Vol 38 issue 2

Ontario NDP leader visits campus Stefanie Marotta News Editor With the Ontario election campaigns well underway, Andrea Horwath, the leader of the provincial New Democratic Party, made an appearance at UTM on Tuesday morning without a platform on education. After pulling up to the entrance of the Student Centre in a bright orange car, Horwath stepped out to meet a few UTMSU executives and students involved in clubs and societies. She entered the congested Student Centre to greet the crowd waiting in line for the U-Pass, where Horwath took the opportunity to announce that the NDP platform includes a promise to freeze transit fare for four years.

“I know that fees are getting too high for students to be able to afford. I know that students are worried about transit costs. I know students are worried about jobs—not only while you’re in school, but once you’re finished school,” said Horwath. “Our platform is the kind of platform that puts students and everyday people first.”

Whereas the Liberals and Conser-

Zorawar Walia/UTMSU

Ontario NDP leader Andrea Horwath vatives have released their platforms on education, the NDP has yet to include information regarding their intentions for post-secondary institutions. Horwath reassured students that the NDP’s platform would include an agenda for education and would be released in the coming days.

The Liberals, rather than freezing tuition as they have in the past, have promised to provide middle class families with a $1,600 grant to off-

set the cost. When asked for her response to the Liberal platform promise, Horwath maintained that the NDP recognizes that students and their families are struggling to afford the cost of post-secondary education in Ontario.

“When students and parents see the NDP platform on education, they’ll see that we’ve been listening to the concerns that students have been raising with us,” said Horwath.

“Education is becoming far too unaf-

fordable.”

The NDP leader appealled to the crowd to investigate their options and vote on October 6.

Gilbert Cassar, president of UTMSU, and Munib Sajjad, VP External, led Horwath into the Student Union office to continue the discussion on topics such as OSAP reform and accessible transit.

“We want to confront loans such as OSAP. There should be more grants instead of loans. Education

should not have a price tag,” said Sajjad. “This was a great opportunity for students to have their voices heard. We’re delighted to have the NDP candidate here to speak to the students about the issues in postsecondary education.”

Before posing for a group picture, the UTMSU executives asked onlookers to perform the frosh cheer, asking, “UTM, what do we think of Andrea Horwath?” To which students responded, “We love Andrea Horwath!” And they blew her a kiss.

“I love you back!” Horwath said.

Attendees laughed as Walied Khogali, the Executive Director of UTMSU, interjected, “There are conditions to that: a better platform on post-secondary education.”

Michelle Bilek, the MPP candidate for Mississauga-Erindale, was also present to speak with students and pass around flyers. Bilek expressed her desire to inspire students to engage in politics and work toward the “change” for Ontario that the NDP would like to pursue.

“You can’t change anything sitting on your couch playing Wii,” said Bilek. “You need to get out there.”

U of T Lip Dub filmed at UTM Sheri Veibl The first part of the tri-campus University of Toronto Lip Dub was filmed at UTM on Sunday. A lip dub (like a lip sync) is a music video of one continuous shot in which students sing along to a tune that is re-dubbed into the footage during editing. The organizing group, comprised of students, established the U of T Lip Dub to animate school pride and spirit.

The U of T Lip Dub Team, led by Aaron Liu and Sandra Zhou, held auditions in August in search of enthusiastic singers and dancers. The tri-campus lip dub aspires to be the largest and most creative university video recorded thus far. “[We] hope to achieve something that will create buzz, not only on campus but also around the world,” said Charles Wong, a member of the public relations team for the U of T Lip Dub. “We also hope that this video will help bring students

U of T ranked 23rd worldwide Moves up from 29th place—now second best in Canada.

Medium News, Page 2

Harper’s comments on Islamism examined Amir Ahmed disagrees on this divisive issue. Find out more.

Medium News, Page 4

TIFF reviewed Our team of film reviewers look at the best TIFF has to offer this year.

Find out what the verdict is.

Medium A&E, Page 7 NIVES HAJDIN/THE MEDIUM

Filming for the UTM segment of Lip Dub took place on Sunday. across this large and diverse campus together to celebrate unity as U of T students.”

Over the summer, the team completed the storyboard for the lip dub. This year, the emphasis

has been shifted to promote the event and outreach to include a larger group of students on all three campuses. Individual entrants and clubs are encouraged to participate in order to achieve as much spon-

taneity and originality as possible.

The Lip Dub is student-directed and includes a few choreographed segments.

Lip Dub continued on page 3

School supplies Yes, we have a take on this as well.

Medium Features, Page 9

Death in the NHL A look at the deaths of enforcers over the summer.

Medium Sports, Page 10

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U of T bans bottled water sales U of T places 23rd Rohit Mehta Following a move initiated by the University of Toronto two months ago, there will be a ban on the sale of bottled water on all three campuses. President David Naylor approved the proposal this past June, and the ban will take immediate effect at the St. George campus. U of T Mississauga and U of T Scarborough will phase out sales of bottled water, with a complete ban effective in 2014.

Bottled water has negative environmental impacts, as it is generally a single-use product, and if the plastic is discarded into a landfill it does not easily decay.

As well, the plastic used to produce bottled water requires a significant amount of energy to transport and manufacture. Nor, usually, is there any benefit; our local groundwater resources—the same source as tap water—are often bottled and sold throughout the Peel and Halton regions, notably in cities such as Mississauga, Brampton, and Guelph.

Green alternatives include using drinking fountains or drinking tap water from a reusable container. The university has distributed stainless steel water bottles twice in the last year and has made improvements to the water fountains on campus, such as the new installation close to the Meeting Place in the Davis Building.

UTM is taking steps to upgrade

the drinking fountain infrastructure on campus in order to ensure that the university is prepared to supply enough water to the entire population on campus. When the ban takes full effect in 2014, it will also coincide with the renegotiation of the next food service contract, which will exclude the sale

“The momentum on campuses across the country to back the tap should be applauded.”

—Elly Adeland of bottled water.

Environmental groups at UTM have worked diligently on recent campaigns to encourage the use of reusable bottles and tap water. Groups such as the UTMSU Ministry of the Environment, the Green Team, the Student Association for Geography and Environment Students, and the university’s Department of Geography have been calling for such a ban for years.

Brad Allen, an upper-year environment and geography student, has been dedicated to the cause and has advocated for improvements in the water infrastructure on campus.

“It is important that student activist organizations continue to apply pressure to the administra-

tion and keep the public informed of all updates,” said Allen.

The ban will be in effect in all U of T buildings all year, with the rare exception of emergencies in which a water advisory is issued by authorities. If that occurs, the sale of bottled water will be permitted during that time.

Many Canadian institutions have already taken steps towards becoming more environmentally responsible by instituting similar bans. By reducing and eventually eliminating the consumption of bottled water on campus, they seek to eliminate the stigma placed on tap water, which is safe and affordable, and requires fewer resources.

The University of Toronto is Canada’s 14th campus to commit to the ban of bottled water and elevate the promotion of public water infrastructure.

“Access to safe drinking water is a basic human right which thousands of Canadians and nearly a billion people worldwide are denied,” said Elly Adeland, the Campaigns Coordinator of the Polaris Institute. “The momentum on campuses across the country to back the tap should be applauded.”

OnTap Launch Day, a celebration to mark the return to tap water on campus, will be taking place on September 15, beginning at 1 p.m. at Willcocks Commons on the St. George campus.

in world rankings Melissa Carter The University of Toronto was ranked 23rd Best University this year by QS World University Rankings, published on Sunday. Rising six spots from the previous year, U of T is one of the highest-ranked universities in Canada, beaten only by McGill, which is ranked at 17th.

U of T ranked 29th in 2009, 41st in 2008, and 45th in 2007.

The QS World University Rankings is a list of the top 300 universities worldwide and is published by Quacquarelli Symonds, a British firm specializing in education and study abroad.

The list is published yearly to help international students decide which school to attend. Since QS believes that “education and career decisions are too important to leave to chance,” they want to “ensure candidates have access to the best tools and the best independent expert information before making a decision.”

The University of Cambridge tops the list, followed by Harvard and MIT. U of T and McGill are the only two Canadian universities to make the top 50, a group full of universities from the United Kingdom and the

United States.

QS also ranks the schools by faculty and specific subjects, with U of T reaching as high as 14th in Arts and Humanities and 16th in Life Sciences and Medicine.

The ranking system is based on six indicators, which include academic reputation, faculty student ratio, and international student and faculty proportions. U of T specifically ranked 12th in academic reputation and tied for 15th in employer reputation.

Forty percent of the overall ranking result is based on Academic Reputation, which is determined by a global survey.

This year, nearly 34,000 people were surveyed worldwide in the peer review to determine each school’s academic reputation.

All participants are academics and were questioned about the universities in their specific field.

This surveying technique is the subject of much controversy. Critics suggest that the survey grossly emphasizes peer review, and that opinion should not be so heavily weighted in the results.

Full survey results can be found on the QC World University Rankings website.

09.12.2011 THE MEDIUM NEWS

Orientation Parade

Edward Cai/The Medium

Frosh leader Jonathan Resendes and his hat pump up fellow froshies.

»

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»Why do you lip dub?

Ceren Gumus Political Science/Economics

Hani Al Management

“I thought it would be a good motivator for school spirit.”

“I have no life and I like UTM spirit!”

Hamza Khattak Commerce

Zoroark and Bear Lip Dub

“I want to showcase my femininity and show off my cleavage.”

“We want UTM to have an awesome lip dub. Zoroark is a pokémon, FYI.”

Lip Dub at UTM

On Friday, froshies continued to party well after UTM Orientation was done. Students from all three campuses paraded through the streets of Toronto with UTM leading the way. As per tradition, UTM cheered off in friendly competition against other colleges from the St. George and U of T Scarborough. Sam Roberts, along with Land of Talk, performed outside Hart House. Afterwards, froshies headed to Guvernment Nightclub for the after party. For students that did not want to hit the clubbing scene, hypnotist Casey Jones held an encore performance at UTM.

The song list is comprised of hits, including Smash Mouth’s “AllStar”, LMFAO’s “Party Rock Anthem”, and Lupe Fiasco’s “Show Goes On”.

The funding for the U of T Lip Dub came in a variety of forms.

It began with a clubbing event that raised $2,600 and grew to attract larger corporate sponsors. Through greater promotion, grants from different faculties and colleges have contributed to a budget of approximately $20,000.

All the proceeds will be donated to the Sick Kids Hospital.

“Look forward to crowds, explosions, an epic ending, and a few celebrities—including our own President Naylor!” said Wong.

To stand apart from previous

university lip dubs, U of T is taking advantage of its large student population. Over 4,000 students are expected to attend over the course of the three-day event. This surpasses the number of participants in any rival lip dubs thus far.

“I signed up for the U of T Lip Dub because UBC’s looked really cool,” said volunteer Janet Jamieson. “It’s a great way to gather a large number of students who may not normally cross paths and unite everyone towards a common goal.”

For students that missed the filming at UTM, there are still two opportunities to get involved.

Filming at U of T Scarborough will be held on September 17 and at St. George on September 18.

To volunteer or register, go to the official website, utlipdub.com, for more information.

Miss Universe hopeful told to wear panties

US military plane forced down by North Korea

Egyptian protestors tear down Israeli embassy wall

Free riders anger Mississauga Transit bus driver

Olympic skate champions compete in Mississauga

Catalina Robayo, Colombia’s entry and one of 89 beauties from around the world competing to win the Miss Universe Pageant, has been reprimanded for making appearance in tiny skirts—with no panties. “Colombia had to be spoken to and told she needed to wear underpants,” a source told Fox News. The pageant earlier returned bikini bottoms from sponsor Catalina Brazil Swimwear after they were ruled too skimpy for network television.

A US military reconnaissance plane came under electronic attack from North Korea and had to make an emergency landing during a major military exercise in March, a political aide said on Friday. The aide said the plane suffered disturbance to its GPS system due to jamming signals from the north. The plane was taking part in in the annual U.S.–South Korea military drill.

Thousands converged on Tahrir Square, the epicentre of the prodemocracy protests that toppled Mubarak, after Friday prayers for what was billed as “Correcting the Path” protests. Demonstrators used hammers, large iron bars, and police barricades to tear down the Israeli embassy wall. Protesters scaled the embassy building, removed the Israeli flag for the second time in less than a month, and burned it.

On Friday afternoon, three unknown individuals boarded the 110N bus route through the back door. The bus driver refused to continue along the route until the perpetrators disembarked. A full 20 minutes later, the bus driver decided to head to South Common Mall. He ordered the passengers to exit the bus and Transit Security was called.

“This thing has taken on a life of its own,” said the bus driver.

Olympic ice dance champions Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir will compete at Skate Canada at the Hershey Centre in Mississauga.

The pair won their first gold metal at the Vancouver Olympics last year. “Our programs will really live up to their potential that way, and we’ll really be able to peak at the world championships,” said Virtue.

Source: NBC Miami

Source: MyFox New York

Source: Reuters

Lip Dub continued from Cover

UTM leads the parade back to Hart House.

Source: Mississauga News

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09.12.2011

MEDIUM OPINION Editor-in-Chief » Michael Di Leo

A word about engagement We published an article this week (see page 8) on the ever-present issue of student engagement (or lack thereof) at UTM. Now, you might argue that it wasn’t the most rigorously scientific of studies—we did not perform a double-blind test and our subject group was limited to only 10 people—but nevertheless, it fulfilled its purpose. It showed that many UTM students are unaware, some willfully, of the individuals involved in providing campus services—the very same services students fight for every year.

Only two of the 10 students we polled were able to correctly identify the president of UTMSU (Gil-

bert Cassar), and none fared any better in naming someone from the UTM administration (our dean is Amy Mullin and our principal is Deep Saini). Only six knew that The Medium was the campus paper (a shock, I’m sure, to those reading right now) and, most surprisingly, only eight thought it was important to “be involved.”

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think this is such a bad thing. I mean, what difference does it really make if someone knows who the president or dean or executive member is? It doesn’t affect whether you attend your classes or are able to claim your dental benefits or U-Pass. It really doesn’t change

anything.

I prefer to think of it as a little added bonus. Paying for university is like paying for any other good.

Any other really expensive good.

Last year I dropped an equivalent amount of money on a nice vintage guitar—a 1966 Fender Custom Telecaster. But before shelling out that $4,500 I did some research: I found the facility where it was built, cross-referenced my sources to make sure the pickups and neck were original, noticed that the three-way switch needed some work, etc.

The guitar still played great, regardless of whether I knew the details behind it. But I figured that

if I was going to spend that money I had better know as much as I could about it. The same goes for university. You could easily spend your money, go to class, pick up a degree four years later, and never know a thing about UTM. Many people think that’s fine. But how enjoyable does that sound?

In the American Ivy League system, involvement is part and parcel of the experience. Everyone is focused not just on studying but on getting the full value of the Ivy League experience. After all, if you’re studying in Harvard, don’t you want to make that time count?

I think this is because the Ivy Leaguers have a certain pride in

the institution of their university.

Why we don’t have the same is beyond me. After all, we’re ranked the 23rd-best university worldwide and the second in Canada. U of T might not have the same cachet as Harvard—even the name “University of Toronto” sounds more clinical than the bearded, pipe-smoking “Harvard University”—but it is a great school, and one that I think more people should participate in.

Our school is something to be proud of. It’s a story, and by participating in that story, we all benefit.

YOURS, MICHAEL DI LEO

Division is our greatest threat Last week, Stephen Harper called Islamism the greatest threat to Canadian security. The PM insisted that, despite internal division in Al-Qaeda, flagging recruitment numbers, and 10 years of combat, Islamism is still more dangerous to our country than anything else.

To face this threat, Harper plans to revive articles in the AntiTerrorism Act scrapped in 2007.

These articles allow authorities such constitution-bending abilities as the right to hold citizens without a warrant for up to three days.

It took me a long time to come up with an articulate reason for why this frustrates me so much. Part of it is a knee-jerk reaction to the inflammatory statement. Another part of it is probably my general dislike of Stephen Harper. Maybe another part of my frustration is that I have to write yet another one of these letters (after a similar one last year) about why Muslims really don’t want to blow you up.

I don’t care about what Harper said. Instead, I care about the comments on the Toronto Star website, and what I’m worried Harper’s worlds will do to Canada.

The majority of these comments read something like this “Harper is exactly right[…]This group that demands an apology is part of the problem, not the solution. They should be apologizing to all nonMuslim Canadians.”

Huh. I’m not going to argue with an Internet commentator, because that would be stupid. Needless to say, the Muslim community worldwide does condemn terrorism, and we’ve been doing so since Osama bin Laden and Al-Qaeda were declared enemies of the faith eight years ago. Whether the Internet wants to know that or not is not my concern.

My concern is with the PM’s words. When Harper says “Islamism,” his PR people will insist that he means militant organiza-

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tions that want to—well, I don’t even know at this point, so I’m just going to say “blow shit up.” But what Stephen Harper means is not what people hear. When Harper says “Islamism,” people hear “Islam.” They think “Muslims.”

I believe these words will legitimize discrimination against Muslims, or at least make those Internet commentators a lot more vocal in the real world. This doesn’t do any favours for Muslims or nonMuslims in Canada.

Before I go on, I’d like to list some statistics. From 2005 to 2011, there were roughly 420 murders in Toronto. I’m not sure of the exact numbers, but I have heard the police declared that most of these were the result of gang violence.

Meanwhile, in the past 10 years, there have been two attempted terrorist attacks planned by Muslims: the 2006 terror plot, and the foiled 2010 attempt—although I haven’t actually heard anything about that one beyond the clandestine ar-

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rests. So, while terror plots have been foiled by the police without the need for the Anti-Terrorist acts’ more sinister articles, the government has not been able to stop these homicides.

There was also an anarchist group that bombed a bank in Québec in 2010.

Also, about 20 people are killed by cows every year in America.

The more I look at it, it seems that Islamic terrorists are not as much of a threat to us as, say, gang violence. Or cows. And the Muslims who are stupid enough to try and commit such atrocious acts have been or are being apprehended. I’m not saying that there are no threats by Islamic supremacists to Canada, but that we’ve been able to deal with them, and that they don’t pose a greater threat than the other crazies in our society.

The first successful domestic terrorist act on Canadian soil was not committed by Muslims, but by the French and the FLQ. During

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the FLQ crisis, Trudeau’s implementation of the War Measures Act turned Québec into a police state, and it’s been theorized that the Bloc Québecois and the separatist movement were egged on

by Ottawa’s disregard for Quebecers at the time. Yes, times are different; 1963 is 1963, and now is now—but no one wants Muslims to feel disenfranchised by a government that is supposed to act in their best interest as citizens.

This is not a time for the politics of division. Not now, when more and more Muslims are becoming citizens of this wonderful country, and not now, when the tenth anniversary of the September 11th attacks should mean we’re through with violence and paranoia.

The Prime Minister’s words in this light are just stupid, and that’s coming from me—I once electrocuted myself with an electronic tour guide.

—Amir Ahmed

DISCLAIMER Opinions expressed in the pages of The Medium are exclusively of the author and do not neces sarily 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 1,000 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.

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09.12.2011

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MEDIUM A&E Editor » Nives Hajdin

The idiots are back for round two ANDREA AMBROGI

Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant are at it again with everyone’s favourite sphericalheaded human-being, Karl Pilkington. After sending him to see the Seven Wonders of the World last year, they have succeeded in convincing him to once again venture as far out of his comfort zone as physically possible.

“When we asked Karl to list his things to do before you die,” says Ricky, “the only thing he could think of was ‘work in B&Q part-time.’ So we decided to make a list for him.” I think we all know what happens when Ricky and Stephen are left to their own devices. While they pull the strings of this adventure from the comfort of their office, we watch Karl experience—and inevitably fail to enjoy—things in which some people could only hope to participate.

On Karl’s list of activities he included swimming with dolphins, travelling along Route 66, and staying on a desert island,

but we can rest assured that these simple things won’t exactly happen according to what’s on the tin. And naturally, poor Karl won’t know what he’s about to go through until it’s too late.

In a recent interview, Karl was asked if he thought he would ever need counselling after all of the things Ricky and Stephen have put him through. He very candidly replied, “Maybe. I have been having odd dreams about sinking in quicksand. I don’t know what it means. I used to have one where Ricky kept opening the toilet door whilst I’m sat on it [sic] and he would bring in strangers to come and look at me. I think it was a dream; could have been real life.”

That definitely sounds like something that could happen in real life—poor Karl!

Be sure to tune into An Idiot Abroad 2: The Bucket List this fall on the Discovery Channel to watch the intrepid victim of a hilarious misanthropy encounter confused and slightly amused locals, while battling with radical cultural differences.

BLOGSPOT.COM/PHOTO

Karl isn’t too enthusiastic about the adventure Ricky and Steven are about to send him on.

Cirque returns to T.O.

cirquedusoleil.com/PHOTO

PAMELA KRAMER

It’s that time of the year again— that magical time when Cirque du Soleil makes its way around the globe and stops for two months to wow Torontonians. The Québecbased travelling circus is here until October 9, dazzling its audience night after night with its latest show, Totem. Cirque du Soleil is fantastically creative, constantly coming up with a variety of different themes for shows which are sure to please the masses.

Totem reflects the evolution of mankind—from ape to the mod-

ern-day businessman, and everything in between. The show is divided into a series of acts, each of which focus on demonstrating different and unique talents within evolving roles. Acts range from the awe-inspiring acrobatics of salamanders to the extraordinary strength and poise of bar balancing businessmen. There are roller-skaters, trapeze artists, unicyclists, and so, so much more. Plus, the entertainers that come onstage between acts are nothing short of hilarious.

Cirque du Soleil certainly delivers an amazing experience; every single act delivers a nearly flawless

performance by highly trained and focussed artists. What’s more, the intricately designed costumes are absolutely gorgeous to look at.

It is also worth mentioning that Le Grand Chapiteau is an ideal venue for the show, as every seat in the house provides the audience with a fantastic view. It really doesn’t matter how much you spend on tickets here—no matter where you sit, you are guaranteed to get an eyeful. Cirque du Soleil delivers a phenomenal show and is sure to leave you with a memorable experience. For tickets and show times, visit www.cirquedu soleil.com/en/shows/totem .

6 THE MEDIUM «A&E 09.12.2011

Girls’ sophomore release: Laura Marling: A Creature I Don’t Know COLLEEN MUNRO more expansive than anything else ASSISTANT A&E EDITOR she’s done in the past.

Father, Son, Holy Ghost ARISTOTLE ELIOPOULOS San Francisco-based indie band Girls return with their sophomore effort, Father, Son, Holy Ghost, and while the first track, “Honey Bunny,” mimics—if only for a second—the opening sound of The Cranberries’ 1993 song “Dreams,” the album soon transforms into the familiar surf-rock sound we’ve grown to expect from the band.

Owens’ distinct voice keeps the guitars in check as he moves through the song with razor precision, each verse more catchy than the one before it, until the song eventually explodes into a ridiculously catchy chorus as Owens whines about the girls that don’t like his “bony body” and “dirty hair.”

As in the opening track, the song barely hits the two-minute mark, and it’s a moment of great pop craftsmanship that hardly appears again on the rest of the album.

That’s not to say that the album isn’t good, but the duo worked hard to avoid repeating the same formula more than once. “Alex,” the second track on the album, hits high on the tragedy meter as guitars wail and Owens’ voice barely registers higher than a whisper on the track. “Die,” a definite yet strange standout from the album, best represents the genre-hopping that is Father. While “Alex” has moments of guitar screeches, “Die” takes that screech and extends it for the entire five-minute duration of the song, beginning with a great (if not uncharacteristic) guitar solo. In

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fact, any fear that Girls would get too comfortable with their sound is dismissed in several of the album’s better moments. “Vomit” begins with a single guitar strumming, and while lyrically it stands on the same platform that “Hellhole Ratrace” may have stood on their debut, Album, it rises and falls with triumphant peaks in ways “Hellhole” never did. The album ends with “Jamie Marie,” a country-tinged ballad with a bare guitar resonating through the track and Owens’ barer vocals lingering through the piece with an expected heartbroken tone—a suitable ending to an album that falls between the familiar and the unforeseen.

With Father, Son, Holy Ghost, Girls make an album that isn’t predictable or expected, but still appears as something that has formed organically from the existing sound of the band. It is a album that works on a pair of headphones but comes to life on a set of speakers—so listen alone or with one, two, or even three friends, if the title inspires you. M M M ½

With young but fairly established artists like Taylor Swift and Adele claiming top spots on the music charts this year, it doesn’t seem quite so unusual that 21-year-old Laura Marling has just released her third album, A Creature I Don’t Know. But Marling is not an overnight success, despite what her age would suggest. And A Creature I Don’t Know is a great example of how much Marling has grown as an artist in just a few years.

Marling got her start performing in the U.K. in her mid-teens and was a member of the popular folk band Noah and the Whale for a brief period. She appeared on their 2008 debut album, Peaceful, the World Lays Me Down, before splitting from the band soon after.

Marling then released her debut solo album, Alas I Cannot Swim, later in 2008. Her backing band in those early days included members of Mumford & Sons (then a virtually unknown collective), and lead singer Marcus Mumford (to whom Marling was romantically linked at the time) also provided background vocals on her 2010 sophomore album, I Speak Because I Can. Now, just over a year after the release of her last LP, Marling is back with her third album. Though the album is certainly rooted in the same style as her previous albums, this collection of songs feels

From the first few seconds of A Creature I Don’t Know, it seems clear that Marling’s approach has become a little less tidy for this third effort. The off-kilter yelps that kick off the album’s opening track, “The Muse,” feel uncharacteristic from her usually prim, en-pointe vocal style. Similarly, she pushes the higher end of her range on tracks such as “I Was Just a Card” to great effect. Though Marling has always had a way with words, her vocal delivery sometimes felt a bit detached in the past (perhaps purposely so). Here, her voice sounds fuller than ever, and her willingness to push herself adds a new intensity to her songs.

Marling has also ramped up the instrumentation on many of her songs. Rather than relying solely on acoustic guitar and sparse backing instruments, Marling adds more instruments and creates a fuller sound on A Creature I Don’t Know. This works especially well on the track “The Beast,” which begins characteristically stripped down, but it gradually adds electric guitar distortion and relentless, booming drums. It’s the longest track on the album, but Marling crafts a moody intensity here that suits her smoky vocal style well.

Marling offers many satisfying song arcs on this album, such as “Salinas,” which mixes banjo, electric guitar, and a vocal choir to

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create a stirring effect alongside Marling’s soaring vocals. Marling sometimes seems like a more internal singer, and this song offers a refreshing sense of abandon.

Overall, A Creature I Don’t Know is a step forward in Marling’s already impressive body of work. The songs may not be as catchy as some of her previous tracks (such as her first single, “Ghosts”), but Marling trades in hooks for a much more multifaceted collection of tunes. The more complex instrumentation on this album adds a new layer to her music, and rather than distracting, it serves to highlight her voice.

A Creature I Don’t Know is the kind of album that will likely satisfy old fans, but will also usher in a new crop of admirers. It may not be a total career reinvention, but even though Marling is only 21, her music has grown immensely in less than four years. Here’s to a long and interesting career.

MMM½

ERINDALE COLLEGE COUNCIL University of Toronto Mississauga

The Council of Erindale College, also known as the University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM), exercises its powers and duties under the University of Toronto Act, 1971, as amended.

NOMINATIONS ARE OPEN FOR THE FOLLOWING POSITIONS: • Full-time undergraduate students – 50 positions available • Part-time undergraduate students – 14 positions available • Administrative Staff (non-academic staff other than department heads) – 2 positions available Nominations may be submitted through the Council website starting September 6th at 9AM: www.utm.utoronto.ca/council/ Questions about the nominations? Contact: 905-828-5233 / council.utm@utoronto.ca

NOMINATION PERIOD for Erindale College Council Membership: September 6, 2011 - 9:00 AM to September 16, 2011 - 12:00 Noon Elections*: Friday, September 23, 2011 - 9:00 AM - 4:30 PM

Nomination Period for Standing Committee membership for students: (student members of Council are eligible to be nominated onto the standing committees) September 27, 2011 - 9:00 AM – October 4, 2011 - 12 NOON. Elections*: Friday, October 7, 2011 - 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM *If the number of nominations exceed the number of available positions

BE RECOGNIZED

09.12.2011 THE MEDIUM A&E

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Doctor–patient relationships are always complicated.

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Ryan Gosling doesn’t hear “no” very often.

The Ides of March Perhaps the most hyped-up film of the entire festival, George Clooney’s The Ides of March boasts a stellar cast—Ryan Gosling, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Paul Giamatti, Marisa Tomei, Evan Rachel Wood, and even the director himself—all of whom deliver sensational performances as people looking out for number one in a cutthroat political world largely influenced by the media. Clooney plays Governor Morris, a shooin to become the next president through the support of a highly specialized campaign team. Led

by Paul (Seymour Hoffman) and Steven (Gosling), there is no question that Morris will clinch the race. However, they soon learn that Morris may actually have cause to worry that the election is not yet in the bag for him; his opposition, headed by the incredibly cunning

Tom Duffy (Giamatti), secretly tries to recruit Steven to their side in order to take Morris down from the inside. Questions of loyalty are brought to the fore and ultimately cause the clockwork of Morris’ campaign to crumble in quite a destructive way. While there is plenty of backstabbing and two-timing to go around, Clooney underestimates the audience’s ability to guess who let a huge story leak to the press, and as a result there is a slight disconnect between what is expected of the audience and how viewers actually read the situation and react to it. Nevertheless, the script is clever and delivers a punch when necessary, and although it may not be a consistently nail-biting thriller, it still succeeds in provoking us to think about how far we are willing to go for something, especially if it means furthering our own ends.

M M M ½ —Nives Hajdin

A Dangerous Method A Dangerous Method is yet another one of the most anticipated films of TIFF 2011. To be sure, there’s a whole lot of talent involved, but besides all that, we folk here at UTM have a couple extra reasons to be excited. First, very few people make it through UTM without taking at least one psychology course, and A Dangerous Method explores the context surrounding the origin of some of the most influential ideas of psychoanalysis. Anyone with even the slightest interest in the philosophies of Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung will find a compelling story here that explores a growing rift between student and mentor at the hands of Sabina Spielrein. Secondly, the film comes from director David Cronenberg, a Canadian (from Toronto, no less) responsible

for some of the most memorable movies this side of 1986’s The Fly. Unfortunately, while A Dangerous Method is above average in nearly every way that counts, it falls below the best of Cronenberg’s incredible filmography, settling in somewhere around the middle overall.

A Dangerous Method takes place in 1904 during a time in which Carl Jung famously attempted to treat a Russian woman named Sabina Spielrein using the famous Freudian methods. Over time, Jung develops a relationship with Spielrein that causes a great deal of tension in his relationship with Freud, who argues that the illegitimacy of their relationship may publicly undermine the paradigm of psychoanalysis. As the film continues, the script introduces a bit of a role reversal, as Jung be-

comes a patient to Spielrein’s own influential ideas that audiences now regularly associate with the psychology of the age.

The story is told mainly through a combination of long stretches of dialogue and narrated letters, and while the film is definitely talky, it’s hardly boring. In fact, the added emphasis on substance over style lends to the authenticity of the production by giving leading men Viggo Mortensen and Michael Fassbender enough room to really sink their teeth into the lives of these already rather well-known men. Keira Knightley also manages to hold her own (as she often does in period pieces), although there are a couple of moments in which her performance is somewhat over the top.

M M M ½ —Jeff Legge

Justine (Dunst) just couldn’t care less about her train getting ruined. wordpress.com/PHOTO

Too much tomato soup is the least of Eva’s (Swinton) worries.

We Need to Talk About Kevin We need to talk about this thrilling new film by Lynne Ramsay that premiered in Toronto on Friday night. Tilda Swinton gives a powerhouse performance as a traumatized mother in We Need to Talk About Kevin, in which her loveless relationship with her son is examined in shocking and brutal detail.

Her son, Kevin, played by newcomer Ezra Miller in an incredibly haunting performance, has been troubled ever since he was a baby. The film flashes between past and present, from Kev-

in’s baby years to adolescence, as we see Eva’s (Swinton) life in the aftermath of a tragedy as well as her much happier life prior to raising Kevin. The atmosphere that Ramsay creates is dark and compelling; every disturbing image and eerie sound perfectly conveys just what the characters are feeling. While the Academy may not go for a film as sinister as this in its award for Best Picture, We Need to Talk About Kevin unquestionably deserves to be recognized as one of the greatest films of the year.

M M M M —Adriana Floridia

Melancholia There isn’t anyone quite like Lars von Trier in the film industry.

When he’s not getting kicked out of the Cannes Film Festival for making Nazi-sympathetic remarks, he’s using his troubled past to create truly disturbing films such as 2009’s Antichrist, which succeeded in shocking and angering people by its overly graphic and misogynistic content. His most recent film, Melancholia, premiered at TIFF this past weekend, and while von Trier considers it the most “optimistic” of his films, there is no shaking the glum sense of doom that the film leaves with you in its powerful

closing moments. Now, that’s not to say it isn’t a fantastic piece of filmmaking. The plot revolves around whether or not the immense planet Melancholia is on a collision course with Earth, but this is not a “run for the hills” kind of chaos that a typical disaster film tries to convey. Instead, von Trier slows down the pace and creates a frighteningly stripped-down encounter with the unknown, one that is both complete science fiction and also quite a realistic treatment of how helpless people are rendered when all they can do is wait and pray. The film is divided into two parts; the first showcases the troubled life of

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Justine, an irreversibly depressed bride played masterfully by Kirsten Dunst (winner of Best Actress at the Cannes Film Festival), and the second shifts the focus to her sister, Claire (Charlotte Gainsbourg), who is petrified by the fact that the planet will soon mark an end to life as they know it. Although much of the plot is stagnant and merely features characters staring, waiting, and ultimately putting their lives on hold rather than making the most of them, von Trier somehow manages to transform the utterly depressing spirit into something breathtaking and chilling all at the same time.

M M M M —Nives Hajdin

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« 09.12.2011

MEDIUM FEATURES Editor » Amir Ahmed

Student engagement at UTM Carine Abouseif WITH NOTES FROM

CATHERINE LOPES AND JODELLE DEJESUS Last week I stood in line to get my U-Pass from the Presentation Room. I was bored, so I did what I always do: eavesdrop on the people in front of me.

There were two people in front of me: one guy and one girl. As the line failed to move ahead, the girl looked up to the second level of the Student Centre, where The Medium’s office is.

“The Meeediuuum,” the girl read.

“What’s The Medium?”

The guy responded, without looking up, “I dunno.”

“What do you mean you don’t know?” the girl asked him.

“Well, it’s your school, too. Why don’t you know?” the guy replied.

I know what The Medium is. I assume you do as well. However, in an informal survey of 10 students, only six out of 10 people could correctly identify the name of UTM’s campus newspaper. Only two could identify the name of UTMSU’s president, and only two could identify a member of the U of T administration, such as the dean or principal. Despite these answers, though, eight out of the 10 clearly said that it was important to be involved in campus life. We stopped asking after 10 students because we get enough depression in our regular lives.

At the end of the year, colourful, annoyingly charismatic volunteers bombard passersby with questions: Did you vote or not? Have you heard of our campaign? But do we really know, or care about what happens on our campus? I recall reading that only 1,000 people

voted last year at the St. George Student Union elections.

A student can feasibly participate on campus without knowing the administration, student representatives, or even the campus newspaper. But despite the assurance of the eight out of 10 that said involvement was important, are we actually engaged? And is engagement even important to us?

We are constantly told, by professors, peers, Frosh leaders, Residence Life Staff, and countless others, that the so-called “university experience” comes out of what you learn outside the classroom, too—or even primarily, according to some.

“Being involved is a great way to get practical experience that you just can’t get in classes,” says Antara Ashra, a fourth-year English and CCIT major and Volunteer Coordinator at the UTM Women’s Centre.

“I think a balance is important,” says Catherine Lopes, a major in English and professional writing.

“Organization and time management are key in university.”

This opinion, echoed by several others, implies that a university education is not simply made up of what you learn in class. We are constantly told, by professors, peers, Frosh leaders, Residence Life Staff, and countless others, that the so-called “university experience” comes out of what you learn outside the classroom, too—or even

primarily, according to some. The term “university experience” is nebulous. It implies some sort of social change, not just an academic one, within the time a student spends as an undergraduate.

Many students believe that taking extra responsibilities at UTM will strain their academics. However, studies show students who participate in university activities are rewarded for lost time with superior critical thinking; an analysis of several studies done in the last decade in American universities indicated that undergraduates involved in a range of campus activities enjoyed an increase in critical thinking abilities compared to students who were not involved.

Then again, there are several other activities that involve excessive amounts of alcohol that also seem to fit under “university experience,” and none of us are obliged to partake in those in order to be considered well-rounded university students.

Personally, going into my fourth year at UTM, I realized that by the time I graduated I would have nothing to say for myself except that I had a university degree. While that’s definitely an achievement, it is a bit depressing. Some students may not feel ready to handle campus responsibilities in addition to academics until their fourth year. Others might want to jump in as soon as their first year starts.

Still others might want to limit their experience to just attending classes. A student may fit freely into any of these categories, but it’s definitely something to consider as you work your way up through the academics at UTM, and especially as graduation approaches.

How to survive the line at the UTM bookstore Chrystal Colquhoun Disclaimer: This article is for entertainment purposes only. However, if you see other students doing any of the below, feel proud that you’re not the typical sluggish line-dweller, and relieved that you’re not the only one who took this list seriously.

• Sing the most obnoxious song you know. “Friday,” “Peanut Butter Jelly Time,” and the six-hour edition of “Nyan Cat” are all acceptable choices. Bonus points if other people join in.

• Invade another student’s personal bubble, preferably that of the student in front of you. If they ask you nicely to move away, just

smile. If they give you a dirty look, move closer and smile wider. Giggle like that creepy kid from The Shining. Repeat until the student decides to leave the line or you are arrested.

• Grab the thickest book you can find and flip through it carefully. Bury your head in the book.

Sniff each page and emphatically sigh. If you make it through the entire book and you’re still in line, you’ve done something wrong.

• Rearrange items in the bookstore. Now, you have to do this subtly so you don’t get kicked out, banned, or scolded like a fouryear-old. If done correctly you’ll get the satisfaction of watching first-year science majors wonder why they

have to read and hopelessly flounder in Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason, and seeing English majors trying to make sense of The Wealth of Nations.

• Whisper ominous religious phrases to the person in front of you. “ ‘Vengeance is mine,’ says the Lord” is a good one. If you don’t know any, make up an ominous, non-English chant.

• When despair starts creeping into your mind and the line is looking more tedious than your first-year calculus exam, bring a copy of The Medium with you. No, you don’t have to read it. Instead, fold it into an origami crane, fortune teller, or pirate hat.

Bonus points if you can see anyone else wearing one in the line.

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09.12.2011 THE MEDIUM FEATURES

Creative Corner Maul-Den-Ion-Ma-Chi-Ayin Magic Xinyu Hu

That towers can fall down in 10.1 seconds Buildings collapse by licking fire Populations flounder in confusion as they are told that What they hear is true Yet, not true Twin towers crumble despondently on the marriage mary eyes Coronation as the floodgates open for the Moonchild of Crowleyan Cabal miracles—mirrors Kill because it comes from the dogma Surrounding the doctrine of Ezekiel and Job—an atom & an Ev3—mourning and even-ion saint-rays Revelation or confession, by the time you Phi-niche redding this, we’d end up in a Lunatic fringe world where Crazy psychopaths rule this realm Under the guise of saving us from corruption at the Highest 1eve1.

The Medium on School Supplies Why we bought them and how we actually use them

9

Love at a distance Yara Matar Long-distance relationships seem to be the perfect solution for many couples entering university. But does this commitment really work as well as it should? Now that summer is over and reality is looming, will those promises of faithfulness be kept? Will the “Skype every day” rule be observed? While some may argue that long-distance relationships are possible, they may prove to give more trouble than anything as time passes.

After graduating from high school more than a year ago, my friend Lisa was convinced by her boyfriend, who was going to attend university in the U.S., that they should continue their relationship. However, their trust slowly turned into mistrust, and their daily communications changed into arguments. Lisa and her boyfriend ultimately spent one year in their long-distance relationship before they decided to go their separate ways.

The years that we spend in university change us. They expand our thoughts and let us discover new things about ourselves. It comes as no surprise, then, that Lisa and her boyfriend ultimately ended their relationship. Not only did they realize that they were each in love with a person who was undergoing personal changes, but they also discovered that their perception of what a significant other should embody had perhaps also changed.

Physically meeting is, obviously, a huge problem; even phoning may be quite costly, and in university, finding time to connect at all may be difficult. Such circumstances are out of the average individual’s hands, and they certainly take their toll on any two people in love.

Another contributing factor is

the waning of trust. Trust is the key to a successful relationship, and if trust is lost, the chances of maintaining a successful relationship are low. For couples in longdistance relationships, simply not speaking on a daily basis may be enough to shake a steady relationship. Other entities, such as Facebook, may also stand in the way of mutual confidence (think of those pictures from last weekend’s rager). Furthermore, the time that a long-distance relationship couple spends apart may lead the two to the realization that there are other individuals in the world who may be a better fit for each of them. The world is full of different opportunities, and no campus

community experience falls short of changing how you think.

It is never easy to say goodbye to someone you’ve shared so much time with, but sometimes it is necessary to examine the bigger picture and make an objective decision based on fact rather than emotion. For those who are brave enough to make such a difficult decision, do not dwell on negative thoughts. Instead, give yourself time to grieve and then move on with your life. For those who plan to defy the core message of this article (and there will be some few such individuals), be sure to focus on trust, consideration, and have a happy relationship.

losangelesfamilylawadvocate.com

Keeping in touch is harder than it looks.

10 THE MEDIUM «SPORTS 09.12.2011

MEDIUM SPORTS Editor » Chris Callahan

A sombre summer in the NHL world

Isaac’s Argos update

Anarchy makes for an eventful week at South Field

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Derek Boogard in an interview earlier this summer.

Michelle Kathryn Duklas Assistant Sports Editor In a span of just four months, three Canadian hockey players have died.

The first, Derek Boogaard, died on May 13 after overdosing on alcohol and oxycodone. The 28-yearold native of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan was found by family members in his Minneapolis apartment just one day after leaving a rehabilitation centre for drug addiction treatment.

Boogaard, who played for the New York Rangers in his final year of NHL hockey, was drafted 202nd overall in 2001 by the Minnesota Wild. He suffered a concussion on December 9, 2010 in a game against the Ottawa Senators when he got into a fight with Matt Carkner. He was never cleared to play hockey after that.

When Rick Rypien committed suicide on August 15, there was much speculation about a possible connection between Rypien’s death and Boogaard’s.

Both players had had fighting roles on their respective teams.

But Rypien, a 27-year-old native of Crowsnest Pass, Alberta, had been battling depression for the past 10 years. He played his last season for the Vancouver Canucks and had been recently traded to the Winnipeg Jets. He signed a one-year, $700,000 contract with the Jets on July 2.

Rypien was not drafted into the NHL but worked his way up from the AHL to secure a contract with the Canucks.

A media storm really started forming when Wade Belak, 35, committed suicide on August 31.

Belak, who also struggled with depression, was preparing to take part in the CBC reality series Battle of the Blades this fall.

He also had a job lined up as a radio analyst for the Nashville Predators. Belak’s death came as a much bigger surprise than the deaths of Boogaard and Rypien—perhaps because the NHL enforcer’s sense of humour was much more wellknown than his battle with depression.

Belak, who was born in Saskatoon, was found dead in his Toronto condominium and sources close to the investigation say he hanged himself. The public may never know for sure, because the death has been ruled non-suspicious and so the police are not required to provide further details.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and Donald Fehr, executive director of the NHLPA, released a joint statement on September 1 to reassure fans that an investigation will take place to examine the links between the roles Boogaard, Rypien, and Belak played on the ice—all three were enforcers—and their deaths.

Amid blowout, McGowan shines Chantal Pereira Move over, Brett Cecil and Eric Thames—there are some new sideburns in the Jays’ clubhouse. On September 6 against the Boston Red Sox, pitcher Dustin McGowan returned to the Rogers Centre from a three-year hiatus after a number of shoulder surgeries.

His road to rehabilitation was a long one, but hearing the crowd’s cheers and standing ovation as he ran onto the field in the fifth inning must have been worth it.

As expected, it took him a few

pitches for his arm to fully adjust to the pressure and high stakes of the Major League, but he eventually found his stride and became the pitcher we all knew, loved, and missed.

His pitches had consistent movement—all in the mid-90s—and his mastery of all four pitches, especially his slider and changeup, proved to be challenging to the opposing hitters.

The Jays lost badly that night, but for McGowan and for Jays fans everywhere, it was a long-awaited and very emotional day.

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Quarterback Cleo Lemon was released by the Argos this week.

Isaac Owusu Assistant Sports Editor When life gives you Lemon, change your quarterback. For the Toronto Argonauts, this adage holds true— more so now than ever before.

Mere moments before practice began at the South Field last Tuesday morning, following the 29-16 loss at home to the B.C. Lions, the biggest shocker of the CFL season was announced. The Argos had released their only starting quarterback for the season, Cleo Lemon.

On parting ways with Lemon, it was announced that Steven Jyles, a quarterback who was acquired in a trade last year with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, would be the starter heading into the second of two games against the B.C. Lions.

Jyles, who had not taken a live game snap this season, exuded confidence when speaking to The Medium after practice on Wednesday: “Everybody has been good and receptive in the huddle; I think I can bring my mobility and leadership, not only by example but vocally, unlike before.”

Head coach Jim Barker proved to be a believer in Jyles’ swagger.

Barker took the opportunity after practice on Thursday to illustrate the value of having the versatile Jyles at the helm going forward.

“The playbook expands, be-

cause he does things that the other quarterbacks don’t do. As soon as you start to add the element of the quarterback running and scrambling, and what he does to the run game, that in itself expands the playbook.”

With the team’s record at a humbling 2 wins and 7 loses, Jyles may be just the spark the team has needed on the offensive end.

Meanwhile, on the defensive side on the ball, Rickey Foley would like a win against his former team.

Foley, who played in B.C. prior to having stints with the Seattle Seahawks and the New York Jets of the NFL, may have made his fair share of foes on his old team.

Following Thursday’s practice, Foley reflected on the team’s first meeting and the conduct of his old teammates, who spoke about him in the press.

“Last week there was a couple of guys who had some stuff to say, but they didn’t say anything to me during the game—they didn’t say a word to me. You know, they said stuff to the media, but they didn’t say anything to me; so what does that say about them?”

It’s a situation that gives Foley and the Argos’ defence an added chip on their shoulder, but nobody wears a bigger chip than the CFL’s biggest little guy, Chad Owens.

Last week Owens won the CFL’s

Special Teams Player of the Week.

He had a critical 91-yard kickoff return for a touchdown en route to setting an Argonauts record for kickoff return yardage in a single game at 245 yards.

A delighted Owens spoke to The Medium about his touchdown return after the announcement of the award. “It was good stuff for our unit and it really shows all the hard work we’ve been putting in, and we finally got one.”

The 2011 Toronto Argonauts have displayed one prominent trait throughout the season: perseverance. Adversity is commonplace for the team, be it in the form of injuries, quarterbacks’ controversies, unwelcome returns, or not playing up to the level they’ve expected. Through the example of Barker, they continue to persevere.

Time isn’t on their side, but the chaotic scene at South Field suggests that this team is desperate to prove to the league that they won’t lie down.

On Saturday afternoon Barker, Jyles, Foley, and the rest of Argos went to BC to face the Lions at Empire Field for the rematch of last week. Unfortunately, the Argos lost 28-6.

The conclusion one can draw from this tumultuous week: there is still much room for work and improvement.

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09.12.2011 THE MEDIUM SPORTS

Football returns and fans across Canada rejoice

UTMAC: Athleticism and academia collide Isaac Owusu Associate Sports Editor

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Love him or hate him, Aaron Rodgers has a spectacular smile.

CHRIS CALLAHAN SPORTS EDITOR This past Thursday night, football fans across Canada huddled around bars and living rooms to watch the birth of the 2011 NFL season. What makes being a football fan in Canada particularly special is that the predictability of our viewing habits is not one that stems from a dominant interest in one team.

Put simply, we can anticipate the behaviour of Canadians—sitting comfortably with cold beverages as they take in the game, for instanc— but there is never unanimity in the colours because there isn’t a single

team that the majority of Canadians associate themselves with.

We don’t have a team that the bulk of the population can point to and identify as “ours.” The debate about Canada’s, or rather Toronto’s, lack of a presence in the National Football League is a lively one that this humble sports editor will save for a future issue.

It was on Thursday at UTM that I was reminded, as I am annually on the night that the NFL season kicks off, that the GTA’s inability to attach themselves with any one team has its perks.

The fact of the matter is this: without colours that most of us

claim to bleed, there is less bad blood on the streets.

Packer and Saint fans notwithstanding, most of us weren’t that infuriated or elated with the result of Thursday’s game because we have our teams that we care more about.

This allows us to sit back and admire the spectacle that is the NFL. Drew Brees and Rodgers lit up some rusty defensive backfields on Thursday night and the game came down to the wire.

The next football chapter will be filled with new questions and limitless possibilities. One thing is for sure: we’ll all enjoy the ride.

11

The school year is fresh, summer is winding down, and a new group is looking to make its mark and create a new culture of athletics at UTM. The UTM athletics community has experienced its first major overhaul in over two years with the emergence of the new faction of students—this year’s University of Toronto Mississauga Athletic Council (UTMAC).

The new council looks to not only enhance the benefits provided by their predecessors, but it also aims to be a catalyst for an athletic culture that all students can share, especially those who may have previously felt neglected due to a lack of athletic experience on campus.

On Friday, I took the opportunity to speak with Kassim Baluch, UTMAC’s VP of Administration.

The result was an insight into the group’s platforms on improving integration of a greater number of students.

“We are mostly about athletics, but mostly we want to make sure we do take care of students and give them what they want to see,” said Baluch. UTMAC looks to provide not only best resources for student athletic performance but also various forms of entertainment through social events, which Baluch outlined as a priority for the group.

As the school undergoes tangible changes such as new buildings and increased admittance, UTMAC looks to make 2011–12 represent a new standard for how students can most effectively balance the pressure of academic excellence and athletic fulfillment. After all, physical activity and exercise is a great way to alleviate academic stress.