News

Source: CBC News

Source: CBC News

Larissa Ho News Editor

01.20.2014

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Nice to get more tangible benefits We should be lobbying for things we need and can get, not questionable goals There haven’t been any earth-shattering events this week, to my knowledge, so here’s a reflective piece.

Something I noticed when I attended the UTM Students’ Union’s annual general meeting towards the end of last semester was that I didn’t find myself totally committed to all their projects (although it’s safe to say the majority was). The probable reply is that not everyone will agree with every project, and besides, there’s always room for critique and improvement. So I’ll aim for just that.

One of the main things that set the tone in my mind was the promise by president Raymond Noronha to keep pushing for a drop-credit policy. Two issues come to mind. The first is the question of whether such a push can succeed. It doesn’t seem likely, given that vice-dean Kelly Hannah-Moffat said last year that there would be no movement. So perhaps the effort could be spent elsewhere for now. But that’s not a crucial opposition; after all, the function of a student union is to be a watchdog, to always push the university to an ideal—if not always for an immediate result, at least to check situations from worsening.

My main objection is to the project itself. Yes, it’s tempting, the idea that I can blot out those damn CTEP marks from first year that are dragging my CGPA down. Both UTMSU and the downtown student union have latched on to this easy feeling for two or three years, calling the policy “progressive” and getting low grades “punitive” be-

cause, as it stands, a low CGPA “could limit the prospects of those affected” after graduating. For example (this is from the policy’s lobby document at utmsu.ca), you need a 70% average in your core accounting courses to qualify for the Certified Accountant designation and we’re limiting these students’ futures if we don’t let them retake a bad course. But do we want to have CAs who fail a core course?

No, says the document, since after dropping a credit, the CGPA would “become more reflective of a student’s true abilities and competence”. I don’t buy it. But it goes on: “Taking an additional course provides a more accurate representation of a student’s true GPA, as demonstrated by the Law of Large Numbers, which dictates that the margin of error associated with test statistics decreases as trials increase.” This is pretty shoddy logic. If the trial itself alters the test value...

And the credibility question is one that comes up a few times. The document argues that our credibility will actually go up if we fix the “extremely low grades” we get at U of T because then more of our alumni will make it into graduate school. The circularity is dizzying. Admittedly, a few other universities with similar policies are listed, and some of them are credible.

The reason the vice-dean gave for the lack of interest on the university’s part addresses the best argument for the policy, namely the existence of extenuating circumstances that prevent a student from demonstrating their

real knowledge. The answer was that at UTM we have a recently won credit/no credit policy, late withdrawal, and even the grade forgiveness in the worst cases. Why apply an extreme solution universally?

Again, this is not to take sides, just to present a critique. It’s a relatively recent project, not a long struggle, and maybe we should rethink it. But I suspect that won’t happen yet. It was applauded by volunteers, staff, and others at the meeting. Give it a few more years of flat refusal from the administration and it might lose steam, or worse, finally go through.

It frustrates me that U of T should hesitate to take an expansion in hand for even a fraction of the amount spent on its academic buildings.

It’s not the only case in which the union has stuck to ideology rather than pragmatics. One question I asked of Mr. Noronha was why UTMSU would set a $2-million cap on the student investment in the Student Centre expansion that we’re about to vote on. After all, considering how long it’s taken to expand, we might as well do the job right; for example, the club office space is expected to more than double if the referendum passes, but it’ll still be three or four clubs to

one office, and more, if UTMSU’s 2011 estimate of growth in club numbers is accurate. Mr. Noronha’s answer? Because the university’s contribution is capped at $2 million and if students paid more, then the ratio of university to student contributions would be smaller. But why does that matter if the absolute value doesn’t change? If the university had promised a 2:1 match instead of 1:1 but still had a limit of $2 million, would we limit the student contribution to $1 million in order to maximize the ratio, and have even less for an expansion? The prioritization is bizarre. The ideal would be a better expansion, not the hollow victory of paying just enough to maximize the university’s contribution.

Don’t get me wrong. This is not to say we shouldn’t have a high university investment. Absolutely we should.

It frustrates me that the University of Toronto, always near the top of the rankings except in student satisfaction, should hesitate to take this asset in hand for even a fraction of the amount spent on the universityoperated, enrolment-growing buildings going up now. And I get that the message sent by limiting student enrolment on this expansion is that this needs to change. But still, wouldn’t it be nice if we pursued the more tangible benefits now and then?

YOURS, LUKE SAWCZAK

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THE MEDIUM 01.20.2014

Lost at sea in the Blackwood Gallery The Blackwood Gallery welcomes the first solo Canadian exhibition from an innovative artist ANDREEA MIHAI STAFF WRITER Imagine that you stand in a small pocket cruiser. The waves hit and the floor rocks under your feet. The cold wind blows into your face. Imagine crossing the Atlantic in such a boat.

Dutch artist Bas Jan Ader attempted this in 1975 using the Guppy 13 model he named Ocean Wave, and he disappeared in the attempt.

Ahmet Öğüt’s installation “Guppy 13 vs Ocean Wave; A Bas Jan Ader Experience” is part of the Blackwood Gallery’s latest exhibition, Ahmet Öğüt: Strategies for Radical Democracy. The wall on the left side of the gallery is painted the same shade of yellow as the boat and showcases photos of Ocean Wave, videos of police statements from when it was stolen, and a documentary film of Öğüt’s Ocean Wave as passengers ride in it.

“Guppy 13 vs Ocean Wave; a Bas Jan Ader Experience” is one of seven key works in Öğüt’s first solo exhibition in Canada. Öğüt said that he wanted to give passengers the chance to experience the fragility of riding in the small boat, and to understand the impossibility of crossing the Atlantic.

In the centre of the Blackwood gal-

MARIA NG/THE MEDIUM

Ahmet Ögüt: Strategies for Radical Democracy offers visitors several eye-opening installations. lery is Öğüt’s “Strategic Diagram for Non-hierarchical Participatory Radical Democracy”, a black raised platform that illustrates the artist’s theories. It’s equipped with chalk for viewers to add to the diagram, and, in Öğüt’s words, “improve” it with their contributions. Öğüt

wanted a diagram that showed how hegemonic structures are close to the centre, influencing reality, while other people, such as activists, artists, and academics, are at the sides and could use the gaps in the diagram to challenge the structures and change reality.

The theme of art as an accessible means to change the world is present in Öğüt’s other installations.

On display is a video documenting Öğüt’s writing the URL “www.eyewriter.org/diy” on dollar bills that he gave out at various weddings in Diyarbakir, Turkey. The EyeWriter

is a low-cost open-source device that allows paralyzed people to communicate with their eyes. Öğüt wanted to raise awareness of the EyeWriter through his project and won the special prize of the Future Generation Art Prize 2012, which he donated to the EyeWriter team.

The exhibition continues in the e-gallery, located in the CCT Building. “Fahrenheit 451: Reprinted” is one of two films that document the instant mobile printing and distribution of a collection of banned books by the Espoo Fire department. As the film plays, text scrolls up the screen, listing the chosen books and the unexpected reasons for which they were banned. Some of the books are Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland, Anne Sewell’s Black Beauty, and Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights.

“It all starts as a narrative in my mind,” says Öğüt, describing his process. “Then it takes on a life of its own as it becomes a reality and other people interact with the art.”

“Ahmet Öğüt: Strategies for Radical Democracy” is curated by Rhonda Corvese and runs at the Blackwood Gallery until March 2.

The trials and tribulations of Llewyn Davis Inside Llewyn Davis explores the life of a struggling ’60s folk musician as only the Coen Brothers could MATT LONG Inside Llewyn Davis is a well-done character study that fits perfectly into the Coen Brothers canon.

Although the folk scene of 1960s Greenwich Village provides the context for the movie, Inside Llewyn Davis is a revealing look at the life of a starving artist in any time period.

Oscar Isaac stars as Llewyn Davis, a struggling musician in 1960s New York. The film covers a week in his life as he fills time between gigs and finding a decent place to sleep. Davis’ lackadaisical lifestyle leads him around New York and into nearby cities, where he hopes to find support for his music and for himself.

The plot can hardly be detailed further without taking emphasis away from the real story: Llewyn Davis. For close to two hours, the audience watches this man interact with friends, musicians, agents, highway adventurers, and women.

He sings you his songs and you wait for him to break on through to another side of his life, but that’s not the story that Inside Llewyn Davis wants to tell. It challenges the audience to care for a man who is far

Oscar Isaac shines in the Coen Brothers’ Inside Llewyn Davis. from sympathetic—he may even be fairly terrible—but you can’t help but hope for a positive outcome.

The film rests on the shoulders of Isaac, who does an excellent job of bringing this singer to life. You can feel Davis’ internal struggle through Isaac’s eyes and the way he

carries himself. Isaac’s role was not as showy as many of the roles that are usually celebrated by critics and awards groups, but he successfully brings a character to life through actually being this character.

One of the main features of the film is the music. The Coens respect

HUFFINGTONPOST.COM/PHOTO

Llewyn Davis enough to allow him to play his songs in their entirety.

Isaac shines in his passionate, pure singing. Davis’ closest contemporary counterpart might have been Joan Baez, although there’s also an implied comparison to Bob Dylan.

Another highlight is when Davis

takes part in a studio session with Justin Timberlake’s character and they perform the goofy political song “Please Mr. Kennedy”. It’s in this scene that the collaborative magic of music becomes apparent, and might be the only time that the film can be called fun.

This is the Coen brothers’ 16th collaboration, and the depth of their experience is apparent. The film had some of the most stunning cinematography I’ve seen.

The scenes of Davis performing in a New York bar are breathtaking, with a spotlight shining on Davis in the smoky room. The storytelling is also sure of itself, despite the lack of big plot. This is the type of film the Coens have often worked towards, whittling away at any overt quirk in order to tell a good story. They capture great performances from every member of their principal cast, and one of their regular collaborators, John Goodman, shone in a small but hilarious role.

Inside Llewyn Davis is an odyssey of ordinary life. If you have any interest in character studies, ’60s music, or great pieces of cinema, go to your local theatre and watch Inside Llewyn Davis. MMMMM

01.20.2014 THE MEDIUM ARTS» 7

Paranormal Activity returns in a new way

Cronenberg takes TIFF TIFF celebrates the Canadian director with a multi-format exhibition

HUFFINGTONPOST.COM/PHOTO

Jump scares abound in Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones.

MAYANK SHARMA Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones goes beyond the setting of the original series while giving us a deeper explanation of the original’s premise. The film revolves around a group of high school graduates who get involved with witchcraft, and the story ultimately links back to the plot of the previous instalments.

Although it’s a retreading of the original, Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones adds some commendable new elements to the franchise.

Unlike the original series, the film is well-structured and uses humour in its build-up. It also unfolds at a quicker pace. The film doesn’t follow the central family of the first two films; instead it links itself to the first film in a very eerie way that leaves the door open for more sequels.

MUBASHIR BAWEJA DESIGN EDITOR The Russian Futurists The Weight’s on the Wheels It’s exciting, picking a CD for the column and hearing it for the first time.

Last time, I picked the first one with a cover that caught my eye in hopes of hearing something new. But that didn’t turn out so well. This time, I went with a cover that was somewhat reminiscent of Fleet Foxes’ 2008 selftitled album. And a quick Wikipedia search showed that the Russian Futurists have toured with Caribou and Peter Bjorn and John, so they have to be good, right? I might have to change my strategy for picking out new music.

The Russian Futurists’ 2010 album, The Weight’s on the Wheels, fronted by Toronto’s Matthew Adam Hart, falls somewhere between synthpop and

That being said, the plot here is really no different. It still uses “found footage” of demonic possessions and relies on jump scares and other horror conventions to frighten the audience.

But this time the camera is handheld, not fixed on a stand like in the previous films, and instead of a family, a group of teenagers is caught in the web of supernatural happenings.

Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones fails to match the horror of the original but redefines the franchise in its own way. It opens new gateways through which the franchise can proceed and leaves the audience eager for sequels. It exceeds the expectations of a spin-off, but can’t be regarded as an exact sequel. Overall, if you are a fan of this franchise and enjoy a good scare or two, this film is not to be missed. MM½

indie rock. A first, I thought of comparing it to the likes of the Postal Service and Matt and Kim, but re-listening to those artists proved it would be too inaccurate a comparison.

The album abounds with trite and simplistic lyrics on every track, such as “I looked around, and boy I caught you staring / You and I, we’d make the perfect pairing” and “You’ve got regrets, we’ve all got ’em / Summer, winter, spring, and autumn”. My favourite couplet has to be “And with one look I was hooked on trouble / Cause she’s got eyes that make the Great Lakes puddles” from the track “Plates”.

Other than that, the music isn’t all that bad. It varies little from track to track but Hart maintains a dance vibe throughout the record. If you can get past the laughably sappy lyrics and into the instrumentals, you may be able to find your groove and actually strut your stuff to this album.

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Cronenberg himself spent some quality time with a Mugwump at David Cronenberg: Evolution.

MATT LONG Cinema lovers: you owe it to yourselves to become acquainted with the oeuvre of David Cronenberg.

There’s no better time, either, because TIFF is currently showcasing the work of the groundbreaking Canadian director. TIFF’s first original exhibition, “David Cronenberg: Evolution”, was on display at the TIFF Bell Lightbox until January 19. Now, you can go into the world of Cronenberg in depth from the comfort of your home with “David Cronenberg: Virtual Exhibition”.

David Cronenberg is one of Can-

ada’s most important filmmakers.

The majority of his major movies have been filmed in Canada and one film, The Brood, even has scenes shot in Mississauga. Cronenberg is a local—he graduated from the University of Toronto in the ’60s. He originally pursued a bachelor’s of science until he became disenchanted and switched to English. He developed an interest in film during his undergraduate years. Cronenberg’s dual fascination with science and literature has played prominent roles in his career. Many of his films deal with biological changes and the resulting psychological changes.

Cronenberg released his first short film in 1969. Since then, he’s never taken an extended break, managing to release at least one important film every few years. The highlights of Cronenberg’s filmography include Videodrome, The Fly, Dead Ringers, Naked Lunch, Crash (not the Crash you’re thinking of), and A History of Violence. Even Cronenberg’s lesser-known work stands up incredibly well due to a unique vision and uncompromising storytelling.

TIFF continued on page 8

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THE MEDIUM 01.20.2014

Love in the time of technology Joaquin Phoenix plays a man with an odd fixation in Her, Jonze’s latest work COLLEEN MUNRO A&E EDITOR Spike Jonze is a director who likes to explore a fine line between reality and fantasy. His first film, 1999’s Being John Malkovich, found the movie’s fictional characters quite literally diving into the mind of real-life actor John Malkovich.

2002’s Adaptation presented a fictionalized version of screenwriter Charlie Kaufman contending with his twin brother, Donald (who, despite not actually existing in real life, was credited alongside Charlie for writing Adaptation). Where the Wild Things Are took a less meta approach, following the adventures of a young boy who journeys to a beast-filled fantasy realm to escape the frustrating lack of control he has over his own life.

The slightly scary thing about Jonze’s latest film, Her, is that it’s his most believable film yet. Set in a subtly futuristic Los Angeles, Her follows the life of Theodore Twombly (played by Joaquin Phoenix), a mild-mannered man struggling to overcome the emotional fallout of his recent divorce. Looking for some companionship, he downloads an advanced operating system for his computer that boasts cutting-edge technology: artificial intelligence.

He names the OS “Samantha” (voiced by Scarlett Johansson) and becomes attached to and even falls in love with the supportive (albeit non-human) voice.

The real trick of Her is that Jonze (who recently won a Golden Globe for his screenplay) makes it believable. When you hear the premise—a man falls in love with his computer’s operating system—it sounds

Romance gets a twist in the latest film by Spike Jonze, Her. ridiculous. But while there’s plenty of humour and the film embraces its gently absurd elements, for the most part Jonze plays it real. At this point in history, the concept still feels like a stretch, but somehow it doesn’t feel like that much of a stretch. The film comments on our reliance on technology and the risks of letting virtual reality trump personal relationships. There are several shots of crowds walking down the street and conversing at ease with the computerized voices in their earpieces as though with another person. And while this is an unsettling sight, it’s also not exactly an unfamiliar one.

The movie makes its comments

about the current breakdown of communication, but it isn’t a completely pessimistic indictment of technology, either. The film’s core story is really more about finding the necessary love and self-acceptance within yourself to live a fulfilling life. Theodore finds this comfort with Samantha, and while it may not be an especially healthy bond, it certainly allows his character to develop. This unconventional human/ OS romance emphasizes Theodore’s insecurities (his fear of abandonment) as well as his strengths (his compassion) and Jonze does a beautiful job of balancing the film’s odd story elements with a true compas-

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sion for his characters. The romance between Theodore and Samantha isn’t just played for easy laughs, and it feels like there’s genuinely something at stake in this relationship.

This believability is also thanks in part to the performances, which, despite the film’s high-concept premise, are all refreshingly understated.

Phoenix shows his versatility once again—this performance couldn’t be further from his combative turn in The Master or his charismatic performance as Johnny Cash in Walk the Line. Theodore isn’t exactly a sad sack, but as the film soon shows, he’s a very lonely man who struggles to make true connections

in his life, and Phoenix perfectly conveys his vulnerability. Johansson, too, is great as the disembodied voice of Samantha. It’s a natural and effortlessly charming vocal performance that still has a touch of the emotional remove that would come with even the most sophisticated artificial intelligence machine. I totally bought the two actors’ chemistry, despite the fact that they share no physical connection on the screen.

Her might be Jonze’s most stylistically sophisticated movie yet, hinting at its futuristic setting without bashing the audience over the head with dystopian imagery. The office that Theodore works at, in particular, is a wonderfully off-kilter and slightly fantastical environment, full of smooth edges and candy-coloured furnishings. The whole film, in fact, is tinged with a warm pink hue that feels makes it feel both inviting and a little bit melancholy.

Admittedly, this film isn’t quite as narratively compelling as some of Jonze’s others, or even some of his short music video subjects. The relationship between Theodore and Samantha is fascinating to watch unfold, but the plot feels a bit thin to sustain the film over the course of its two-hour runtime. Until the film’s beautifully understated and uncertain ending, the film began to feel as though it were repeating some of its emotional notes a few too many times.

Ultimately, though, Her is a measured and unflinching look at alienation and love. It almost defies genre classification. While some viewers might find the premise unappealling, it has a lot to say to those who are willing to listen.

MMMM½

The rare look inside Cronenberg’s mind TIFF continued from page 7 TIFF’s David Cronenberg exhibition is an opportunity to get behind the scenes of an incredible number of films. Every film he directed is profiled. The exhibition includes original scripts with revealing handwritten changes and blueprints for designing his complex original worlds. Cronenberg’s classic adaptation of William Burroughs’ “unfilmable” novel, Naked Lunch, gets a deluxe treatment, allowing visitors to enter the Interzone. The making of Naked Lunch is explored in depth, and visitors can take a picture with a Mugwump.

Everything from the physical exhibition at TIFF will be displayed online, but the virtual exhibition will offer even more insight into Cronenberg’s work.

The virtual exhibition includes interviews with Cronenberg and his collaborators, many of whom are top-notch Hollywood talent.

You can explore an interactive map and timeline, from which you can gain a greater understanding of how Toronto shaped his career.

Scholarly essays will also be featured for serious study of Cronenberg’s creations. The Cronenberg exhibition demonstrates how a filmmaker can progress through a career where each standalone film adds to a greater trend.

David Cronenberg is the rare filmmaker who hasn’t compromised his vision or creativity throughout his six-decade career.

He has reached the highest echelons of the film world (Oscars be damned). The great thing is that he was once a young U of T student like you. Now, he is a major cultural figure in Toronto. Find his films however you can. After you’ve watched a few and managed to adjust to his world, you’ll understand why you need to visit the Cronenberg virtual exhibition.

01.20.2014 THE MEDIUM ARTS» 9

The Guggenheim comes to the AGO The AGO’s latest exhibition displays some of the early 20th century’s masterpieces

Franz Marc’s “Stables” is one of the many masterpieces currently on display at the AGO as part of their latest exhibition, The Great Upheaval.

KATE CATTELL-DANIELS ASSOCIATE A&E EDITOR The Great Upheaval: Masterpieces from the Guggenheim Collection is a selection of pieces taken from the selection that Guggenheim made.

There’s a potential for things to be a little fragmented. But in reality, The Great Upheaval is touching, risky, and immersive, grounded in the historical context of the art. The exhibit covers art created between 1910 and 1918, right in the middle of the Balkan War and World War I. In the first gallery, the paintings possess a distinctive “f*** you” attitude, reflecting the artists who decided that art could be made in any colour and on any subject, rejecting

the realism and tendency towards intricate detail that preceded them.

Echoing the unprecedentedly rapid mechanization and industrialization that was then taking the world by storm, the art from this pre-war period is about experimentation and play.

One piece that particularly stands out is Kandinsky’s “Sketch for Composition”, which is more about shape and colour than about telling a specific story. At first glance, the painting is chaos, smashing together colours that ought not sit beside one another and spacing them with patches of white.

Slowly, though, these seemingly random colours and forms begin to stand out as little vignettes scattered on the canvas: a house, a person, someone on a horse jumping over an obstacle.

“Colour directly influences the soul,” said Kandinsky, and indeed it does here, drawing the eye and holding it.

It takes courage to produce a painting like this one and be proud of the outcome.

The first two years or so covered by the show prove especially interesting because of the atypical thinking that seems to be required. It’s all very well to see something beautiful and decide to capture it with paint, as faithfully to the original inspiration as possible on a two-dimensional surface. Here, I found myself asking where these artists found the inspiration to represent an object or scene not as it is but as it’s not.

By 1913 not everything is as cheerful as it was. Boccioni, for instance,

produced a sculpture only a few years before his death called “Development of a Bottle in Space”, which looks almost nothing like a bottle. Rather, it’s an object in the midst of being formed, a coming together of materials into something solid and useful.

This can be read in the opposite sense as well: what if it’s actually a bottle coming apart, the beginning of the end, starting with everyday objects?

Similarly, Gutfreund’s sculpture “Embracing Figures” just as easily might have been called “Pile of Rocks”. Without the title, I wouldn’t have known that it depicted two people entwined in a passionate embrace.

With the title, the piece seemed more about human contact in the face of pain than pure, pastoral love.

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My favourite piece in the exhibit was “The Italian Woman” by Matisse.

This painting appears in the final gallery, dedicated to the final two years or so of WWI. The woman in this painting has a dead, flat, deflated look. She stares out of the canvas as if she’ll never be happy again. One of her shoulders has been covered by a fold of the drab beige wall behind her, and the wall seems to wrap its arms of shadow around her body. By no means an optimistic portrait, it struck me the hardest of all, leaving me with a harrowing, haunting impression that reflected both the world’s and the artist’s state at the time.

The Great Upheaval runs until March 3 at the Art Gallery of Ontario.

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THE MEDIUM 01.20.2014

Gunning down the cancer cells A Canada Research Chair and his team are working towards a possible cancer treatment MARIA CRUZ FEATURES EDITOR Patrick Gunning, PhD and associate chemistry professor at UTM, has been presented with several awards throughout his young career. Just last year, he was presented with the 2013 University of Toronto Inventor of the Year and the 2013 CSC Ichikizaki Fund for Young Chemists and listed on Toronto Star’s Top 10 to Watch in 2013.

What makes Gunning such a notable name is his research on developing molecules targeting protein-to-protein interactions, specifically the interactions involved in cancer cells. He and his team have created molecules that delay these interactions between proteins called STAT3. When these proteins interact with one another, they are responsible for abnormal cell growth—a growth that can create tumours. Preventing these interactions could lead to a cancer treatment.

Patrick Gunning sat down with me last week to discuss his research and his goals.

The Medium: You’ve won quite a few awards already. How does it feel to be named CRC? Patrick Gunning: It’s a very big honour because I think it’s very prestigious. And I didn’t think I’d

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Associate chemistry professor Patrick Gunning was named a CRC last year. get one when I was in Canada. It’s very nice.

TM: Was CRC something you were working towards?

PG: Since coming here, I think it has definitely been one of my goals to be a CRC. TM: Do you think that you’re living up to the title of being one of Canada’s most innovative thinkers?

PG: I’d say no. [Laughs] I haven’t

achieved what I want to achieve yet.

I don’t think I’ll be happy until I have a molecule in clinical trials.

TM: You were interviewed by the Toronto Star in December 2012.

How far has your research come since then?

PG: It’s come a long way. The goal is to be in phase one clinical trials by 2015. I think we have a very promising molecule which has now

been validated in numerous different human cancers and in animals.

So I think we’re at the stage where we’re ready to go forward towards advanced pre-clinical trials, which is the next stage for us.

TM: What’s after 2015?

PG: Well, that’s just one molecule against one target protein, but we have a whole bunch of other molecules targeting other target pro-

teins in other diseases. And there’s no guarantee that the molecules we currently have in advanced preclinical trials will work, we just have to keep on coming up with new and improved inhibitors so that when that one fails, you’ve got another attempt.

But I think the targets we’re going after are good targets, and I think that if we do it properly, it’ll help cancer patients. Maybe not cure them but extend and improve their life.

Certainly the molecules we’re making are low-toxicity, so it should make the treatment of cancer less toxic.

TM: How are you handling the weight of being someone who could potentially be responsible for curing cancer?

PG: Well, I don’t think there’s a huge expectation for me to cure cancer.

TM: How come?

PG: ’Cause it’s hard. [Laughs] I don’t think there’s an expectation that I’m going to cure cancer but I think my goal is to add to the information that’s currently available, to further the signs, and hopefully add data that will help either myself or someone else to cure [it].

Patrick continued on page 12

Less drinking than the national trend Students across Canada drink heavily, but the Blind Duck staff try to keep it to a minimum MARIA CRUZ FEATURES EDITOR A student stopping by the pub for a casual drink after class isn’t unheard of. Sadly, neither is seeing your male roommate so hammered that he passes out on the floor in fishnet stockings. Despite the entertaining stories that result, drinking on campus is a growing problem for students.

A CAMH study last year found that Canadians drink more than 50% above the global average. And according to Stats Canada, in 2012, a higher proportion of males than females reported heavy drinking in every age group, where heavy drinking was defined as having five or more drinks per occasion.

“The highest rates of heavy drinking for both sexes were among those aged 18 to 34,” they reported. “In the 18 to 19 age group, 36.7% of males and 27.0% of females reported heavy drink-

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Shane Madhani says less than 15% of students purchase a drink at the Blind Duck. ing, and in the 20 to 34 age group, the rates were 40.9% for males and 22.6% for females.”

And it’s not just any young peo-

ple who engage in heavy drinking—it’s university students.

The CBC reported in 2008 that a homecoming event at Queen’s

University saw the drunken acts of students setting fire to a car and ended in arrests, violence, and injuries.

Luckily, UTM students are, reportedly, usually steered away from excessive alcohol consumption in the campus pub. Shane Madhani, the general manager of the Blind Duck, assures students that the pub is very strict when it comes to limiting drinks and monitoring those who indulge in alcohol on campus. The staff is also well-trained when it comes to protecting intoxicated students from leaving the pub.

“We don’t let people leave if they’re intoxicated,” says Madhani.

“We sit them down and let them sober up. We make sure that those students are supervised by a friend who isn’t drunk to make sure that they get home safe.” Madhani also says that the pub takes extra precautions by making sure the door staff escort intoxicated students to their residence on campus.

Drinks continued on page 12

01.20.2014 THE MEDIUM FEATURES» 11

The Medium Writing Contest 2014 ROUND ONE: RUNNERS-UP FICTION

St. Paul’s United Church NATALIA RAMNARINE

Polished organ pipes soar to the ceiling in chorus. Adorned in white and blue, the choir is positioned in a semicircle surrounding the altar while each heavenly voice resonates in the air. Families congregate in wooden pews, heads bowed and hands clasped, every prayer longing to be fulfilled.

I sit in the usher’s seat at the back of the church, along with gold offering plates, wooden prayer boxes, and stacks of church bulletins. Dressed in a velvet blue blazer, embroidered silk blouse, and black formal pants, I wait for the congregation to enter through the side doors. The wood grains enrapture my body as the angelic voices singing “God Will Make a Way” echo through my mind.

A large flowery green hat approaches me under which fair skin, green eyes, and long blonde hair reveals itself. I stand.

“Good morning, small or large?”

“Good morning, Natalia. A small one for me, please.”

Handing her a small bulletin equipped with the service’s proceedings and activities in the church this month, I return to sit in the pew. I see my family up in the balcony. Mother guards one door, father secures the opposite entrance, grandfather watches the third door, and grandmother views the last door. I was on my own in the lower level.

At 10:30, as per custom, we close the towering wooden double doors. The pastor, garbed in an elegant robe decorated with two gold crosses, approaches the altar. White wisps illuminate his scalp as multicoloured dots from the looming stained glass windows emerge on his fair wrinkled skin. His heavy hands place the Bible beside the golden baptismal font, and set his notes upon the podium.

Pounding comes from the left door. Thump. Thump. My feet itch to wander over, yet my mind provokes any movement.

Should I open the door? Will it disrupt everyone? Thump.

Thump.

I tread to the door. Turning the doorknob, I peer through the opening. Nothing is in sight. The wind’s bitter touch tenses my face. I open the door further. Squeaks echo over the pastor’s sermon.

“The choice we are all faced with is the opposition between the spiritual and the alleged supernatural. With God’s unearthly mediation, what is your reaction?”

Peering beyond the warmth of the wooden door, I see a man. Greying tendrils of hair top the edges of his hairline.

Dark wrinkles corner his sunken brown eyes.

“May I come in?” he asks.

“Yes, certainly.”

I hand him a large bulletin and escort him to a vacant seat in the back so as not to disrupt everyone. His ragged jeans drag along the green carpet while his tattered brown jacket smells of

POETRY

moisture.

“It’s striking that God used the symbol of a unfruitful womb to beckon his dearest servants. His specialty is in the impossible…”

I hear the pew creak, and I see heads turn backwards questioning the source of the noise.

The man stood up, holding a Bible.

“My utmost respects, Father, but a specific line touched me and I wonder if I may share it with the congregation. I know you are preaching at the moment, but it would be of my utmost graciousness if I could share this line,” he pleads.

Eyes of the congregation drift towards the pastor, returning quickly to the man. Whispers echo the hall, but the pastor returns to his sermon.

“That is where God excels the most, appearing in times of weariness, and in times of strife…”

I sink into the pew, not knowing what I should do. The man’s deep stare meets my flustered eyes. He sits down. I look up to the stained glass windows as the sun peaks and colour lusters upon his head.

It’s time to collect the offering.

I stand up and distribute the offering plate to everyone row by row. I turn to look at the back pew, but the man has disappeared. I walk towards his seat, and see a small tattered yellow envelope. I pick it up. Written under the amount is $100, and inscribed on the front of the envelope in black it reads, “May peace be with you.”

NON-FICTION

Holes MARIA IQBAL

“Someone’s hurting Dad!” Sajid blurted, almost crying.

He scrambled downstairs to the family room. Mom told Sajid to phone the police while she investigated upstairs.

Sajid, ten years old, dialed 911 into the phone hanging on the wall. He looked back and forth, then passed the phone to Mom. Holding the phone to her ear, Mom quickly spoke to the police before speeding up the stairs, through the kitchen, and towards the front door of our London, Ontario home.

“Help! Help!” she screamed, for Dad’s sake.

When I saw Dad, he stood alone on the porch. His attackers had already left. Red splotches marked his dark brown face. Dad pressed his upper lip between two fingers and slid them down, pouring a blob of blood. I felt the eggplant I had for lunch rise to my chest.

The police arrived. Dad explained that two men had attacked him. One had kneed Dad’s face and punched him.

Dad also told them he had diabetes. Except he pronounced it like “dia-beats”.

Mom and Dad had both migrated from Pakistan years ago, and had met and married in Canada. But you could still hear their home-

land in their voices.

The police asked Dad if he knew the bad men. Dad explained that he owned an apartment building. We moved here from Toronto for that building—Dad thought it would be a good way to earn a living. In Toronto, he had changed jobs a lot: first he worked as a Zamboni driver, then a security guard, and then a computer-fixer.

The bad guys had come with a woman who lived in the building. Her name was Kissy. Something about the rent.

“Your dad is fine,” a female police officer reassured.

“We’re going to take him to the hospital to make sure everything’s okay. He’s just got some cuts. Okay?” she soothed. “Cuts” didn’t sound right. In my mind, cuts looked like straight lines that only bled a little. Dad had holes, not cuts.

Our Sikh neighbours from across the street came to ask what happened. The phone rang shortly after. Mom picked it up, then removed it from her ear and held it out to an officer. It was Kissy. I decided I hated that name.

The next day at school I sat in my third-grade classroom and stared at the playground from the window.

I didn’t tell anyone what happened. Everybody else’s parents had nice jobs and nothing bad ever happened to them.

A Separate Peace

Biographies & comments

MYEALAH KOMOSENG INNIS

NATALIA RAMNARINE | SECOND YEAR, PSYCHOLOGY & ENGLISH Natalia is 18 years of age, and her passion for writing has taught her that a story is created over a lifetime, a collection of moments, each deserving to be told.

Innocent, I once found joy In all there was to find And had peace, separate from the world, In this sheltered life; surprised By every shift in nature’s ploy Caused by every change in man From alchemy to heroes hurled Into wars across the land.

But quick came the time to fear, See what lurked behind our shields, It wasn’t a world of peace-for-all But death-shells, sin-bullet reels Rewind, reload, rebuff, reap Err from what is and was to know About the dying, fast they fall As round them does the snow.

And who, you ask, stripped me of hope, Of all surprise, of sheltered peace, Of friends that now lie dead and cold?

The enemy was me.

It’s hard to write a church story and avoid didacticism, but Natalia fascinates with a tension beetween duties that feels real. The implicit criticism of the pastor—whose dialogue is delightfully mystical—is also interesting.

MARIA IQBAL | THIRD YEAR, ENGLISH & HISTORY Most of Maria’s childhood was spent in London, Ontario until she moved to Brampton at the age of 14. Maria enjoys writing for the Medium, reading, and spending time with family.

Maria’s story is short, but tight—it says a lot more than many longer stories do. There was something in it that felt inventive, and it has the advantage of subtlety: it ably puts the reader in the naive, curious shoes of a child.

MYEALAH KOMOSENG INNIS | THIRD YEAR, ART & ART HISTORY Myealah (“sounding water”) spends most of her time with the audio and visual arts, but she has always had a passion for wordplay and the construction of meaning.

The prosaic but easy flow of Myealah’s poem is reminiscent of her well-chosen source. Many great works are a new take on a classic text, and this poem demonstrates a clear ability to draw a new focus through metaphor.

JUDGES Colleen Munro, Olga Tkachenko, Maria Cruz, Larissa Ho, Jason Coelho, Luke Sawczak

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THE MEDIUM 01.20.2014

Casting the net wider Not all academics like Pierre Desrochers’ thoughts on food

Targeting proteins few others look at Patrick continued from page 10 TM: In your Toronto Star article, you said that sometimes these medications don’t translate as well from mice to humans. How are you combatting this?

PG: Obviously, we have to start off in a living system, such as a mouse, but the metabolisms are slightly different. One way for dealing with the issues of metabolism in a human is to look at human liver microsomes and predict metabolites. My job is to develop molecules that target a human protein with the highest binding potency and selectivity possible, and also to improve its metabolic stability to human metabolic enzymes so that when it does go into a human, it has the best possible chance of working.

Pierre Desrochers and his wife, Hiroko Shimizu.

MADELEINE BROWN ASSOCIATE FEATURES EDITOR That food can spark debate might surprise you. But it does—even aside from awkward family dinner arguments and deciding on which takeout to order. Associate UTM geography professor Pierre Desrochers can attest to this in the case of the local diet, on which he co-authored a book called The Locavore’s Dilemma: In Praise of the 10,000-Mile Diet with his wife Hiroko Shimizu in June 2012.

In their book, Desrochers and Shimizu question the principles behind the locavore movement: the idea of eating locally grown food whenever possible. The book also focuses on local eating and sustainable farming, and the attempts to correct

the world’s food supply system with their use.

Desrochers has been with UTM’s Department of Geography since 2003. It’s only since his arrival at UTM that his research turned to food policy. “My wife forced me to,” he says. “I grew up in a town of 800 people. I’ve been interested in cities all my life. I never planned to write about food.”

The idea behind the book came into fruition after the pair attended a lecture in the Kaneff Centre by William Rees of the University of British Columbia, a departmental guest, biologist, and father of the ecological footprint. As Desrochers and Shimizu explain in their book, it was Rees’ claim that Japan is a “parasite” because of its dependence on imported food that inspired them

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to speak out against the local food movement. Desrochers went on to write a 25-page policy paper before a literary agent heard him on CBC and offered him a contract. Desrochers now teaches courses on the subject, including a second-year food and globalization course and a fourthyear seminar.

The book has received a wealth of reactions for and (more often) against its arguments.

“I expected the reactions,” he says.

“I get emails from academics who say they’d never do it themselves. I’m swimming against the stream. The department puts up with me. They may disagree, but they still respect me and that’s all I can ask for.”

Pierre continued on page 13

“I don’t think there’s an expectation that I’m going to cure cancer but I think my goal is to add to the information that’s currently available.”

—Patrick Gunning In terms of specifically trying to improve it from mouse to human, I don’t know that that’s something you can do. I think you just have to make it the best that you possibly can from the outset and hope that that’s going to translate to humans.

I think if you can hit your target protein with high potency and selectivity, you’ve got a really good chance.

TM: What are some things that are still being improved on in your research?

PG: Bioavailability. We’re trying to improve the length of time that our molecule stays in a living system. So we’re trying to extend it—the time that the molecule is in the body and is therefore exerting a biological effect, which is to shrink the tumour. That for us is the main thing. Metabolism breaks down molecules really quickly and our goal is to try and slow that process down. So we’re making modifications to our structure to give it a longer life in a living system.

TM: There have been a lot of cures out there that have fallen short. How are you and your team working to ensure the success of yours?

PG: The main problem with a lot of drugs once they’re in humans is that you get resistance. We’re targeting transcription factor proteins.

Hardly anyone targets transcription factor proteins, so we don’t know how readily the proteins will mutate to acquire resistance. I would say we’d have to be ready to make compounds to overcome this reaction if it happens. But we can’t do that yet because we’ve never been in humans.

TM: You’re pretty young and you said you work from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.. Do you have any downtime?

PG: I play squash, tennis, badminton, and pool, I run, and I paint.

I’m trying to find more downtime and get a better work/life balance, but it’s difficult. One of my New Year’s resolutions was I was going to try and have more relaxation time, so I got myself a pool table.

I like to travel but I do that as part of my job. I’m going to Vienna this year, I’m going to Shanghai. […] My favourite new TV show is Derek.

Beer at the Duck Drinks continued from page 10 Madhani says he and the staff ensure things don’t get too out-of-hand during the pub nights or when students are enjoying drinks with friends.

“The way we keep alcohol abuse to a minimum is that we don’t over-serve people, as we’re not in the business of making money on alcohol,” he says. “We want to provide a safe environment for our students to drink on campus. Realistically, it’s not even an issue for us as there are very few people who drink here regularly.”

Madhani also says the pub staff are very strict when it comes to preventing underage drinking. “If you’re a minor and get caught drinking, you’re banned for one year past your 19th birthday,” he says.

Adrian Buhl, a third-year biology major, says he always orders a drink when he eats at the Blind Duck: “I usually just grab a beer with a burger or something. I just want to relax.”

Even though Buhl has a few drinks here and there, he doesn’t feel it gets out of hand on campus. “I don’t get plastered on campus or anything. I get wasted at my friends’ parties and stuff,” he says. “Plus there isn’t really

any good booze offered on campus.”

Daphne, a fourth-year chemistry major and Buhl’s girlfriend, says she rarely has any drinks on campus. “I feel like it’d be really embarrassing if I got hammered at school,” she says.

“I get pretty drunk with my girlfriends during birthdays and New Year’s and things like that.”

Madhani says the number of students who drink at the campus pub is relatively low. “We don’t keep track of the number of students [who] drink, but as a percentage, maybe around five to 10 percent of all people [who] come to the pub have an alcoholic beverage,” he says.

Buhl says that he thinks drinking is normal among college students.

“I don’t know anyone who doesn’t drink or get super drunk at parties.

All my friends have some pretty messed up morning-after stories,” he laughs. “If those stats [by Stats Canada] got any higher in the next year or so, I wouldn’t be surprised.

No one cares.”

Whether students at other university and college campuses take their alcohol intake seriously is still up for debate. At least at UTM, no one’s set fires to any cars yet.

01.20.2014 THE MEDIUM FEATURES» 13

Students on sizeism Being too thin is the new faux pas ALEXANDRA GEDDES ASSOCIATE FEATURES EDITOR Mike Jeffries, the CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch, lit fires in plus-sized womens’ communities when he stated that his company’s clothing wasn’t made for plus-sized women. In 2006, he was quoted by Salon: “A lot of people don’t belong [in our clothes], and they can’t belong.” He added that Abercrombie & Fitch appeals to the popular kids more than anybody else.

His comments were only addressed when blogger Jes Baker’s letter to him went viral. She posted photos of herself with a male model wearing Abercrombie’s clothes, and a final photo showed her flipping off Jeffries, who she hoped was reading along.

“The only thing you’ve done through your comments [...] is reinforce the unoriginal concept that fat women are social failures, valueless, and undesirable,” she wrote. “Your apology doesn’t change this.”

Baker’s letter inspired others to rise up against “sizeism”, discrimination for being too skinny or too fat, as commonly judged in our society.

After hearing Jeffries’ comment, Danielle Elson, a fourth-year anthropology major at UTM, said, “People are missing the bigger issue. Jeffries went out of his way to make codes for certain people. It’s not okay; it’s bullying.”

But not all anti-sizeism activists aren’t promoting a positive message.

Perhaps out of good intentions, many people have hopped on the activist bandwagon to stand up for the overweight. Many activists have misunderstood anti-sizeism sentiments and attacked the opposite extreme; rather than stressing that everyone should be comfortable in their skin, skinny teens and young adults are being shamed for being thin. But just as trying to be thin has health implications,

trying to avoid it can lead to poor eating habits and a lack of exercise.

Some UTM students feel that other issues deserve more attention. “Being a size zero is an extreme. Being a size 16 is an extreme. There needs to be a middle ground,” says Dragana Kovacevic, a fourth-year English student.

“We can’t focus on aesthetics; we need to focus on the health issues associated with obesity.”

In last year’s Maclean’s On Campus, Vivien Chang wrote, “‘Sizeism’ is hardly the new Civil Rights Movement. Are bigger people kept from the polls as women and African Americans were? Is it illegal for fatter people to marry? Last time I checked, no. Being overweight doesn’t mean one can’t have a successful career. Just look at Girls creator Lena Dunham, actress Melissa McCarthy, and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie.”

On a personal level, I understand how important it is to have a positive body image, no matter what your weight is. In 2010, I tipped the scale at 200 pounds; for someone five feet five inches tall, that’s about 50 pounds overweight. According to a basic BMI calculator, I was obese. In 2013, I weighed 130 pounds, which falls within the normal weight category.

After losing weight, I noticed my health improved, my grades rose, and my overall quality of life increased, though anti-sizeism activists might accuse me of simply conforming to the Western media’s aesthetic values.

We can’t tolerate bullying of the obese. However, we must also be careful not to turn acceptance of unhealthy lifestyles into praise for them.

I suggest a compromise. Let’s encourage healthy living while remaining tolerant of each person’s right to look how they choose, and become a healthier generation.

Disagree with your profs Pierre continued from page 12 Desrochers invites his seminar students to review the book for an assignment, although he admits he can’t be objective on the topic. He hopes his work will show students they can disagree with professors.

“The local food movement is a distraction from real issues like food security and policy,” says Desrochers. He believes the topic is relevant to students, and wishes that they’d put less energy towards local food initiatives and more towards “less sexy” topics. He believes universities and elementary and high schools feel pressure to offer local food options to students. “[Universities] are not food purchasers. We’re educators. When you spend more on food you spend less on other things, like a leaky roof or computers,” says Desrochers. Even so, he doesn’t think that there’s media pressure on younger generations to adopt a local approach to eating.

“It’s a fad that comes back in cycles.

Humans are wired that way—to root for the local team,” he argues.

“We’re tribal creatures. We want to do good for the community. It’s a

natural reaction.”

As for his upcoming work, Desrochers plans to expand a chapter on food security into four academic papers. He hopes to continue to remind his colleagues that the development of long-distance trade has benefited society and helped address issues such as famine.

As for his own food-buying and eating habits, Desrochers says that he buys his groceries at No Frills and other discount supermarkets, though he likes to buy steak at Costco and his wife leads their weekly pilgrimage to T&T. And, no he doesn’t buy organic. Desrochers admits that he’s a lousy cook, although when he’s not fulfilling his cleaning duties, he’s in charge of the barbeque.

“Food is not my passion,” he explains. “Most people who write about food are foodies. I do like to eat good food, but the book was not written for foodies.”

Desrochers adds that he doesn’t mind people buying local if they want to, but wishes supporters of local food wouldn’t impose the practice on people who can’t afford it.

Olé, olé, OLAS at UTM OLAS has brought Latin American culture to campus for 10 years

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OLAS wants to enrich the education of Latin American students at U of T.

MARIA CRUZ FEATURES EDITOR The trend of alienation of Latin American students—including startling figures in the US from as recently as 2010—across Canada and the United States led to the formation of the Organization of Latin American Students at U of T. Branching out to all three campuses, OLAS is working on improving students’ views of Latin American students.

OLAS members feel they never made a conscious decision to start the organization; the group sprang up over time. “The different branches of OLAS sprouted as the need and desire to represent Latin American cultures on different campuses became apparent,” said OLAS member Fernando MongeLoria in an interview. “We’re a diverse organization and our origins lie in diverse roots.”

The organization also looks at Toronto-wide issues. “OLAS has always had a focus on education in the Latin American community, as the education system here in Toronto has historically pushed out Latin American students at disproportionately high rates,” said MongeLoria. They have also been closely involved with the Latin American Education Network, a Torontobased group that raises awareness of educational barriers to the Latin community.

“Reactions to OLAS have been overwhelmingly positive,” said Monge-Loria, citing their social events around campus as an example, which usually draw crowds.

“Although at times it has been difficult to distance ourselves from the stereotypes that surround Latin Americans in North American culture. […] There hasn’t always been the same kinds of attention for some of our more discussion-

focused events due to the pervasive idea that reduces Latin American culture to salsa and soccer.”

Among the organization’s annual and regular events is an Undergraduate Research Day they will be co-hosting with the LAS program to present their research on Latin America to professors and peers.

Monge-Loria hopes the event will produce wider academic discussion on Latin America at UTM. OLAS’s other activities include an open mic night and a Valentine’s Day event.

Monge-Loria says the future of OLAS relies on growth and consolidation. “We will continue to work at creating links with groups throughout the GTA that share our vision of promoting and celebrating Latin America and its diverse inhabitants […] There’s something in OLAS for anyone with an open mind and a desire to get to know Latin America and Latin Americans,” he concluded.

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01.20.2014

UTM loses to Rotman in gripping battle The Blues sit fifth in the Division 1 basketball standings with a 4-4 record after eight games FERGUS TALBOT The Blues suffered a narrow defeat in a thrilling game against the Rotman Whites, ending with a score of 67-74.

The match in Gym C was close from start to finish. Blues point guard Austin Chambers opened the scoring with an incredible three-pointer and left the Whites’ defence in disarray. Chambers sustained the Blues’ lead by bagging another magnificent three-point shot far from the three-point line.

Despite the team’s ability to read plays, the Blues were missing “a big man”, as Chambers pointed out after the game. Indeed, Rotman’s Duncan Milne was crucial to the Whites’ win on Wednesday night, contributing roughly 30% of Rotman’s points. Milne first showed signs of power four minutes into the half when he capitalized on a rebound that followed the solo run of teammate Aaron Yick. Yick couldn’t convert his layup, but Milne soared much higher than the three Blues defenders circling him and tapped the ball into the net. Owing to his height, Milne was instrumental in the Whites’ well-orchestrated defence. Ten

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The team are looking to rebound from this loss with four games remaining in the season. minutes before the break, Milne timed a terrific block on Greg Roberts’ layup. At the end of the half, it was clear that the Blues were relying too much on Chambers’ and Kent Bray’s three-point shots to remain in the game.

The intensity increased tenfold in the second half. Milne reopened the scoring after a pass from Yick to round two UTM defenders be-

fore dropping the ball into the basket. Chambers responded on the fourth minute with a terrific solo counterattack, rounding Yick, who was alone in defence, to exploit the Whites’ paint on his own and score a layup. Chambers was again the star of the show when he collaborated with Victor Dang on the seventh minute. He raced straight past the Rotman offence

before making a quick bounce pass to a streaking Dang, who was able to convert with a layup. Ekpedeme Moren soon followed Chambers’ offensive lead, having grabbed the ball on a rebound to jump high above two Whites guards to score. Roberts soon converted another layup before Bray scored a three-pointer. Roberts then put in a wonderful effort, passing the

ball straight to Dang, who scored on a layup without a single Whites defender covering him. UTM were starting to catch up with Rotman, but their efforts couldn’t pull them to victory as Milne and Yick continued to rack up points for Rotman for a win by a mere seven points.

Though the UTM Blues have the talent to win games, their lack of experience is proving a barrier.

But “They are increasingly competitive and they performed with great chemistry. The only direction in which they can evolve is forward,” says head coach Amer.

Chambers was the man of the match; he was a constant threat on offence, providing the pace and power necessary for the Blues to capitalize on the transition. His give-and-go play with Bray was very effective, the pair continuously scoring vital points from well behind the three-point arc throughout the entire match. Few opposing players would like to be responsible for defending against him.

UTM Blue will be back in action on January 29, when they take on Skule A, U of T’s engineering society, at St. George.

Gender imbalance in Varsity The Leafs have U of T researchers report on greater inequity among athletes JASON COELHO SPORTS EDITOR The NHL, NBA, NFL, and MLB are the four major sports leagues in North America. Though each of these leagues represents a different sport, there’s something all have in common: the athletes are all males.

The excessive media coverage of these sports seems to have made being a professional athlete synonymous with being male. A report published in December 2013 by the Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education at the University of Toronto reveals a gender imbalance in varsity sports, not only at U of T but throughout the CIS. The report is the second in a series by U of T researchers Peter Donnelly, Mark Norman, and Bruce Kidd to reveal that effort to reduce gender inequality in varsity sports has actually regressed since it was last assessed in 2011.

The report states that although female students make up 56% of

the student population in postsecondary institutions, they account for only 43% of varsity athletes, one percent lower than in 2011.

“I often hear that it’s difficult to find experienced women coaches, but even men start out without any experience—they aren’t born with it—and yet they’re hired to coaching positions.”

—Peter Donnelly Additionally, according to the report, the proportion of female coaches has declined from 19% to 17%, with more male coaches coaching female teams.

Donnelly, the director of U of T’s Centre for Sport Policy Studies, says that the CIS currently

has policies in place to combat this gender imbalance. “[The] CIS has [a] good gender equity policy that they aren’t enforcing, and these reports are intended to provide evidence for CIS to see how its policies are working, or not, and to take steps to produce a more fair sport system,” he says.

The athletes themselves have noticed this inequity, but as varsity football player and second-year criminology major Kevin Williams says, the gender imbalance may not be the fault of the university but rather a result of the lack of female sports leagues available to youth throughout their formative years in elementary school and high school.

“I think if there was more emphasis [on] getting girls into sports at younger ages, then universities would be able to offer more to female students in terms of varsity sports,” says Williams.

Gender continued on page 15

no time to lose JASON COELHO SPORTS EDITOR The Toronto Maple Leafs have had their fair share of ups and downs over the course of the 2013/14 regular season.

They went in strong 7-2-1 in their first 10 games, hoping for a better outcome after their disappointing loss to the Boston Bruins. The team was on track not only to make the playoffs but to be one of the top seeds in the Eastern Conference. Throughout October and most of November, the team retained a top spot in the Metropolitan Division, beating worthy opponents like the Anaheim Ducks, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Montreal Canadiens. By December, the team began their downward spiral, winning only six of the 14 games they played throughout the month, with overtime or shootouts deciding six games.

The team’s inability to win games in regulation has been a struggle all season, although their performance in shootouts has improved dramatically since last year’s shortened

season, when the team lost all four shootouts. It should be a cause for concern that the Leafs can’t seem to defend leads and put pressure on their opponents for the full 60 minutes.

After the team’s thrilling victory at the Winter Classic on New Year’s Day, also decided by a shootout, the team has seen some ups and downs, losing four games in a row—being blown out by the Rangers by a score of 7-1 and the Carolina Hurricanes by a score of 6-1—before turning the ship around and winning four games in a row, all by two goals or less, with two decided by shootouts.

The future’s uncertain for this unproven team, but the Leafs are predicted to make some noise during the NHL’s trade deadline on March 5. “I think they understand a trade needs to be made,” says Chris Autuchiewicz, a third-year political science major. “The roster needs a shakeup or the team needs a hell of a pep talk.”

Leafs continued on page 15

01.20.2014 THE MEDIUM SPORTS» 15

Inequality in sports Gender continued from page 14 Despite the inequity among athletes, there’s still some good to take away from the report: in particular, that the number of interuniversity teams available for females and males is near equal, and that the number of females in athletic director positions has gone up.

In addition, Donnelly states, U of T is one of the more equitable universities in inter-university sports, although there are still ways that the university can improve. “I think U of T athletics should take a hard look at the university’s equity policies, recognize the implications, legal and moral, of running a gender segregated department in an inequitable way, and figure out how to achieve more fairness for students, and in leadership,” he says.

Donnelly believes all Canadian universities should integrate a Rooney Rule for hiring coaches, where female candidates should be required to be considered for any coaching position.

“I think if there was more emphasis [on] getting girls into sports at younger ages, then universities would be able to offer more to female students in terms of varsity sports.”

—Kevin Williams “At the very least, for women’s teams,” he says. “I often hear that it’s difficult to find experienced women coaches, but even men

start out without any experience— they aren’t born with it—and yet they’re hired to coaching positions.”

As U of T and other Canadian universities strive to fix this issue, Donnelly notes that the culture itself in North America privileges a male-dominated university sports scene. “I think media, and an associated male sports culture, have helped to create the idea that there are a few ‘real’ sports, which has been a terrific marketing strategy for those who make a profit from those few sports,” he says. “Fortunately, lots of people, including many women, recognize that there are lots of real sports, including women’s versions of the male professional sports. Media, including student newspapers, who devote most of their coverage to the cliché masculine sports, just help to propagate this.”

The rising Leafs Leafs continued from page 14 Autuchiewicz believes that goalie James Reimer, who lost his spot as the team’s starting net-minder to offseason acquisition Jonathan Bernier, should be the one to go. “Bernier is playing well and even though we need help in other facets of the game, the goalie position has carried us. I think the team needs real leaders on defence.” Autuchiewicz named Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook of the Chicago Blackhawks, one of the top defensive lines in the entire league, as the types of players the Leafs should have along the blue line; he added that captain Dion Phaneuf isn’t as good as Leafs’ management thinks. “To me, he’s worth nothing. I see a team that has scored decently with him on it but fails to outshoot teams and gets outshot by wide margins, and the blame has to be put on defence.”

Currently, the Leafs occupy the top

spot in the Eastern Conference wild card with 55 points. The wild card is new to the league this year and was created as part of the 2013/14 NHL realignment, which organizes the 30 NHL teams into the Pacific, Central, Metropolitan, and Atlantic Divisions.

If the season ended today, the Leafs would be in a playoff spot and Toronto would once again be considered a worthy NHL franchise with back-toback appearances in the post-season.

There remain 36 games left in the season, and if the Leafs want to energize the city as they did last May with a playoff appearance, they can’t let up over the next few months. The team has a target on its back and is being chased by the Detroit Red Wings, Washington Capitals, Ottawa Senators, and Columbus Blue Jackets, and with only a margin of three points separating the Buds from these other powerful franchises, there’s no time to lose.