Vote Compass attracts professor
MPP hopefuls face off
UTM scours the grad school fair
JEROME JOHNSON
LORILEE EMSHEY
Peter Loewen, an assistant professor of political science at UTM, has been working as the director of analytics on the provincial elections for Vote Compass Canada. The CBC’s Vote Compass—the brainchild of Clifton van der Linden, a U of T graduate student and PhD candidate—is a tool for individuals wanting to find the party that best suits their own set of values. Van der Linden approached Loewen to get involved in the project that has attracted over a million followers during the 2011 federal election. “I think many people are looking for a way to start a conversation about politics, but perhaps lack a common language to do so,” said Loewen. “Vote Compass helps with this, and I think that explains a lot of its popularity.” The panel of academics behind the questionnaire tried to analyze how left- or right-wing the population really is, based on how much an individual’s social attitudes and ideology correspond with a particular political party or candidate.
tions posed by executive members of UTMSU. Considering that the student debt in Ontario averages at $37,000 per student, candidates were asked to explain their plans to relieve students of the heavy financial burden awaiting them after graduation.
UTM students lined up in the RAWC to get into the annual Graduate and Professional Schools Fair held by the UTM Career Centre last Wednesday. The fair included 103 graduate schools from all over Canada, the United States, the UK, Australia, and the Caribbean. This year the fair was organized by area and divided into business, health care, law, education, graduate programs, and graduate diploma sections. Approximately 50% of programs belonged to the sciences, 30% to the arts, and 20% to commerce. This breakdown reflects the composition of UTM’s student body and the feedback from previous fairs. Every year, approximately 200 feedback forms are collected by the Career Centre and evaluated to aid in structuring the next year’s fair. Claire Westgate of the Career Centre had been organizing the fair since April and hoped the fair would “expose students to all the opportunities and help them understand the process [of graduate school application]”.
Debate continued on page 2
Fair continued on page 2
Vote continued on page 2
EDWARD CAI/THE MEDIUM
The candidates appealled to the student audience, focussing on education. STEFANIE MAROTTA NEWS EDITOR The four MPP candidates for the Mississauga-Erindale constituency attended a debate at UTM on Tuesday. Students and residents filed into the Instructional Centre’s largest lecture hall to watch the candidates
defend their platforms. The UTMSU invited Harinder Dakhar of the Liberal party, David Brown of the Progressive Conservative party, Michelle Bilek of the New Democratic Party, and Otto Casanova of the Green Party to debate matters of policy, focussing on post-secondary education. After the first half-hour of opening remarks, the candidates fielded ques-
Subsomnia: A pub night without Danny Fernandez AHMAD AL-HENDI UTM’s CFRE radio station and the Electronic Music Appreciation Club hosted their second annual Subsomnia Pub at the Blind Duck on Thursday night. With the music throbbing and the lights flashing, over 150 students flooded the dance floor. One of the first was Dave Nijjar, whose freestyling inspired several other students to follow. “This is my type of music. I don’t even need to put any effort into my dancing; I just let the beat take over my body. It’s a great feeling to let something bigger take you over,” said Nijjar. With DJs like Unique Freak, Starlab, No1da, Christian Kuruvilla, and Dan Milk spinning the latest mixes in house, electro, and dubstep music, the tracks were anything but mainstream. “We have our music tailored to a certain crowd. We’re not here to play the Top 40 you hear on the ra-
dio,” No1da’s Andrew Griffith said. Crisp white sheets of paper and a few boxes of crayons lined the glass partition at the pub. “We wanted a new interactive medium for students to freely express themselves,” said Ryan Weir, the station manager at CFRE. “The sheets are for people to leave a piece of their mind.” Students wrote messages such as “The music tonight is such a refreshing change”, “Good music, great friends, let’s dance!”, and “The DJs are awesome.” Several others created images to better represent their mood. Weir hopes to display a few of the sheets along the glass walls of the CFRE station. “The music tonight is great and it has brought out such a unique crowd,” said Francesca Saraco, a fourth-year student, commenting on the distinctive sound offered at Subsomnia 2.0. Pub continued on page 2
It’s a celebration Hindu Student Council celebrates Hawan. Medium News, Page 3
Provincial Funding How we actually pay for university and why we should remember it. Medium Opinion, Page 4
Art House Hart House presents the Barnicke gallery. Medium A&E, Page 5
MCAT much? Is the fabled test really as important as it seems? Medium Features, Page 8
Baseball is over But not really. We take a look back at the season that was. Medium Sports, Page 10 EDWARD CAI/THE MEDIUM
Cowboys know how to groove.
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«NEWS THE MEDIUM 10.03.2011
Career Centre provides guidance for undergraduates Fair continued from Cover “The fair is supposed to help students understand what makes a good graduate school candidate and take away a concrete understanding of matters like deadlines and requirements to help them get into grad school,” said Westgate. This year, approximately 1,000 students attended—down from last year’s fair, which saw 1,121 students attend. This fair is the most popular event the Career Centre puts on. Where does its popularity come from? Westgate postulates, “It’s hard to get into U of T, and the students want more education.” “We also help with the nittygritty stuff, like MBA, medical school, and teaching interview prep,” said Rebecca Markey, a career counsellor at UTM. “We want to educate people about grad school and further education before we help you apply,” said Markey. The Career Centre has information on post-diploma programs and graduate diplomas for the cases where graduate school would hinder a student’s career. “We help students make informed decisions, not scared decisions,” said Markey, referring to the tendency of graduating students to apply to graduate school simply because they’re graduating and have not explored their op-
STEFANIE MAROTTA NEWS EDITOR
EDWARD CAI/THE MEDIUM
Future doctors, lawyers, and graduate students investigate their prospects. “You need to know a network of gram information session on Octions. “Grad schools want this as well; people or it can be very difficult,” tober 5. Throughout the year, the Career Center holds individual they want students who are fo- Markey explained. After the fair, a law and MBA workshops on medical, law, and cussed,” added Markey. The Career Centre also helps panel was held upstairs in Davis education schools. Students can students find a supervisor, which Building for students interested in sign up for these workshops at the Career Centre’s website, www. is sometimes required for degrees the “inside scoop”. The next event is the JET Pro- utm.utoronto.ca/career. that require a thesis.
Debate highlights education Debate continued from Cover Bilek claimed that, if elected, the NDP would eliminate interest on student loans. She referred to the provincial government of Newfoundland, which has frozen tuition fees, but failed to acknowledge the large deficit facing Ontario’s economy. Instead of addressing fiscal policy on education, Brown assured students that the PC would create jobs. “Wouldn’t it be great if we knew we had a job when we graduate?” Brown said. “Wouldn’t it be great that, regardless of what that debt would be, we would be able to pay it off ? We are going to lower the threshold on OSAP, but I think the better answer is to make sure you have a job when you graduate.” Incumbent Dahkar pointed out the Liberal party has promised a $1,600 tuition grant to students that come from families with a combined income of less than $160,000. UTMSU president Gilbert Cassar stood up to inquire about the high cost of tuition that international students are charged. Cassar, an international student himself, expressed his dissatisfaction at being an “income generator” for the province. Dahkar took the opportunity to reiterate that the PCs intend
Fifty students elected to ECC
to revoke the Ontario Trillium Scholarship offered to international students. The Liberal candidate insisted that a way to improve the province’s economy is to attract foreign students and provide incentives to keep them in Ontario. After remarking that he had been put in the “hot seat”, Brown explained that the PC government intends to revoke the scholarship because the province, running a $14-billion deficit, cannot afford to provide
“The only time we hear about tuition fees as an issue is during election time. A lot of the things we demand of these people [are] highly contradictory.” —Sunny Mann financial support for international students. As a statement from UTMSU noted, the province still provides more loans than grants in OSAP for domestic students. Bilek told the audience that the NDP understands the importance of immigration in Ontario. She expressed her concern for the large difference between domestic and international tuition costs and assured
students that the party is committed to ensuring equal access to high-quality, affordable education. She did not comment on the policy changes that would be required to do this. In the final minutes of the debate, Jonathan Resendes, student and Associate VP External, asked how each party intends to cut taxes on certain services while maintaining high-quality programs and addressing the deficit. The candidates stressed the need for “realistic” plans. After reassuring the audience that the Liberal platform does ensure a realistic and balanced budget, Dahkar said that the NDP platform is unmanageable and accused them of making up their promises on education as the election has unfolded. “This is how you compare the NDP platform. They have new costs but their plan to balance the budget has stayed the same,” Dahkar said. “What I’m saying is that we have a realistic platform. We have a realistic plan.” In response, Bilek explained that the NDP will raise taxes on corporations and invest funds in frontline services such as health care and education. “We’re going to stop the nostrings tax giveaways,” Bilek said. “We’ll use our tax dollars wisely, not on lobbyists and not on consultants. It’s the waste and the corporate tax giveaways.”
Brown reiterated the necessity of affordable services and the elimination of inefficient policies. He insisted that the first step is addressing the deficit and building a stronger economy. Matters of health care, transportation, infrastructure, and environment were not discussed. In place of the final question, student Sunny Mann opted to make a comment in closing the debate. “It seems to me that the issue is that Ontario doesn’t generate enough revenue to support the things we demand. We want better transportation but we don’t want to pay for it through taxes,” Mann said. “The only time we hear about tuition fees as an issue is during election time. A lot of the things we demand of these people [are] highly contradictory.”
The results of the Erindale College Council elections were announced on Monday. Fifty full-time undergraduates were elected to represent to represent over 11,000 students. This year, 70 students ran for a position on the highest governing body at UTM. During a one-year term, the representatives will vote on financial, resource-planning, and academic matters that affect students at the Mississauga campus. Nominee statements included the drop credit, parking fees, tuition, and study space. “I want to be part of ECC, as it offers the opportunity to assist in making positive changes for the students of UTM,” said Teresa Didiano, a student and elected member of the ECC. “As commuter who drives, I hope to see the issue of parking fees brought to the table again this year.” In total, there are 75 student positions on the ECC: 50 full-time undergraduates, 14 part-time undergraduates, the president of the Erindale Part-time Undergraduate Student Association, the president of UTMSU, and a final nine from the UTMSU Board of Directors. Last year, the ECC approved the new Credit/No Credit policy and increases in parking fees to pay off the $6.5-million parking deck outside the RAWC.
Vote Compass for elections Vote continued from Cover “Vote Compass is not designed to be a poll. Our main interest in the data is in furthering our understanding of what influences vote choice and political preferences,” said Loewen about the details of the empirical basis of his research. “So, we plan to use these data to scientifically understand these elections in particular and the elections more generally.” “I think it’s always useful for the public to have a healthy scepticism, and we certainly appreciate that people gave Vote Compass a good, hard look,” said Loewen. “There is more than one way to measure proximity to political parties, so one thing we’ve done in response to the criticism we received last time was to present a second metric: the percentage of times a voter agrees with each party. We hope this additional information makes the tool more attractive to our users and potential users.”
10.03.2011 THE MEDIUM NEWS
Hindu Student Council celebrates Hawan Satwinder Bhathal and Anureet Kaur The Hindu Student Council hosted their annual sacred ceremony of Hawan on Monday. A Hawan is a sacrificial ritual involving fire, presided over by a Hindu priest (or “panditji”), who chants the sacred Sanskrit mantras in order to invoke the presence of a deity. Fruit, sweets, crafted wooden sticks, and butter are offered to the deity and poured into the fire (known as the “Hawan Kund”). The Panditji also lights the camphor sticks and oil lamps and places them in front of the image of the holy deity. Everyone offers flowers to the deity throughout the ceremony, and a pot filled with holy water is also prepared. It was performed so that every UTM student obtains academic success, happiness, and prosperity. Approximately 40 students attended this event at the Student Centre. Students from professor David Miller’s Topics in South Asian Religions class attended this event to get a firsthand experience. “This Hawan is not just for followers of [the] Hindu faith, but it is an occasion for every student to come out and offer a prayer to the god they believe in, asking for a successful academic year,” said Valeska
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»Are you voting in the provincial elections?
HSC/PHOTO
Students pray for success, happiness, and prosperity. D’Mello, president of the HSC. The panditji preached about the distractions faced by students and how one must meditate to overcome them.
“I believe that no matter what religion we all follow, we all pray for the same success. As I walked out, I found peace,” said Munib Sajjad, UTMSU’s VP External.
Sujana Third year, CCIT
Sadaf Third year, Biology
“I’m voting because I feel pressured by my parents. Also, it’s important.”
“I’m voting because I’m against the laws the Conservatives are promoting.”
Simin Third year, Psychology
Edwin Fourth year, Economy
“I’m not a citizen so I’m not voting.”
“I’m voting and I care about the elections. It’s your civic duty to vote.”
UCS camps out for kids New academic society hosts meet and greet
The UTM Undergraduate Commerce Society set up outside the Student Centre last week to spread awareness and collect donations on behalf of impoverished children in the developing world. The “Camping for the Kid” charity drive ran the whole week; each day involved a different activity, ranging from bake sales to karaoke. A very enthusiastic Waqas Hasan, the initiative’s accountant director, explained how the amount the students raised would be matched dollar for dollar by Plan Canada with a goal of $5,000. This money will go towards supporting a little girl in Africa, providing her shelter, food, healthcare, and educational needs for about a year. “We gave [Plan Canada] the description of who we want to sponsor based on need,” said Hasan.
“We wanted to help a girl between the ages of 1 and 5. It feels pretty good. Whenever I get the chance to volunteer, to help bring in people to donate; I don’t hesitate to put up my hand.” Hiba Abdul Wahid, UCS’s corporate social responsibility director, coordinated the details of the event to demonstrate that UCS was committed to the cause by having someone be in the tent at all times. In doing so, they emphasized the harsh conditions that many youth in other parts of the world have to live through every day. “We’ll stay here day in, day out to meet our goal. And it’s an incentive for people when they walk by to ask us questions,” Hasan concluded. “People are impressed [that] we’re toughing it out by staying here overnight outside, and they tell us that they appreciate our efforts.”
Student has seizure in class, college forces her to drop course
JEROME JOHNSON
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CFRE’s pub offers a different groove Pub continued from Cover
Last Monday, the Language Studies Academic Society held a special meet and greet for members, students interested in joining, and faculty members of language programs. The event took place in the Dean’s Lounge, located in room 262 in the North Building, on Monday afternoon. Representatives from the Spanish, French, and Italian clubs were present, offering students and faculty various ethnic pastries and juice. Students came for free food and to hear about what LSAS has to offer. LSAS is a new society that started up due to overwhelming interest in language studies at UTM, explained the communications director of the French
Language Club. “When I signed up for classes this year, I was shocked at how few language courses are offered at this campus,” said a first-year humanities student. With the decrease in language classes over the past three years, representatives from LSAS strongly recommend becoming a part of the society in order to promote and show that languages such as German, Latin, and Spanish are in demand and are necessary program choices for UTM students. Anyone with the passion and desire to learn a new language can be a part of LSAS here at UTM. The society aims to provide students with opportunities, help them connect with peers and faculty members, and promote language studies.
McGuinty clarifies the Liberals will not form coalition with the NDP
700 protestors arrested by NYPD on Brooklyn Bridge
Colonel Sanders-style Obama Fried Chicken opens in Beijing
Google+ offers choice between male, female, and other
A former student from Colorado Mountain College alleged that she was forced to drop a class after having a seizure. Apparently, faculty told her to drop the class because the episode was too distracting to other students. The student insists that the decision is a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
In a letter to Tim Hudak, Ontario premier Dalton McGuinty ruled out a Liberal coalition with either of his two opponents in the event that no party wins a majority in the upcoming election. McGuinty has faced pressure over the last few weeks, with polls showing him neck-andneck with Hudak. McGuinty says his opponents are using talk of a minority as political ammunition.
More than 700 protesters were arrested on the Brooklyn Bridge in New York on Sunday afternoon. The protestors, part of the Occupy Wall Street movement, diverged from the rest of their group and found themselves on the driving lanes, where they were immediately taken into custody by the NYPD.
A fried chicken restaurant bearing close resemblance to KFC opened in Beijing recently under the name “OFC”. Their logo, in the style of Colonel Sanders, looks strikingly similar to US president Barack Obama. The Beijing restaurant follows in the footsteps of other American Obama-themed fried chicken restaurants. Obama was not available to comment for this story.
The new social networking site Google+ allows for three choices of gender: male, female, and “other”—for those that do not subscribe to gender conformity. Advocacy groups are calling for gender-neutral language that doesn’t exclude transgendered individuals. There are nearly 5,000 Gay-Straight Alliance Clubs at high schools in the United States.
Source: CBS Denver
Source: The Toronto Star
Source: reuters.com
Source: huffingtonpost.ca
Source: The New York Times
ADAM ERB
For those who couldn’t attend the event, CFRE broadcasted the event live on their website. Christian Kuruvilla, technical director of CFRE and president of EMAC, headed the collaboration between the two clubs. “At our first Subsomnia, the turnout was much higher than we expected, so we decided to give UTM another night free of Danny Fernandez,” said Kuruvilla. Given the turnout this year, students can expect to experience Subsomnia Pub 3.0 next year, but only time will tell if it will join the ranks of the classics like First Pub, Halloween Pub, Sexual Awareness Pub, and Last Pub.
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MEDIUM OPINION Editor-in-Chief » Michael Di Leo
The international-fee misconception One of the more interesting points raised at last week’s All Candidates Debate was the issue of differential international student fees and their place in Ontario universities and colleges. Our own Student Union president, Gilbert Cassar (an international student himself), brought up the point during the question period of the debate and heard a wide range of answers from the candidates. There was fingerpointing (the PCs want to eliminate the Trillium Scholarship), claims of austerity (Ontario is running a massive deficit so funding should be limited), and, not surprisingly, vague quasi-solutions (giving international students “incentives” to
stay and help our economy). What the candidates didn’t mention (and this, I’m sure, was a conscious effort on their part) is the reality of university funding in Ontario. Most university students have not had the pleasure of paying taxes. (It is an incredibly sobering experience.) But luckily, students generally do not earn enough taxable income, nor do they own property or other valuable assets that can be taxed. On the other hand, a median-income family, earning, say, $50,000 a year, is subject to around 30% total income tax (approximately 10% provincial and 20% federal). That
means around $5,000 per family goes to our provincial government, which in turn provides funding for our universities, among other services. Fun fact: students are usually part of families that pay taxes. The point I’m trying to make is that international students do not pay more for their university education when you take into account the hidden (or, more accurately, brushed over) costs to regional students. The differentiation in fees, while stark on paper, is meant to make up for the gap in provincial funding that international students do not contribute to. I don’t think anyone would argue that international students should receive an
equal portion of this funding, especially after considering how much money Ontario residents and their families put into the system already. Some argue that international student fees are used solely to generate revenue for our province and that it is unfair not to subsidize them with government dollars. That said, I believe it is important to foster other kinds of funding for international students. Scholarships, grants, and interest-free student loans are all great methods—especially when distributed on the basis of merit. It seems to me, though, that the issue most students should be concerned with is the decline in
per-student funding from the government. Due to the influx of postsecondary students in recent years (a result of Dalton McGuinty’s “Reaching Higher” program), perstudent funding is declining from a high of around $7,700 in 2009/10 to around $7,000 in 2013/14—a 9% drop. This begs the question: Should universities be accessible to a wider population at the cost of the quality of education? Similarly, is it fair to subsidize international students at a time when funding is dropping off? YOURS, MICHAEL DI LEO
Language is everything As a linguistics student, a new member of LSAS, an editor, and a wannabe writer, I’ve come to appreciate just how pervasive, how everywhere it is. We at The Medium deal primarily in it. We sit through lectures delivered exclusively in it. We read books, watch movies, listen to song lyrics, and talk to our friends in language. We even think in it, most of the time. Hell, I’m using it right now! So shouldn’t we know more about it? True, most of us know everything there is to know about our mother tongue—whatever the rules of grammar are, however complicated, however random and irregular, get this: we know ’em all by heart. And we use them reliably, instantly, and automatically (as long as we get enough sleep, which, okay, is not likely at UTM). In fact, if you speak a language, which you do, think about this: many grown, intelligent people spend years and thousands of dollars taking courses and seeing professionals and poring over text-
books just to know something that you are one of the world’s experts in. You can be proud, brutha. You got it. But it’s time to bring it to light. There are some really cool things going on there, just beneath the surface. Things you never thought about, consciously. But which you’ll find cool. I promise. “But it’s all so technical and science-y. There’s so many rules I could (not?) care less about.” “Why would I want to know if my glottis is vibrating? That’s perverted.” “I’ll say stuff the want I way!” Actually, no you won’t. Everything hinges on whether what you say rings true or not, or else your friends just give you a funny look. And the glottis, velum, and uvula are all perfectly normal and healthy organs, especially considering that (surprisingly) none of them is sexual. It’s true that it can get a bit technical. And we all know that’s not fun, that’s class. But like I said, the key is… you’ve already got a PhD in
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speaking your first language. And like any geek, you’re gonna find it fun to talk about. I dunno, maybe you’re a bit sceptical after all my talking. But just give it a try. (Maybe you’re thinking to yourself, “This language guy just used the word ‘dunno’. What a poser.” Actually, the word is older than this country—it’s been around since 1842.) Listen to what you say and wonder why you say it. Wonder where you learned an expression, or why it perfectly fits what you mean, or what it’ll mean tomorrow. Better still, wonder what words people use on you because they see that it works—advertisers, public speakers, lovers, they all know how to push your buttons. How? Language is something you and your clever little brain do most of the time, every day. Take a moment to consider how miraculously strange any little snippet of it is. You have my recommendation, for what it’s worth.
Corey Belford/The Medium
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10.03.2011
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MEDIUM A&E Editor » Nives Hajdin
Pub night gets subsomnified ARISTOTLE ELIOPOULOS ASSOCIATE EDITOR Last Thursday Night at UTM’s Blind Duck Pub, CFRE and the University of Toronto Electronic Music Appreciation Club presented Subsomnia 2.0, a pub night dedicated to playing the very best of electronic, dubstep, and trance music. The event was a success, and we had a chance to talk to DJ No1da (the moniker of Andrew Griffith) afterwards about preparing for his set, his musical influences, and why CFRE- and UTEMAC-sponsored pub nights are so important to underground musicians like himself. The Medium: When preparing music for a show like Subsomnia 2.0, what comes to mind? What do you feel is important to know when getting your DJ set ready? Andrew Griffith: Promotion! There’s only a small niche of electronic music lovers on this campus, so we need to get the word out. Also, sound setup is key. Anyone can listen to a song on a pair of, say, Altec Lancing $50 speakers, but it is somewhat of a dying culture where people go out and listen to music on a proper system and hear it the way it was meant to be heard. When it comes to my set, I prepare an outline—a list of “must-plays” for the event. From there, I designate Top 40 remixes, dark tech, funky disco, and progressive peak-time bangers. Then
I decide where the transitions will lie throughout the set, depending on the venue, crowd age, gender ratios, time of day, day of the week, etc. You have to be somewhat of a forecaster, but the thing I like most is playing on the fly and submersing myself in the moment. TM: Knowing that UTEMAC is a partner for the event, electronic music comes to mind as a crucial sound of the night, but do you feel inspired by other genres or musicians when creating your DJ set? AG: I am usually inspired by what is popular on the radio, as many types of electronic music have hit mainstream listeners. For example, David Guetta, Tiesto, Avicii, Skrillex—fans of mainstream electronic music appreciate when I incorporate these artists into my set. Electronic music has always had a caring, loving vibe, so I always try to stay true to that. That being said, a good Top 40 remix always seems to bring the dance floor together when I’m playing. TM: Now that the night is over, how did you feel it went? AG: Well, on Thursday night I had already planned out where I was going to start with, but once I walked into the pub about 45 minutes before my set, the entire atmosphere was different from what I expected. The vibe of the room was quite a novel underground sound to most attendees: lots of experimental/trip hop/dubstep
stuff that seemed a bit unfamiliar to the crowd. Because of this I retooled my set on the fly. I started out with Top 40 remixes to get everyone a little more comfortable and on the dance floor. Preparation is crucial, but sometimes you read a room and you need to shake things up. I think it went well, and I was very relieved when I started playing my set and the dance floor filled up with booty-shakin’ bodies. TM: Do you feel it’s important that CFRE and UTEMAC sponsor pub events like this? Do you find these events different from other types of pub nights? AG: These types of events must continue! When people think of UTM pub nights, they think of the same type of music and content. I think that’s why the hype dies down after the first pub; it’s more difficult to pull in a crowd when it’s the same DJs and the same Top 40 hits—the same results. Niche events like Subsomnia can be successful with enough promotion, and with [Blind Duck manager] Shane Madhani’s involvement, these events have only become better with time—but sometimes that’s not enough. DJs like me have a strong underground following, but we still need local support from other students and friends on campus. Despite the support we have so far, we still need support from all ends to make sure these events continue to work. It
Edward Cai/The Medium
will take more than a few people’s efforts. Overall, I am proud of the guys who made it out to express their love of music. And I’m impressed with the assistance from CFRE. They are a great partner for us at UTEMAC, and it has worked well for the rise of independent music, as well as the creation of an interdependent relationship between CFRE and UTEMAC.
Andrew, or No1da, is a member of UTEMAC and a personal trainer at the RAWC every Thursday night. You can listen to his Subsomnia 2.0 mix at soundcloud.com/no1da. To be a part of UTEMAC, visit their Facebook page at facebook.com/ utemac. To find out more about CFRE and to be a part of the station, visit cfreradio.com.
Artists “take part” at the Barnicke Social media and effects on human perception are the focus of new exhibit at the Barnicke Gallery LORI-LEE EMSHEY
In a video projected on the gallery wall, a blonde girl of about 16, wearing a white cotton shirt, picks up a crumpled piece of paper, smiles, and whispers to the girl next to her, who is equally blonde and similarly dressed. The second girl smiles, then giggles and whispers to the girl seated next to her, who is also blonde, but less giggly and more scared. This is not a home movie, but a film from curator Juan A. Gaitán’s Models for Taking Part exhibition at the Justina M. Barnicke Gallery at Hart House. The exhibition is composed of works by five international artists in both video and print. The works interpret how the modern public sphere is simultaneously bought together and segregated by social media, consumerism, religion, capitalism,
Lori-Lee Emshey/The Medium
The exhibit runs until December 11; admission is free. and individual human perception. In the first room, videos showing reenactments of Nazi-occupied Germany play next to a tour of the Apartheid Wall in Israel and alongside women’s rights protests. The first work in the gallery is a multiscreen video exhibit by Artur
Żmijewski of Warsaw, Poland. This installation has a row of flat screens playing documentary vignettes on protests, speeches, and forms of self-affirmation. The vignettes are in a survey of languages and all provide English subtitles. The next room contains two
movies; one is silent, the other with audio, projected onto the white wash walls. The silent film is a video-based documentary by Berlin-based Tobias Zielony called Vele di Scampia (or Sails of Scampia). The video shows fireworks over a low-rise cement modernist housing community in Naples, Italy. The documentary is accompanied by photographs on the two remaining walls in this section of the gallery. The second video, The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex by Anette Mona Chişa (Romania) and Lucia Tkáčová (Slovakia), is a tongue-in-cheek interpretation of Darwin’s book of the same name. In this film, “the blonde girls” sit on a row of chairs and play a game of telephone with quotes from Darwin’s book. The phrases get simplified and reinterpreted until they reach the end of the chain and are read out. The result is hilarious,
but also terrifying. The remaining two exhibits are in total darkness, illuminated only by the projector. In the penultimate room, a rusted, bloodied footlocker rests on the floor under three photographs of emaciated babies in the Congo. In a film by Renzo Martens, the Dutch artist travels through the Congo and interviews dying children, plantation owners, and villagers, juxtaposing them with poverty and consumerism. This portion of his film—more a work of art than a documentary—centres on a blue neon sign Martens sets up in various villages, which reads “Enjoy Poverty”. It is at times graphic and chilling, making you thankful that you are in the dark where no one can see the reaction on your face. Gaitan proclaimed the documentary, Episode III: Enjoy Poverty, the “coda” of the exhibit.
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«ARTS THE MEDIUM
10.03.2011
NUIT
BLANCHE
LORI-LEE EMSHEY HITS THE MAJOR HOTSPOTS The 6 p.m. UTM shuttle was full. A crowd had gathered by 5:45 p.m., each person vying for one of the 52 seats going downtown. Nuit Blanche was to start in exactly one hour. A harassed bus driver shouted to the unruly crowd that there was only one bus on Saturday and that he’d try to call for an overflow bus, which finally arrived an hour later. UTM did not anticipate the popularity of Nuit Blanche—an all-night, interactive art festival now in its sixth year—among its students. At 7 p.m., Hart House opened its
AIRship exhibit. On the third floor, six helium, light-filled blips fought against weighted glass spheres to float to the top of the Hart House ceiling. The night launched to a turbulent start when one of the blimps starting leaking helium, but it was quickly fixed by one of the designers. By 7:45, the ROM’s Bollywood exhibit was almost at capacity. Also located on the third floor, it too was worth the walk. On pink, orange, and yellow walls—a deviation from the ROM’s trademark white and
Photos by this guy » (Edward Cai)
*Except this one by Jennifer Ly
black—were posters of Bollywood films from the 1950s to 1980s. By walking chronologically through the gallery you could see how the posters (and wall colour) reflected the economic and cultural climate for each decade. At 8:30 (and on the other side of downtown) Isabelle Hayeur’s Ascension was gaining popularity, although there was no real lineup yet. This exhibit took place in the Metropolitan United Church, or was the church itself, depending on your perspective. The exhibit was
quiet and patrons filled the pews as in a movie theater and watched as a projection of a cathedral aisle blurred in and out of focus. Despite its simplicity, people were reluctant to move on and give up their seats; instead, they slumped in the pews and waited for the film to start again. One more notable interactive piece was I just know that something good is going to happen by Curtis Grahauer. On Adelaide Street, an alley was converted into an interactive sculpture involving movie-
set-style rain, smoke, and fog machines. Nuit Blanche patrons were loaned an umbrella and could walk through the alley while being photographed and filmed. Many were disappointed when there was nothing on the other side, while others thought someone had set off the fire alarm sprinklers. But the disappointment and confusion quickly evaporated when they were shown the cinematic and classic pictures just made from their interaction, making the exhibit a favourite of the night.
10.03.2011 THE MEDIUM A&E
joy rapping Inukshuks en to Eminem
Be weary of how much face jam ends up on the masks
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Interpretive dancing is serious business
Guess w hich one is the artis t
ds a home Every vinyl nee
Zombie Apoca lypse. The Umbrella Edition
DARREN SAVAGE TALKS TO THE PEOPLE It’s 4:57 a.m. Nothing went according to plan. Everything is over. People have gone home. Mere hours ago the streets of Toronto were teeming with people eager to take in a night of art in the city during Nuit Blanche. This year it featured more than 130 “free and accessible contemporary art projects”, and in due order, the event has become a major attraction for artists and dilettantes, not to mention huge crowds of people with no special knowledge of art. One group of intrepid young enthusiasts aimed to take in everything they could with as many people as they could. It proved to be quite difficult. Andrew Bascom, a long-time Toronto resident, had enjoyed the festivities before; Tyler Silva, who commutes to Toronto for work but does not have a thorough knowledge of the city, had never been; Stephanie Francis, one of the newest residents to the city (she moved here on Thursday), did not know what to expect. The following are just some of their surprisingly coherent and poignant impressions (long pauses admittedly omitted), after a rather long night.
Darren Savage: Well, folks, how was that? Andrew Bascom: I thought it was great. I think the best part of the event is the scope, the scale of the event. Toronto is a big city, and the fact that they shut down such a large part of it for this is a pretty incredible thing. Tyler Silva: I thought it was awesome. This is the first time I’ve ever gone, and I had heard stories from people telling me it was great. I went, and now I say, yeah, it was pretty awesome. But it’s still a little disappointing in a way because you can’t do everything and see it all. But there is so much stuff you gotta pick and choose. Still, what we saw was pretty cool. Stephanie Francis: I thought it definitely felt like a community event. You know, there were so many different people down there and we were all experiencing the same things together. It was really cool going to all the different events and seeing all the different things together, with so many people, was really very cool. It’s strange that it felt like such a community.
DS: To pick up on that community feeling and joint experience: We all went down there together... nothing that we had planned went [according] to, well, plan. Concerning the event as a whole, what positive aspect can be taken from that experience? SF: I think that no matter what you plan, it’s never going to happen like you think it will, because there is so much happening and people are going to want to do their own things. Everybody wants to go and experience what they want to experience. But [at Nuit Blanche] they have the opportunity to do that and that’s great. TS: I still thought that we got to see a bunch of cool stuff. It doesn’t matter that we didn’t get to go as far as we wanted to, because we still had our night regardless. You know what I mean? You don’t have to do everything; the ones that we did see were very cool. AB: It’s always cool to see the city in a different light. It’s so rare that there are that many people up this late at night walking the streets and everybody seems to be having a good time. Every year you do this you think you should have a
plan and then you get down there and you realize there may be no point in making one. Having hundreds of exhibits makes it difficult to plan things. There’s three different zones, three different curators, for a reason. It’s great to feel so safe downtown, too. Yonge Street is the longest street in the world and we were just walking down it tonight with hundreds, maybe thousands, of people. That’s a pretty incredible feeling. On that note, the event provides ample opportunities to experience a wide array of feelings and sensations. From a postapocalyptic exhibit that made one feel as if the city was on the verge of a lockdown to one that simply provided a contained experience of getting caught in the rain (they provide you with an umbrella). Nuit Blanche excels at altering perceptions, creating atmosphere, and conveying shared experience. You quickly learn that art can be amazingly transformative. Moreover, it can take almost any form, from intimate personal exhibits to larger, more interactive ones. Nuit Blanche is one major project consisting of many minor sights, sounds, smells, and tastes. Even though the group was unable to
attend the fabled food trucks, the funnel cakes smelled good and the overall experience was well worth it. DS: What would you recommend to future attendees? TS: Go in smaller groups. We saw how larger ones get split up. I think next time I might actually make a stricter plan and go earlier. You need to just so you can check out more things. It’s really different and it’s worth checking out. SF: I’m very new to Toronto and it was a great way to experience the city. It’s great to learn about all the positive sides of Toronto as opposed to the negatives that you hear and sometimes experience. I would absolutely do it again and recommend everyone go. It’s different. AB: Comfortable shoes and warm clothing. Be prepared for a long night, and it’s well worth it. Everyone should go. I really think it’s one of those things you need to do. Art is alive in this city. No matter what is happening in this city politically, art is alive and [Nuit Blanche] is a great representation of that.
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« 10.03.2011
MEDIUM FEATURES Editor » Larissa Ho
Is the MCAT still relevant? Emily Acheson
MCAT. These four letters can make the difference between a student getting into or being rejected by medical school. Thousands of undergraduate students in Canada and the United States write this standardized exam at least once in their lives. The MCAT, or Medical College Admissions Test, is often the final hurdle for a pre-med student’s application. Most students spend months of their summer vacation ploughing through entire textbooks on physics, chemistry, organic chemistry, biology, and verbal reasoning. Many spend almost as much energy panicking over their practice test scores, their upcoming test date, and their final results. All students spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars before the exam is even over. But is this standardized test really necessary? The general standardized test has its roots as far back as 7th-century China, where job applicants wrote essays about poetry and Confucian philosophy. The creation of the printing press in 1440 A.D. in Europe allowed for standard printed written examinations. In 1845,
lawrence.edu/PHOTO
Does MCAT really stand for “Me, Crazy And Tired”? American schools were already using standardized essay-based tests. By 1914, an American named Frederick J. Kelly had invented the multiple-choice test. Scanning machines followed. By the 1920s, American medical schools made the MCAT part of their admission process. The standardized test is meant to provide admission boards with an accurate comparison of students from a variety of backgrounds. For instance, students attending one school may have a better education
My encounter with the Moleskine Nazifa Islam When you’re browsing through any bookstore in Canada, you’re usually prepared to spend a considerable amount, no matter what you buy—as in, the prices are seriously higher than you find with our neighbours to the south. Such was the case when I decided to forgo the massive human chain that is the UTM Bookstore lineup, and headed to Indigo. Of course, like any good chain bookstore, Indigo carries a plethora of cute, trendy, and entirely unusable stationery products that draws the customers in immediately. Thus, when I had intended only to purchase The Portable Machiavelli, I found myself in the “writing shop” section. And that is when I came upon a Moleskine: a seriously serious-looking notebook that looked as though it could belong anywhere from the prime minister’s desk drawer to your English professor’s satchel. I glanced at the price tag: $16.95. I picked up the notebook and examined it closely; what about this makes it $16.95, I wondered momentarily. But I didn’t spare it much thought as, for no particular reason, I wandered
toward the children’s books section. But sure enough, the Moleskine came back to haunt me that night and, yes, I Googled it. Turns out that these black leather-bound notebooks have had some very prominent users—Ernest Hemingway and Vincent Van Gogh, to name a couple. However, the notebooks were only created as a brand in 1997. Do they mean that Hemingway’s use of similar black leather-bound notebooks adds to the value of Moleskines, making them worth $17 apiece? At this point, I’ll confess that I wished I had bought one at the store. I mean, what writer wouldn’t want a bit of that literary magic to rub off on them? But this isn’t about my aspirations to write the Great Canadian Novel, so let’s get back to the notebooks. In short, the Moleskine notebooks look good in one’s hand, seem rather nice to write in, have a bit of history attached, and, most importantly, they have an interesting name. So whether you’re going to run out and get yourself one or pass, if you ever need a “legendary notebook” (as the tagline suggests) have some money to drop on one, you might have an idea where to look.
than students from another But if the first marks harder than the other, the smarter students will have lower marks on their transcript. To solve issues like this, the standardized test presents students from all schools with the exact same types of questions. If students really are better, this should show in their test scores. The MCAT is supposed to assess a student’s critical thinking and understanding. Four hours into a fivehour MCAT exam, all the sweating, typing, and scribbling equations in
front of a glaring computer screen can affect your ability to think clearly. These tests mainly check that a student has the endurance needed in high-stress situations. The exam can also help students with a lower GPA score. If they get high MCAT scores, this could lend an advantage. However, if students get a low MCAT score, even if their GPA is phenomenal, they may not get into their school of choice. They may not get into medical school at all. Some groups consider standard-
ized tests a very poor way to assess a student’s academic ability. For instance, if a student has everything it takes to be a doctor but has a bad day when writing the MCAT, his test score could seriously hurt his chances. Standardized tests also bring in millions of dollars for test administrators and companies offering prep courses before the test. A Princeton Review classroom prep course for the MCAT, which runs for a total of 105 hours, costs nearly $2,000. That doesn’t include the MCAT exam itself, which costs about $230 for each writing. Students, especially in Ontario, have enough stress grappling with higher-than-average tuition fees. Of course, administrators and prep courses are hardly motivated to abandon such a lucrative testing model. The concept of standardized testing in general comes with heavy debate. The question of whether this testing is fair or not may never be solved. What can be said in favour of the MCAT is that Canadian and American doctors are rated among the best in the world. Nearly all these doctors underwent standardized testing. They may not have liked writing the MCAT, but their patients are glad they did.
Stop procrastinating Priyanka kumar It happens to everyone: You’re sitting in your room, the clock reads 2:32 a.m., and you’re just starting the third page (if you’re lucky enough to have gotten that far). Procrastination gets the worst of everyone; I’ve been known to procrastinate all the time. I actually procrastinated with this article, and the assignments I had due today. But never fear; I’m here to help you stop procrastinating, or at least do it less. 1. When you’re given an assignment and the due date is far away, do not put it off ! Instead, do a little each day, and by the time the due date rolls around you’ll either be done or extremely close. 2. Set a schedule for yourself when finishing a task—and stick to it! For example, if you’re given a research paper, set a date to research, set a date to outline the paper, and set a date by which your paper should be done. Sticking to your schedule will help you keep in mind of due dates and avoid procrastination 3. Treat yourself. For example, promise yourself that if you fin-
ish your lab three days before the due date, you will go and get those shoes that you’ve obsessed about. The incentive of the shoes will push you to finish your work.
Remember that getting rid of the habit of procrastination isn’t easy, and it’s not going to go away immediately. It takes work and time. The best part of less procrastination in your life is the sense of accomplishment. 4. Get a study buddy! You have to be careful here, though; make sure to study buddy with someone who will motivate and not distract you. Look for a buddy who will make sure you focus and keep you on track. 5. Shut yourself off from distractions. This is easier said than done, but it helps! Deactivate Facebook (not
for forever—relax!), just until you’re done your work. Turn off the phone and put it away. You may suffer from feelings of nakedness without your phone and Facebook, but trust me, it’s totally worth it! 6. If you can’t bear to separate from Facebook and your phone, set times aside for when you can check them. Every time you finish studying a chapter or writing a page you can check your Facebook or phone. Remember that getting rid of the habit of procrastination isn’t easy, and it’s not going to go away immediately. It takes work and time. The best part of less procrastination in your life is the sense of accomplishment that washes over you when you walk past the library with your assignment in hand, ready to submit, and you see the procrastinator you used to be in the form of all those people stuck in the library ripping their hair out because they’re nowhere close to being done. All you can do is walk away and laugh, because that’s not you (and your hair is intact).
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10.03.2011 THE MEDIUM FEATURES
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Can’t just have one Weird test and exam rituals
Jennifer Ewen So you’re out shopping with friends and you see shoes you would just die to have, but they cost $300 (oh yeah, designer!) and you have no money left. Here’s a point that separates an addict and an average shopper. A person who just likes shopping would be able to say no to those expensive designer shoes. It’s just not in the budget. Someone suffering from shopping addiction (medically known as oniomania) would get those shoes—in three colours. Addictions are all about lack of control. A person who is not an addict is in complete control of what they do (e.g., not buying a pair of shoes) while the addiction is in control of the addict. A shopping addict runs up multiple credit cards and takes a nosedive into debt just for that moment of happiness when they get something new. An addiction can be anything—shopping, drinking, drugs, exercise—but it is all essentially the same idea. Addictions are associated with positive emotions, usually sheer ecstasy, which makes people keep coming back to the addiction over and over again. But as time goes on, more of the addiction is required to capture those positive feelings and numb the darker ones. The need keeps getting sharper, and the satisfaction weaker. We get addicted when something makes us feel good, but some people have a genetic predisposition to addiction. Addictions can also arise out of the attempt to numb the pain and memory of shame or trauma, especially from childhood. Addictions can even begin in response to current stresses or traumas in life. For instance, a person with anxiety problems or depression may develop an addiction just to forget about that other aspect of their life, even for a short time. Beyond drug, gambling, and shopping addictions, new research by Dr. Mark Hyman has proven that food, especially sugary, fatty junk food, is actually addictive. Many alcoholics turn their addiction to sugar during recovery. Commercial food companies know how to make the right combination of sugar and fat to make it addicting. Because of this, food can be as physically and psychologically addictive as drugs and alcohol. Junk food replicates the effect some drugs have on the brain. Endorphins are released, which makes you feel good—even if it only lasts through the last crumb of a chocolate bar. This addiction drives the fast food and snack food industries; people literally “can’t get enough” or “can’t have just one”. Being addicted to sugar is the same as anything else: the addict needs more and more to get the same effect. People who can squash their cravings for food, usually by doing something else, obviously aren’t addicted. But the people who eat even when they’re not hungry are definitely hooked on sugar.
What do you do before a test or exam? Carine Abouseif
subconsciouslythinking.com/photos
What makes you feel like you’ve got drugs on the brain? Despite what every magazine is insisting nowadays, the only way to really kick the sugar addiction is to quit cold turkey. Take juice, chips, sweets, and soda out of your diet to let your body get back to normal. Eating any of those things actually triggers cravings for more, creating an unhealthy cycle that’s only profitable for the food industry. Immediately after stopping the compulsive behaviour of an addiction, an addict has withdrawal symptoms. These symptoms can result in physical symptoms (headaches, shaking, and sweating, to name a few) and can drive the addict right back to the fix. As with anything else, practice, hard work, and routines that override the addiction have the best results. So what else does an addict do to kick the addiction? Join a recovery program. The best types of programs are ones that are ongoing (AA, for example, and other AAbased programs such as Overeaters Anonymous, Gamblers Anonymous, Shopaholics Anonymous, Debtors Anonymous—and more anonymice!). These intensive, community-based programs have double the success rate of shortterm programs. There are two types of recovery programs. For more severe, even life-threatening addictions, people can go to a recovery centre (inpatient), where they will stay full-time for counselling and coping methods. The other type of program is meetings (outpatient), where the person talks with other addicts and learn how to overcome the addiction. The main part of recovery is to be able to admit there’s a problem and be held accountable for it. Both outpatient and inpatient programs are at least 90 days, as required by the National Institute on Drug Addiction (NIDA). Anything less than this, and it’s likely the addict will fall right back into their addiction. It’s best to be in a program for a lot longer than 90 days to ensure an effective recovery. Even inpatients usually continue in an outpatient program after being in a recovery centre. The honest truth about recovery is that it’s extremely difficult. Only 20% of alcoholics recover for good. But that doesn’t mean recovery is impossible. The main attraction of addiction is getting lost in whatever makes you feel good. The majority of drug addicts admit that they did not seek help even when the drug stopped
making them feel good. This is also how addictions get bigger, involve harder drugs, and consume more money, and lead to the desperation that makes an addict engage in more and more hazardous conduct (like buying a $1,000 pair of shoes!). Addiction develops mainly out of our environment. Advertisements fool us into thinking we need certain things to be happy. (One poster ad for HP laptops that’s been around campus lately even uses the word “addiction” as a selling point). People will be drawn to find happiness in any way they can, especially in hard times, and it’s important to find happiness in different ways and places to avoid addiction to one thing. Though we will always be in danger of addiction, there is treatment. The first step is admitting it, and then, with time and effort, working to get life back to the healthy normal. So really, think twice before you buy those unnecessary (and expensive!) shoes. If nothing else, make yourself wait until you have the money. Then the thrill doesn’t just come from buying something. It comes from earning what you want, and hey—that’s something to feel good about.
A lucky hoodie. A special pen. Many of us have them: weird little items or rituals that we believe (or just hope) will get us through an essay or exam. Sometimes rituals are as simple as wearing your special sweatpants on test day. Other times it’s a lot more complicated. We asked students what rituals they performed when writing essays, taking exams, or just plain studying. “I have to start on a blank page,” said Catherine Lopes, a fourthyear English and professional writing student. “And I have to use a black pen.” “I like studying on the floor,” said another student, Camille Amigelo, who’s taking a double major in English and chemistry. Other students get comfort from a cup of coffee or tea while studying; still others feel the need to panic even just a few days before a deadline. Psychology student Sarah Desouza explained how she uses stories to memorize a passage from a text. “I’ll make up a story with the items on my desk and relate it to what I read—even if they’re not relevant. And it works,” she added, reading from her cognitive psychology textbook. Some students writing essays get their best thinking done while shampooing their hair. “I construct my thesis when I’m in the shower,” said Jodelle Faye de Jesus, also an English and professional writing student. Whereas professors are always advising us to start essays in advance, several students said they did otherwise. “I can’t start writing too early,” explained Ami-
gelo. “I gather all my research in advance, but I sit down to write closer to the deadline.” Students disagreed on the level of noise they needed to study. Some said they needed a steady babble, while others required absolute silence. Several declared it blasphemy to attempt an essay without music and headphones. When it comes to final exams, students become especially superstitious about their wardrobe. Desouza said she would wear an item again if she did well in a previous exam while wearing it. She also mentioned a concept that made a few other female interviewees nod: “I keep thinking that if I dress too well to an exam, I’ll fail it… like karma, or something.” De Jesus took a different view. “Wearing a hoodie to an exam would be admitting defeat,” she said. The majority of interviewed students, however, said their clothing item of choice for a long exam would be a comfortable sweater or hoodie. Another student (who wished to remain unnamed) stressed the importance of relaxing before an exam. “I like to read Japanese novels the night before an exam,” he said. Since our campus doesn’t have a long history behind it, superstitious rituals based on campus artifacts have yet to develop. We have no statue whose big toe we can rub for divine assistance on that calculus test or response to Kafka. But until such a statue is constructed, UTM students will probably continue to write topic sentences while rinsing their hair and to wear their sweats and hoodies with pride.
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« 10.03.2011
MEDIUM SPORTS Editor » Chris Callahan
You should watch baseball
MLB season comes to an end
CHRIS CALLAHAN SPORTS EDITOR A baseball fan in Canada amounts to an outsider in the world of sports fans. I never played organized hockey or soccer, so at the lunch table, when I wanted to talk sports with the kids at school, I was usually given a snarky dismissal by— well, everyone. Well, now I have my soapbox (The Medium) so I think it’s time I use it. Baseball isn’t as bad as you think it is, I promise. The MLB playoffs have arrived, and here are two reasons that a skeptical sports fan should give baseball a try this fall: 1. The Yankees are in the playoffs and you should hate them. We all love to see the villain fail and the hero prevail. The Yankees have earned the moniker “Evil Empire” for consistently spending more than every other team in the league. Root for them to fail; it’s fun. 2. A slow sport means less focus is required. This allows spectators to speak with someone at the bar or have a few laughs with their friends. You could even do a bit of homework or Facebook chatting with the game in the background; the baseball purists won’t hate you for it.
CBSTAMPA.COM/PHOTOS
A clean-shaven Johnny Damon bears little resemblance to a caveman, and his Rays managed to sneak into the MLB playoffs. Chantal Pereira School has started, there’s a chill in the air, and baseball playoff season is right around the corner. As a diehard Jays fan, I’m going to hold my tongue about how it feels to be left in fourth place yet again and instead take you, the reader, on a little field trip. We are going back to a few months ago: April. It was a simpler time with no stresses about the playoffs, trade deadlines, or break-
ing MLB records. Uniforms were stark white and pressed, faces were fresh, and balls were plentiful. April marks my favourite time of year; everyone has a shot at being the best and everyone plays like they are. As always, there were a few standouts and favourites from the very beginning. It pains me to have to mention these two teams, but in the interest of being objective, I will venture into the scary world that belongs to the New York Yankees
and Boston Red Sox. As a young girl growing up around quite a few baseball fans, I learned that if you’re from Toronto you should root for two teams: the Blue Jays, and anyone who beats the Yankees. So this season proved to be a little bit of an issue when the only team that seemed able to conquer the Yanks were the Red Sox, a team I equally abhor. The two teams engaged in a vicious climb for the top spot in the American League East Division. They dominated the division for the majority of the season, until the third-place team, the Tampa Bay Rays, showed that they too could contend for the top spot. The Rays were hot on the coattails of the Sox and gave them a good run for their money. In the last quarter of the season, the Rays never fell below a five-game gap with the Sox—and they gave them something to play for. Last Wednesday night, on the final day of the regular season, the Rays pulled off an extra-innings win against the Yankees and surpassed the Red Sox, taking second place in the AL East and the wildcard spot that the Red Sox desperately fought to hold on to during this fierce late summer battle. This season, they were led by the masterful David Price, who, with a career ERA of 3.33, has emerged as the ace of an impressive young Rays rotation. In other Rays news, Johnny Damon has successfully made the evolution from caveman to full human. The Yankees saw an amazing season with yet another MLB record. Shortstop Derek Jeter began his season with the looming knowledge that this season would be groundbreaking for him. His 3,000th hit was bound to happen—the only question on the mind of the vet of 17 years was when. Over the course of a handful of
games, it was within reach. The fateful day came on July 9, against David Price and the Rays. In true Jeter fashion, the hit was not just momentous because of the milestone; it was knocked right out of the home field. Leave it to a Yankee to be overly dramatic. Jeter joined an elite club of legendary hitters, including Pete Rose, Ty Cobb, Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Tony Gwynn, and Lou Brock. The National League proved to be surprises all season long. Last season’s champs, the San Francisco Giants, started off the season with guns blazing trying to defend their title, but the Arizona Diamondbacks gave them something to fight for in the West Division. The last time the D-backs were contenders was in 2001 when they went on to win the entire series. It was obvious that they were planning on making a comeback after a very dry decade. It almost seems pointless, though, for anyone in the National League (or the entire MLB, for that matter) to attempt to surpass the dominating Phillies. With the dream team of Halladay and Lee, it seems as though the team is unstoppable. Hey, Halladay, no bitterness on my end, none at all. (Okay, you got me; I miss you and your pitching.) Now this field trip back in time would not be complete if all I did was talk about the dominating teams. I have to make fun of—I mean report on—the teams who did not do so well. Dear Baltimore Orioles and Houston Astros: I guess there’s always next year, or the year after that… or the one after that. Ah well, you did your best; what more can fans ask for? Well, it seems as though our trip has come to a close, just like the regular season. Even though my Jays are not in the running, the playoffs look like they are going to be exciting, and it could be anyone’s game. And by anyone, I mean the Phillies.
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10.03.2011 THE MEDIUM SPORTS
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A big year for baseball in Canada NBA Lockout is on Canadian players making an impact on America’s pastime
A stagnant summer means no progress for hungry basketball fans ISAAC OWUSU ASSOCIATE SPORTS EDITOR
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Joey Votto has become the face of Canadian baseball. CORY CRABTREE On September 3, George Kottaras, the backup catcher of the NL Central-leading Brewers, hit for the cycle, notching a single, double, triple, and home run in an 8–2 victory over the Astros. Besides the relative rarity of the cycle (only 2.3 on average are hit per year), Kottaras’ accomplishment is made even greater by his status as the backup (he only plays once every five games) and by his place of birth: Scarborough, Ontario. Kottaras became only the second Canadian, after Tip O’Neil in 1887, to hit for a cycle. Kottaras isn’t the only Canadian making an impact in Major League Baseball. Besides an increase in the total number of Canadians, in the last 10 years 32 Canadians have made their pro debuts, the most since the 1880s. There has also been an increase in the quality of Canadian players over the past decade. The discussion of Canadian baseball should, no doubt, start with the reigning National League MVP, Joey Votto. Born in Etobicoke, Votto is one of the premier players in all of baseball. In just four seasons of playing full-time, Votto has posted an impressive .315 career average, while belting out 114 HRs and 379 RBIs. Votto has been a star since his first year in Cincinnati, placing second in votes for rookie of the year in 2008. Though his Reds are fairing far worse than last year, Votto himself is playing al-
most as well as his MVP season, posting a higher on-base percentage and improving his fielding. Besides recognition from the baseball community, Votto won the Lou Marsh Trophy as Canada’s top athlete, only the third baseball player to receive the award in its 70-year history. Votto isn’t the only Canadianborn MVP in recent memory, though, since in 2006 the Minnesota Twins’ Justin Morneau won the AL MVP in a tight vote over Derek Jeter. The five-time all-star from New Westminster, BC was arguably one of the best players in baseball from 2006– 2009. In that four-season period he posted an average of .302, and knocked in 530 RBIs. Unfortunately, during a game against the Blue Jays in 2010, Morneau suffered a concussion and has seen both his performance and health decline since. This season he has played only 69 games (less than half of the possible games) and posted career-low numbers. Hopefully Morneau can make a full recovery this off-season and regain his MVP form. With a uniform redesign coming up next season that promises to emphasize Canada and a coast–to-coast marketing campaign with a TV network to sustain it, the Blue Jays are pushing to be seen more and more as Canada’s team. This inclusion of Canadians, however, doesn’t just stop with the fans—the roster and farm system includes many prominent Canadian prospects and starters. The most obvious Canadian
Blue Jay is fan favourite Brett Lawrie. Born in Langley, BC and acquired last year in a trade for Shaun Marcum, Lawrie has taken Toronto by storm. In just 41 games Lawrie has 9 home runs and 24 RBIs. Averaged out for an entire season, Lawrie is on pace for 36 home runs and 95 RBIs. Lawrie’s energy, play, and attitude have endeared him to the Toronto faithful, and his place of birth may make him the future of Canadian baseball. Lawrie isn’t alone, though, when it comes to Canadians playing with the Jays. Former first-round pick Adam Loewen recently joined the Jays after the September roster expansion, and he too has made the most of his 7 games so far. With 6 hits and an 8th-inning home run, Loewen played solidly in his short time with the club. Toronto’s farm system is also loaded with Canadian prospects, with 15 Canadians over four levels of the minor leagues. As more and more Canadians enter the major leagues, the future of Canadian baseball seems to be as bright as it’s ever been. As of September 1, 121 Canadian players have appeared in the minor leagues this year, with 16 making at least one appearance in a major league club. With an increased presence in both the minors and the majors, as well as in lower-level baseball with more focus on development of young talent, we may be witnessing the beginning of a golden age of baseball in Canada—an age which will, no doubt, have an abundance of talented players to lead it.
While Kris Humphries may have locked himself into a multi-million dollar deal over the summer, the rest of the NBA players are currently left looking for somewhere to take their talents for the 2011–2012 season. The NBA lockout appears to be headed towards the loss of a substantial amount of games and quite possibly of the entire season. The past season of NBA basketball was arguably the most important in nearly over a decade, a much-needed boost since the second retirement of Michael Jordan in 1998. It was a year that featured the rise and fall of LeBron James and the Miami Heat, Bryan Colangelo’s continued trafficking of European players to the Toronto Raptors, and the rookie/sophomore season of electrifying slam-dunk champion Blake Griffin. The NBA looked as promising as ever for commissioner David Stern and the league’s teams, right until July 1, 2011. It was then that talks broke down between NBA team owners and players. Just as in the NFL, the new Collective Bargaining Agreement was the main focus of the dispute. Owners argue that a new agreement should create a competitive balance and increased profitability throughout the league. It is the basketball-related revenues that the owners target for adjustment, wherein the expired CBA players were awarded 57% of the revenues. The owners seek a 50–50 split
on the revenues. However, the latest proposal from the players presented a decrease to only 54.3%. The CBA is a multi-headed beast, and revenue-sharing is not the only issue. Owners are pushing for proposed changes such as a hard or flex salary cap, which prevents teams from spending over or under certain amounts on player salaries in their payroll. Similar to the NFL, the lockout during this past summer has been provided some interesting dialogue between the Players’ Association and league ownership. Unlike in the NFL, the players in this battle actually have the ball in their court (pun intended). Players in the NBA, in contrast to the NFL, have leverage over the owners. The availability of leagues internationally, which offer guaranteed contracts, is enticing enough for NBA players to hold out as long as needed. For fans, this is beginning to look like their worst fears have been confirmed; the distance between the two sides on these important issues means that there is a very good chance that the league will see a shortened season, if it has one at all. Fans looking to get their fix of some semblance of NBA action need not fear, for there is something out there for you. “Keeping up with the Kardashians” airs on the E Network on Sundays at 10 p.m., and features Lamar Odom Kardashian of the Los Angeles Lakers and Kris Humphries Kardashian of the New Jersey Nets.