Vol 41 issue 10

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6 November 17, 2014 Volume 41, Issue 10 themedium.ca

UTMSU audit shows $1.1m assets Financial statements at AGM show second year of over $200k+ surplus MARIA IQBAL NEWS EDITOR WITH NOTES FROM LUKE SAWCZAK EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

ATIKA AZHAR

expenses, such as the repairs to the Student Centre roof last year. Student Centre repair and maintenance expenses jumped from $73,000 to $228,000 in the 2013/14 fiscal year.

The Campus Affairs Committee meeting last Monday in Council Chambers discussed the upcoming UTM operating budget, residence life improvements, and food service options.

Chief administrative officer Paul Donoghue and dean Amy Mullin spoke about the themes and priorities for the proposed operating budget.

UTM’s projected net revenue for 2014/15 is $167 million and the main budget priorities for 2015/16 include enrolment growth, student-faculty ratio, space, and experiential learning initiatives, they said.

“The outcome of all of this ensures that we have a good student experience and a lot of our budget priorities are related to the student experience in things like offering transition support, experiential learning opportunities, and increased flexibility for our student departments,” said Mullin.

AGM continued on page 2

CAC continued on page 2

The annual general meeting of UTMSU last Thursday included a packed Council Chambers, free T-shirts, birthday cake, questions about international students, financials, and the integrity of campus newspapers, and financial documents showing that UTMSU now possesses over $1.1 million cash, most of it invested.

The meeting was called to order at 6:18 p.m. by former president Chris Thompson after a video presentation.

UTMSU’S $219,000 SURPLUS After the minutes of last year’s AGM were approved, VP internal Bryan Chelvanaigum presented the financial statements for the fiscal year ending last April.

The statements show that UTMSU had net assets of $1.1 million at the end of the fiscal year, most of which is currently in short-term investments.

Some of the $219,000 surplus that

CAC talks UTM food, budget

MAHMOUD SAROUJI/THE MEDIUM

UTMSU’s AGM featured discussion on the union’s financials, campaigns, and other issues. produced this number on top of last year’s assets of $900,000 comes from the 2013 amalgamation of the Erindale Part-time Undergraduate Students’ Union.

A surplus for a non-profit corporation is not desirable. When UTSU declared a slight deficit at its downtown

AGM last year, the UTSU auditor commented in relation to their financial situation, “The idea is to get to zero, not to get to a $300,000 profit.”

When asked how UTMSU planned to spend the surplus, Chelvanaigum said surplus revenue goes back into operating budget to cover unforeseen

UTM marks centennial of Great War Observances include Remembrance Day ceremony and honorary lecture MALEEHA IQBAL WITH NOTES FROM MARIA IQBAL NEWS EDITOR

Ebola in West Africa

UTM commemorated Remembrance Day last Tuesday with its annual ceremony along with a lecture in honour of the 100th anniversary of the start of World War One. Students, faculty, and others gathered by the flagpole in front of Davis for UTM’s annual Remembrance Day ceremony on Tuesday.

The ceremony was called to order by the manager of UTM Police Services, Rob Messacar, after participants and college officers marched in twos to the flagstaff.

Principal Deep Saini made remarks near the beginning of the ceremony, praising Canada’s democracy, freedom, and equality.

Why have this discussion?

UTM Red Cross brings in a speaker to discuss myths and truths about the deadly disease.

Medium News, page 3

They concede that we can record audio at their AGM, but it’s not even a debate on a reasonable premise.

Medium Opinion, page 4

From unknown to known Life Rattle hosts its annual writers festival, often populated with the cream of PWC, in Toronto.

Medium Arts, page 5

Make that thing sing MAHMOUD SAROUJI/THE MEDIUM

Professor Nathan Smith gave a lecture in honour of the 100-year anniversary since the start of WWI. Following these remarks, Len Paris, the previous manager of Police Services, recited “In Flanders Fields”.

The “Last Post” was then played and the Canadian flag was lowered to

half-mast by the officers and members of the Erindale College Special Response Team. Professor Scott Munro played “The Lament” on his pipe while wreaths were laid in

front of the flagpole by Saini and Ulli Krull, UTM’s VP special initiatives.

Events continued on page 3

Why you should still play a musical instrument in university—even if it’s just for an audience of one.

Medium Features, page 8

Third time’s the charm The Blues rugby rivalry with Skule comes to a head in another finals match, and this time, we win.

Medium Sports, page 11

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«NEWS

THE MEDIUM 11.17.2014

Future goals include lower student-faculty ratio at UTM CAC continued from Cover

November 7, 1:45 a.m.

Sexual Assault A female at the Blind Duck reports being inappropriately touched by a male not known to her on the dance floor. Peel Regional Police and Campus Police are investigating.

November 7, 9:30 p.m.

Trespass to Property Campus Police charged a student for trespassing inside of the Student Centre.

November 11, 1:10 p.m.

Domestic Campus Police investigated a domestic-related occurrence. Peel Regional Police were also called and continued with the investigation. Later on, a male individual was charged by Peel Regional Police.

November 11, 4:35 p.m.

Trespass to Property An unknown person had set up a tent in a wooded area on campus.

The area was cleaned up by the Grounds Department.

November 12, 1:26 a.m.

Safety concern Campus Police received a call from a concerned citizen off campus regarding a student’s safety.

Residence staff and Campus Police checked on the student and all was in order.

November 12, 4:57 a.m.

Safety concern A student reported hearing strange noises coming from the common area of her townhouse. Campus Police checked the area and it appears that strong winds caused the sounds.

These reports are those that have been released to The Medium and do not necessarily constitute an exhaustive list.

Students can contact the UTM Campus Police at 905 828 5200, Peel Regional Police at 905 453 3311, or Crime Stoppers at 1 800 222 8477.

Enrolment growth is expected to increase in the upcoming years.

“The western GTA has the largest growth, and we take about 74% enrolment from the western GTA,” said Donoghue.

The key steps involved with enrolment growth is decreasing the student-faculty ratio and increasing space. The goal for student-faculty ratio is 30:1 and is expected to be reached in 2019/20.

UTM’s current ratio is at about 36:1, which is higher than UTSC and St. George.

“We are not as high as we have been but we are still not where we would like to be,” said Mullin, adding that last year 35 searches were conducted, resulting in 25 new hires. Mullin said that this year 34 searches are being conducted for 21 new hires and 13 replacements, and that next year another 35 searches would be held.

Space increases will also be necessary. Donoghue said that in North Phase 2, which is expected to open in September 2017, there will be more teaching and laboratory space, and that a research greenhouse is in the final planning stages.

A focus on transition programs, experiential learning, and “active learning” classrooms is also planned.

Next, Chad Nuttall, the director of Student Housing and Residence Life, spoke about initiatives in residence. One of them is the residential component of the Academic Culture and English program. Students who stayed in residence benefited from some additional services and had about a 14% increase in the pass rate when compared with overall ACE pass rates. Another initiative is the Waawaahte Northern Lights Initiative, which aims to enhance First Nations cultural awareness. There is also the Energy Exchange Experience during Reading Week that encourages civic engagement in students through working with various partner organizations such as Big Brothers Big Sisters, Safe City Mississauga, the Seva Food Bank, and others.

Donoghue also spoke about food services at UTM. UTM’s current food service provider is Chartwells, whose contract will expire next year after having been extended last April.

Donoghue said that the two options going forward are either a selfoperating model or a contract management model, and that a feasibility

study conducted in May found that a self-operation would be too costly.

A survey has subsequently been conducted to receive student feedback on future contractual service.

Donoghue said that major concerns raised through the survey included low food diversity and a mismatch between price and quality.

Moving forward, Donoghue said that the aim is to increase food variety by including Chinese, Thai, and Greek food along with healthier options. The operating hours and menu cycle at Colman Commons will also be expanded and nutrition and cooking classes will be provided.

Donoghue also said that the contract will be changed from a five-year agreement to two or three years.

“This allows us to keep certain pressure on whoever is providing that service to make sure they maintain a certain standard,” said Donoghue.

The selection process for a new provider will take place from February to March and the transition will take place in April.

“The changes that have happened on this campus in the four years I have been here are nothing short of phenomenal. But the job is not finished yet,” said principal Deep Saini.

Concerns raised at AGM over campus media AGM continued from Cover The documents also show an increase in short-term investments by $260,000 between 2013 and 2014, meaning that the total amount of the surplus and more was placed in investments.

Speaking about the Blind Duck’s financials, Chelvanaigum said that this was the second year that the Blind Duck had achieved a “surplus”, adding that it allows the pub to provide healthier food and increase its staff and noting that a new chef was hired this year.

According to the statements, the Blind Duck had an excess of $37,000 at the end of the 2014 fiscal year.

However, the documents also show that the pub was subsidized by the annual student levy, which amounted to $88,000 that year. Without the subsidy, the Blind Duck would run a deficit of over $50,000.

A question was raised about the increase in expenditure for UTMSU elections, which was nearly double that of the previous fiscal year. Chelvanaigum said that the cost was due to the number of poll clerks and other employees hired during executive and board elections as well as for the by-elections and the Student Centre referendum.

Maaham Malik, a division 3 director on the UTMSU board, asked why the funding spent for UTMSU services had decreased by $66,000.

Chelvanaigum responded that the decrease in spending had to do with UTMSU providing more “stable” service.

Malik also asked why the orien-

tation cost $37,000 more this year, to which Chelvanaigum responded that it was due to the amounts raised through sponsorship.

Chelvanaigum also said that leftover funds from WUSC—a student refugee program funded by a student levy—goes back into operating budget at the end of the year as well.

“The reason for that was because our WUSC student arrived late, so what happens is we’re still supporting that WUSC student,” he said.

“So that’s what that leftover went for.”

Among the other changes over last year were a near-doubling of professional fees from $12,000 to $20,000, a decrease in club spending from $93,000 to $80,000, an increase in UTMSU meeting expenses from $26,000 to $37,000, and a $70,000 increase in revenue for social activities that was almost matched by a $60,000 increase in social activities spending.

APPOINTMENT OF AUDITORS After the financial statements were passed, the meeting proceeded to the vote on the appointment of auditors for the current fiscal year.

Malik took the floor again to ask how many years Charles Havill Chartered Accountants had been serving as UTMSU’s auditor and whether the union had explored other options.

After an answer by Chelvanaigum, UTMSU executive director Walied Khogali added that Charles Havill have been auditing UTMSU for a “couple of years now”.

“I think they’re one of the best auditors that are out there. They

don’t cost much as well […] and they do their due diligence to make sure that the financial statements represent the operations of the organization,” said Khogali.

“We will always have an open mind to explore other potential auditors, but for now the recommendation that came from the executive committee and the board is for us to continue this relationship,” he added.

One student said UTMSU should form a public inquiry board to look into how newspaper funds are spent and how they represent students, CAMPUS MEDIA QUESTIONED Some students also raised concerns about campus newspapers, specifically The Medium and the downtown-based newspaper, The Varsity.

A student who identified as a UTMSU employee expressed concern that students who are members of UTMAC, the CFS, or student societies, or who are employed by either UTMSU or UTSU, are not allowed to run for The Medium’s board of directors and said that she would “love to run”.

According to The Medium’s constitution, “A director shall not during his or her term of office act as a director or employee of UTMSU or

UTSU or the editorial board of The Medium.”

Nicole Penny, associate to UTMSU VP campus life, alleged that UTM students were not made aware of a referendum held in 2013 to increase fees paid to The Varsity.

“I find it very concerning that not just myself but many other students did not know the semester fee they paid out to The Varsity was going to be increased and did not have the information about this,” she said, noting that UTM students later signed petitions in an attempt to divert those fees, presumably a reference to a petition last year to redirect these fees to The Medium.

Both papers had argued against the petition at a discussion with the petitioners held by UTMSU. One student recommended that the UTMSU form a public inquiry board made up of student representatives as well as representatives from the two publications to investigate how the funding of the newspapers is spent and how they represent students.

“Their articles don’t always represent the opinions of students.

Sometimes they represent the opinions of the board,” he said.

The student said that the public inquiry should release a set of nonbinding conclusions to identify issues.

PHOTOGRAPHY AND RECORDING Throughout the AGM, two UTMSU photographers were seen taking photos and shooting videos of the proceedings.

A week before the AGM, Khogali

told Medium staff that audio and video equipment would not be permitted inside Council Chambers for the duration of the AGM, while UTMSU staff would be able to use those devices and take photos.

Khogali later agreed that The Medium could record audio during the meeting and restricted Medium photography to the beginning and end of the meeting.

OTHER CONCERNS During the meeting, Chelvanaigum mentioned potential changes to the U-Pass program, involving a merger with the ISIC card in order to provide photo identification for the U-Pass.

A student asked if the pass could be extended for use on Oakville and Brampton transit, as well as for the TTC. Chelvanaigum said that the CFS was lobbying for a GTA Transit Pass that would apply to the Oakville, Brampton, Mississauga, and Toronto transit systems.

Another student expressed concern for students experiencing financial difficulties that prevented them from continuing their studies, mentioning limited support from the university and high interest charges. Khogali responded by mentioning support available through UTMSU’s bursaries and saying that UTMSU would be following up with the administration to ensure the student received sufficient support.

Several associates to UTMSU executives also read speeches about positive experiences at the union.

After the meeting was adjourned, a birthday celebration followed.

11.17.2014 THE MEDIUM NEWS

Ebola outbreak “to get worse”

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3

»IF UTMSU HAD $1,000,000,

HOW SHOULD THEY SPEND IT?

Shyam Jajal 2nd year, undecided major

Essra Mostafa 3rd year, VCC

Surely not on rocks.

I think the pub should be open much longer, and on weekends.

Tarek Al Bashir 3rd year, CCT & GIS

Faryal Anum 5th year, life sci

Storage facilities on campus over the summer for international students.

Maybe they should lobby for engineering and more arts programs at UTM.

MAHMOUD SAROUJI/THE MEDIUM

The UTM Red Cross hosted a guest speaker from the Canadian Red Cross for its awareness week.

UTM’s Red Cross team held Red Cross Awareness Week last week, collecting donations for Ebola relief and hosting a guest speaker to dispel misconceptions about the disease.

On Thursday afternoon, the group hosted a lecture by Chiran Livera, a member of the Canadian Red Cross who has responded to people in the Ebola outbreak in West Africa. An international delegate, Livera has been a volunteer for the Red Cross for over 10 years and recently became staff.

During his lecture, Livera mentioned that the Ebola virus originated from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a country in West Africa.

“This is important because Red Cross, the World Health Organization, and the government have actually been responding to Ebola for over 30 years in different parts of the world,” said Livera. “However, it has mostly been observed in Africa such as in the Congo and Uganda.”

Livera, who is currently the head of disaster management for the Ontario Red Cross, was also peripherally involved in another Ebola operation in 2008 in Uganda, in which 10 people were affected. The current outbreak is the worst that they have experienced.

The hosts of the Ebola virus are usually fruit bats and primates such as monkeys and gorillas, both of which are abundant in West Africa. The virus is transmitted from the hosts to humans, though it is not known how.

Livera stressed that Ebola can only be transmitted through bodily fluids; it is not an airborne virus. He said that burial rituals in West Africa are a major cause of Ebola transmission.

He said, “The whole ritual around the funeral is the most likely scenario of how people are getting infected, because it is very common to touch people when handling their body.

And when someone dies, their body excretes more fluids.”

Livera also spoke of the infrastructural problems in West Africa. Healthcare systems are nonexistent and sanitation is extremely low, he said.

“Can Ebola occur in Canada? Sure it can,” said Livera. “A case here or a dozen cases there—but that’s about it, because of the health care systems and because of personal hygiene. So, because West Africa has very poor infrastructure, it is very easy for the disease to spread—not just Ebola, but any disease.”

The three countries primarily affected by Ebola are Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Liberia.

“It is extremely rare to get Ebola, and it is 100% preventable,” said Livera. “But once you get it, the chances of living are very slim.”

The first 21 days after a person comes into contact with bodily fluids are the incubation period; this is when symptoms or signs of Ebola can occur.

The first signs include headaches, fever, and aching muscles.

“So, when we’re hearing these stories about a nurse in the U.S. who has Ebola, usually what they’re talking about is that 21-day incubation period,” Livera said. “So how do you know if that’s Ebola or not? You don’t really know. You may see these signs, and then suddenly it gets dramatically worse. Two things can happen after 21 days—nothing, or you die. If nothing happens to you after 21 days, then you don’t have Ebola.”

According to the lecture, there are currently 13,000 Ebola cases in West Africa, and almost 6,000 people have died—almost 50% of cases, which is considered a fairly low fatality rate for the disease. Livera said the Ebola fatality rate can rise up to 90%.

There are over 150 international staff from the Red Cross who work in the Ebola operation, along with 8,000 volunteers.

The focus of the Red Cross is on Ebola education, social mobilization, the management of dead bodies, and contact tracing. “We focus on prevention. In many countries like Guinea, it is very common to see people not washing their hands before they eat,” Livera said. “That’s just how it is— there’s no access to clean water. Washing your hands before you eat is one of the most important ways of preventing Ebola.”

In Sierra Leone, the Red Cross is running the largest hospital, called Ebola Treatment Centre.

“It’s important to remember that the people that are responding are extremely courageous,” said Livera. He finished his lecture by saying that Ebola has definitely not hit its peak: “It’s going to get worse before it gets better.

We haven’t gotten on top of the disease yet; we’ve only gotten ahead of it.”

The president of the UTM Red Cross, Tallal Sardar, commented at the end of the lecture. “As students, we have the power to make a difference in the lives of other people. I feel that it’s our responsibility to implement and make a difference,” he said. “Overall, we had a great week. It was great to educate students about the crisis of Ebola and some of the misconceptions.”

Actor Jim Carrey leaves fan nearly bald after prank

Square One opens new $60 million wing with valet parking

Canadian actor and comedian Jim Carrey nearly shaved a woman completely bald on Jimmy Kimmel Live last Thursday. On air to promote Dumb and Dumber To, Carrey was giving fans haircuts similar to the bowl cut his character, Lloyd Christmas, sports in the Dumb and Dumber films. Instead of the bowl cut, the woman’s head was left with stubble.

Source: Mail Online

MALEEHA IQBAL

Special lecture held in remembrance Two minutes of silence followed the playing of “The Lament”. Spectators stood with their heads bowed and poppies on their chests.

At the sound of the “Reveille”, the flag was once again raised.

Messacar concluded the ceremony and the participants and officers marched off, and attendees were invited inside Davis for a small reception.

This year, to commemorate the centennial of the beginning of World War I, the Historical Studies Society hosted a lecture by Professor Nathan Smith on Wednesday.

“As this year was the centennial of World War I, we wanted to honour the memory of those fallen Canadian soldiers in our own way,” said Davin Thornborrow, the events coordinator for the HSS. “[Smith’s] lecture focused on the act of remembrance and what the monuments of the history and soldiers who fought for our country mean to us in this day when there are no longer any remaining survivors of that struggle left on this earth.”

“The memory of the horrifying events of World War One is just that to us now, remembrance,” he added.

According to Thornborrow, 50 students attended the lecture.

Man charged for posing as military officer on Remembrance Day

Police investigate after Hollywood stabbing early Sunday

Surgeon in “extremely” critical” condition after contracting Ebola

Square One officially opened its expanded and freshly renovated North side wing on Friday. The $60 million wing offers new stores such as Brandy Melville and Saje, as well as the largest Forever 21 in Ontario, along with new services such as valet parking.

The new wing is part of the mall’s larger redevelopment project, to be completed in 2016.

A man wearing a fake military uniform during Remembrance Day activities in Ottawa has been given multiple charges including public impersonation of an officer and misleading use of a uniform. The 32-year-old man turned himself in to police on Saturday. He is to appear on court on December 9.

Hollywood officers are investigating the stabbing of a man 1:30 a.m. on Sunday. Officers found the man with what appeared to be a stab wound.

Los Angeles police say the man is in stable condition, though his lung was punctured.

Doctors say that a surgeon is in “extremely critical” condition in a Nebraska hospital after becoming infected with the Ebola virus while serving in Sierra Leone. The 44-year-old man was flown to Omaha on Saturday.

Over 5,000 people have died from the virus in West Africa.

Source: Digital Online

Source: National Post

Source: CBS Los Angeles

Source: Fox News

Events continued from Cover

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11.17.2014

MASTHEAD EDITORS Editor-in-Chief Luke Sawczak editor@themedium.ca News Maria Iqbal news@themedium.ca A&E Maria Cruz arts@themedium.ca Features Madeleine Brown features@themedium.ca Sports Jason Coelho sports@themedium.ca — Photo Mahmoud Sarouji photos@themedium.ca Design Mubashir Baweja design@themedium.ca Copy Akshaya Sharma copy@themedium.ca Online & Blog Michelle Bonsu Safia Amin blog@themedium.ca online@themedium.ca ASSOCIATES News Nicole Danesi Menna Elnaka A&E Kathelene Cattell-Daniels Features Andreea Mihai Sports Eric Hewitson Fergus Talbot Copy TBA Photo Christy Tam To become an associate, begin writing and speak with your section editor!

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For the record There’s nothing respectable about holding double standards There’s more than one type of respect a person can show, a point that was made clear for me this past week.

While preparing to cover UTMSU’s annual general meeting, a required event for nonprofits where they present their finances and other things to the members, news editor Maria Iqbal and I got an email from executive director Walied Khogali saying that we’d have press passes and that “audio and video recording equipment is not allowed inside Council Chambers during the duration of the Annual General Meeting”.

The first thing that came into my head is that the downtown union also has press passes, and we were told by their VP internal Cameron Wathey last month to identify as media and that “No media individual can vote”. It would be against the act under which they’re incorporated, as well as their own bylaws, to stop members from voting, and the worry that this might happen here raised a red flag for me.

The other thing is that two years ago we did take footage, and only last year they decided we couldn’t. I eventually gave up the fight, but the news editor’s purse was still searched for a video camera at the door (this was apologized for after, since you can’t do that, but it made me wonder what means they intended to use to ensure we didn’t try to take any equipment in this year).

Audio and photos, though, have been taken with more precedent. With good reason, too, especially for the audio: photos make an article more read-

able, but you can’t even cover a twohour event taking notes by hand. The digital recorder is a modern journalist’s friend. It also prevents misquotes, which is a good thing. And there’s no real point in banning it, since there’s a record of the meeting anyway in the form of legally required minutes. The Varsity also eventually live-tweeted it, with quotes and everything. Why tell us no? There’s also nothing in their policy that mentions no recording, so the decree came without a basis. This was the second red flag.

And so I replied, copying a number of people—mainly our and UTMSU’s staff and boards, but also some people in admin and UTSU—who should be aware whenever our ability to cover the meeting might be threatened.

(And the same for voting, though we were allowed to in the end.) Khogali responded with frustration and later let me know that my having copied certain others wasn’t respectful.

Let’s talk about the discussions that followed. The justification he cited for limiting audio was that people might raise issues at the meeting that are too sensitive to write about. Some particular students with sensitive issues had been asked to bring them to the many other possible forums for them, including privately with the relevant ministers, he claimed, but they had insisted on bringing them to a packed room of all members.

Okay, but there’s a logical problem. Normally when people insist on bringing a concern before a crowd, it’s not in order to keep it quiet. Where’s

the respect for students trying to be heard? And let’s say that someone does, unwittingly, say something very personal without the knowledge that they’re at a meeting whose content the government mandates must be distributed to almost all of UTM. If that happened, where’s the respect for our judgement not to sensationalize but to consider whether something needs to be broadcast? And as for banning recording to accommodate people who might bring up sensitive concerns, in all fairness, where’s the respect for everyone else that says no one person has the right to hijack the nature of a meeting and turn it into a closed space?

Why is a closed space a problem?

Well, where’s the respect for the students who can’t make it—often you, as readers—whose only access to a meeting held for your sole benefit, until next year through rather cursory minutes, is a story in The Medium?

But the fact is, it didn’t turn out to be a closed space. Yes, after long discussion and the mutual desire to avoid another confrontation at the door, we were told we could take audio (as if we could be turned away), as well as photos at the start and end of the meeting.

To which I agreed.

But it was way less closed than that.

UTMSU’s photographers took photos and video throughout. Even Khogali took photos with his phone, after having said that photos weren’t allowed inside the room. People in line asking questions, those for whom sensitivity was supposed to have been required,

had photos and video taken of them by the staff (with consent, they said— hmm, our staff wasn’t asked).

So what are we supposed to infer?

There’s one type of respect that uses polite words. But there’s another type, in my opinion more important, that simply deals fairly with people.

Meanwhile, at the AGM, concerns were raised about The Medium that are worth bringing to us directly—after all, UTMSU is not the gatekeeper of The Medium—but which I’ll address quickly now.

One, someone proposed forming an inquiry board to look into how our and The Varsity’s finances are spent.

Sure, go ahead; might I recommend starting with the financial records we both make public on our sites (on the “board of directors” pages).

Another concern was that you can’t sit on our board if you’re currently UTMSU or UTSU staff. True; you also can’t if you’re one of our own staff.

Also, the board doesn’t have anything to do with editorial content. Those are the editors, who actually can’t be on the board of any other student society. It’s just a question of a conflict of interest.

In any case, we hold an AGM each year too, and since a constitution can’t be altered at a whim, if you want to change something about The Medium, you should definitely come.

Feel free to take pictures, too.

YOURS, LUKE SAWCZAK

11.17.2014

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Unknown talent takes the stage Young gifted writers gather in Rivoli for the 21st annual Totally Unknown Writers Festival MARIA CRUZ A&E EDITOR I consider myself a creative writer who supports the arts and others like me who are just trying to get their names out there. Considering my interest, I am a little ashamed of the fact that I had no idea about Life Rattle’s Totally Unknown Writing Festival— especially since it’s been around for 21 years.

I walked into Rivoli, located in downtown Toronto, at 6:50 p.m. on November 11. The place was already packed; friends and family gathered around tables in a stuffy, dimly lit room awaiting the writers. I met some great people while we waited for the show to begin, and was even reunited with some of UTM’s own: Robert Price and Laurel Waterman.

At 7:15 p.m., the event began and Guy Allen took the stage. He reminisced about the time a Globe and Mail reporter once showed up at the festival and how excited everyone got thinking the event was getting coverage, but it was later reported that a murder had taken place in the neighbourhood. The audience got a big laugh.

He then went on to discuss our respect for the soldiers who lost their lives in the war and how on Remembrance Day he thinks about his deci-

LIFERATTLE.CA/PHOTO

It was a full house at the restaurant. sion not to do so. Allen shared that he came to Canada in 1971 from Arkansas and how alienated he felt, being a Southerner in our city. “Toronto was cold. Rigid. White. Toronto gave me despair and it was a place that didn’t seem to hold much promise,” he told the audience. He let us know how different Toronto was and how the Southern accent provided to uneducated characters in movies had an im-

pact on his initial move to the city.

Though, after being here for decades, Allen told audiences that Toronto has really changed for the better. “I celebrate Canada and Toronto from where they’ve come in the 40 years that I’ve been here,” he said.

This introduction segued into the first writer of the evening.

Marie Margis read “Remembrance Day” from her collection, A Rich Poor

Life. The story recounts her father’s celebration of Remembrance Day with his older children. Being a veteran from both wars, he would share his experiences and dreams with his kids as they all paid their respects to the fallen soldiers. Her story was incredible and was a great way to kick off the night.

Up next from the list of student writers was Kimmy Vu, who read

“Our First Time”. The story retold a memory from her childhood where her mother was arrested for forging prices on items in Winners. It was humorous in the beginning but quickly turned suspenseful and tense and I appreciated the contrast.

Saeed Rahman followed with a similar story, “Behind Closed Doors”.

His story follows the lives of him and his coworkers as they gossip about who will be fired and for what reason.

Rahman wrote that he feared it was him because of something that he did a year ago. Listening to the tension between him and all of his coworkers was really entertaining.

Up next came one of my favourite stories of the night, “Cow Plops” from Evangeline Torres Sled. It was an adorable and funny little story about how Torres, being teased by her sister for bearing too close a resemblance to their father, believes that her father bore her over her mother. When he goes to the bathroom she can’t bear to stay away from him for too much longer so she begins knocking on the door and asking when he will be done. Listeners were told of their conversation and we even got to hear her pantomime the plops before he came out and spent some time with her. It was a beautiful little tale.

Festival continued on page 7

Theatre Erindale puts on killer production The Massey Murder engages once more in a night of crime and having to choose sides KATE CATTELL-DANIELS ASSOCIATE A&E EDITOR The Massey Murder, Theatre Erindale’s second show of the season, tells the story of Carrie Davies, a woman who worked for the prestigious Massey family in Toronto during World War I. Davies shot her master, Charles Massey, in February 1915. She testified that he sexually assaulted her and pleaded not guilty, and her story unfolded against the backdrop of the war. Always looking for a good story, newspapers quickly latched onto Davies and she became a popular topic.

The second show of the season is always the third-year class’s collective as well as their Theatre Erindale debut. In the words of company member Emma Robson, “It’s like our baby.” This is no surprise, since The Massey Murder was written and created by the class under the direction of Meredith Scott and with the additional expertise of movement and

JIM SMAGATA/PHOTO

The Massey Murder is Theatre Erindale’s second show this season. dance instructor Sarah-Jane Burton.

I was first astounded by the complexity of the plot. In most plays, it’s possible to identify two or sometimes three plotlines, but The Massey

Murder approaches storytelling from a more ambitious angle. Although the main story centres on the crime itself and Davies’s trial, the plot is highly layered. Other storylines in-

clude the (somewhat) honest and accurate newspaper coverage, the ongoing war in Europe, women’s rights and lack thereof, and the other characters involved in the trial. Everyone

has a voice in The Massey Murder: Charles Massey’s grieving wife, the Masseys’ next-door neighbour, the women living next to Davies in jail, Carrie, her lawyer, the reporter taking Davies’s side during the trial, and so on.

The cast chose to approach The Massey Murder from a non-judgemental standpoint. Throughout, it was never stated whose side I was meant to take or who was right or wrong in their actions. This confusion was especially well articulated in one of the final scenes, just before the jury’s conclusion on the case was announced. The whole cast, sitting onstage in their courtroom configuration, broke out of character to jump into a lively and opinionated debate about where they stood personally amid all the information they have gathered about the facts of the murder.

Massey continued on page 7

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THE MEDIUM 11.17.2014

Cover songs that outdo the originals Resident Art Council throws their first coffeehouse of the year for students to enjoy MARIA CRUZ A&E EDITOR At Spigel Hall for the Residence Arts Council coffeehouse last Wednesday, the room wasn’t too decked out and the lights were dim, but it was full of enthusiastic students who had lined up at the door before it opened at 8:15 p.m.

The night opened with a goofy MC who tried too hard to be funny but had hit-or-miss jokes. He introduced Megha Manvi, who sang a beautiful cover of “Valerie”. She was definitely one of the best of the night.

Next on stage was Alice Li, a dancer. She was dressed in a lovely white skirt and a tight red tank top, and her attire flowed with her. She had some pretty impressive moves.

After her was Christopher Luey, another one of my favourites. Performing solo on the harmonica, he did his own rendition of “If I Ain’t Got You” and it was really refreshing. You don’t hear too many young students play the harmonica quite as well as he did.

Next up was Rachel Currie. Twice during her song, she asked the DJ to turn up the volume, which made her performance very loud and bassheavy. It was unfortunate—she had a nice voice but the bass rocking the room took away from that a bit.

Frenielle Frias and Matt Lee were next; a cute duo who sang “Lucky”

by Jason Mraz and Colbie Caillat.

LESLIE SETO/THE MEDIUM

The room was dim, but the crowd was enthusiastic.

The only thing about these two was that Lee overpowered Frias when they sang together and it was more evident towards the end of the song for the longer notes.

Singer Anna Bonato followed them. She belted out a slower version of “Nobody’s Perfect” by Jessie J that fit really well with her deep, jazzy voice. For that reason, her range didn’t quite stand up to the highest notes, but she nailed the rest of the song. She was one of the best of the night.

UTM’s own Delores Lanni and Sean Kinsella were next. They performed three songs: “Falling Slowly”, “Disarm”, and “Everybody’s Got Someone but Me”. And it was beautiful. They both had great folksy voices that blended well together. Kinsella then performed a few songs on his own; he reminded me of an acoustic Dave Matthews and it was great to listen to him.

After a 10-minute intermission, Luey came back on stage for another amazing performance. The MC

introduced him and embarrassed Luey’s friends, who showed up late and missed his first performance. He totally rocked it and even received a standing ovation.

Following him was another duo, Miranda Scharf and Meredith Dodds, who sang an acoustic version of “Mamma Mia” by ABBA. They were both pretty good singers but it was another duo where one overpowered the other, albeit slightly.

Irene Chukwu came next and was easily another one of the night’s best

performers; she reminded me a lot of Beyoncé’s singing in slower songs, especially “Halo”. She rocked the high notes, earning herself cheers and whistling from the crowd even before her performance was over.

She received a standing ovation when she finished.

The UTM Music Club’s Katherine Nader and Jason Selvanayagam were up next—another great performance. They performed together before inviting another club member, Mohamed Mansour, onstage for a Red Hot Chili Peppers cover.

The MC returned and had everyone stomp their feet and cheer for Roberto Linqui, the only electric guitarist of the night (and a skilled one).

Bryce Hedden was the second-last singer of the night. He opened with a joke and was really outgoing and fun. His voice was raspy but warm and sounded a lot like a rock vocalist trying some acoustic numbers.

Liyana Johan and her friend Tiffany from the band Nebula performed last. Johan excused their drummer’s absence and cracked a few jokes during the technical difficulties. They did a medley of four recent pop songs: Sam Smith’s “Stay with Me”, Tove Lo’s “Habits (Stay High)”, Beyoncé’s “XO”, and Sia’s “Chandelier”.

Their performance was absolutely amazing and Johan’s rendition of “Chandelier” sounded better than Sia’s version, in my opinion. They were a fantastic end to the night.

20 strong years of Foo Dave Grohl & co give fans another incredible album CHRISTOPHER ANTILOPE STAFF WRITER Eighth studio album. Eight cities.

Eight songs.

Marking their 20th anniversary as a band, the Foo Fighters’ newest album, Sonic Highways, is their most anticipated, most aspiring, and most ambitious record yet.

What makes this album so ambitious is the fact that every song was recorded in a different city in the USA: one in Chicago, one in Washington D.C., one in Nashville, one in Austin, one in Los Angeles, one in New Orleans, one in Seattle, and one inNew York.

The strong sound of the bass guitar riffs in “Something from Nothing” reflect the Midwesternturned-punk rock sounds of Chicago, whereas the mellower “I Am a River” is representative of the underground, minimalist rock music coming out of New York City. By and large, Sonic Highways is not the Foo Fighters doing different genres of music in different states. Rather, the band allows themselves to be influenced by the aura and history of each city that— and this might be the most interesting part—these genres of music were born in.

In the HBO series also titled Sonic Highways, Dave Grohl, former drummer for the popular 1990s grunge band Nirvana, attested that not only was the band’s new album their most ambitious, but it is “a love letter to the history of American music”.

Dave Grohl attested that the band’s new album is “a love letter to the history of American music”.

Directed by Grohl, the eightpart miniseries followed in the band’s footsteps throughout the United States, taking audiences on the band’s route while showing the creation of the songs heard on the album. Sonic Highways, the album and the show, represents everything that the Foo Fighters have done during their 20-year history as a band.

The album also features guest appearances from a variety of distinct musical backgrounds whose careers span back nearly half a

century. The Foo Fighters didn’t need help making their album, but the appearances of different artists allowed them to be inspired in the ever-changing studios. All in all, this is a sharp album in which every song has a specific meaning and is not just filler. For the band, it’s better to have eight songs with a profound moral to them than 15 or more songs that may not have a strong message behind them. I’m talking about you, Taylor Swift.

Sonic Highways is a musical adventure consisting of fast beats and sombre messages. It’s not an album that should be taken for granted, because of the amount of effort spent to make it. Just as it was fun for the Foo Fighters to make the album, it’s entertaining for all listeners. It’s neither heavy metal nor hard rock nor relaxing jazz. Give the album a try, and I guarantee that you’ll enjoy listening to it.

As a Foo Fighters fan, I can honestly say that I like every song on this album, and will not tire of it anytime soon. The Foo Fighters gave this album to fans such as myself, and thus I will ask the lyrics of the song that came out of Austin, Texas: “What did I do to deserve you?”

MMMMM

11.17.2014 THE MEDIUM ARTS» 7

Massey Murder a Rivoli: a hub for the city’s best young talent hit with audiences Massey continued from page 5

LIFERATTLE.CA/PHOTO

Readers at Rivoli, including the Arnie Achtman Award-winning Shane Driver.

Festival continued from page 5 The event then paused to introduce Shane Driver, inaugural recipient of the Arnie Achtman Award. Achtman co-founded Life Rattle and the award was created through donations from the public. The recipient of this award is honoured to the student whose work proved so substantial that they deserved publication.

Driver went up to the mic and read an excerpt from his story “Scarface”, which is in his collection Broken. The story retells the night when Driver went to a party and encountered a jacked giant with a scar over his left eye. The two eventually get into a scrap where Driver shares the difficulties of trying to fight such a monster. Driver’s story led into the 15-minute intermission where the room erupted with conversation.

Coming back from intermission, the audience was introduced to David Kee. His story, “Ice Cream”, was another standout of the evening. He and his girlfriend get into a ridiculous and hilarious argument over the proper spoon to use when eating ice cream. He did a great job of reading it and it was one of my favourites.

Amna Bhutta was next with her story, “Fakeer”. This was one of the more insightful pieces of the evening.

It tells the story of how Bhutta developed a small familiarity with a beggar and used to hand him rupees every time she could. While passing him with her cousins, they began insulting him and Bhutta never saw him again. It was a heartbreaking story that made me think about my choices in life and to be mindful of what I say.

Next up was a story that convinced me I should go vegetarian. Nicholas Tsangarides read “Italian Leathers”, a story about his trip to the butcher shop in hopes of scoring a job there.

Listeners were exposed to the absolute horrors of the slaughterhouse and basically, I’ll never look at a hamburger the same way again.

The second last story was “Ron’s Smile” by Jason Swetnam. One of the

more ambiguous stories of the night, it tells the story of a student who worked in a group home and experienced some disturbing behaviour from one of his patients.

The very last story of the night was one of the best. Claire Holland read “Women’s Rites”, a story that recalls an evening Holland experienced in a nightclub. After going home with a stranger, a horrible secret is exposed and she leaves in shame. It was a wonderful story that was very well read.

Guy Allen then delivered closing statements and the room slowly began to clear out.

I was given the opportunity to speak to Driver after the event; he shared a little more about his success and stories with me. “Writing was something I kind of stumbled onto. I have a business background and was originally enrolled in the business program at U of T. After taking a couple of courses, I realized that I didn’t want to continue down that path,” he said. “When I was younger, I chased a career in sales because that’s what my father did and I didn’t know what else to do.

“To be honest, I never did any writing on the side. People are always surprised when I tell them that but writing is something I just recently took up. When I decided I no longer wanted to take business, I just decided to give writing a shot. I got lucky and found out that I love to write.”

Driver admitted that he had no intention on publishing a novel and thought that the PWC program would take him down the communications path. “Once I took a couple of writing courses, however, and teachers started telling me that I could maybe do something with my writing, that’s when I started to think of maybe publishing some of my writing,” he said.

“As far as publishing personal material, I still wonder sometimes whether I expose too much of my own life and whether or not it could hurt me down the line,” he contin-

ued. “There is definitely some stuff in my book that I would never want a potential employer seeing. I thought about using a pseudonym but decided against it. These are my stories and I wanted to stand by them.

“I write about, well, I have a lot of stories that I knew would be interesting if I wrote them down. And although I wish I didn’t have many of the stories that I have to write about, when it came down to deciding what to write about, the ideas were obvious choices,” he says of his material.

“In my opinion, readers want to read about other people’s struggles. They want to see how they were handled and overcome.” Driver also gave shout-outs to Robert Price, John Currie, and Laurel Waterman, who helped motivate him to write about some of the struggles that he’d gone through. “I was embarrassed about many of my stories, but the teachers taught me that it’s the struggles that would make for some great writing,” he said. “It was really nice to win the award. I’ve been dealing with some medical issues, so it was nice to deal with something positive for a change.

“I definitely didn’t expect any praise for my writing,” he went on. “I think I’m like most artists, I think my work is crappy until someone, like a teacher, tells me my work is good.

Dealing with Life Rattle has been a great experience for me. It allowed me to learn the process involved in writing and publishing a book. Overall, it was a great learning experience.

“It felt good to read my story to an audience but I have to say, I was nervous and happy when it was over.

But I was thrilled with the reception my piece got at the festival,” he continued. “Due to the medical reasons I mentioned earlier, I haven’t been writing for quite some time. The stories in the book are a couple of years old. But since I have been published, I can now apply for a government writing grant. I do have an idea for a book. My plan is to write a full-length manuscript about some of the struggles I overcame as a teenager.”

Aesthetically, the production was beautiful. The thrust stage, which places the audience on two sides, gave the company plenty of room to move around. The central entrance had doors with bars that, when closed, made a jail cell. Two staircases climbed up and around the barred doors, ending in a platform directly above the central entrance. This also provided levels and projection space on the walls behind.

Projections were effectively used to highlight elements of the action onstage and close the time between scenes. These included pictures of the people who, though dead in the real world, were being portrayed onstage; settings where the action took place, including courthouses and public halls; and perhaps most importantly, headlines detailing news from the trial and the front. I found myself eagerly awaiting news from this particular source, wanting very badly to find out how this story was going to end.

One scene that struck me more than others had Davies (Kyra Weichert) going about her day washing floors, ironing, and preparing dinner, all while constantly followed by Massey (Isaac Giles) as he interrupted her and she attempted to avoid him. This scene

was underscored by haunting music. What made this moment particularly engaging was the addition of a third actor (Emma Robson), who interpreted Davies’s emotional state through movement and dance. What fascinated me was the difference between what Carrie as a character could express outwardly compared to what was going on inside.

The Massey Murder cast also hosts some impressive multifaceted talent, featuring several musicians and singers, as well as original music. Scenes that had their foundations in music were effective because they were surprising: around every twist in The Massey Murder was something I did not expect.

Especially since songs were composed especially for this production, they moved the plot as much as any scene, only with a different pace and energy.

My final commendation to the cast and director of The Massey Murder is their commitment to making this piece a collective. No one actor was any more or less important than another, and I felt throughout the performance that each actor gave his or her full energy to telling this strange and complex story.

The Massey Murder runs until November 23 at the Erindale Studio Theatre.

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11.17.2014

Overcome your Dr. Terwilliker So what if you’re not the next Glenn Gould? You can still reap the benefits of playing music MADELEINE BROWN FEATURES EDITOR Let’s take a trip back in time and visit grade 12 Madeleine. She’s applying for one too many theatre programs (which require one too many inperson auditions), she has no spares, and she’s involved in an extracurricular or two. Oh, and she’s determined to do her Royal Conservatory of Music grade 8 piano exam in the spring. Needless to say, of all those things, piano fell by the wayside— way by the wayside—to the point where she squeaked by and managed to just pass the exam on one fretful June afternoon in a Scarborough church.

Thus, I finished my high school career, equally happy to bid adieu to my musical career. I started to play piano at six years old, making my way through the Music for Young Children music education program and then onwards through the RCM curricular. However, my memories of those experiences include more tears of frustration and cries of “I don’t want to practice!” than joy. It was only seeing my mother’s own

MAHMOUD SAROUJI/THE MEDIUM

It’s not too late to learn how to play an instrument—glass harmonica, anyone? pleasure in playing piano and growing up with my father blasting music on his stereo at ungodly hours of the day (and night) that made me feel obligated to persevere.

I don’t think my experience with

music is particularly individual though. Consider little Bart Collins and his horrible piano teacher, Dr. Terwilliker, in Dr. Seuss’s movie The 5000 Fingers of Dr. T. (If you haven’t seen it, you have to—it’s Dr. Seuss,

for Pete’s sake!) Or what about Arthur from the PBS children’s series of the same name? I still have nightmares about those fingerless gloves of Dr. Fugue’s, the piano teacher in the episode “Arthur Plays the Blues”.

In addition to piano, I picked up the baritone from grade 7 onwards, taking lessons at home and playing in my high school’s concert band.

Despite the inexplicable coldness of the music teacher who conducted the band, that musical experience was slightly more pleasurable. I’d happily practice my baritone, often glancing over at my family piano with scorn.

However, I also stopped playing it at the end of high school.

It wasn’t until last fall, when I was asked to play an Alberta folk song for a school production, that I picked it up again. And, suddenly it all came back to me, like Proust and his infamous madeleine (the cake this time). I remembered the thrill of finally getting a tough rhythm and the pride of holding a high G for more than a beat after hours of practice.

That same fall, I had to take a singing course for my specialist, and in rehearing those pieces I was reunited with my dear old friend the piano.

To my surprise, the three-year hiatus had repaired our relationship.

Music continued on page 10

How we pay our dues, in both senses Holding down a job during university takes away time with friends, family, and homework JANE BURKE The first time I heard the warning was probably in POL111.

The professor explained to the class that having a job during university was a no-no. He cited the number of hours a student is expected to spend on school: six hours per class per week, for an average of 30 hours a week—almost a full-time job. To him it was simple: university requires serious commitment, and you’re not giving yourself the chance to capitalize on your learning if you keep up the barista shift on the side.

Alas, I, like many of you, I’m sure, did not take his advice. From the Blind Duck to a restaurant in Sherwood Forest Plaza to our own UTM bookstore, I’ve experienced my share of student employment. This month has actually been the only time I haven’t been employed during university.

Personally, the experience has mostly filled me with regret for not taking the opportunity earlier, but unfortunately, it wasn’t always an option. At the age of 22, I consider that OSAP has been very generous to me (they no longer account for your parents after 21), but it wasn’t always that way.

MAHMOUD SAROUJI/THE MEDIUM

In order to cover tuition and living costs, work is the only option for some students.

Though my professor did not endorse working during school, there are many opportunities available for students through Work-Study programs. The attraction of these jobs is that they prioritize hiring U of T students, they have controlled hours (usually 10–12 a week), and they’re often on campus.

In my experience, having a job was usually manageable, until that dreaded time of year at the end of the semester. You know, that time of year when you have about 270% of your total grades due within the span of a week or two. Or you may recognize it better as that time of year where the closest relationship you have is with

the person who pours your coffee and the inside view of a carrel desk in the silent zone of the library. That time of year, my destiny often felt determined by how generous my manager might be about allowing some time off.

An August article in The Guardian was titled “One in seven students work full-time while they study”, and

it cited the equally astonishing figure that 59% of students report working (full- or part-time) while pursuing their studies. And according to the article, the rate is on the rise. But how impactful is it to have a job during the semester?

To gain insight on how employment can affect students, I spoke to UTM alumna Lindsey Middleton, who graduated in 2013. Middleton was a theatre and drama studies specialist, potentially one of the school’s most time-demanding programs, split between UTM and Sheridan. She estimates that she spent about 40 hours of the week in class plus 10 more in rehearsals. If that wasn’t enough, she was also a residence don and estimates that about 10 hours a week are put aside for her job. That totals about 60 hours a week!

So how does a student handle that much? The answer is sacrifice.

“Yes, I made sacrifices, though I tried to make as few as possible. Seeing my family was the biggest as I could never go home on weekends, which was always hard to deal with,” says Middleton.

Work continued on page 10

11.17.2014 THE MEDIUM FEATURES» 9

Checkmate, friend, checkmate International chess master Artem Samsonkin shares experience with the UTM Chess Club MANISH BHASIN An IB classroom was turned into a learning space for a different sort of knowledge than you usually find: how to play chess. Artem Samsonkin, an international master and first-place winner of the 2007 closed Canadian championship, among other more minor titles, visited the campus.

The visit was on an invitation from a friend of his, UTM Chess Club marketing director and fifthyear biology and psychology double major and statistics minor, Liza Noitsyn, to give a lesson.

Samsonkin, who came to live in Canada from Belarus in 2007, is currently ranked ninth in Canada by the Chess Federation and holds a CFC rating of 2562. Samsonkin most recently played in the 2014 Toronto Labour Day Open on September 1.

I attended Samsonkin’s two-hour lesson that evening, and when I entered the room, where green-andwhite-checkered chessboards sat on all the desks begging to be played on, I forgot I was there to write a story. I fervently wrote down notes on the lesson itself.

Samsonkin moved pieces on his own demonstration board hanging at the front of the room, as he first taught us how to “never run out of ideas”—because you can always study the opponent and react.

MAHMOUD SAROUJI/THE MEDIUM

Samsonkin impressed participants with his fierce and fast attacks.

Samsonkin illustrated how to prepare and support an attack, an important element of his reputedly aggressive playstyle. First he asked us to think of five possible moves to attack the centre of the board, and promptly but politely shot down many of our ideas. Each time, he emphasized that an “attack always builds around your strength”, and continued to tease potential moves out of the group.

In the second part of his lesson, Samsonkin invited everyone in the room to play against him in simultaneous games.

Seiji Nakagawa, a second-year history student, was the only one to win his game against Samsonkin. “I was very nervous. I was like, ‘Oh my God, my turn is coming again.’ He was playing really fast.”

At the end of the lesson, I got a chance to interview Samsonkin.

The cold ones at Old Credit

NICOLE RAQUINIO/ THE MEDIUM

Show off your hipster insider knowledge and turn up at your next party with a Holiday Honey.

ANGIE LIU I almost pass by Old Credit Brewing Co. on the drive up, but the large beer silo in the back of the building gives it away and I make a sharp right turn into the small parking area. Tanks peek out of the tall windows beside the front entrance.

Aldo Lista, owner of Old Credit Brewing on the corner of Mississauga and Queen in Port Credit, welcomes me at the counter of the retail store— where he sells his three signature beers: the Pale Pilsner, Amber Ale, and Holiday Honey—before leading me on a tour of the brewery.

“We’ve been in business for 20 years now. Here, we make ice beers. Very smooth,” Lista says. Ice beers take three months to ferment and mature

before bottling, and are kept in tanks at -3 C. In the fermentation room, I touch the bottom of one of the six tanks, where ice crystals have formed on the outside.

Before moving to the maturation and packaging rooms, Lista offers me samples of the beer. I happily oblige.

The Amber Ale is ruby-coloured with a hint of fruit and a slightly stronger flavour than the Pale Pilsner. The Pale Pilsner is medium-bodied, smooth, and light, with an almost buttery taste.

“Most women who don’t like beer don’t like the aftertaste, but this one is very smooth and there’s no bloating,” says Lista. No bloating? I’m a fan.

Holiday Honey, a beer that was once seasonal, is now available yearround by popular demand. I eagerly bought a bottle to try after the tour. It’s

the first “honey” beer I’ve tasted and I was pleasantly surprised. It isn’t overwhelmingly sweet and the bitterness of the hops gives it a nice balance.

“All our beers have won awards in Canada,” Lista proudly announces.

Gold, silver, and bronze medals line the walls inside the retail store. “We do some festivals in the area in the summer and people really love it,” he adds, referring to the many beer festivals in the GTA, such as Ontario Craft Beer Week and Toronto’s Festival of Beer.

Even U of T is a customer, with orders from the Faculty Club on the corner of Spadina and Willcocks.

The question is, with a microbrewery just a 15-minute drive from campus, when will the Blind Duck start serving local craft beer? I give Old Credit Brewing two pints way up.

When I asked him how he got into chess in the first place, he simply replied, “I learned when I was nine years old, and my grandparents taught me.”

We discussed how chess, like riding a bike, is often passed down by parents and grandparents. But unlike many of us students, who may not get the chance to ride our bikes these days, Samsonkin never stopped playing chess.

“Chess has been a big part of my life. Even now, I train a lot of kids and I give lectures for different chess clubs. I just really enjoy it because I can share the skills I learned,” says Samsonkin.

When I asked to learn more about how chess changed Samsonkin’s life, he added, “I’ve travelled half the world because every year I used to go to the world championship in my age group. I have friends from all over the world, which is very valuable. And I see how chess has developed in other countries.

“In Russia there is more of a professional attitude. I found kids here are less ambitious,” said Samsonkin.

“But different types of events are popularizing chess and they are encouraging competitiveness.”

Ivan Manasuev, second-year commerce and finance specialist and the club’s president, says they plan to hold more lessons along these lines with different masters.

“Look for capture, check, and threat,” Sanaya Dunash, a first-year philosophy student, recalled after the event. “Even I’ve managed to remember it.”

“The main idea of his lesson was centralization of pieces and keeping pieces flexible,” concluded Nakagawa, who played on a four-man team in a tournament among three Canadian universities with the club last year. The team beat both Ryerson and Brock to win the tournament.

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THE MEDIUM 11.17.2014

Bank of Mom and Dad Each time I eat out, if there’s an open

years ago, with the help of a consult-

kitchen, I stare longingly into it, think-

ing company, they completely reen-

ing, “Just one day… Just one day… I

gineered the pub’s appearance and

want to go in there.” The narrow hall-

menu. It was at this time that Mad-

way that leads from the dining room to

hani was hired as well.

the bathroom of one of my favourite

Like most of life’s mysteries, such

restaurants has a large open door pro-

as Santa Claus, the secret passage

viding a full view into the kitchen. De-

from Davis to North, and the Moroc-

spite eating there only once or twice a

can lamb burger recipe, the answer is

year, I’m certain that the kitchen staff

often almost annoyingly simple. “The

know me as that weird girl with her

lack of fatty tissue allows [the ground

face pressed up against the door as

lamb] to bind easily compared to

they stir the risotto or throw down a

beef burgers,” says Thomas about

basket of fries into the deep fryer. My

the absence of the beaten egg or

trips to the bathroom there are always

breadcrumbs typical in most burger

exceptionally long.

recipes.

I have the same feeling each time I

The recipe below is the “small”

venture into the Blind Duck Pub and

batch version—actually a significantly

spot the open door beyond the bar.

big batch for non-commercial opera-

Shane Madhani, the general manager,

tions, like at home. Try freezing left-

made my dream a reality and invited

over patties or halving or quartering

me to chat with their chef and kitchen

the recipe. That said, its simple steps

manager, Laurisford Thomas, about

and large portion yield makes it the

their Moroccan lamb burger.

ideal dish for gatherings. A word of

“It’s a pub favourite,” says Thomas.

warning to anyone that invites me to

“It’s the first item that comes to my

a holiday party this season—we’ll be

mind when someone comes in the

eating lamb burger galore.

door.” Madhani explains that eight Moroccan Lamb Burger with Mint Yoghurt MAKES 20 BURGERS INGREDIENTS

• 1 tub (270 ml) of plain yoghurt

of salt and pepper. Set aside.

2.Combine lamb, chili powder, pa-

• 10 fresh mint leaves

prika, and second amounts of salt

• 1 tbsp (15 ml) salt

and pepper until the ingredients

• 1 tbsp (15 ml) pepper

are evenly distributed and the meat

• 10 lbs (5 kg) ground lamb • 6 tbsp (90 ml) chili powder • 3 tbsp (45 ml) paprika • 2 tbsp (30 ml) salt • 1 tbsp (15 ml) pepper • 1 tbsp (15 ml) brown sugar

binds together.

3.Roll the meat into 6oz. balls and flat-

I also spoke to Afra Yousaf, a fourthyear digital enterprise management specialist who works at the UTM bookstore. In addition to her courses, Yousaf works about 10 hours a week. Surprisingly, she admits that she could have gotten by without working thanks to family support.

She keeps her position for two reasons: “It’s good experience and I like having responsibility, but more so it helps keep me structured,” she says.

“I do better when I have plan to follow and working actually helps me manage my time.”

In my own work experience, it was also nice to have a social sphere outside of class in which I could feel like I was accomplishing something— my worth wasn’t entirely defined by marks. But for Yousaf, like Middleton, the extra responsibility came with extra sacrifice. “The biggest sacrifice I make for work is time—I can’t always go out with friends because I need the extra time to work on school. I also haven’t had time to gain experience in other fields through volunteer work,” she says.

For Middleton, the time sacrifices meant gaining experience and skills that would help her with future op-

portunities. “I don’t regret anything, because your past choices make you who you are now, but there were definitely many days where the amount I was doing was not healthy physically or mentally, which resulted with me being very unhappy. I could do it all, but I didn’t enjoy it all,” she says.

“Now I don’t push myself so hard.

I may not be able to meet every deadline or go to every outing, but I’m choosing what is important and focusing on that. It’s all about finding balance.”

“Sometimes I want to blame work for my grades or not getting an assignment done as early as I wanted.”

Yousaf didn’t feel much differently.

When asked if she has ever regretted working while being a student, she said no. “Sometimes I want to blame work for my grades or not getting an assignment done as early as I wanted, but that’s my fault, not work’s,” she says. “Having a job has been worth it for the skills I’ve learned.”

It’s important to note that both

Middleton and Yousaf worked only a few hours a week—not to say they weren’t busy in other areas of their lives—and this isn’t a possibility for all of us. Many students have to work more hours a week to maintain their lifestyle and keep up with tuition payments or rent.

While discussing this with my own roommate, Meghan McErlain, a fourth-year biology specialist, she cited the effect that work has had on her academic career. McErlain has hoped to attend medical school since childhood, but unlike many students, she has had to pay for school out of her own pocket. This time sacrifice has often meant less time available to study, and in medical science a few decimals of GPA can make a great difference.

Working will always require sacrifice. What you have to decide is if it’s worth the experience. Is it worth not having to make that call home for some parental charity, or for that new outfit for a formal you may only wear once or twice? Whatever you choose, take a note from Middleton: don’t regret it. If there’s one thing you probably don’t have time for right now, it’s regret, so learn from your decisions or take pride in the gains from your sacrifices.

ten into patties.

4.Cook on a grill at 350 F (180 C) or on a frying pan over medium-high heat for 7–8 minutes.

5.Serve on a toasted sesame seed bun

METHOD

with sliced tomatoes, lettuce, and on-

1.Prepare the mint yoghurt by mixing

ions. Top each patty with feta cheese,

the yoghurt, mint, and first amounts

Work continued from page 8

hot sauce, and mint yoghurt.

One more time from the top Music continued from page 8 We don’t spend quite as many hours together as we once did, but the piano and I have continued to keep in touch since last fall. We’re on “playing” terms now. In fact, it was sightreading a new piece last week that made me realize how other UTM students should consider revisiting their childhood instrument or even learn how to play one for the first time.

“University students would greatly benefit from revisiting their childhood instrument or even picking up a new instrument, as the ability to make music is a birthright, and one can begin to play an instrument or learn to sing at any age,” says Bina John, the CTEP coordinator at the U of T Faculty of Music.

It’s a rewarding pastime, and the more hours you put in, the more results you see. To my knowledge, nothing really comes of putting an extended amount of time into Facebook (and I’ve put plenty in). Playing an instrument offers a similar tactile experience to playing a video game or surfing the Internet. This physical component, I believe, helps provide a healthy distraction or break from hours in front of a textbook or computer screen. When playing an instrument, you put yourself in a very separate environment.

John also describes this aspect of the pastime: “The experience of making music is so rewarding in itself because it enables a very unique form of communication, it is a powerful way to express yourself, it is therapeutic, and it affirms your place in the world community of music makers,” she says.

Who necessarily needs to per-

form in public or post videos online?

There’s a sort of success in being able to reinterpret a song that, up to that point, you’ve only ever listened to.

Perhaps you’ll find that you have a similar effect on another person as the piece did on you originally. Our lives are so text-based—this form of communication that John speaks about is honestly a bit of a relief. Even with singing, I would argue that although words are involved, its figurative quality and its context still provide a similar freedom.

Aside from music’s communicative and therapeutic benefits, there is also scientific evidence of what it can do for our health. “Neuroscientists have studied the brain when people are engaged in music-making (as opposed to listening to music),” says Boyanna Toyich of the U of T Faculty of Music, president and CEO of Toyich International Projects. “The result is a kaleidoscope of fireworks that go off in the brain, simultaneously engaging multiple areas working together: creativity, melody, rhythm, mental focus, attention to the minutiae of detail, problem solving, and cognitive and emotional areas, to name a few.”

These results are long-lasting too.

“Patients diagnosed with Alzheimer’s often retain their ability to perform music long after some of their cognitive abilities decline,” says John.

Similarly, researchers at McGill found that seniors could not only reverse some effects of aging, but also improve their immune system by regularly participating in drumming circles, as explained in a CBC News article from 2013 titled “Music as medicine has huge potential, study suggests”. Playing music, for most, is

a more approachable and less intimidating way to adopt a healthier lifestyle than a new diet or going to the gym. The price of renting a basic keyboard from such music retailers as Long & McQuade is equal to that of a gym membership and investing in athletic wear, or committing to buying healthier products at the grocery store. (That said, exercise and eating well are not to be ignored!)

Being able to play an instrument never set you back. If anything, it makes a great conservation starter and can bulk out that dreaded “Interests” section of your resume. “Playing music is like a full-body workout and the many skills that are developed through studying an instrument are applicable to every aspect of study and work in any field of endeavor,” says Toyich.

I can attest to music’s ability to ingrain discipline and commitment.

And from a knowledge perspective, the more pieces and composers you expose yourself to, the more you learn about the history and culture of the world. You can travel through time and place when playing a piece from the past. It’s a far more enjoyable way to learn than through a textbook.

So throw your apprehensions aside and connect (or, like myself, reconnect) with music. No matter how painful your university experience, will you simply toss away everything you’ve learned these past four years?

Likely not. So why do the same with an instrument? Or as John suggested, if you didn’t play an instrument growing up, why deny your “birthright” to play music and not learn how to?

Release your inner musician. She’s waiting.

11.17.2014

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11

UTM schools Skule in rugby final Facing Skule for the third time in the division final, UTM was victorious with a 17-7 win JASON COELHO SPORTS EDITOR With the semester nearing its end, the leaves changing colour, and the temperatures beginning to dip, it’s finally time for sports to take in its last breath of fresh air and make its way indoors for the remainder of the school year. Sunday, November 9 marked the beginnings and ends of UTM intramural and tri-campus seasons with Super Sunday at UTM, a name coined by the RAWC to highlight the six games that took place on one day.

Along with the home openers for the men’s and women’s tri-campus volleyball and women’s Division 1 basketball teams, three UTM teams played a semi-final or final matchup. To quickly recap, the women’s tri-campus soccer team fell 2-0 to St. George Black, while the men’s tri-campus soccer team won 2-1 against UTSC to move on to the finals.

But while these games were being played on the North Field, an unforgettable match was taking place on the South Field for a sport that does not receive as much attention as those previously mentioned.

The UTM men’s rugby team were

CALEB SIU/PHOTO

The team brought together experienced players and newcomers to go undefeated in this season. playing in the final against Skule, a team made up of engineering students from the St. George campus.

For those who have been paying attention to the UTM rugby team for the past few years, this matchup was a highlight in the rivalry between the two squads.

Over the past three years, UTM

Blues drop one 2-1 vs. Queen’s

and Skule have met in the finals each time, with Skule coming out on top in 2012 and 2013.

But this third finals matchup proved to be the charm for UTM, who came out victorious with a 17-7 win over Skule to give the UTM rugby team the Division 1 title.

For head coach and computa-

tional sciences professor Craig Burkett, the victory was even more satisfying. In only his second year as coach of the rugby team, Burkett succeeded in a rugby league he is very familiar with. A former engineering student himself, Burkett played on Skule as an undergrad, holding the position of intramural

sports chairman for two years. “It felt great as the clock ticked down,” says Burkett. “Especially since I still know quite a few players from my time playing with Skule, or from club rugby in the summer.”

Burkett was mainly happy to share the victory with the veterans on his team, who were able to achieve victory in their final year of university after experiencing defeat for the past two years.

For Jiwoon Kim, revenge against Skule was the greatest gift he could ask for, “The rivalry that UTM has developed with Skule is awesome,” says Kim, a fourth-year management specialist. Kim admits that losing to Skule over the past years “left a sour taste in [his] mouth”, but after making a vow to his team that they would come back from their defeat, Kim was excited to finally accomplish that goal. “Last year, when our team was down from the loss, I told the returning veterans that we will play Skule in the finals the next year and take care of unfinished business,” Kim said. “It was very rewarding to see the championship come back to UTM.”

Rugby continued on page 12

Lacing them up at UTM Move U’s third annual skate brings in record crowds

Third straight loss for the team FRANCIS LAM After a thrilling comeback that fell short in overtime against UOIT on Friday, the U of T Varsity Blues men’s hockey team looked for a second chance in a home game against the Queen’s Gaels on Saturday.

Unfortunately, the Blues’ offensive output had little to show that night.

They fell 2-1 to the Gaels, dropping their record to 4-7-1 in the OUA West. A couple of wins from their last two games could have slingshot Toronto up the standings to tie for fourth with Waterloo.

“We were able to generate the offence, but we just couldn’t finish,” said head coach Darren Lowe.

“I don’t know if we’re gripping the sticks a little tight, but we had tons of opportunities and just couldn’t find a way to put the puck in the net.”

The Blues opened the scoring with an early power play goal in the first period when forward Christian

Finch stopped up in the offensive zone and wired a beautiful top-corner snipe to beat the goaltender. “I saw that [their defence] backed in a little too much, so I was able to cut into the middle to get a nice shot off,” says Finch.

Good goaltending from Michael Nishi and a solid two-way game from the Blues led them to carry a 1-0 lead after the first period. “The intensity was great, the atmosphere was contagious, and the Blues played really well,” says third-year student Shamsher Dhah.

Some early offensive pressure from Queen’s in the second period had Toronto playing on their heels a bit, as Gaels forward Andrew Wiebe evened the score 3:55 into the second frame with a power play marker.

Both teams remained tied 1-1 heading into the final frame.

Hockey continued on page 12

CHRISTY TAM/THE MEDIUM

Around 500 students took part in festivities on campus ranging from skating to interactive games.

SIHAN ZHENG Approximately 500 participants showed up at the RAWC’s gym A and B on Remembrance Day to participate in the third annual Move U Skate. The event was designed by UTM’s campus “body-breakers”, Move U, to inspire UTM students to get moving, to integrate regular exercise into their lifestyle, and to participate in athletics.

The centerpiece of the event was the “skating rink” set up in the middle of the gym. To achieve this, a special form of plastic was laid on the floor of the gym as a form of imitation ice, and equipment was provided to all students who wanted to give skating indoors a shot. The plastic surface was slightly sticky and had a bit more resistance than what one would expect but overall, it was a great approxima-

tion of ice-skating inside our gym.

The rink was undoubtedly the main attraction of this event, and UTM students streamed to it in droves.

Next to the rink, there was an electronic hockey shooting simulation, which proved popular and had an ever-growing lineup.

MoveU continued on page 12

12

«SPORTS

THE MEDIUM 11.17.2014

UTM on ice

“Big man” on campus Div 1 basketball’s Haris Nurkanovic talks life on the court

MoveU continued from page 11 In the other corner of the gym, there was a garage sale of used UTM jerseys and other gear from the athletics department. Proceeds from the sale went towards supporting the UTM varsity teams and the athletics department.

Comprising mostly previous years’ jerseys, the sale’s success was quite decent, with over 50 jerseys sold.

Along with the garage sale, the UTM varsity teams also used this time to spread the word and to do some recruiting by promoting the info sessions for the UTM varsity soccer teams.

There were free drinks and snacks, and the Career Centre made an appearance. Nothing on this campus is more beloved than

free food, and the hot chocolate in the corner brought quite a few students into the event. (Come for the hot chocolate, stay for the skating.) The giveaways were also massively popular, undoubtedly drawing many students in who later decided to stay and give skating a shot.

“It’s a great way to relax, to take your mind off classes and deadlines, and to get a bit of exercise between classes,” said econd-year computer science student Stefan Djuric. “The indoor skating concept was brilliant, and I loved the electronic hockey machine.”

The sentiment was echoed by most students who decided to drop by in between classes, with the vast majority hoping to see events like this in the future.

Blues fall in OUA standings Hockey continued from page 11 Just 41 seconds into the third period on an extended four-minute Toronto power play, Wiebe scored shorthanded to notch his second goal of the night and the eventual game-winner for Queen’s.

Toronto came close to tying in the final minute with a heavy shot from forward Michael Markovic coming down the wing, but Queen’s goaltender Kevin Bailie stood tall to secure the 2-1 win for his team.

“The guys worked hard,” said

Lowe. “They played extremely well and they probably deserved a better fate. We just need to keep working hard and the bounces will eventually go our way.”

“We just got to keep battling,” said Finch when asked what Toronto has to do to bounce back.

“We’re improving a little bit each time, we are getting more and more opportunities, and eventually we are going to break through.”

The Varsity Blues will be back in action Saturday, November 22 when they head to Montréal to take on the McGill Redmen.

UTM rugby, our Div. 1 champs Rugby continued from page 11 The team that took to the field this year had a balance of returning and new players, with a few more of the former. But the team knew their competition well and had an existing chemistry with the other guys on the field, which helped come game time. “Experience in rugby is worth more than athleticism,” says Burkett. “It’s valuable to have players who have played with each other.”

The team also has an overall perfect record for the year.

“This year, we collected some new and positive players and ironed out some of the rugby basics,” says Paul Devenish, a fifth-year math and physics major. “Working on the basics rather than extravagant plays helped our athletic rookies shine.”

“Coach Burkett has said this many

times throughout the year, but we really had the most complete team in years,” said Kim. “There were a lot of new players that were eager to learn, and they picked up the plays and game plans very quickly, which was evident in the chemistry on the field.”

“I think we had success this year because everyone was positive and willing to learn,” says Jean-Marc Kawaya a fifth year economics major whose performance was praised

by Coach Burkett. “Everyone did their part and dug deep to pull it off.”

With five of the 30 players on the team graduating at the end of this school year, expect the rugby team to continue its domination of Division 1 for years to come. Another perfect season does not seem like a lofty goal anymore—it’s a reasonable expectation.

ZARA RIZWAN/THE MEDIUM

Nurkanovic is a starting centre with the Eagles with experience playing at high levels in Europe.

FERGUS TALBOT ASSOCIATE SPORTS EDITOR Haris Nurkanovic is a Bosnian-born, Canadian-grown UTM student and basketball player.

Born in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1992, Nurkanovic fled the Bosnian Genocide three years later with his family, and is currently in his fifth year of a double major in economics and environmental management. Nurkanovic’s passion for basketball was inspired by his father, who once played at a professional level in Europe.

Nurkanovic usually plays centre or power forward, but does not believe in playing in one or more positions in particular; he is rather keen on “performing any tasks” that can help the team win. He “enjoy[s] playing the sport and watching the

games to make [himself] better”— his basketball role models are Kobe Bryant and Kevin Durant. His hobbies include trying new foods and new drinks when he is out with his friends as well as watching movies, reading, and playing video games at home.

According to coach Juan Nunez, the high level at which Nurkanovic is able to play is due to his past playing experiences in central and eastern Europe. His strengths on the court lie in being the tall man in defence to protect the basket (cf.

“Rotman Returns to UTM,” October 20) and in holding the ball on the opposite end of the court to attract defenders onto him, thus freeing the path to the basket for fellow teammates to score.

After he graduates, Nurkanovic plans on opening his own renova-

tion company to make some money, which, he hopes, will be the underpinning investment for a long-term plan to one day open his own basketball academy. Nurkanovic is open to the prospect of living and working abroad, but is keener on settling in Canada.

Nurkanovic is today a veteran and captain of the UTM Eagles basketball team. He believes that UTM’s rejuvenated team has the right chemistry to win the championship this year. “The hope I have for this team is [to] win another championship. It’s a great group of guys that we have and we have the potential to be great,” he said.

Winning for this team means everything for Nurkanovic, who plays basketball every day. “It’s my personal outlet that helps me keep going,” he said.