Vol 38 issue 11

TEXTING HAS OTHER (BETTER) USES PAGE 10

November 21, 2011 Volume 38, Issue 11 www.mediumutm.ca

Arguing over the Arctic Professors face off at the UTM Debating Club’s annual Great Professors’ Debate

ROP group reports on crime

JEROME JOHNSON STAFF WRITER

LORI-LEE EMSHEY ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR

The UTM Debating Club hosted the Great Professors’ Debate on Tuesday evening to discuss the role of Canada in the dispute over Canada’s Arctic sovereignty.

Four professors were invited. VP Internal Robert Zeredynski, who did the most of the organizing of the event, introduced the topic and the debaters. In favour of an increased military role were professors Terry Bottrill of the Earth science department and Justin Bumgardner of the political science department, and in favour of international cooperation were professors Monika Havelka from the geography department and James Manicom of U of T’s Monk School of Foreign Affairs.

Each speaker was allotted seven minutes to present their arguments, and each team was given an extra three minutes afterwards for one of their members to give rebuttals and closing remarks.

First, Havelka made a plea for the

even powerful non-Arctic nations (such as China), pose a danger to the Arctic because the world is running out of easily accessible oil reserves, making the untapped resources a lucrative prize many may seek to exploit—and thereby damage the environment.

Geography professor Dana Wilson released the preliminary findings of her study on the causes of violent crime at the Crime Prevention Conference on November 4.

Wilson and her team of UTM students found a correlation between the physical and social characteristics of a neighbourhood and the occurrence of crime.

Last summer, Wilson led a group of UTM Research Opportunity Program students and one graduate student in a study of crime in Mississauga, Caledon, and Brampton. Funded by a United Way Neighbourhood Development grant, Wilson hoped the study would help identify causes of crimes committed in the target communities and thus help residents prevent future crimes.

Arctic continued on page 3

Crime continued on page 3

JUNAID IMRAN/THE MEDIUM

Havelka and Manicom versus Bottrill and Bumgardner in the debate over Arctic sovereignty. federal government to consider the Arctic’s environmental concerns and the rights of the indigenous Inuit.

The Inuit constitute over 50% of the Arctic population. Enlightening the audience about issues of climate change and the effects of UV radiation on Arctic biodiversity and skin cancer rates in residents, Havelka argued that environmental and politi-

cal concerns should be put ahead of militarizing the far north.

Bottrill acknowledged Havelka’s position that the Arctic was a sensitive area, but argued that as the “frozen wasteland” thaws, the other seven nations in the group known as the “Arctic Powers” (namely, the US, Russia, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Denmark), and

Residence “lights the night” Student Housing and Residence Life raised money for an anti-violence charity MATTHEW BUTLER Students and staff braved the freezing cold and attended UTM’s “Light the Night” event last Thursday. The event was organized by Student Housing and Residence Life to raise awareness about the many different types of violence and suffering that go unchecked in our society.

The event started at 9 p.m. outside Oscar Peterson Hall, where the area had been set up with tables covered in lit candles in plastic cups, microphones, and audiovisual equipment.

Students and friends gathered around the candles and listened to the speakers’ presentations.

Madison Peters and Jenna Menzies opened the presentation by explaining the purpose

of the event and its efforts to raise awareness and act as a campaign against the spread and impact of violence. They shared that this year’s event would be donating approximately $400 to the anti-violence charity called LOVE due to the successful efforts of the penny drive they had conducted.

Students listened intently as different speakers and organizers followed, all approaching the microphone to contribute their remarks.

A video clip was shown that included many of the volunteers and organizers holding signs displaying important facts about violence that were written on their hands.

STIs on the rise The Public Health Agency of Canada reports an increase in sexually transmitted infections among youth.

Medium News, page 2

Spreading education Dr. James Frasier Mustard and early childhood development.

Medium Opinion, page 4

Filmmaker visits UTM Ken Jacobs presented a one-of-akind video performance.

Medium A&E, page 5

UTM brings in a new life A student and refugee discusses his experience at our university.

Medium Features, page 9

Tourney times JUNAID IMRAN/THE MEDIUM

Light continued on page 2

Students took a candlelit march across campus.

Read about what happened at the basketball tournament UTM hosted.

Medium News, page 11

2

«NEWS THE MEDIUM 11.21.2011

STIs on the rise in universities Canadians under the age of 30 report the highest rates of sexually transmitted infections MATTHEW DEL MEI According to a study published in October by the Public Health Agency of Canada, young Canadians under the age of 30 are reporting the highest rates of chlamydia, gonorrhoea, and infectious syphilis.

Almost half of all Canadians aged 15 to 19 report having engaged in sexual intercourse at least once in their lives. Out of the young Canadians that reported having sex in the last 12 months, 37% report having multiple partners.

Young adults aged 20 to 24 in 1991 accounted for 620 out of 100,000 reported cases of chlamydia, and 100 out of 100,000 reported cases of gonorrhoea.

In 2009, the numbers in the same age group rose to represent 1,374 out of 100,000 reported cases of chlamydia and 145 out of 100,000 reported cases of gonorrhoea.

The Public Health Agency acknowledges that in recent years testing for some STIs has become less intrusive (and thus more welcoming) and more ac-

curate, but they say it is unlikely that the increase comes solely from better detection.

Both chlamydia and gonorrhoea cause pain or burning during urination, unusual discharge, bleeding in women, and testicular pain in men.

Quite often, symptoms remain dormant, and although the victim is unaware, they can still pass on the infection.

Joyann DosSantos of UTM’s Sexual Education and Peer Counselling Centre believes that the problem is communication.

“I think people are embarrassed. Sometimes I see a student peeking their head in, and I can tell they want to come in but they’re just scared or too embarrassed to come in, and they walk away,” DosSantos said.

“The other problem is misinformation,” said Victoria Gayle, another peer counsellor.

Gayle and DosSantos believe that many students are not as informed as they should be.

“There are a lot of myths out there,” Gayle said. For example,

one young couple that came in believed that if they had sex three times in a row, the fourth time they would not have to wear a condom because the man would have used up all his fertile sperm.

One young couple that came in believed that if they had sex three times in a row, the fourth time they would not have to wear a condom because the man would have used up all his fertile sperm.

“It might sound ridiculous to you, but people actually believe these things; they don’t realize that they have to wear a condom every time. But that’s what we’re here for,” DosSantos said.

Sarah Gwynne, a nurse who works for UTM’s Health and Counselling Centre, is not surprised by the rise in STIs

among university students. She believes that students coming to university are making new relationships, and it’s often also the first time they experience a real sense of freedom. This makes students more likely to engage in risky sexual behaviour. Along with misinformation and more risk-taking, she believes students need to be more aware of their bodies and take the initiative to get tested.

“We encourage students to get a physical every year and be sure to get tested for STIs. Quite often, that’s when you find these things accidentally,” Gwynne said. “Even if you only have sex with your boyfriend or girlfriend, and you are on birth control, having sex without a condom can still give you an STI. If your partner has had a sexual encounter with even one other partner in their lifetime, they may be infected with an STI and not even know it.”

For students at UTM who have questions that they are too embarrassed to ask, or concerns about their sex lives, both the SEC and HCC are

open for students to use.

“The SEC is here to give you a comfortable place to talk and ask questions. We’re here to help you out, but if it’s beyond our ability to help, we’ll refer you to the Health Centre, who have trained psychologists, nurses, and doctors,” Gayle said.

The HCC makes a practice of encouraging all students who visit them to take the swab and blood test to be tested for any possible STI. On the Public Health Agency’s website, there is warning that “if you can’t talk about sex you shouldn’t be having sex”, an idea DosSantos agrees with.

“It’s like taking a university course. You talk about it with your friends and ask for advice on how to handle the readings, or what to do about a test or a paper,” DosSantos says. “I understand that some people are uncomfortable talking about sex with family or friends, but you need to talk to someone.

Like everything else in life, people need advice.”

Residence students shed light on violence Light continued from Cover Just before the clip started, the group was told to reflect on someone close to them.

“I want you to think of someone you love and know. It could be a boyfriend or girlfriend, a family member, or a best friend.

Picture them in your mind,” an organizer said.

Following the video, students were each handed a candle and led on a campus night walk by Tamara Bernstein, who explained that they were to be silent while walking.

Most students were dressed

appropriately for the very cold night.

“It was freezing, but worth it.

I used the candle to warm my hands,” a participant remarked.

The silent body of students walked proudly with their lights all the way to Leacock, around to the William G. Davis Building, the Five-Minute Walk, past Theatre Erindale, and back around to the Roy Ivor lobby.

Along the walk volunteers and organizers were holding the signs seen in the video. They were intended as reminders for the students of why they were showing their support by walking.

Meanwhile, passersby stopped to watch a golden trail of students with candles blazing across campus.

Students were greeted by warmth, hot chocolate, and cookies in Roy Ivor after the silent walk. There was an opportunity for attendees to line up and add hand-paint to some of the art developed for the event.

“It was a really nice event— very powerful and moving,” a student commented.

Students and friends mingled in the lobby afterwards, sharing experiences and snacks and generally celebrating the night.

11.21.2011 THE MEDIUM NEWS

Professor leads study on crime in Mississauga Crime continued from Cover The study comprises two parts, explained Wilson. In the first part, the ROP students collected data on the locations of graffiti and vandalism, areas in need of maintenance, how recreational areas were used, general cleanliness, and evidence of crime in Mississauga, Brampton, and Caledon. They also used crime data from the Crown Attorney’s office in Peel in order to include crimes that resulted in an arrest and criminal charges.

For the second part of the project, the team of student researchers interviewed people in the three pilot communities about crime in their areas, safety, and the health of the community.

Wilson then guided the students in plotting the data using Geographic Information Systems, a data-mapping program. The locations of the crimes were coded onto maps of Mississauga, Brampton, and Caledon, a process known as “geocoding”.

In addition to linking physical characteristics (such as graffiti and vandalism) of areas to crime, the

study also found that most gun violence occurs within a five-kilometre radius of where the perpetrator lives. This type of finding would be difficult to see in an analysis of written crime data, but when geocoded onto a GIS map, the correlation is easily visualized.

Wilson hoped the study would help identify causes of crimes committed in the target communities, and thus help residents prevent future crimes.

The project started when Wilson, also a board member at Safe City Mississauga, noticed an interest in research in what makes a neighbourhood vulnerable to crime. The project is a collaboration between United Way, Safe City Mississauga, UTM, RBC, and local community leaders.

At the end of the data-gathering

portion of the study, the United Way asked if UTM students wanted to help with the United in Action kickoff day by cleaning up the vulnerable or “high-crime” areas in the communities studied.

“The cleanup was an expected outcome, tacked on to the end of the project,” said Wilson. The study also started an initiative to reduce some of the physical factors found to be associated with crime, such as offensive graffiti and litter. During the cleanup, 150 UTM students joined around 100 citizens from each of the three communities to remove or paint murals over offensive graffiti, pick up garbage, and tend gardens.

The one graduate student that participated in the research is using this study for her dissertation.

“She will be working with the three neighbourhoods, looking for things we might have missed in the study,” said Wilson.

Wilson says next summer there will be more volunteer positions and for-credit work available with the project. The next step is to monitor crime changes in the area, especially around the new murals.

»

3

»Did you go to UTMSU’s Annual General Meeting?

Kasim Fifth-year, UTMAC

Carine Fourth-year, Writing

“Uh... I don’t know what that is. Oh, I’m gonna get in trouble...

“What’s an AGM? Oh, no I wouldn’t go to that.”

Weixi Third-year, Commerce

Haris Third-year, Commerce

“What? Oh, no. That doesn’t interest me at all.”

“Attending what? Oh, that. I went first year and it wasn’t interesting.”

Should Canada militarize the Arctic?

“Use it or lose it,” Bumgardner said, citing the ominous existence of Russian nuclear icebreakers apparently built for the Arctic as evidence that Canada needs to beef

up its presence and get UNCLOS to clearly define its jurisdiction.

During rebuttals, Botrril denied the opposition’s suggestion that the Arctic nations could cooperate in the North indefinitely, while Manicom countered that the Russian and Chinese “threats” his opponents referred to were mere scaremongering.

In a closing remark, Bottrill said he was pleased that the debate created what he dubbed a “cross-fertilization of departments”.

Training directors Matthew Lozinski and Luke Sawczak served as judges of the event, posing questions to both debating panels, summing up the debate, and announcing the winning team, decided by secret ballot.

“Clearly, both sides care about the environment, the Inuit, and

the general safety of the Arctic,” said Sawczak. “The real question is, who does it better: Canada or international collaboration?”

By a vote of 28 to 18, the majority of the audience was persuaded by the argument that Canada was best in charge of the Arctic and that we need to militarize the Arctic to establish our right to it.

After the debate there was a reception and mixer. Rahab Rane, VP Finance, said she was pleased that faculty debates allow professors from different fields to tackle the most significant interdisciplinary issues facing the world.

She echoed Bottrill, saying that they offer a “vibrant forum of exchange…an academic, cultural and professional hub where leading research is announced and discussed, and lively debates are hosted and encouraged”.

Officer in California pepper sprays students sitting in protest

Protests continue in Egypt against military government

Marching band at Queen’s University suspended

Man sentenced to 80 years for buying hotdog with counterfeit money

A three-year investigation has concluded that the fact that water hydrates the body is indisputable.

Bottled water companies will face a two-year jail sentence if they make an advertising claim that water prevents dehydration. “This is stupidity writ large,” Conservative MEP Roger Helmer said. The court case ruled the edict as “common sense”.

A video went viral on Saturday of a police officer in California pepper spraying student during a peaceful protest in support of the Occupy Wall Street movement. The chancellor of the University of California has called for an investigation into the incident. “The students had encircled the officers,” the police chief said in defence of the officer’s actions.

On Sunday, protesters took to the streets in Cairo for the second day in a row. The military used tear gas and rubber bullets to drive away the crowd, but the number of protestors doubled and the crowd retaliated. The military announced that it will proceed with parliamentary elections next week.

The marching band at Queen’s University has been accused of circulating material, including guidebooks, with offensive language that was demeaning to women. The band has been suspended for the rest of the term and must complete human rights training. The band is one of the largest in Canada.

Jurors sentenced a man in Texas to 80 years in prison after he was arrested for hotdogs at a movie theatre with fake money; police also found $120 worth of counterfeit bills stuffed into a hotdog wrapper. During the court case, the man was also charged with multiple past crimes, including stealing an 18-wheeler truck, fraud, and possession of a firearm.

Source: The Telegraph

Source: The Toronto Star

Source: The New York Times

Source: The Globe and Mail

Source: CBC DFW

Bottrill argued that Canada is doing a better job of protecting the environment than would a freefor-all, and because the terms of the UN Convention of the Law of the Sea are unclear, it would require militarization to enforce Canada’s territorial claim.

Manicom countered that military hostility would not solve the problem, and that treaties were already making Arctic protection more plausible; he cited a recent trilateral submission by Canada, Denmark, and Russia to UNCLOS regarding the limits and extents of each state’s continental shelf, territorial sea, and EEZ boundaries.

Another transnational response to the issue he noted was that of “stewardship of the North”,

whereby the Inuit of Canada, Alaska, Greenland, and Russia work together to manage polar bear populations and other endangered species in this fragile ecosystem. Manicom argued that by displaying hostility instead of cooperation, the opportunity for Canadian scientists, researchers, and environmentalists to collaborate with their peers in other Arctic nations would be put at risk, and even more hostility would be provoked.

Lastly, Bumgardner articulated his stance that the Northwest Passage must be clearly established as Canadian territorial waters, lest other Arctic and developing nations see the Northwest Passage as an international strait that any ship should be free to transit.

Bumgardner noted that the Arctic seabed is a mineral resource

that could be distributed among northern nations, and to prevent that, Canada would need to make a show of its jurisdictional rights by dispatching more icebreakers and building deep-water ports to establish a permanent military presence in the Arctic.

EU forbids companies to claim that water prevents dehydration

Arctic continued from Cover

Manicom countered that the Russian and Chinese “threats” his opponents referred to were mere scaremongering.

»

4

11.21.2011

MEDIUM OPINION Editor-in-Chief » Michael Di Leo

In the grand scheme...

What does it mean for a person to be “educated”?

That might seem like a strange question, especially coming from a student who spends a fair deal of his time, money, and effort in the pursuit of education.

But look again and ask yourself what you’re aiming to accomplish with your degree at the end of your time in university.

There’s the obvious answer: your education, at least on paper, means you’re going to get a good job when you graduate.

There’s also the idealistic view: you will benefit by learning as much as possible and expanding your worldview. These are perfectly suitable answers—I have

subscribed to both during my time here—but neither seems to capture the full scope of the effect of education.

I’m tempted to think that the real goal of education is to influence us in making good decisions. That might sound like there’s a lot of overlap with the other two answers, but when taken one step further, you can see the differences. Will you use your knowledge to make the world better in some way, or will it be used simply to help you achieve some professional position? Will you contribute to society in a meaningful way or are you content with keeping your knowledge to yourself ?

Education, as I understand it, is meant to give you the tools you will use to help others.

David Suzuki, the famed Canadian academic and broadcaster, used his education to spread awareness of the environmental sciences and contribute to a greater good. Einstein, Oppenheimer, and many others felt similarly about the societal benefits of science in a post-nuclear world. Kurt Vonnegut, a trained mechanical engineer and employee at General Electric, rallied against the effects of “negative (useless) education” in his literary works, instead opting for a humanist approach. These were educated people, making

informed decisions. More importantly, they understood the profound and positive uses of education and wanted to expand on them.

The late Dr. James Frasier Mustard was also one of those people. A member of the University of Toronto community, he was perhaps most well known for his influence in the study of early childhood development.

With a medical background (he was part of the team that discovered the effects of aspirin in preventing heart attacks), Mustard promoted the importance of early brain development in children—the results of which have had, and will continue to

have, tremendous positive social implications. Most recently, Dr. Mustard was working on an establishing the Institute for Human Development at our university.

Dr. Mustard died at his home on Wednesday after battling cancer, but his work continues to benefit people around the world, paving the way for a future generation of educated people.

A memorial celebrating his life will be held at Hart House this Friday at 1 p.m.

YOURS, MICHAEL DI LEO

A part of the UTM It’s not censoring, community it’s taste Dear Editor, Re: “A house divided cannot stand”.

I am the medical student that was mentioned in the November 14 letter to the editor. First and foremost, I just wanted to apologize to the students who I met last week in the Health Sciences Complex. It was never my intention to make them feel excluded, and I am ver y sorr y if they felt that way. I was misinformed about the space usage situation that day, which has now been cleared up by the administration at the Mississauga Academy of Medicine.

I entirely understand your intentions to explore the new building.

Furthermore, I speak for the

Academy in saying please feel free to come and speak with us regarding the new building, if you have any questions about medicine, or if you simply find the weather incredibly interesting and are looking to discuss precipitation patterns.

We’d love to chat! We’ve begun to make contact with the UTM Pre-Med club, among other clubs, to see where we could be of use in terms of outreach.

So keep an eye out for us on campus. We’ll be the students with the blue backpacks who look like they have not had sufficient sleep in weeks.

Again, please accept our utmost and sincere thanks for welcoming us to be a part of your long-standing community.

Tara He

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Michael Di Leo editor@mediumutm.ca NEWS EDITOR Stefanie Marotta news@mediumutm.ca ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR Lori-lee Emshey

MEDIUM II PUBLICATIONS 3359 Mississauga Road, Room 200, Student Centre, Mississauga, ON, L5L 1C6 Phone: 905.828.5260

A&E EDITOR Nives Hajdin arts@mediumutm.ca ASSOCIATE A&E EDITORS Colleen Munro Aristotle Eliopoulos FEATURES EDITOR Larissa Ho features@mediumutm.ca

Dear Editor, It is often that I like the letters written in to your paper. The letters are thought-provoking, and sometimes they are funny. I always look forward to reading them on Monday, or sometimes I read them on Tuesday if on Monday I am too busy.

I understand also that you print the letters that are sent to you and do not usually reject letters. That is a good practice, because it stops discrimination and censoring. If you were to pick and choose everything you want to print, and turn away everything you found distasteful, your readers would not be able to trust that they are getting objective news.

Nevertheless, I am certain you do not have to be printing letters like the one that ap-

peared in your paper last time.

Is it maybe true that you did not get enough submissions, so you were forced to print a letter about “urinal etiquette”? It is not everybody that is so interested in the details of men’s urinating habits. Next you will have “stall etiquette”? But that would be disgusting!

I have one more thing to say about it. I do not even think the argument presented in the letter was valid. I for one am always grateful for the urinal walls. They protect my privacy.

And I do not think the morals of our society can degrade so easily just because they are not practised. In fact it is my belief that most men still know how to behave themselves.

I certainly do.

Aleksi Zloczewski

SPORTS EDITOR TBD sports@mediumutm.ca ASSOCIATE SPORTS EDITORS Isaac Owusu Michelle Duklas PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR Edward Cai photos@mediumutm.ca

AD MANAGER Victor Dri ads@mediumutm.ca

DESIGN EDITOR Sophia Leonard

COMPLAINTS Comments, concerns or complaints about The Medium’s content should be directed to the Editor-in-Chief who can be located at the email address above.

COPY EDITOR Luke Sawczak copy@mediumutm.ca WEBMASTER Gary Li DISTRIBUTION MANAGER Gurami Lomidze

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Amir Ahmed, Matthew Butler, Victoria Dolliver, Paul Donoghue, Jerome Johnson, Lysan Sequeira, Sviatoslav Romaniuk

COPYRIGHT All content printed in The Medium is the sole property of its creators, & cannot be used without written consent.

corey belford/the medium

DISCLAIMER Opinions expressed in the pages of The Medium are exclusively of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of The Medium. Additionally, the opinions expressed in advertisements appearing in The Medium are those of advertisers and not of The Medium.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letters to the editor will be edited for spelling, grammar, style and coherence. Letters will not exceed 700 words in print. Letters that incite hatred, violence or letters that are racist, homophobic, sexist or libelous will not be published. Anonymous letters will not be published.

11.21.2011

«

5

MEDIUM A&E Editor » Nives Hajdin

Kaleidoscopic Ken Jacobs at UTM COLLEEN MUNRO ASSOCIATE A&E EDITOR This past Friday night, lecture hall IB245 was transformed. With a diverse audience on hand (a combination of students and various members of the community), the energy was palpable. This wasn’t a typical lecture. In this rare opportunity, rather than merely discussing the works of an influential artist, the audience got to see one in action. Artist and filmmaker Ken Jacobs performed his “Nervous Magic Lantern” presentation for a packed crowd, and it was certainly something to behold.

The name Ken Jacobs may not be familiar to all, but his influence in the art world is difficult to deny. After studying with groundbreaking abstract expressionist painter Hans Hoffman in the 1950s, Jacobs began to produce his own avant-garde films, and he also began to take on an active role in the art community.

He cofounded the Millennium Film Workshop in New York City, and also helped to found Binghamton University’s first department of cinema. His own work has been displayed and performed at the Louvre, the

Jenna Edwards/PHOTO

No two “Nervous Magic Lantern” performances are alike. (Wish you went now, don’t you?)

Museum of Modern Art, and the New York Film Festival.

His “Nervous Magic Lantern” performance is described as “live cinema without film”.

In the hour-long performance, Jacobs uses a special projector with a lens that allows him to manipulate and magnify small objects without the use of celluloid or pre-recorded visuals. The result is a kaleidoscopic, abstract image that is truly one of

a kind—no two “Nervous Magic Lantern” performances are alike, and since they’re not film recordings, they exist in this form only during the performance.

As Jacobs manipulates the projections, they take new shapes and forms, becoming almost hypnotic at times. Though there are no definable objects on the screen, they seem strangely organic. It’s like the game we all played as

children: looking for shapes in the clouds. As his images morph and magnify, you may think you spot a human face or some other form in the abstraction, but as suddenly as you recognize it, it vanishes. The images are also accompanied by an audio track that begins in a bustling subway terminal, complete with the sound of buskers and whooshing trains. As the presentation goes on, the sounds

change subtly and eventually lead to the street-level bustle of children and car horns. This is the only aspect of the performance that offers anything resembling a narrative, and it perfectly complements the ambiguous shapes on screen without distracting from them.

Following the presentation, Jacobs took questions from the audience, and he proved to be a charming and funny public speaker. Many questions focussed on the more technical aspects of his projector setup, and it was fascinating to get a peek into how he creates his abstract images. Jacobs also spoke about his admiration for the spontaneity of artists such as Jackson Pollock and Willem de Kooning (both of whom were contemporaries of Hoffman). Between Jacobs’ amiable persona and his fascinating, thought-provoking performance, “Nervous Magic Lantern” was a unique experience in multiple ways.

The performance was presented by the Blackwood Gallery in conjunction with their current installation exhibit, Lost Secrets of the Royal, which runs until December 11. For more information, visit blackwoodgallery. ca.

H&M unveils new Versace collection LORI-LEE EMSHEY On November 19, H&M’s Versace limited collection debuted at stores in the Eaton Centre, Bloor Street, and Yorkdale.

The doors opened at 8 a.m., but fashionistas lined up on the street overnight to be one of the first 280 people to get a coveted wristband. The wristband and inscribed number got you a place in line, 10 minutes in the store to see the collection, and a purchase of up to two of the same item. Shoppers likened the lineup to an “Occupy Toronto” protest, talking and joking to keep warm in the -4°C weather. Many passersby even mistook the lineup as being for the premiere of The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1.

H&M had used a similar protocol to control the lineup during last year’s launch of the Lanvin collection; the wristbands deterred confused rioting and the purchase limit stopped people from hoarding limited-edition pieces and selling them on eBay.

The collection ranged from $25 women’s accessories to $500 men’s leather jackets.

For women, the pieces are bright, sharp, and Grecian, which means lots of studded leather dresses, pants, and jackets, as well as tropical floral dresses, handbags, and sequined and fringed tunics.

For men, the pieces concentrate on tailor suits and bright, bold tops, studded leather pants, palm tree print tees, and even hot pink suits and mesh tops. A particularly audacious piece is a black velvet jacket with a silkscreen beach scene and leopard print on the sleeves.

Stores in Dubai, New York, Abu Dhabi, London, and Beijing sold out in less than 30 minutes.

The H&M online store’s servers overloaded and crashed not long after the collection debuted in the UK on November 17.

Donatella Versace, the current designer for the “high fashion” label, said the collection was inspired by the “iconic moments of Versace” in the 80s. Donatella

modernized the pieces in the H&M collection from the signature looks designed by Gianni Versace, her brother and original designer of the house of Versace. Although many current buyers were not alive during the original days of Versace in the 80s, Donatella hopes the collaboration will allow Versace to reach a wider audience. She wanted to capitalize on the next generation of trend-savvy shoppers who mix high-end labels with trendier, less expensive pieces. This style appears more and more frequently: the girl with a pair of American Eagle jeans and a Louis Vuitton handbag.

This is not the first time H&M has paired up with a high-end designer. In the past, collaborations with Karl Lagerfeld (Chanel), Stella McCartney, and Alber Elbaz (Lanvin) resulted in sold-out limited collections.

If you missed out on the limited Versace collection, keep an eye out for Tom Ford, who rumours in Marie Claire magazine suggest will be next in line for a collaboration with H&M.

BLOGSPOT.COM/PHOTO

The geisha-inspired “Stampa” collection (dress, $179; leggings, $34.95).

6

«ARTS THE MEDIUM

11.21.2011

Lightbox lineup Not your typical hip-hop ADRIANA FLORIDIA It has been just over a year since the TIFF Bell Lightbox opened, but it has asserted itself as one of the best theatres Toronto has to offer. The Bell Lightbox provides both new and old programming year-round, with films that appeal to all kinds of audiences.

For the 2011 Fall/Winter season, there are many reasons to visit this theatre, including the unique series and new films offered only at the Bell Lightbox.

Wrapping up in a couple of weeks is the “Back to the 80s: Teen Edition” series, where you can see teen classics among the likes of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Pretty in Pink, and St. Elmo’s Fire up on the big screen. There are also introductions by the series’ programmers, and events going on in the theatre in relation to the screenings. The Bell Lightbox just concluded a Lars von Trier series, celebrating the controversial director’s work alongside the release of his new film, Melancholia (now playing at the Lightbox). This apocalyptic drama is a mesmerizing and largely metaphorical take on depression and familial re-

lationships, with an incredible performance by Kirsten Dunst, who won Best Actress at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. Some other new releases at the Lightbox this winter include the French film, Tomboy, which won the Jury Award at the Teddy Awards, celebrating LGBTQ cinema, as well as many other prizes at various film festivals.

Beginning in December is the “Family Classics” series, which includes princess films to help promote the Grace Kelly exhibit currently on display.

Such memorable films as Ever After, A Little Princess, and Enchanted are in this series, as well as some Christmas favourites like Elf, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and Miracle on 34th Street.

If you’re tired of the regular Hollywood drab, and your local movie theatre just isn’t cutting it for you, take a trip down to the TIFF Bell Lightbox. The diverse and cuttingedge cinema is unlike any programming in Toronto, and the venue itself is vibrant, modern, and inviting. Any movie-lover is guaranteed an amazing experience. Check tiff.net for show times and more information.

Take Care—Drake LYSAN SEQUEIRA Former child actor Drake is back with his highly anticipated second studio album, Take Care.

It is the follow up to his charttopping 2010 debut album Thank Me Later, which recently cemented Drake as a viable power in the hip-hop game.

It’s clear that the 25-year-old Toronto native took lots of time and care (no pun intended) to create an album that would best showcase his rapping and singing. The album is sensuous, smooth, and dramatic, all while incorporating hiphop, electronic, pop, and R&B. Drake’s vocals on the album feature heavy emotional crooning, sweet melodies, and less rapping than his previous album and mixtapes. Although Take Care isn’t short on mentions of endless heartbreak, it’s still surprising to see Drake bare his soul, for better or for worse— no matter how embarrassing it may be.

The main focus of Drake’s songs is still women; he sings of finding a new love on his piano-driven ballad “The Real Her”, which is reminiscent of his 2009 R&B hit

SPACEPACK.CA/PHOTO

“Houstatlantavegas”. The track features rap heavyweights Lil’ Wayne and André 3000 of Outkast, with Drake singing on the warped beat. On the “Cameras (Good Ones Go)” interlude, Drake seems to be offering hints about his muchpublicized romance with Rihanna when he sings, “It look like we in love, but only on camera.” The title track showcases Rihanna’s subtle and understated lower register, while Drake opts to singrap, instead of his usual straightforward rap. The climax of the

album is easily the larger-thanlife track “Lord Knows” with its gospel choir backing, chestthumping beat, and heroic verse courtesy of Rick Ross.

At first the album might not seem like it holds up to the impossibly huge expectations, but after giving it a second listen, you’ll begin to notice that Drake has not created your typical hip-hop album. Take Care is unexpectedly versatile, and almost anyone can find something relatable in it.

MMM½

Vampires suck ARISTOTLE ELIOPOULOS ASSOCIATE A&E EDITOR Twihards rejoice: the new instalment of the Twilight movie saga, Breaking Dawn: Part 1, is here. Our two favourite lovebirds, Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) and Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart), are back—the movie opens with the two in the middle of planning their wedding.

When the day finally arrives, the ceremony is set in the dreamy glade of a forest. With white flowers hanging from the branches and constant close-ups of Bella’s white lace gown, the whole scene has as much sap as the trees surrounding the wedding party. As the couple say their vows and the camera pans over the various members of the Cullen clan, who (four movies in!) still don’t look pale, but rather like they’re wearing low-grade makeup.

Everything moves with a dreamy slowness, making sure all the Twilight fans can enjoy every second of this monumental moment.

When the reception ends and the new bride and groom head to Brazil to honeymoon in the Cullens’ beautiful, regal seaside vacation home—a home that seems like a poor investment, given that none of the vampires have a tan—the audience learns that the movie has no intention of moving any faster. When Bella and her supernatural husband reach Brazil, they play chess in front of a picturesque backdrop. And that’s about it, at least until Bella gets pregnant.

Putting aside the story’s vari-

heyyouguys.co.uk/photo

The end is near, so let’s be honest: we really don’t need to see any more pictures of Edward and Bella. ous problems as a whole, Breaking Dawn’s major problem is that it moves at a glacial pace. This seems to be related to the studio’s decision to split the film into two parts, in the style of Deathly Hallows. The movie is padded with long melodramatic dialogue, beautiful cinematography that lingers a bit too long, and scenes of Bella Swan incessantly rubbing her expanding baby bump. Any action the source material might call for is non-existent. The movie could have been enjoyable if there had been more material from the latter part of the book, but since director Bill Condon (Dream Girls, Kinsey) was restricted to the first part, he and his cast were forced to stretch the material into an agonizing twohour feature film.

Much like the other Twilight movies, the redeeming factor of Breaking Dawn is the unintention-

al campy humour. Although the film never reaches such comedic heights as Bella’s theatrical, overthe-top depression in New Moon or the evil Victoria’s beheading in Eclipse, Breaking Dawn has its moments. From Edward breaking the headboard during his and Bella’s marriage consummation to Bella blaming her morning sickness on fried chicken, it’s the silver lining that prevented me from feeling like my entire evening was wasted.

While the audience watches Bella grow gaunt and sickly as her chestburster—er, sorry, demonic vampire baby—slowly kills her from the inside out (you heard me), one wonders if Bella still got the better end of the deal. The movie concludes with a bloodbath that is Bella’s vampire Caesarean, but it still seems less painful than what the audience had to endure for two hours. MM

11.21.2011 THE MEDIUM A&E

»

7

Student engagement beyond the classroom The Medium interviews Dan Cedric Arevalo, CCIT student and online portfolio designer DCA: I just finished implementing the blog option on Fourthdraft.

We’ve asked some artists, designers and photographers using our service, and they are big on blogs.

It provides another creative outlet for them, and it’s something that our users need and want. Our next step would be to polish the blog. We have the basic skeleton up and running. You can use that right now.

Other than that, what we’re really trying to do is present more reasons for users to come and use our website. Right now we’re trying to contact employers; we’re partnering with a few Toronto advertising companies, and just trying to build a userbase—a community.

ARISTOTLE ELIOPOULOS ASSOCIATE A&E EDITOR One doesn’t need to go all the way to Harvard to find the Mark Zuckerbergs of tomorrow. We talked to UTM’s very own web innovator Dan Cedric Arevalo about his online portfolio system, Fourthdraft, the creative process behind this new platform for artists and designers, and tips for finding success in business.

The Medium: Could you tell us a little about Fourthdraft?

Dan Cedric Arevalo: Fourthdraft is designed to be an online portfolio system for artists and designers to showcase their works of art online.

This can range from images, videos, films, and animations [to] anything visual they may have and wish to display.

TM: What brought about or inspired the idea of Fourthdraft?

DCA: The reason Fourthdraft came to be is that I personally needed a portfolio for myself. I’m a freelance web developer and designer, and every time a prospective client would ask to look at my portfolio, my answer ended up being “no”—I just didn’t have one. It really came down to the need to have my own portfolio. Once I created my own online portfolio, eventually I realized that with two or three steps more I could make this idea public.

A lot of people can use this, and a lot of people like myself have a need to display their work to potential clients. Hence, Fourthdraft was created.

TM: When starting this website, were there any difficulties or things you needed to consider before the

Dan is here to help. Be his friend. project could take off?

DCA: Yeah, I had to consider a lot of things. As a web developer, I’m usually responsible for the technical side, but I had to cover everything else with Fourthdraft as well: the name, the logo, planning, who will be involved. A lot of external factors. A lot of planning. Usually, with me it’s mostly just developing the site and testing the site, but with Fourthdraft, I had to do more. I had to showcase the site, advertise the site, plan the launch party—things that were exciting but also challenging, and new.

TM: What benefits does Fourthdraft provide for artists creating their online portfolio that other similar websites might not give them?

DCA: While I had the initial intention of making a fee system for

Fourthdraft, I decided to scratch that idea. It is now free and will remain free. The way I designed Fourthdraft was to make it easy for users to upload their stuff—no fancy, elaborate, or complicated steps. Once you log in, everything is pretty much right in front of you.

It’s just meant for you to upload your stuff [and] organize your stuff, but still be easy for you to customize your portfolio as well. It’s just as easy as clicking a button or ticking an option. I would say simplicity is a big strength of Fourthdraft. Also, when you contact the site and let us know about a feature you think is missing, you’ll get a response right away and you’ll see that development come to life.

TM: Fourthdraft is aimed at artists and designers hoping to display their original artwork in an

Edward Cai/The Medium

online portfolio, but have you had users use Fourthdraft in other ways? Would you recommend other forms of usage?

DCA: Well so far many users are using it for its main intention: to showcase their work to clients. But other than that, I’ve heard of someone who uploaded his work and is using Fourthdraft as a submission system. He’s using Fourthdraft for his professor and his design class.

That being said, it is free, and no matter what I say or do, users can utilize it as they would like—as long as they keep it professional. It is meant to be a professional platform.

TM: I noticed on your website that Fourthdraft is currently “reconstructing its business model”. What changes can Fourthdraft users expect in the coming months? What is the next step for Fourthdraft?

TM: Given the challenging task that is creating and designing not only your own website but your own business, what advice would you give students hoping to or currently trying to start their own enterprise?

DCA: Commit and be passionate about what you want to do. Some people have the resources and time, but they don’t choose to commit to the task. For me, I created Fourthdraft during the summer with the intention of finishing it before September. I would start work around 10 a.m. and finish around 11 p.m.

Then I wouldn’t be able to sleep because I’d just be thinking about what I could add. You need the drive to do it. Try to develop a drive. It’s not just the physical means of doing something but also having the emotional reason to do it and to follow through to the end.

Dan Cedric Arevalo is the owner, developer, and designer of Fourthdraft.com. Check out Dan’s own design work at his Fourthdraft profile, dancedric.fourthdraft.com.

8

« 11.21.2011

MEDIUM FEATURES Editor » Larissa Ho

Do rankings really matter?

Taking a look at the method behind the madness and what rankings mean for prospective students LARISSA HO FEATURES EDITOR Every student wants to get into a top university… right? Why is that? Who determines which universities are prestigious or not?

Though finding out if a university is the right “fit” for you requires factoring in numerous things, many people think that looking at where a university sits on a university ranking list is a major indication of where you should go. It matters, they say, whether your university is highly ranked or not. It all comes down to prestige.

Or does it? Does it really matter whether Maclean’s thinks your university is more or less prestigious than another school in terms of overall education?

Maclean’s has once again ranked 49 Canadian schools in its annual “University Rankings” edition. They say it took them 20 years of gathering data to complete the comprehensive assessment which allows them to compare the quality of Canada’s best schools, in order to, as they say, measure “excellence”.

Maclean’s places universities in one of three categories: pri-

MMPA

TWU.CA/PHOTO

How does an A+ translate in actual terms? marily undergraduate, medical/ doctoral, and comprehensive.

In each category, the institutions are ranked based on performance in six areas, allocating a weight to each indicator.

These indicators are students and classes, faculty, resources, library, reputation, and student support. Other factors include number of students who’ve won national awards, number of faculty members who’ve won na-

Master of Management & Professional Accounting

• Designed primarily for non-business undergraduates • For careers in Management, Finance and Accounting • Extremely high co-op and permanent placement To learn more about the MMPA Program, attend our information sessions:

Thursday, November 24, 2011 11:00 am - 1:00 pm

Room DV3130, Council Chambers, Davis Building, University of Toronto Mississauga

Wednesday, January 18, 2011 11:00 am - 1:00 pm

Room DV3130, Council Chambers, Davis Building, University of Toronto Mississauga

www.utoronto.ca/mmpa

tional awards, and scholarship availability. This is how “excellence” is measured, according to Maclean’s.

A review of these criteria begs the question: can excellence be measured? Should we pay any attention to these rankings?

How much weight do they hold for applicants, graduates, and employers?

The University of Toronto placed second in the medical/ doctoral category, just behind McGill and ahead of the University of British Columbia. So are all the kids that go to McGill better off because their school received a higher ranking, and are we at the University of Toronto better off than the students at UBC for the same reason? How much can rankings really tell us?

Maclean’s is not the only magazine to rank universities; U.S. News and World Report also release annual college rankings. In light of this trend, a study was

recently conducted in order to find out the effects of one year’s rankings on the next year’s applicant pool.

The research found that moving up in the U.S. News rankings was associated with an increase in the next year’s admissions.

The research also indicated that being in the top tier of a given ranking system (e.g., a “top 10”) did matter: moving into the top tier in a given year resulted in a 3.6% decrease in the acceptance rate of applicants in the following year. Moving up a spot in the top 50 was associated with a two-point increase in average SAT scores. So, do rankings mean anything? Yes, apparently... even if it’s just a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Though it may be more important for employers to see what you studied in university and how you did, rather than how high on the rankings your school scored, some people think that a

college’s rank and reputation is important to employers because they will associate their potential employees first and foremost with the school they attended. If you went to U of T while your competition went to a Canadian school that wasn’t on a “top 50” list, who do you think would get the position?

Of course, although the bottom line seems to be that it’s practical to look at the university ranking when choosing a university, something in us insists that it’s wise to look at other factors, including size, cost, distance from home, atmosphere, and course selection. We want to believe that rankings should not be the be-all and end-all of determining where you decide to get your education.

All rankings are flawed and biased in some way. We need to be more aware of that before we start cheering when our school moves up one spot in the rankings, or thinking “My education is now worth less” when our school moves down a spot.

I say don’t worry too much about comparisons, because in the end rankings aren’t everything. It’s also important to note that the dangers of the ranking system; for example, despite what they may say, universities themselves work hard to “game” the system and artificially raise their rankings as high as possible by focussing only on what’s measured and ignoring other factors. Sadly, some people’s salaries are based on whether the school they work for moved up in the rankings, so yes, rankings do matter... but they also differ.

Keep that in mind when you’re trying to get into a university program based on reputation.

»

11.21.2011 THE MEDIUM FEATURES

9

I’m tellin’ y’all Building bridges between it’s sabotage Kenya and Canada Why do we hurt our own grades?

With student sponsorship, included in your tuition, WUSC is helping refugees from abroad study at UTM STEFANIE MAROTTA NEWS EDITOR

STEREOGUM.COM/PHOTO

The Beastie Boys know a thing or two about sabotage.

CARINE ABOUSEIF ASSOCIATE FEATURES EDITOR You have six hours—six hours until your 30% paper is due.

You stare at your screen. You only have two paragraphs down.

You tentatively tap out another sentence. You think you could probably take a break, have a snack, watch a bit of Big Bang Theory.

But “a bit” becomes six episodes.

You finally sit down and type for a steady three hours; you manage to submit your paper on time. You did the best you could, you tell yourself.

After all, you only had three hours.

Many students experience selfsabotage at least once in their academic careers. Most pass it off, thinking, “I’ll try harder next time.”

Sometimes they do, and sometimes they don’t.

But what is self-sabotage? An Australian study that looked into motivational factors among students defined it in broad terms.

Self-sabotage, researchers wrote, was anything students did to “reduce their chances of success at school”.

The idea seems counter-intuitive.

Why would anyone purposely try to fail?

In a 2011 paper, professor Rodolfo Mendoza-Denton suggests that self-sabotage has everything to do with self-esteem. He divides students into two types: incremental theorists and entity theorists.

The incremental theorists believe that if they work harder, they will do better.

The entity theorists believe that the outcome of their efforts is fixed.

In other words, they will do the same no matter how much effort they put in.

The seemingly logical conclusion is that incremental theorists have a healthier attitude towards their work. Mendoza-Denton, however, says this isn’t always the case.

Mendoza-Denton explains that the feeling of control that incremental theorists have can easily backfire and eventually lead to selfsabotage. Why? Because the control produces a sense of responsibility.

The incremental theorist thinks, “If I don’t do well, it will be entirely my fault.”

That’s where self-esteem comes in. Mendoza-Denton cites a 2010 study to explain the relationship between how students perceive themselves and their tendency to self-sabotage.

The study found that students who based their self-worth on their academic abilities were more likely to sabotage their own work.

In a separate analysis, psychologist Sherrie Bourg Carter also links self-sabotage to self-worth. Carter suggests that students who continually compare their results to the results of their peers are more likely to become self-saboteurs. Carter lists procrastination, settling for less, and focussing on the negative as self-saboteur behaviour.

You can probably guess that frequent academic self-sabotage can’t be good. Many psychologists give advice on how to prevent self-sabotage behavior.

Most of these lists, however, don’t include anything we haven’t heard before: stay positive, focus on the future, plan ahead…

Clinical psychologist Eddie Selby, who blogs on dealing with selfsabotage, describes an interesting way of looking at a potential selfsabotage situation.

Selby reminds his readers that self-sabotage always has a motivation behind it; the main advantage, of course, is having fun instead of doing work. Different self-sabotage behaviours can have different advantages as well, like when you systematically distract yourself to get your mind off of the stress.

Selby advises that self-saboteurs list the advantages and disadvantages on a sheet of paper. This, he says, will help the saboteurs identify long-term and short-term advantages of their behaviour. Then they can compare the lists and decide which one they really want more. He recommends returning to write down more pros and cons whenever you remember them.

Selby believes that separating and identifying the thoughts behind self-sabotage behaviour must come before attempting to stop it.

Only once a saboteur fully understands their “conflicting desires” can they begin to develop a better work ethic.

Abdikadir Ali spent a year waiting before he received the good news: he was to leave Kenya to take up residence at UTM. Nearly two years ago, Ali gave his mother and siblings a goodbye hug and left the refugee camp.

“My family was very happy when I got accepted. My mother helped me study. She knew that if I got an education it would change my life and theirs,” Ali says. “And it did change my life.”

Ali was born in Somalia, the oldest of five children. After losing his father to the war at the age of nine, he fled with his family to Kenya and settled in a camp with 200,000 other refugees. Under the guidance of his mother and with encouraging words from a representative of a local non-governmental organization, Ali prepared to apply for the student refugee program with the World University Service of Canada. The representative told Ali’s class that they could go to a good university if they did well in school.

The WUSC program provides guidance for local committees to sponsor a student refugee.

At UTM, students pay a $1 levy through tuition fees to support one new student each year for the first 12 months of their studies. If the levy were increased, UTM could

sponsor another student.

“The program is life-changing,” Ali said. I don’t know what to compare it with in the world. Students in this university are changing lives and they don’t realize it. It brings a whole life here, like me.”

Despite the few resources available to him, Ali passed and excelled at every test. He received his high school diploma with high academic achievement, completed an intensive English exam, and impressed admissions representatives at various interviews.

Ali, now in his second year at UTM, pursues a specialist degree in accounting. In addition to a full course load, Ali works on campus at the International Student Centre and Walk Safe. He sleeps only about five hours a night to stay on top of his commitments. Not only does Ali work to support himself, he also sends money home to his family.

“I like challenges. From where I have started to where I am now is a big accomplishment for me. Whatever you think you can’t do, there is a possibility. I’m sure there is a possibility.”

Ali is still adjusting to life in Canada and adapting to new cultural norms. He comments on the luxuries he’s grown accustomed to at UTM—Mac computers, a campus-wide high-speed Internet connection, and library access—but

he still holds tightly to the values he grew up with as a child. Ali was raised in a developing world with a strong sense of community and generosity.

“In Canada, you have to make an appointment for everything, even just to talk to your friend—you have to text them,” Ali says. “We have to change that. We have to be open to people. If someone needs a place to sleep, they can come. In Kenya and Somalia, we’ll give them a room, food, everything that the person needs, for a night or two.

There’s no sense of worrying about the person doing something bad. If something happens, everyone will come and help you.”

The WUSC program not only offers opportunities to student refugees, it also diversifies university campuses and introduces students to different perspectives.

By opening local communities to individuals with international experience, university learning takes on a whole new dynamic. With his welcoming demeanour and ambitious attitude, Ali offers a life story a world away from what the UTM community is used to.

“Some people don’t know what a refugee is, or what WUSC is,” he says. “Talk to me and I’ll tell you about it. It’s better than reading a textbook. We need to share ideas and hear stories. You can learn from people.”

OISE

Ontario Institute for Studies in Education THE UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO

Thinking of becoming a teacher?

Our application deadline is...

December 1st Apply now for: Consecutive Bachelor of Education, Diploma in Technological Education, Master of Teaching, and Master of Arts in Child Study and Education Learn more at www.oise.utoronto.ca/ro/Becoming_a_Teacher

10 THE MEDIUM «FEATURES 11.21.2011

New, innovative uses for SMS How texting has become more than just keeping in touch EMILY ACHESON ASSOCIATE FEATURES EDITOR In 2008, Canadians sent 2.8 billion text messages. By the end of 2009, this number had risen to 3.7 billion messages.

With about 122 million text messages sent daily throughout Canada, it’s clear that we love to text.

Texting has gone beyond deciding where to meet friends, asking what to pick up at the grocery store, or simply saying hi. Texting has become a worldwide phenomenon, and has revolutionized the way we water plants, improve health care services, and steal cars.

Let’s rewind for a second.

Yes, plants can now text.

In 2009, scientists developed a micro-sensor that reads the moisture level of soil in houseplants. Probes buried in the soil send signals about moisture content to a circuit board, which then compares the current soil moisture to the preregistered ideal one, and then sends a message to the plant’s owner via text or Twitter.

The message tells the owner whether plant is overwatered or needs watering, and even thanks the owner for watering the right amount.

If you want your plant to text you about how well you’re watering it, the “Botanicalls”

EDWARD CAI/THE MEDIUM

Text messages are now being used for more than just drunk-texting your ex. kit costs $99; you build the device yourself. You may need an engineering friend to help.

Text messaging is also improving health care in poorer countries around the world.

In rural Malawi, text messaging is becoming an easier way for residents to communicate problems to their doctors.

Before text messaging, healthcare workers would trek over 30 miles to deliver paper documents to the nearest hospital.

Now, patients living in faraway villages can save themselves a day-long trip by texting their problems to the hospital. Texting is even hastening relief efforts by allowing communities to text the locations of recent natural disasters or disease outbreaks.

But thieves also benefit from the convenience of texting.

Researchers from iSEC Partners, a security firm based in San Francisco, recently re-

leased a video on YouTube that went viral. The two men show how they can hack into a 1998 Subaru Outback using only a portable computer and text messages. Those Subarus, and soon other vehicles in a category that will grow as technology evolves, have security systems that can receive commands through texts.

These cars’ alarm system is connected through a cell or satellite network. The car is as-

signed a unique number, just like a phone number or website address. If a thief discovers this number, the thief can use a PC to send text messages instructing the car to disarm its alarm system, unlock the doors, and start the car.

The researchers admit it’s tricky to find a specific car’s number. But what worries them more is that cars are not the only wireless-enabled systems. These security systems are increasingly being used for controlling and arming power plants, water systems, and other essential facilities.

Thieves can also steal a cell phone and text message the owner’s family to obtain personal security information.

Police advise all cell phone users to use the actual names of all their friends and family on their cell, since names like “Mom”, “Dad”, or “Hubby” quickly let a thief know who the owner’s relations are and allow them to text one of them to ask to verify a security number. Imagine someone texting your loved ones and saying something like, “I forgot my social insurance number. Can you go get my card and text me the numbers?” Worse, if the thief has stolen other things of yours too, like house keys, they could even ask when family members be out of the house.

#5: DENOTE, CONNOTE: THERE ARE NO SYNONYMS! LUKE SAWCZAK COPY-EDITOR

For more info, visit www.utm.utoronto.ca/health

So what do words mean and how is it we all tacitly agree?

You say, “Go look in a dictionary, stupid.” But I mean—ah, there’s that word again—how do we choose the right word?

Well, rule one of pragmatics (the study of language in conversations and in context) is that no choice is random or unmotivated. In amateur writing classes they tell you that you should know a lot of synonyms, but a good writer knows there are no synonyms, because two words never mean exactly the same thing.

Haters gonna hate, so some sceptic is already saying, “Oh, yeah? So what’s the difference between ‘before’ and ‘prior to’?” And it’s true—they both mean “earlier in time than”.

But let me ask you a question.

Talking with your friends, how often do you say “prior to” in-

stead of “before”? Now, what about when writing an essay?

Aha! There is some difference.

This difference is usually put down to “connotation”, the study of what words mean besides the dictionary definition. It’s less scientific and more intuitive. Consider the following continuum of alleged synonyms, ordered from “normal person” to “megaprig”: “Duh!, Obviously!, Definitely!, Clearly!, Certainly!, Evidently!, Patently!” Rather striking, is it not? (Or should I have said, “Cool, huh”?)

This kind of thing gets complicated fast. English has by far the largest vocabulary of any language, and when you have a lot of similar words they tend to develop subtle nuances, to the point of splitting hairs.

C.S. Lewis wrote that if there’s anything that could make one language superior to another, it’d be its ability to make fin-

er distinctions between concepts… but, of course, that would depend on whether the speakers even know or care about the difference!

It’s really hard to pin down exactly what makes one word different from another, what makes this one just right here and this one sound unnatural.

As far as we know, much of a word’s connotation is specific to each person—your grandparents always used to use the word, or you love its unique written shape, or for years you thought it was a kind of spreadable cheese when in fact it was a famous Italian opera but now you still always think of cheese when you hear it.

These kinds of things make an idiolect (“self-language”).

Tune in next time for more on how what you say is unique to you and you alone… or how your very words and thoughts have been subconsciously influenced all your life!

11.21.2011

»

11

MEDIUM SPORTS Editor » TBD

UTM crushes UC, hosts basketball tourney UTM hosts basketball tournament

Michelle K. Duklas associate sports editor On November 16, the UTM’s Div. 1 basketball team, Eagles White, took on University College at 8 p.m. in the RAWC. The Eagles came into the game following a 79–58 victory over UTSC the week prior.

Zak Khan started off the scoring for the Eagles with a 4–0 lead early in the game. Haris Nuranovic was fouled on his way to the net and scored one of his two free throws. UC’s Dario Khosousi threw a three-pointer five minutes into the game to give UC their first points and made the game 5–3.

Zak Khan and Josh Sumi traded baskets after that, making it 16–5 for the Eagles by the first timeout and the team didn’t let go of their lead for the rest of the game.

Despite Manuala’s and Khosousi’s efforts on the court, they were only able to bring UC to within seven points before the Eagles broke loose. UTM’s Khan snagged four points. Daniel Pinnock saved the ball from going out of bounds and made a beautiful pass to Somi, who scored two points. Pinnock then got two of his own. Khan grabbed another four points, along with Jordan Lisacek, who got four more.

When the halftime buzzer sounded, the score was 43–22 in favour of the Eagles.

During halftime, UTM Athletics hosted a contest where the first five people who followed @UTM_Athlet-

Ayman Khan/THE MEDIUM

Eagles Blue play in the basketball tournament UTM hosted last Friday. ics on Twitter and tweeted a twitpic of the giant shark balloon floating around the gym would win a prize pack. The packs contained hats, scarves, long sleeved t-shirts, and mini basketballs.

After the winners examined their prizes, everyone focussed their attention back on the basketball game.

Ferdinand Peng played hard in the second half. He injured himself early on after a hard hit and had to leave the court. Just minutes after his fall, he returned and scored 11 points, including two three-pointers.

On the other side, Kaleb Sany drew three fouls for UC and snagged four points.

UTM White ended up beating University College by a score of 86–41.

“Ferdinand, Omar, Josh, and Jordan are all starting to step it up lately.

They’re new to our team this year and

they’ve been playing well,” said UTM coach Jeremy Wong.

Omar Jallow was a strong presence on the team. His height and powerful jump helped him throughout the game as he continuously blocked shots from UC’s Manuala and Khosousi.

“We played hard,” said rookie Ferdinand Peng. “Our mental focus was a hundred percent throughout the game.

We ran into some foul troubles, but other than that we performed well.”

Peng finished third overall in points with 11. Josh Somi scored 13 points and Zak Khan finished first with 18 points.

Despite their strong performance in Wednesday’s game, Wong feels his team has room to improve.

“We still have some holes to cover,” said Wong. “We’re slowly getting there.”

“Everyone is talented,” added Peng.

Keep on kicking Bundesliga wins third straight indoor soccer championship ISAAC OWUSU ASSOCIATE SPORTS EDITOR Jad Karami of the team Kollo Zalal shows his versatility and precision by netting four goals. However, his efforts are the only points his unit gets in their championship match against two-time defending champions Bundesliga.

This game, which Bundesliga won by a score of 8–4, made it their third straight reign as UTM Intramural champions—and Karami’s four goals, including one via a penalty kick, were outshone by the performance of the new UTM Campus Rec Intramural Indoor Soccer record-holder Anthony Said, who scored five goals in the same game.

Karami’s goals against Bundesliga goalie Oliver Ulysse may have been the result of the goalie being brand new to the position. Ulysse, who normally plays forward, was limited to staying back and covering the net due to a torn ACL. “I was told not to play. I’m not doing

Junaid Imran/THE MEDIUM

Bundesliga have dominated for the past three seasons. any twisting of the knee or anything, and I’m doing all my jumping off my right leg—my good leg.”

Fazle Rabbee, the captain of Kollo Zalal, takes the high, graceful approach in defeat: “Those guys are the best players around UTM; I think we had a good effort…I think we played well and worked pretty hard as a team. And that guy Jad is sick—I hope we can keep him for the next semester.”

The Bundesliga roster finishes the game as laid-back as they came into it. Captain Ante Anton Trdina’s words reflect their confidence.

“To be totally honest, we knew we were going to win,” he claims. “We won the men’s game, so this wasn’t going to be a challenge.”

Trdina is already guaranteeing that Bundesliga will be back next term for a shot at an unprecedented fourth straight championship.

“But we all have the skills to do better.”

UTM White is ranked third in Division 1. With this win they improved their record to 4–1–0. The team’s next intramural game is on Wednesday, November 23 at 8 p.m. in the RAWC against Woodsworth College.

“To be quite honest, this was practice for us,” confessed Wong. “I don’t want to discredit the other team, but this was practice for Friday.”

On Friday, November 18, UTM hosted a basketball tournament that included teams UTM Blue, UTM White, Seneca, Sheridan, Humber North, Humber Lakeshore, and UTSC. In their first game, UTM White defeated Humber Lakeshore 38–29. UTM Blue lost their first game to Centennial 45–41. Then, UTM White continued their winning streak with a win over Humber North 48–27, while UTM Blue redeemed themselves by defeating Seneca 51–29.

UTM White pushed their streak to three wins after beating UTSC 71–59.

UTM Blue lost to Sheridan 42–37 and was knocked out of the tournament.

UTM White advanced to the semifinals.

Centennial knocked UTM White out of the tournament with a 53–38 victory.

Centennial went on to play Sheridan in the finals after Sheridan won their semi against Humber North 56–53 in OT. Sheridan beat Centennial in the final by a score of 41–37, winning the tournament.

12 THE MEDIUM «SPORTS 11.21.2011

Eagles fly forward

Women’s Division 1 soccer showdown

Women’s Div. 1 basketball beat SGS, compete in Tri-Campus

UTM’s fourth consecutive intramurals championship ends in defeat

INGRID MELDRUM Last Monday, the UTM women’s basketball team went downtown for a game against SGS that would determine their seat in the playoffs.

The girls were nervous going into the game, as the point difference in this game would determine whether they would play for Div. 1 or Div. 2 in the playoffs.

The Eagles started off strong, took the lead, and never looked back. Although minor problems with the opposing team showed up late, and the student referees were pressed for time, the girls held a 30-point lead when the buzzer rang at the end of the game, and a final score of 48–13.

Eagles coach Anthony Krmek commented, “All in all, we played a good game. The energy and hustle was there; we just need to continue to grow as a unit. The real season begins with the playoffs, and I look forward to seeing how we respond to greater challenges down the road.”

This year, the women’s intramural basketball league was not split into Div. 1 and Div. 2, so UTM combined their two teams in order to give everyone a chance to play. With a roster of more than 15 players, it was hard to get everyone on the court, but all of the girls got some playing time.

The team ended up placing second

edward cai/the medium

NIVES HAJDIN A&E EDITOR JUNAID IMRAN/THE MEDIUM

The Eagles competed in the tri-campus for the first time this past Sunday. in the playoffs with a record of four wins and only one loss (against the top team in the league). Their first playoffs game is at 8 p.m. on Monday against St. Hilda’s.

Fans are encouraged to come out and cheer for the female Eagles and to visit the RAWC’s website to check out other playoffs action on campus this week.

On Sunday, 12 players were selected from the Div. 1/Div. 2 roster to play for the women’s tri-campus basketball game. After a late start due to referee issues, the Eagles won the tip and played a fierce first half, going neck and neck with their opponents.

Although the girls ran into some foul trouble in the first half, they made up for it in the second half by getting a majority of the rebounds and making consistent, strategized plays. At the end of the second half, the players from the other team were struggling for points and purposely fouled for the last two minutes of the game. The Eagles responded by making most of their foul shots and winning the game 63–55.

The team made a great start to their tri-campus season by winning their first game. They continue to play for the rest of this semester and into second semester.

On Sunday afternoon, UTM and UTSC faced off for the Women’s Division 1 soccer playoff finals at the North Field. In frigid temperatures, UTSC maintained possession for most of the first half and came close to a goal early on when the ball bounced off the crossbar.

A corner kick from UTSC’s #10 led to some activity around the net. UTM countered by taking a

Sports recaps The Campus Rec. Intramural Cricket finals were held this week, with the Jinns facing the Daredevils. The final score of the game was 76–59 in favour of the Jinns.

great opportunity near the end of the first half, but failed to connect with the cross. In the final moments, UTM’s goalie was caught out of the net, but the team avoided disaster when the ref signalled the end of the first half.

After a second half filled with deadlock, the game went into overtime, since the final score at the end of regulation time was 0–0. UTSC eventually beat out UTM 4–3 in penalty kicks and celebrated their championship win.

A very belated special thanks goes out to Mary McPherson for her help with the Sports section last week.