Vol 39 issue 14

January 21, 2013 Volume 39, Issue 14 www.mediumutm.ca

Student union proposes fee increase UTMSU holds referendum for students to decide whether they want to pay $2 million for a new Student Centre Larissa Ho News editor UTMSU has called a referendum for students to vote on whether they approve of a fee increase— beginning with a temporary increase of $75 per fall/winter year, to a total of $100—to expand the current Student Centre. After the initial three years, the temporary increase will end, but a permanent increase of $21 will remain in effect for a total of $46 per year.

According to UTMSU’s president, Christopher Thompson, the expansion project would cost $4 million, with the university matching the $2 million garnered in student levies towards financing the capital project.

Currently, students pay $12.50 per session to UTMSU. UTMSU is proposing a temporary increase of $27 per session for three years to cover the costs of the Student Centre’s expansion to generate the $2 million that the university would match.

UTMSU is also asking for a permanent increase of $10.50 per

Ayman Khan/THe Medium

Chris Thompson is campaigning for students to vote yes on the Student Centre expansion. session (including the initial three years) “to provide an appropriate level of capital reserve to maintain the operations of the Student Centre and to fund additional programming and activities in it”, according to the preamble on UTMSU’s website.

Next week, full-time undergraduate UTM students and Fac-

ulty of Medicine students affiliated with UTM will have a chance to vote yes or no on the fee increase for the Student Centre, which is owned by the university and managed by UTMSU. “If the referendum fails, which we hope will not happen, the UTMSU Board of Directors and the university will be notified that stu-

dents are not willing to support an expansion of the Student Centre, and we lose the agreed $2-million match,” said Thompson. “I believe that funding [would] disappear fairly quickly. We risk losing this opportunity.”

The increase will “account for additional costs that are associated with managing and sustain-

ing the expanded Student Centre long-term,” said Thompson. “UTMSU receives deferred maintenance reports from the university, which helps to guide us on how to prepare for expenses which come up over time and even sometimes unexpectedly. An example that I have been sharing with students is a large expense of over $130,000 that will be going toward repairs to the Student Centre roof this summer.”

Thompson said that the current fee has allowed UTMSU to sustain the Student Centre and its operations.

Thompson said that the current level of student contribution has allowed UTMSU to sustain the Student Centre and its operations.

“It is important for the UTMSU to be just as responsible as our predecessors in ensuring we can afford to build the building, but more importantly sustain it long term and provide for more students and higher demands,” added Thompson.

Centre continued on page 2

Swinger party kicks off Sexual Awareness Week The Sexual Education Centre at U of T is holding a party at a swinger club Michael J. Watson The U of T Sexual Education Centre will kick off its annual Sexual Awareness Week with a party at a swinger club that’s being billed as an “epic student sex adventure”.

The event will be held at the Oasis Aqua Lounge, a water-themed “adult playground”, as a way to introduce students to Toronto’s club scene.

Initial reports from sources like The Toronto Star have mentioned detractors and jokers calling the party an “orgy”.

“There [will be] a dance floor and music playing […] there’s also a pool—the source of a great snowball fight last year—a hot tub, sauna, etc.,” explained Kayla Wright, executive director of SEC, in an email interview. “One of the reasons that we’ve selected Oasis Aqua Lounge is that it’s a great venue with a ton of stuff to offer.”

Challenge accepted Speakers offered business advice at the DEM Society’s annual YEC event.

Medium News, page 2

One-trick pony Should students be taught to write according to their discipline?

Medium Opinion, page 4

Listening in on Blackwood Sight and sound entwine in the latest exhibition at UTM’s art gallery.

Medium A&E, page 5

thestar.com/photos

Owner Jana Matthews poses in one of the rooms in the Oasis Aqua Lounge, a Toronto sex club.

The first floor of the Oasis Club will be reserved for dancing, music, and social activities. On the higher floors, students will be able to have sex in a clean and safe environment should they choose to. SEC volun-

teers will be providing safe sex materials and security will be on site to ensure guests have a safe and respectful time.

“We feel that sex positivity is about supporting and encouraging

people to find their own happy mediums, while being happy that other people are also doing the same,” said Wright.

Sex continued on page 2

Wired to run The runner’s high is part of how we build up our brains.

Medium Features, page 8

Peneloza’s on point Her life comes down to playing ball.

And studying every now and then.

Medium Sports, page 11

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«NEWS THE MEDIUM

01.14.2013

“Sex positivity” encouraged Sex continued from Cover “The social is actually much more akin to a pub crawl,” commented event coordinator Dylan Tower on Reddit, in response to posters referring to it as an orgy. “Ideally, people will find it a nice break in the midst of a dreary weekend semester.”

With regards to the permission to have sex upstairs, Tower noted, “I suppose the best way I can convey this is that ‘permission to’ is different from ‘encouraged to’ and very different from ‘required to’. Individuals can make the adult, informed decisions.”

Tower’s description is corroborated by the experience of Tam, a student who attended the Oasis party last year. “It was really chill and relaxed,” she said in an email interview. “We mostly swam in the outdoor pool, which was awesome since it’s heated and hung out in the hot tub and at the

bar. People were naked in the hot tub and pool, but it was not sexual in the slightest.”

The Oasis party is only the second kickoff event the club has hosted. In past years, the SEC has started Sexual Awareness week by showing the film Orgasm Inc. and holding poetry slams and game nights. Each event was chosen to contribute to the purpose of the party: to let students have fun and foster sex-positive attitudes in a lowpressure environment.

To students considering going to the party but are unsure if they’d be comfortable, Tam gives some advice.

“I would recommend coming earlier in the day when the clothing rule is in effect,” she says. “And remember that when you’re there you don’t have to do anything that you’re not comfortable with.”

The Oasis party will have a $5 entry fee.

Sparking innovation at UTM The DEM Society hosts the Young Entrepreneurs Challenge

Naixin Kang/The Medium

Mayor Hazel McCallion spoke to students at the Young Entrepreneurs Challenge this weekend.

Jai Sangha Associate News Editor The Digital Enterprise Management Society hosted the Young Entrepreneurs Challenge conference at UTM last Saturday and Sunday to connect students with industry professionals and hold competitions to spark innovation.

Students and alumni attended the conference from southern Ontario universities, including UTM, Ryerson, York, Waterloo, Sheridan, and OCAD. Speakers from MaRS Discovery District, Yahoo! Canada, Bell Mobility, FreshBooks, and other companies talked about their stories and products to inspire students. The keynote speakers focussed on challenges facing Canadian corporations, how to build good corporate culture, and how to get jobs.

Canada’s productivity today is 16% less than that of the U.S., whereas it was almost equal in 1986, said Terry Stuart, the chief innovation officer at Deloitte Canada, referring to a recent study by Deloitte Canada that suggests that Canadian innovation and productivity has been declining in recent years.

“It is fundamental to change that trajectory, or we will be the first generation where my kids will have a worse quality of life than what our family has had,” said Stuart, who urged students to build companies for long-term sustainability. “My hope for all of you is that you create companies and that you build them to last and grow them into global dominant organizations, and not to do an IPO, make some money, call it a day, and go skiing in Whistler.”

Students starting up companies should not be afraid of the big corpo-

rations in their sectors, but should focus on innovating faster than them to stay competitive, said Luigi Calabrese, the president of Frontier Networks He also emphasized the need to create a culture of fun in the workplace.

“Every day you’re being chased.

And it’s exciting and you have got to love the pace, you’ve got to love coming to your house at seven o’clock at night, you’ve got to love the challenges and you’ve got to love competing,” said Calabrese. “And if you don’t, you can’t run a company.”

Students should find companies that fit their passion and bring that passion to the interview; they have to convince employers that they’re trustworthy, said Charles Atkinson, the vice-president of sales at HewlettPackard Canada.

Innovation continued on page 3

Student Centre to be expanded Centre continued from Cover

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FASHION MANAGEMENT & PROMOTIONS POSTGRADUATE CERTIFICATE

business.humber.ca/postgrad

“Furthermore, with the addition of more multipurpose rooms, more space, and opportunities for clubs and societies, and an extended Blind Duck, the programming within the Student Centre would increase, which means the expansion has a strong correlation with a positive increase in programming opportunities,” said Thompson.

When asked about the forecasted maintenance costs, Thompson said, “We would like to maintain our Student Centre on a regular basis and not defer maintenance costs, because that will not resolve the problems. The Student Centre is 14 years old. If we do not plan for regular maintenance, the costs of deferred maintenance could reach unacceptable levels.”

The expansion project is a cashin-hand project, meaning the university must be assured that students are committed to the project through the referendum.

UTMSU addresses students’ concerns on utmvoteyes.ca, a website they created to inform students of the referendum and to encourage them to vote yes.

One concern students have is that they will graduate before the new Student Centre is built.

“I feel like it’s the whole U of T thing, like standing on the shoulders of giants,” said Lily Bowman, a third-year UTM student in the

professional writing and communication program. “Things are developing on campus that I won’t get to see. I feel a little upset that I won’t be around to see that. It’s coming out of my pocket, but I won’t be around to see the changes on campus.”

UTMSU is only allowed to solicit private donors after the student referendum passes. Should the referendum pass, the Office of Advancement can put in a request to add the Student Centre expansion to their list of donor projects, and if donors are interested, the temporary fee increase of $27 could be lowered.

The current Student Centre, which was constructed in 1999 to serve only 6,000 students, was built after the administration agreed to match 50 cents to every dollar funded by a student levy. Enrolment at UTM has nearly doubled since then.

The Student Centre expansion would see an addition of 18 to 20 office spaces, additional multipurpose space, and a complete renovation to the Blind Duck Pub, the only food vendor on campus not owned by Chartwells. Currently, 80 clubs and societies have no office space in the Student Centre.

UTMSU first proposed expansion in 2007 by submitting a proposal to the University Affairs Board, the body of the Governing Council concerned with the quality of student and campus life. The

extensive report, which included a potential blueprint for expansion, caught the attention of the administration and a planning committee was struck.

The project failed in 2009 when UTMSU and the university had difficulty negotiating food services.

The university wanted UTM Food and Conference Services to manage food retail space in the new Student Centre, but UTMSU wanted to introduce new student-run eateries to increase food diversity. The two parties were unable to reach an agreement and the expansion project stalled.

Last February, the administration rejected an 80-page proposal from UTMSU for an expanded Student Centre, calling the proposal unreasonable. The proposal included a blueprint describing a space of over 130,000 square feet—only slightly smaller than the Instructional Centre, which cost $70 million. The university recommended a smaller expansion project and offered to finance up to $2 million.

UTMSU submitted a revised proposal to the university on August 14. The proposal was approved in principle on October 4, when the university and UTMSU committed to working on an MoU, which would summarize the priorities of the project and the commitment of both parties to a $4-million project, with each party contributing half.

01.21.2013 THE MEDIUM NEWS

UTM fundraises for puppies The Student Management Association hosts Cause for Paws Madiha Aziz Covering the Blind Duck Pub with paw prints, the Student Management Association hosted its first charity event, Cause for Paws, last Wednesday. Over 115 people came out to show their support.

Attendees enjoyed a night of good food provided by Boston Pizza, along with an array of entertaining performances. The night featured a dance performance by Rhythm (the winner of UTM’s Got Talent 2012), a special vocal performance by Sarah Adnan (SMA’s marketing director), and a beatboxer.

The highlight of the night was the comedic set by Eddie Della Siepe from MuchMusic’s hit show Video on Trial. He picked on people from the audience, raising roars of laughter from the crowd.

The night ended with a date auction. There was also a raffle draw, with prizes ranging from a private networking session with a CMA professional to a 29” LCD television.

All proceeds from the event will go directly to support the Oakville and Milton Humane Society, a low-euthanasia animal shelter committed to finding loving “forever homes” for the animals in

their care. As a registered charity, the shelter receives no government or external funding, relying solely on the support of individuals and groups. Nikki Fernandes, SMA’s finance director, raved about the tireless efforts of the SMA team in promoting this event across campus, which helped them exceed their goal of $1,000.

“We’ve been fundraising for the Humane Society all year through our ‘Pennies for Pets’ campaign and have been told by the shelter’s representative that we are changing the lives of many animals,” said Rayed Chaudhry, SMA’s social director.

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»What do you think about the “U of T Orgy”?

Ebi Agbeyegbe 4th-year, PWC

Oliver Clayton 2nd-year, English

That will be cool. Can we do that at UTM?

I think it’s fine so long as it’s safe and consensual.

Justin Lau 4th-year, PWC

Paulina Scicluna 2nd-year, CCIT

It’s inappropriate because it would offend people’s parents.

I think it’s different. I feel it might pressure some students. It’s kind of weird.

A challenge for entrepreneurs Innovation continued on page 3 “You gotta want it more than the next person, and you gotta show it,” said Atkinson.

During the networking break, students talked to company representatives about employment opportunities, new products, and how to get involved.

The goal of the conference is to connect students who share passions and career goals with each other, to connect students with industry professionals, and to

promote the Digital Enterprise Management program at UTM, said Monique Scicluna, the conference’s event planner and the DEM Society’s initiatives and output director.

“We really wanted to give students the skillset that helps them in the future, to listen to experts, and to be inspired to do something once they graduate,” said Scicluna.

Frontier Networks and HewlettPackard were title sponsors for the conference, alongside Adobe,

Deloitte, Rogers TV, Yahoo! Canada, RIC Centre, and UTM. This year, 270 registrants attended the annual two-day conference for a total of 400 attendees including the speakers, company representatives, and organizers.

Last year’s conference had a turnout of 250.

On the second day of the conference, students competed in entrepreneurship and intrapreneurship challenges. The winners won monetary prizes and got a chance to make their ideas a reality.

RAWC fills with students looking for summer jobs The Career Centre’s Summer Job Fair returns to the RAWC with a turnout of 1,200 students Sana Haq Staff writer An estimated 1,200 students attended the UTM Career Centre’s annual Summer Job Fair last Wednesday from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The turnout was down from last year’s 1,600.

“The expectations of students attending this event varied,” said Michelle Atkinson, the coordinator of events and employment services. “Most students coming out to the event were hoping to find a summer job some students expected large companies, such as Google Inc., to recruit employees on the spot, and others wanted any summer

job.”

The ambassador for the Ontario public sector commented, “We were surprised about the overall knowledge most students had when asking questions about the industry. They were very aware of the learning opportunities and the programs we have to offer.”

“I loved it.”

—April Shim “I loved it,” said April Shim, a third-year student in theatre and drama studies. “I didn’t spend much time here, as I had classes during the time of the

fair, but for the half-hour I came, I really enjoyed how open the employers were to everyone.”

Shim, like many students, came out on Wednesday hoping to find a summer job, and found an opportunity to network and gain insight into various organizations’ hiring processes.

The Summer Job Fair has proven UTM’s best-attended fair over the years.

For more information about employment opportunities, job postings, and advice for job applications, students are advised to visit the UTM Career Centre website.

Jennifer Do/the medium

Representatives spoke to students in the RAWC.

U.S. vice-president Joe Biden sworn in for second term

Duke and duchess of Cambridge plant trees for privacy

Armstrong couldn’t keep doping secret from his kids

UK man jailed for posting beheading videos on Facebook

Swedish couple try to exorcise daughter, claim she’s a witch

The 70-year-old vice-president of the United States took the oath of office from Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotamayor during a private ceremony Sunday at the U.S. Naval Observatory, the vice-president’s residence.

Biden and President Barack Obama will take the oath of office again on Monday during a public ceremony at the Capitol.

William and Kate have filed an application to cloak their property in trees and shrubs. They are thought to be keen on living at the Anmer Hall on the Sandringham Estate, which is surrounded by the Queen’s private 20,000-acre estate, giving them the maximum possible privacy. The Sandringham Estate has been owned by the Queen since her accession in 1952.

Disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong said he kept the secret of his cheating from his children until a few weeks ago. The former champion cyclist was stripped of his wins for doping through his career, he told Oprah Winfrey. “I understand your anger, your sense of betrayal,” he said he wanted to tell them. “You supported me through all of this; you believed.

And I lied to you.”

A British court has sentenced a man to five years in prison for posting gruesome beheading videos on Facebook. Craig Slee, 42, also put online links to sites encouraging terrorism.

On one Facebook page, Slee said he was a member of the Taliban, but counterterrorism police found Slee had no connection to any terrorist organization. Slee pleaded guilty to four terrorism offences and possession of a canister of tear gas.

A couple living in Sweden were charged Friday with child abuse for trying to exorcise their 10-year-old daughter because they thought she was a witch, a prosecutor said. The couple from the Democratic Republic of Congo allegedly beat her unconscious and forced her to drink a concoction of a cleaning product and her own urine, according to the charge sheet. She has since been placed with a foster family.

Source: TheToronto Star

Source: TheTelegraph

Source: The Globe and Mail

Source: Associated Press

Source: TheTelegraph

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« 01.21.2013

Editor-in-Chief » Stefanie Marotta

Writing like a one-trick pony Reviewing the university’s strategy on teaching writing skills When I tell people that I study “writing”, I’m met with an unsure glance.

“So… what will you do with that later on?”

University has taught me not only to research and analyze, but also to communicate my findings intriguingly, clearly, concisely—a skill that you’ll notice many employers seek. I have had two very different experiences in writing instruction at this university.

Now that UTM’s administration will implement discipline-specific writing instruction, as was investigated in last week’s “How well do UTM students write?”, I’ve been thinking about the process of developing into a better communicator across all programs.

I took a first-year history course that involved writing abstracts on readings and attending a writingintensive tutorial taught by the Academic Skills Centre. I noticed a dramatic difference in the quality of my writing during this course. My essays became more clear, logical, and organized. As a result, my grades skyrocketed.

Then I hit a snag. In comparative politics, I had two TAs—one for each semester. The first TA wrote stellar comments on my essays, praising my complex sentence structure and vocabulary. When second semester came around, my essay grades dropped by 10% and my new TA wrote that my writing was unclear and included too many commas.

Then I took on another major. In third year, I took my first course in the professional writing and communications program and I was hooked.

After three years in the program, I’ve written non-fiction narratives about my stalkers in Paris, composed journalistic investigative pieces on controversial lobby groups, created engaging online content about hipsters and rappers in the Medium office, researched company financials, and applied my skills at both not-forprofit and corporate communications internships.

In my communications internships, I wrote articles and strategic communications on a variety of top-

ics, from charity initiatives to technology reviews. On many occasions, I received vastly different feedback from professionals. An article was either too formal or informal, spot-on or not quite there yet.

Writing, like art, is subjective. The best asset I’ve found as a writer is versatility. The ability to research and write about a variety of topics on a tight deadline has been the main skill that has progressed my career. The university’s plan to develop skills specific to each program will be beneficial to some people, like those headed for medical school or laboratories.

For the rest of us, I think you’ll be hard-pressed to find a job out there that will only require you to write geography or politics essays. At times, the communications program forced me out of my comfort zone, and that’s what made me a better writer.

YOURS, STEFANIE MAROTTA EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Our office doors are open to you UTMSU’s president responds to last week’s editorial Dear Editor, Happy New Year and welcome back to our beautiful campus. I would like to start by correcting a serious misconception made in this section of last week’s issue of The Medium.

In last week’s issue it was stated that UTMSU did not aid Ms. Nengi Adoki in her attempts to challenge increasing residence fees [“Where do you go when representation fails you?”].

In Nengi’s case, her students’ union was involved as soon as she walked into our offices to communicate her frustration that she was forced to pay over $400 for a two-week stay on residence. Ms. Adoki’s frustration is understandable; domestic and international students are forced to pay rising residence fees and high tuition

fees. Ms. Adoki raised the matter of adequate consultation, but most importantly the process that permits administrators to raise fees with little recourse for the students affected.

UTMSU provided advice to Ms. Nengi Adoki and advocated directly to the university regarding the concern of residence fees. I want to assure every student, if there is a matter that concerns you, your students’ union is here for you. You have my assurance that you will receive all the support that we can give. UTMSU belongs to all students, so it is up to all of us to make this students’ union better. Always remember that your students’ union is what you make it.

A campaign that has been driven by students like you is the Student Cen-

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Stefanie Marotta editor@mediumutm.ca NEWS EDITOR Larissa Ho news@mediumutm.ca ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR Jai Sangha A&E EDITOR Colleen Munro arts@mediumutm.ca MEDIUM II PUBLICATIONS 3359 Mississauga Road, Room 200, Student Centre, Mississauga, ON, L5L 1C6 Phone: 905.828.5260

ASSOCIATE A&E EDITORS Aristotle Eliopoulos FEATURES EDITOR Carine Abouseif features@mediumutm.ca ASSOCIATE FEATURES EDITOR Jillian Lim

tre expansion. In 1999 the Student Centre was built for roughly 6,000 students. Currently, there are over 11,000 students enrolled at UTM, but the space has yet to be expanded to reflect the growth in student enrolment and demand.

The university and your students’ union have agreed to a project that will expand our Student Centre. This will be determined by your endorsement to contribute to $2 million that will be matched by the university to reach the $4-million goal. I am looking forward to meeting you in the next couple of weeks. Stay tuned for more progressive changes at UTM. Christopher Thompson President, UTM Students’ Union

Playing writing games with TAs Why write like a 19th-century nobleman?

Dear Editor, The administration is currently in the process of debating new writing initiatives that will be implemented starting fall 2013. The university feels that students aren’t writing as well as they should be. Last week’s Features section includes an article called “How well do UTM students write?” The article investigates these new writing initiatives and the debate surrounding their implementation. Some faculty members believe in a “discipline-specific” approach to teaching writing. Some faculty members believe that good writing can be taught no matter the subject, or the discipline. Others still advocate for a mandatory first-year writing course.

But before we can even talk about which approach will improve writing at UTM, we need to ask: What is good writing? And what do our professors and TAs think good writing is?

Some of us have been getting mixed messages on what good writing is as far back as high school. First, many high schools teach writing and English in the same course. Whether or not anyone comes out and says it, this is the first point where students are being told that writing a good essay is the same as writing well. Rarely does anyone focus on what makes a good sentence or what to do with the verb “to be”. At least, not outside the context of essay-writing.

Then we get to university, and again the message is further engrained: good essay-writing is good writing. But not just any essay-writing; these essays involve four or five nested clauses per sentence. They use long, long, long sentences. They use “however” instead of “but”. The writing becomes only something an academic would want to read. No one ever tells us we have to write like this; positive reinforcement does it instead. I’ve played this game with my TAs, added a few extra nested clauses, lengthened my sentences, made it so that so that my essay sounds like it was written by an 19th-century British nobleman. And yes, I’ve done better in terms of grades. Much better.

Then there are other times where

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I applied the skills I learned in professional writing. I varied my sentence length. I avoided the verb “to be”. I used descriptive verbs. I made sure my writing was clear and concise. I got to the point. And yes, I also did better. But only sometimes.

See, it really depended on my TA. Does she think all paragraphs need to be the same length? Does he think I can only have three body paragraphs?

I don’t think I’m the only person who’s found herself playing games to please individual TAs. Yes, of course, judging writing is a little subjective. But there are still a few universal style guidelines.

That’s exactly why great books on writing tend to overlap in their advice.

This is one of my fears about the discipline-specific approach. It will further entrench departments in their idea of what good writing is. If you’re a biology major, and you go on to spend your life studying biology as an academic, then maybe it’s fine if you only learn to write like a biologist.

For those of us who will go out and get jobs outside of our fields, I predict that these mixed messages will be a problem.

Especially if half of our TAs still think writing like a 19th-century nobleman is impressive. For example, a woman at my office who always writes emails in essay tone is constantly ignored. No one understands what she wants. No one wants to spend time figuring it out.

More importantly, the word around the coffee machine is always “Why can’t she just say what she means?” This is scarier than you think. It means her accounts are never launched and her projects take months to complete.

I know what many of you will say. “I’m not planning to be the next Hemingway; I just want to get a 4.0 in this course.” But I think students should consider these different approaches and at least have an opinion. Think about your writing education in the past, however little or much you’ve had. How do you learn best?

Carine Abouseif Features Editor

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

21.01.2013

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Editor » Colleen Munro

Blackwood offers an earful of art Examining the intricate bonds between visual and aural expression

KATHLEEN CHAVEZ/THE MEDIUM

Sensory overload? “Volume: Hear Here” illuminates UTM’s Blackwood Gallery.

ANDREEA MIHAI You find yourself huddled around a campfire with friends, singing songs to drown out the mysterious whispers of the surrounding night. That’s the feeling that the Blackwood Gallery’s latest exhibition, titled “Volume: Hear Here” and curated by Christof Migone, evokes in the spectator.

Though visually bare, the exhibition’s centrepiece—an igloo made of recycled speakers by artist Alexis O’Hara—feels casual, like a child’s fort. It invites the spectator to come inside, pick up one of the four hanging microphones, and experiment with sound. With a soft carpet made

of diverse patches, the inside of the igloo is cozy, reminiscent of a gathering of friends in a basement or garage for band practice.

Perhaps the best part of the exhibition for those interested in music (or in reconnecting with their inner musician) is that it is interactive, and visitors are welcome to get together and sing together if they so wish. Gallery docent Lesley Savoie commented that the interactive nature of the exhibition (which includes a continuous soundtrack called “Whisperfield” by artist John Oswald) has led to the great turnout the Blackwood has seen so far.

Along the wall are modified

headphones with looped tracks that spectators can listen to, an untitled piece by Dave Dymet; they provide an interesting look at the function of a pair of headphones. His other piece, “Nothing”, is a power bar with attached electronic pest control devices.

This point of the piece seems not to be the power bar itself, as the viewer may think at first glance, but rather the absence of rodents and insects. This piece is perhaps a perfect illustration of the concept that the exhibition is dealing with: presence entwined with absence.

The sound exhibition continues with two more features in the e|gallery, located in the CCT

Building. Echoing the presence/ absence theme is Ian Skedd’s “Sign Singing: Love Will Tear Us Apart, Joy Division, 1979, Deaf Choir, 2009”, which depicts a choir of deaf people signing the lyrics of Joy Division’s song “Love Will Tear Us Apart”.

It is an eye-opening piece for the hearing spectator, giving another perspective on the connection (or perhaps the lack thereof ) between sound and music.

Also there in the dark hall is Darsha Hewitt’s “Electronic Bell Choir” installation, made up of 20 repurposed cathode ray tube TVs and little bell assemblies with strikers. The TVs are turned on and off automatically; when

they’re turned on, the static from the screens causes the strikers to hit the bells, producing a clear, delicate sound. The overall effect is both a sense of foreshadowing like that in a horror movie at the moment when the lights start to flicker, and the sense of wonder at finding a pirate’s treasure in a dark cave at the climax of an adventure film.

“Volume: Hear Here” will continue its run at the Blackwood Gallery until March 10. The other half of the exhibit, featuring both more pieces and more artists, can be found at the Justina M. Barnicke Gallery on the St. George campus.

Online criticism isn’t just for the trolls The English and drama department’s new online journal celebrates student essays MARIA IQBAL Can a paper be both critical and creative? Can it be analytical and innovative? The Department of English and Drama certainly thinks so. This spring, in collaboration with the English and Drama Student Society, the department will launch an online, peer-reviewed journal featuring undergraduate work.

According to the department’s advertisement, With Caffeine and Careful Thought is “a new journal of criticism and analysis” that will showcase “adventurous and innovative essays”. The title of the publication was decided through

a campus-wide naming contest last fall.

The types of work the department will consider include essays on literary and dramatic texts, theory, and history, as well as multimedia projects produced for English and drama courses.

Though fiction, poetry, and life writing are not currently being accepted, students can submit critical essays that are also creative performances—for example, the advertisement says, a commentary on a play that is itself dialogue.

Professor Lawrence Switzky, who proposed the journal project to the department, said the goal

is to make students realize that “critical writing could be creative, fresh, exciting”, and even “liberating”.

“A work of analysis can be creative and innovative in approach and topic. [...] You can be creatively critical”.

—Stephanie Vega, president of EDSS Stephanie Vega, the president of EDSS, said EDSS hopes the

journal will show students that “a work of analysis can be creative and innovative in approach and topic. [...] You can be creatively critical”.

Switzky said the department initially expressed concern that the journal would cause students to experience “disempowerment”, but he disagrees.

“One of the essays you read could be written by the person who sits next to you in class,” he said. “You can do it too.”

Professors and EDSS executives will peer-review the submissions. Switzky explained that the editorial process, which will involve “multiple stages of review”,

would be done in collaboration with the authors.

Students outside EDSS can also get involved. In addition to submitting works for publication, students may participate in the peer-review and design processes.

When asked how the journal would affect the way its worldwide readers might think about English literature, Switzky laughed. “They’ll see how crazy, sexy, and fantastic it is!” he enthused. “They’ll line up to take our courses and we will happily welcome them.”

Essay submissions are being accepted until January 31.

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«ARTS THE MEDIUM 21.01.2013

Getting to the heart of the matter St. George’s UC Follies have big theatrical shoes to fill with their latest production, Doubt MARIA CRUZ STAFF WRITER The latest play the UC Follies theatre troupe put on, Doubt, has a particularly taboo plotline. It’s based on the stage 2004 stage play (which in 2008 became a film starring Meryl Streep, Amy Adams, and Philip Seymour Hoffman), and the small cast and unorthodox setting leave the audience with an experience they won’t soon forget.

For those who haven’t seen the film adaptation, Doubt is set in a Catholic school in 1964 in Bronx, New York.

The principal of this school, a nun named Sister Aloysius, develops a strong suspicion that Father Flynn has an inappropriate relationship with the first male black student ever to attend the school. Sister Aloysius brings these concerns to the timid Sister James and together they confront Father about his motives.

Under the direction of Emily Dix, Doubt was not performed in a typical theatre on the St. George campus.

Rather, it was held in the East Hall of University College, a building immediately notable for its architecture and monastic atmosphere. The lack of space for a large audience immedi-

YEON JI DANIELLE SON/PHOTO

Jordan Gray and Maja Rakocevic share an intense moment in Doubt. ately draws the crowd into the story.

When Father Flynn (portrayed by Jordan Gray) recites his sermons, he recites them to the audience as if they were his congregation.

It should be noted how wise the choice was to perform this play in University College. Chandeliers hung from the ceilings and there was a small balcony at the back of the room where the choir sang during set changes.

And considering there were very few set changes needed, the building kept

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the atmosphere of a church in the 1960s. A table moved here, a desk placed there. All in all, the building was a perfect choice for Doubt.

The play and film had few breakout characters outside of the core cast, and the cast of the UC Follies production was, in turn, very small. Four students stole the show with their brilliant performances. Gray as Father Flynn had a distrustful air of confidence about him throughout the entire play, echoing Hoffman’s portrayal of Fa-

ther Flynn in the film. Gray had one scene in which he and Sister Aloysius (portrayed by Anne Shepherd) have an alarmingly loud argument; Gray’s voice carried quite well in the small room, silencing the audience with his yelling.

Much can be said for Karen Simpson as well, who played the young boy’s mother, Mrs. Muller. With only one scene of about 15 minutes, Simpson did a remarkable job of making herself memorable. For how well she

captured the pleading and desperation of Mrs. Muller, Simpson is a name to be remembered. Maja Rakocevic, who played the naïve Sister James, also did quite well in her performance. Rakocevic played the young and trusting Sister James in a good contrast with Sister Aloysius and her cold, stern mindset. The constant wringing of hands and looking down when something troubled her added to the naïveté and nervousness of Sister James and was very well done on Rakocevic’s part.

Shepherd did a fantastic job as Sister Aloysius with her dry humour and relentlessness in her efforts to bring down the man who could ruin the reputation of the school—particularly in the stronger scenes when she argues with Flynn or Mrs. Muller. Shepherd shone in her portrayal of Sister Aloysius and added to the overall likeness of the play to the film version.

All in all, Doubt was well performed and directed, albeit with a very taboo plotline that could turn off audiences who are uneasy about the topic. But Dix was careful not to disclose too much information on the severity of such things, and the actors left things to the imagination of the audience.

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7

The path to rock ’n’ roll obscurity ’60s-loving music flick Not Fade Away explores what happens when youthful optimism collides with the real world COLLEEN MUNRO A&E EDITOR Rock music has been Hollywood film fodder for years now. From biopics about some of the biggest rock bands in history (The Doors, Control) to stories of fictional musicians hitting it big (Almost Famous, Walk Hard), Hollywood can’t seem to resist fetishizing fame and the excess often associated with rock ’n’ roll. But what happens to the bands that never get their big break? For every band that ends up on the cover of Rolling Stone, thousands never make it out of the garage. This is the problem that David Chase’s new film, Not Fade Away, explores.

The film opens with a blackand-white dramatization of a young Mick Jagger and Keith Richards meeting for the first time. But as the colour palette kicks in and we meet our motley cast of characters, it quickly becomes apparent that the film isn’t going to offer such a neat rags-to-riches story. In place of the fiery Jagger, our protagonist is Douglas (John Magaro), a nebbish Bob Dylan lookalike. When he and a few friends form a rock band in 1960s small-town New Jersey, Douglas is immediately relegated to the drum kit. The band’s frontman is the charismatic Eugene (Boardwalk Empire’s Jack Huston), whose self-aggrandizement even leads to the band

EW.COM/PHOTO

John Magaro ponders his influences in Not Fade Away. initially being named after him.

It seems like Douglas is doomed to anonymity.

But after a humorous mishap while getting high at a house party the band is supposed to perform at, Eugene is unable to play the show. This is Douglas’ chance to step up to microphone, and— much to Eugene’s dismay—he’s a hit. From here, Not Fade Away follows the issues of jealousy, rivalries, family, and romantic relationships that all threaten to permanently derail the band.

It doesn’t go in any really unexpected directions, but Not Fade Away plays its rock music tropes well, all while keeping the story grounded in a small-town setting.

Not Fade Away is Chase’s cinematic directorial debut; he is best known for having created The Sopranos. In some ways, it’s easy to tell that this is a debut film. Its low-key story is mostly effective and the characters are relatable, but there’s something a bit lacking in the film’s drive. The story

is based on Chase’s own youth, and at times it feels more like a love letter to the ’60s than a trueto-life coming-of-age tale.

The film is also obsessed with timelines. The narrative only spans two or three years, but it seems like with each new scene, Chase takes a moment to establish what season it is and how the scene relates temporally to the previous one. This may be Chase’s way of depicting the youthful tendency to mark the passing of time by summers,

Christmases, and school terms, but it seems more suited to television, where each episode can be set a few weeks or months after the last without the need to play catch-up to get the viewer on the right page. Unfortunately, working that structure into a film often causes Not Fade Away to feel disjointed.

Music fans will probably find a lot to like in the film’s soundtrack, though. Steven Van Zandt (who appeared on The Sopranos and is also part of Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band) is the executive producer and music supervisor, and he does a fantastic job with the song selection. From the Kinks to the Rolling Stones, his musical choices evoke the time period. As well, Van Zandt wrote a catchy original song for the movie, “St. Valentine’s Day Massacre”, which the band performs.

Not Fade Away wins by bringing genuine heart to universally relatable moments. For example, when Douglas awkwardly attempts to make small talk at a party with his high school crush, Grace (Bella Heathcote), it feels believable. The rise and fall of the band may begin and end in their hometown, but Chase has a knack for depicting small-scale drama in a way that is potent enough to keep the viewer engaged. It’s a slight entry that relies a little too heavily on cliché, but in the end, Not Fade Away largely rings true.

MMM

Lies and style Catching up with the midseason premiere of Suits JAIME POKHOY The popular show Suits maintains its sleek and sophisticated theme as it returns to television to continue its second season.

The midseason finale left the lawyers of the prestigious Pearson Hardman firm divided. Having just recovered from an aggressive firm takeover in which some of the characters were caught on the wrong side, we find them catching up after a week in recovery. However, Mike (Patrick J. Adams) has lost himself in his old marijuana habits and wound up in the middle of an old friend’s marriage. He comes back to the firm motivated, but somewhat rusty and/or high.

The legendary Harvey Specter (Gabriel Macht) maintains his reputation as the best closer in the city and reluctantly cashes in on his prestige when he ends up needing to save Mike from his compromising mistakes yet again by the end of the episode. We also witness Harvey’s rare compassionate side when he makes numerous efforts to rekindle a relationship he once shared with his old friend Zoe (Jacinda Barrett).

Louis (Rick Hoffman) returns to Pearson Hardman as a senior partner and is ecstatic to exercise some

of his new privileges by seducing women with his title and hiring his own personal associate to stick it to Harvey and Mike. Once Louis finds himself comfortable in the position he’s strived for his whole career, his superior, Jessica Pearson (Gina Torres)—who he almost ousted in the season finale—remembers his act of betrayal and reacts by restricting his actions and limiting his glory.

Ultimately, he throws the case and divulges privileged information to the other side, compromising himself and the people of the firm he works with in the process.

In the season premiere, it seems the cast has expanded with the introduction of new characters, such as Harvey’s and Louis’s new hires for the firm. Louis’s top candidate, Maria “The Machine” Munroe (Aarti Mann), proves her worth in her first few minutes on screen;

however, she also foreshadows the massive problems she might cause for Harvey and Mike. The second hire is Katrina Bennet (Amanda Schull), who comes as a result of a shady deal struck behind backs in order protect Mike from his destructive wave of righteousness.

The biggest conflict from the midseason finale was the rift that developed between Mike and Rachel Zane (Megan Markle) after she caught him in bed with another woman shortly after he tried to woo her. Now, as Mike struggles to keep his conscience afloat in all the corruption, he finds himself desperately trying to reconnect with Rachel, his closest friend, but fails multiple times.

Aside from his relationship issues, Mike begs to stay on a drunk driving case that closely resembles the death of his own parents and struggles to maintain a professional distance. Ultimately, he throws the case and divulges privileged information to the other side, compromising himself and the people of the firm he works with in the process. The midseason premier ends with everyone still trying to recover from the firm almost being lost— and from their own decisions.

It’s certainly a promising start to the rest of the season. MMMM

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8

« 21.01.2013

Editor » Carine Abouseif

Runner’s high builds better brains Research suggests physical activity played a key role in the evolution of intelligence

JILLIAN LIM ASSOCIATE FEATURES EDITOR The physical endurance that exercise breeds may sharpen your mind over time. According to an emerging perspective on human evolution, the runner’s high— that weightless and empowering feeling of clarity you get after a run—can be traced back millions of years to how our brains first developed complexity in prehistoric times.

Picture our earliest huntergatherer ancestors as they hunted animals on foot, increasing their physical endurance with every stride. As humans began to outthink and outrun other creatures to secure food, our bodies and brains evolved simultaneously. According to David Raichlen and his fellow scientists at the University of Arizona, this evolutionary perspective gives exercise a new importance if we want to sharpen our minds. Does active movement play a part in the way our brain grows and reshapes itself over time?

In his article “Linking brains

VIVIAN WONG/THE MEDIUM

and brawn: exercise and the evolution of human neurobiology”, Raichlen draws on the traditional notion of “survival of the fittest”.

According to this notion, only the most athletic and active members of a species survive and pass their

genes on to the next generation, because they can compete for food more efficiently. Our species was not exempt. Through generations of active movement, the human body tended towards longer legs, an upright balance, and better

agility. The body adapted.

But scientists have also observed that the human brain was expanding compared to the brains of other mammals with the same body size. Humans began to develop the ability to plan and execute

traps and to trick prey, further distinguishing the human brain from the brains of other animals.

Until recently, these two developments were thought to be discrete. Scientists believed that the mind became more complex because humans faced mental challenges, not physical ones. A similar philosophy—the separation of mind and body, the distinction between mind and matter—dates back to ancient times.

But Raichlen’s developing perspective on brain and body evolution suggests that these developments happened in parallel. In other words, the movement of our active ancestors shaped not just the way our body looked, but also the complexities of how the human brain works today.

Raichlen compared the physical endurance and brain size of certain animal species. He found that species like dogs and rats that can run quickly and for long durations tended to have larger brain volumes.

Evolution continued on page 9

VOL 2 EP 12: The simiplicity or complexity of things LUKE SAWCZAK COPY EDITOR

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Hi, everyone! I hope you’re officially back in the groove by now.

(I know I ain’t.)

This week’s topic is kind of a humble one: how words get naturalized. That is, how they go from being complex bundles of morphemes to being normal-sounding—how it gets so that we see them as, well, words.

One thing to note is that complexity or length isn’t a great predictor of naturalness. This morning my friend Paul texted me in awe of how “immediate” came to mean what it does. Can you guess it? Here’s how: med is the Latin root meaning “middle”, im- is a variant of in- meaning “not”, and -ate is an adjectival ending. This gives something like “with nothing in between”. Pretty cool, huh?

You’ve seen something like this when I’ve gone through the etymologies of various words.

But here I want to draw attention to the opposite. Language enthusiasts often quote an etymology and smugly remark, “So that’s what the word really means.”

When we hear that, we’re a little impressed, but we also feel a bit cheated that a word we’ve used all our lives means something other

than we thought it did. “What are you talking about?” the average speaker might say. “It just means ‘immediate’!”

In the Italian movie Il Postino, a rural Italian postman meets the poet Pablo Neruda. Neruda uses the word metaphore, and the postman doesn’t know it.

Neruda explains what a metaphor is, and the postman exclaims: “Oh, it’s simple! So why has it got such a complicated name?”

The truth is, a word’s history is not what it really means. “Etymologies are not definitions,” writes Douglas Harper, the curator of etymonline.com. “They’re explanations of what our words meant and how they sounded 600 or 2,000 years ago.”

What they meant. Every native English speaker knows what

“immediate” means, and unless they’re explaining it to someone who doesn’t know it, they won’t use the phrase “with nothing coming between”—and even if they do, they’ll have no clue that the word’s parts come together to mean exactly that.

How does it happen that what was once a complex coinage became a perfectly normal word everyone knows, regardless of, say, their education? And I’d argue that “immediately”, which is even more complex in terms of its parts, feels even more familiar, more “natural”, than “immediate”.

On the other hand, in the Italian movie Il Postino, a rural Italian postman meets the poet Pablo Neruda. Neruda uses the word metaphore, and the postman doesn’t know it. Neruda explains what a metaphor is, and the postman exclaims: “Oh, it’s simple! So why has it got such a complicated name?”

What strikes me (and feels realistic) in this scene is that metaphore is not a complicated word.

Its parts are straightforward, if you know them, and Italian has many words that have more syllables and are harder to spell. The fact is, it’s just unfamiliar.

Languages continued on page 9

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21.01.2013 THE MEDIUM FEATURES

9

Better brawn, Scrumptious subs better brains Finding UTM’s most mouthwatering sandwich MADELEINE BROWN

Mind-body continued from page 9 Raichlen recalled a study in which rats were bred to be marathon runners; when these marathon rats reproduced with other marathon rats, their offspring were born with startling characteristics. The rat pups showed not only a high capacity for physical endurance, but also increased levels of a protein substance called brain-derived neurotrophic factor. Scientists link a surge of BDNF in the brain with increased brain growth. With more BDNF coursing through their brains and bodies, this generation of rat pups could move faster and think quicker. Their brains and bodies were changing at the same time.

Raichlen hypothesizes that our ancestors experienced a similar surge of protein, and that we might, too, when we exercise regularly. Our most active early ancestors would have handed down certain biological characteristics that characterize physical endurance, like increased levels of BDNF. This could explain the human advantage in brain size.

With this new and increasing ability to reason, humans were able to devise complicated traps and plans to catch prey.

So when we work out, do we stimulate a healthy flow of BDNF through our brains and bodies? In a New York Times

article, Raichlen admitted that his theory of a movement-driven brain evolution remains speculative and, for now, unproven. In a Live Science article, he said, “The evolution of the human brain is probably the result of a lot of complex selection pressures interacting with each other. I don’t think we’re going to find just one pressure that drove all of human brain evolution.”

Still, studies continue to link exercise with neuroplasticity, or the brain’s ability to expand and alter in shape over time. A 2003 Behavioral Neuroscience study reports that mice that ran showed a significantly higher number of brain cells. A 2005 Nature study found that when young mice ran on a wheel regularly, they could navigate a maze faster than non-runners. And a 2010 article in Brain Research found that nine- to 10-year-old children who remained physically active had hippocampi 12% bigger than those of children who were out of shape. The hippocampus is a part of the brain involved in memory, learning, and spatial navigation.

Raichlen’s theory on how our brains evolved is speculative, but the body of evidence supports the core of his theory: through an evolution grounded in movement, hunting, exercise, and travel, the human brain is “wired to run”.

The sandwich is a brown-bag classic. Come university, it becomes not just the perfect choice for lunch, but sometimes breakfast and dinner too. It’s a quick, cheap, and—depending on what you put on it— healthy.

Thankfully, our campus has no shortage of sandwich options. I scouted out what UTM has to offer by tasting different versions of the humblest of sandwiches: the ham and cheese. This classic features all the components that make up a well-composed sandwich: meat, cheese, veggies, bread, and condiments. Let’s break a little bread!

SUBWAY

JUNAID IMRAN/THE MEDIUM

Panini Fresca’s press-marked bread is worth the extra few dollars.

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$4.19 BEST HAM AND CHEESE

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The king of the sandwich world offers the classic ham sandwich on a 6- or 12-inch sub on any flavour of bread (mmm, flatbread) and with any combination of vegetables. Despite the reputation of Subway’s breads, the vegetables were the standout feature.

The romaine lettuce was crisp and the tomatoes juicy and plump. Because the vegetables were fresh, they held their texture, smell, and flavour.

On the other hand, the mustard—the classic condiment for a ham sandwich—was sour and a little overwhelming. Subway’s ham sandwich is the most wallet-friendly on campus, weighing in at under four dollars.

When you think of Tim Hortons, you might immediately salivate over the thought of sugar-drizzled doughnuts with a steaming coffee. But never dismiss Timmies when it comes to sandwiches. Their take on the classic ham was beautifully presented: neat and tidy with an even distribution of toppings. But the ham and cheese were definitely the stars here. The sweet, tangy, rather untraditional mustard complemented the sweetness of the ham, while the cheese was sharp with a good bite. The bread and vegetables served their purpose, but had no real presence. Overall, it’s worth the extra money for the quality of the meat and cheese alone.

Just like the Instructional Building, where this sandwich heaven is situated, Panini Fresca is innovative, modern, and a little upscale. The panini version (referred to as the “Italian Club”) is a little more than the typical ham sandwich. They layer on sliced turkey, arugula, and a savoury garlic spread. But I have to admit, it’s the trademark panini press marks, toasted edges, and oozing warm filling that won me over. The warmth of this sandwich is particularly tempting when you’ve just walked in from the cold. Panini Fresca’s sandwiches are by far the most expensive on campus, but do yourself a favour once in a while and give in to the grill.

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Simplicity or complexity Language continued from page 8 Similarly, you’ll often read a book or see a movie where someone has an accent that people think of as not being “eloquent”. Say, someone from out west, who says things like “Ain’t never seen nothin’ so durn stupid”—picture the cowboy from The Big Lebowski if you want. Suddenly they’ll bust out a word like “parlance”, as in “Well, in the parlance of our time…” I don’t know about you, but that feels to my intuition like an upscale, even complex word. But it’s not; it’s just unfamiliar. And there are dialects in which it’s more common, and to those speakers it feels natural. This can happen to some pretty surprising words.

Or even whole phrases. There are endless examples where, through common use, a complex string becomes a simple one. And it happens in all languages. Here are a couple of examples from French: One, chose (“thing”) is a feminine noun. But quelque chose (“something”) is masculine. This tells me that as the combination became a more and more common in French, it went from being composed of two distinct parts to only one in Francophones’ minds—the chose part was no longer recognized. It went from complex to simple.

Two, Latin had a word for “today”: hodie. But in French you say aujourd’hui; only the hui comes from hodie. And if you broke it down, the

whole word would mean “on the day of today”. At some point in the long transition from Latin to French, hodie ceased to mean “today” (maybe it subtly shifted to “now”) and needed to be propped up with the whole phrase.

The basic point to remember, if you’re interested in language, is not to confuse complexity with unfamiliarity.

Examine your own speech and that of your peers. Try and figure out what’s really eloquent— not just exotic.

How can this be? you wonder.

How can a language require you to say “on the day of today” whenever you just want to say “today”? The answer is, it doesn’t. To French speakers, aujourd’hui just means “today”.

It became naturalized.

There are many more examples (including some great ones I’m reluctantly passing by in the interest of space). The basic point to remember, if you’re interested in language, is not to confuse complexity with unfa-

miliarity. Examine your own speech and that of your peers. Try and figure out what’s really eloquent—not just exotic.

Like the time I had to go to an examination for discovery (as part of a lawsuit concerning an accident I was injured in). The other person’s lawyer grilled me on a lot of topics about the accident. I often had to answer “Not to my recollection”, which I thought was nice and professionalsounding.

We took a lunch break, and he suddenly became friendlier. “I notice you’re quite eloquent,” he said.

“Oh,” I said, “like ‘Not to my recollection’?”

“Well, no,” he replied. “I hear that one a lot.”

It took me a while to realize that the reason “Not to my recollection” sounded fancy and eloquent to me was because I rarely use it; it only seems complex. It’s also a fixed phrase, rather than a typical modern English construction.

So what was it after all? What pattern of speech did I use that this lawyer considered eloquent? I’ve never quite figured out I said that was so special. With the natural intuitions we all have about what sounds fancy and what sounds natural, I’ll probably never figure it out.

Maybe I should just be content with the answer Neruda gave to the postman: “Man has no business with the simplicity or complexity of things.”

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10 THE MEDIUM «SPORTS 21.01.2013

Mediumsports Editor » Isaac Owusu

Getting hot at the right time EBI AGBEYEGBE ASSOCIATE SPORTS EDITOR The crowd slowly filed into the RAWC in anticipation of the game between the UTM men’s White Eagles and Scarborough. Both teams warmed up on their respective sides of the court, and as the game drew closer, you could sense that both teams wanted the win.

The members of UTM White have slowly been forming an identity for themselves over their last couple of games. They have become a strong rebounding team, and their defence is starting to show at just the right time.

It was a closely contested game at the start, with both teams playing tough defence and not allowing any easy baskets. UTSC had the better start offensively, with their shooters knocking down shots from outside and inside. Their ball movement early on in the game caused problems for the Eagles’ defence, and UTSC took an early 15–9 lead.

UTM’s coach, Juan Nunez, quickly took to his bench to keep the game from slipping away and put some life into the offence. The

ALBERTO BECERRA/THE MEDIUM

UTM shot their way to a 14-point victory over Scarborough. bench answered his call. UTM big men Harris Nvrkanovic and Jeff Thorpe protected the basket, denying any easy points in the paint.

UTM’s bench continued to flourish, getting their hands in the passing lanes, which led to easy baskets on the other end.

The Eagles continued to move the

ball, and with the assists flowing, they built their lead to 11 points by the time there was 2:10 left in the first half. But UTSC ended the half stronger. UTSC’s coach had been screaming at his players the whole half to get their hands up and play tough, and they finally started listening to him. They got their hands

up and started collecting some offensive rebounds. UTSC went on an 11–2 run to end the first half, but UTM was still up 34–30.

The second half of the game was all about offensive rebounding.

Both teams started off the second half in much the same way they had started the first: with intense

defence. This meant many missed shots—and with missed shots comes a chance for rebounds. This is how the Eagles won the game.

Nvrkanovic and Thorpe picked up six offensive rebounds between them, which lead to 14 secondchance points for the Eagles. Both UTSC’s coach and its players were visibly frustrated at their own lack of rebounding. The crowd screamed for their home team, and some trash-talking erupted between members of the UTSC team and someone in the crowd. It was nothing serious, and the referees calmed the situation down.

Nunez maximized his 13 players and kept his rotation neat throughout the game. The Eagles won with a score of 81–67. Afterwards, he congratulated his players on a game well played.

It was a game of runs and defence: both teams had runs that could have easily led their teams to victory, and White’s defence has steadily improved over the course of the season. Considering the impressive play they’re showing on offence, they’re getting hot at the right time.

Armstrong riding dirty JASON COELHO ASSOCIATE SPORTS EDITOR

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As the headlines of the United States Anti-Doping Agency’s mid-2012 investigation of the renowned American cyclist Lance Armstrong made their way into the world of sports, many were shocked at the accusations made against the cyclist.

Armstrong was regarded as one of the greatest athletes of all time before the doping allegations, which quickly tarnished his reputation.

The blood samples from 2009 and 2010 of the seven-time Tour de France champion were retroactively tested and found to contain banned substances, including the bloodbooster erythropoietin and other steroids.

In light of these revelations and their effect on his formerly illustrious career, the cyclist was forced to resign as director of the Livestrong Foundation, formerly the Lance Armstrong Foundation, which provides support for those affected by cancer—a cause dear to Armstrong, a survivor of testicular cancer.

Numerous sponsors have since dropped Armstrong, including RadioShack and Nike. The most devastating damage to Armstrong’s reputation, however, came from the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which stripped the road-racing cyclist of all seven of his Tour de France titles. In addition, the In-

ternational Olympic Committee requested that Armstrong return the bronze medal he won at the 2000 Summer Olympics. Armstrong has also been banned from professional cycling.

As Armstrong’s former fans— who knew him as a good-natured philanthropist—look at the athlete in abhorrence of his athletic misdemeanors, not everyone is taking the news the same way.

“There are three distinct groups of reactionaries to this scandal,” says third-year neuroscience major Matthew Tran. “The first group hates him for what he’s done and sees his campaigns as phony; the second group is lenient towards his actions, as he’s become a beacon of hope for cancer patients; the third is unsure.”

Tran describes himself as “a mix of the second and third. To me, as an athlete he’s completely in the wrong.

As a person and role model, I have yet to decide.”

“I understand that doping is a huge issue, and this is one of the biggest sport scandals of all time, but it’s unfair to forget what he’s done with and for cancer,” he adds. “If he didn’t vehemently deny all the accusations against him, I think I would have an even harder time coming to terms with all this.”

Kyle Kuczynski, a third-year history and political science major, was shocked by Armstrong’s admission of guilt. “At first when they stripped

him of his medals, I did not want to believe that he was taking performance-enhancing drugs. Now that the evidence is out, it’s revealed that he has lied for over a decade,” says Kuczynski. “I think that it’s an absolute shame.”

Kuczynski notes that Armstrong was integral in popularizing the sport of cycling in North America with his Tour de France wins, and hopes that his philanthropic work will not be overlooked in light of his recent confession. “What he did for cancer will never be forgotten, and this scandal should not compromise the integrity of what he has done,” he says.

The doping scandal has spawned many anti-Armstrong campaigns; Sports Illustrated named Armstrong the “Anti-Sportsman of the Year”. Like many disgraced athletes who have been publicly ridiculed for their unsportsmanlike conduct, Armstrong is being furiously sought after by media outlets to comment on the events that have transpired.

On January 17, Armstrong sat down with Oprah Winfrey for a televised interview to admit his guilt publicly. In the interview, Armstrong admitted to doping and named several banned performance-enhancing substances, including human growth hormone, EPO, and cortisone. Armstrong claimed that he ceased using the banned substances in 2005.

21.01.2013 THE MEDIUM SPORTS

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11

That’s gotta hurt Shorter season, taller order?

EBI AGBEYEGBE ASSOCIATE SPORTS EDITOR The UTM women’s tri-campus team kicked off the second semester of competitive basketball at the RAWC against the undefeated St. George team. After losing to St. George Black earlier in the season, the Eagles were looking for payback.

Last semester, the Eagles played well on offence, with point guard Essence Peneloza-St. Hill controlling the pace of most of their games. With their good ball movement, the Eagles were able to win their home games last season.

This game didn’t start off in the same vein; St. George took an early 8–2 lead. The Eagles were allowing their opponents to get easy shots, which led Coach Jack Krist to call a quick timeout to get the girls focussed. The timeout sparked the defence into action, and with good hands in the passing lane, the Eagles got some fast break layups on the other side and drew level at 12–12.

This was as good as it got for the Eagles on this night, because then St. George turned up the defence. They didn’t allow any penetration to the rim, which forced UTM to take deep shots that weren’t falling.

Krist called another timeout with six minutes left in the first half to rally his team. Then, with four minutes left, he went to his bench, taking off four players at once and replacing them with four from the bench. But this didn’t hinder St. George, who kept playing their tough defence and

denying shots at the rim.

On the other end, St. George moved the ball effectively and got good looks at a few three-pointers, which they knocked down.

The Eagles took a huge blow towards the end of the first half when starting forward Na’vi Sohal went down with what seemed like a serious injury. She was able to limp off the court, but she did not return to the game. The good defence and efficient offence from St. George led them into the break with a lead of 35–18.

The second half was no different.

UTM picked up their defensive effort but still couldn’t get anything going on offence. Steffany Bakelaar tried to rally the team by hitting a couple of layups with seven minutes left in the game and managed to cut the lead to 17 points. Peneloza was visibly frustrated with her shooting, as she couldn’t get most of her shots to fall, and it was the same for most of her teammates. Krist went to his bench again to switch things up, but in the end St. George’s defence effort was too much for the Eagles. The game ended at 59–34 in St. George’s favour.

“We are a bit rusty and we haven’t had a chance to practise all week; we added two new players also and they haven’t had enough time to gel,” said Krist after the game. “They’re a very good shooting team; they hit a lot of shots on us. One of my starters got banged up and a lot of things weren’t going our way.”

“I still think we can beat this team,” he added. “We have the talent to do so.”

Running the point Looking into point guard Peneloza’s life INGRID MELDRUM Sitting at a table on the top floor of the library with a textbook, wearing sweatpants and basketball shoes, Essence Peneloza is the definition of a UTM baller.

Like many basketball enthusiasts at UTM, Peneloza’s life comes down to eating, sleeping, and playing ball. Oh, and maybe studying every now and then.

She is a second-year crime and law deviance student who plays on the UTM women’s tri-campus basketball team. Basketball has been a critical part of her daily routine since she tried out for her junior girls’ team in elementary school.

“At the time, I didn’t know why I wanted to try out for the team,” said Peneloza. “But looking back, I realize that it was so that I could spend more time with my dad, because he was really into sports. […] Soon enough, I fell in love with it, so it was a win-win situation.”

When she came to UTM last year, her parents warned her that she might have to give up the sport in order to focus on her studies.

But on the tryout date, Peneloza donned her basketball shoes and wowed the coaches with her skills.

“I just had to go,” she said. “Basketball has always been a part of my routine and so it just became a part of my daily schedule.”

Peneloza-St.Hill plays the point guard position and is a team player through and through. On the

court, she controls the ball and sets up plays for her teammates, while on the bench she cheers them on and high-fives the ones who have been substituted. Off the court, Peneloza is a smiley, friendly person who focusses on her studies in the hope of applying to law school.

When asked how she would improve the team, Peneloza replied, “I want our team to have more chemistry. If you have chemistry between the players, you’ll win games.” She mentioned the men’s White team’s basketball win this past Wednesday. “The guys are like a family, and the players have a great chemistry that shows on the court,” she said.

After she graduates from UTM, Peneloza plans to continue playing basketball or coaching. “Nothing [else] gives you that feeling, of playing,” she said.

But coaching is nothing new for Peneloza, either; she has coached for Athletes in Action and her high school basketball team. Having had ambitions to play for the WNBA when she was in elementary school, Peneloza wants others to have that kind of ambition too.

“When I’m not playing anymore, I want to give back and give the children the opportunity to have a passion in their life,” she said.

In the meantime, Peneloza continues to study and play basketball at UTM. Watch for her in the coming weeks as the Eagles head into the playoffs.

KAREEM RAMADAN In 2012, the Toronto Maple Leafs earned the unfortunate distinction of being the only non-playoff team in the post-lockout NHL. The eightseason Leafs playoff drought is especially embarrassing considering that over half the NHL teams make the playoffs each year.

In spite of these failures, all is not bleak in Leafsland. Wingers Phil Kessel and Joffrey Lupul are fresh from a campaign in which they combined for 149 points in 148 games—the third-highest output by any duo in 2012, topped only by Pittsburgh’s Evgeni Malkin and James Neal and Tampa Bay’s Steven Stamkos and Martin St. Louis. The Leafs duo forms two thirds of a legitimate top line, and represents the club’s most potent one-two punch since Mats Sundin and Alexander Mogilny in 2003.

On the defensive side, rookie Jake Gardiner displayed the type of twoway game the Leafs have lacked in the past decade. Gardiner’s impressive play continued during the lockout, when he produced 17 points, or nine goals, in 22 games for the Leafs’ AHL affiliate. With an additional season of experience under his belt, Gardiner looks to become an important player for the Maple Leafs.

In order to take a step forward and contend for the playoffs in 2013, the Maple Leafs need to lower their goals against total from 3.16 per game.

Part of the problem is the penalty kill, where the Leafs ranked third-

last in the NHL with 77.3%.

The addition of Jay McClement will help in that regard. Over the last five seasons, no forward has spent more time on the penalty kill than McClement. His role has been somewhat diminished the past two seasons on a deep Avalanche squad, but with the Blues from 2008 to 2010, McClement was on the ice against the ninth- and 14th- strongest opponents.

“Anything can happen in a short season, but the odds are against the Leafs.”

—Moiz Badar The other part of the problem is in goal. Last season, the Leafs’ goaltending combined for a .897 save percentage, the lowest in the NHL. Starter James Reimer will be returning between the pipes, but this season he will be backed up by Ben Scrivens, a promising rookie and AHL standout.

The hope is that Reimer will produce more in the style of his rookie season of .921% than last season’s .900%. If Reimer stumbles out of the gate, the Leafs will not hesitate to throw Scrivens into the fray. The Leafs certainly have goaltending talent, but their experience in goal is questionable.

Reimer and Scrivens have played together in 83 games, a little more than a season’s worth of experience.

Up at the front, the Leafs still lack a dominant top-line centre. For now,

Coach Randy Carlyle will continue to use Tyler Bozak on the top line because of his chemistry with Kessel and Lupul. On the second line, the Leafs will rely on Mikhail Grabovski, alongside Clarke MacArthur and new addition James van Riemsdyk.

The third and fourth lines look to be an open competition between McClement, Kadri, Frattin, Kulemin, Brown, Komarov, and Orr. On defence, the Leafs’ blue line is largely intact from last year. The top five will be captain Dion Phaneuf, Carl Gunnarsson, Jake Gardiner, John-Michael Liles, and Mike Komisarek. The competition on defence for the sixth and seventh spots is between Cody Franson, Morgan Rielly, Mike Kostka, and Mark Fraser.

Not surprisingly, fan optimism is mixed in anticipation of the season opener on January 19.

“I am excited to watch the Leafs play after a lengthy lockout, but with so little turnover from a year ago, my expectations are low as far as playoffs are concerned,” says Elton Fernandez, a first-year history student. “The key factor for this season will be the development of the Leafs’ youth; the wins will come in the future.”

Moiz Badar, a UTM alumnus, expressed a similar view. “Anything can happen in a short season, but the odds are against the Leafs,” he said.

“In order for the Leafs to succeed, both short-term and long-term, it is imperative that the young core [Kadri, Gardiner, Rielly, Kessel] take a step forward and contribute.”

YOUR HEALTH & DENTAL

PLAN BENEFITS For more info please contact your students’ union: U.T.S.U. Health & Dental Plan Office 12 Hart House Circle health@utsu.ca

THE U.T.S.U. OFFERS TWO INSURANCE PLANS An extended health plan; and a dental plan. Students who have comparable health coverage may optout of the health plan while any student may opt-out of the dental plan. Students are required to opt-out on an annual basis.

Students may enroll their spouse (including a common law or same sex partner) and/or children to both the health plan and the dental plan for an additional fee.

GET MORE INFO ONLINE Visit utsu.ca/health for benefits information.

Once your account is activitated, register at greenshield.ca/ studentcentre to get personalized claims forms, claims history, to print your Green Shield ID card and to get discounts on dental and vision with exclusive Discount Networks.

WHO IS ENROLLED?

All full-time undergraduate, professional faculty and theology students at St. George or Mississauga are automatically enrolled in the U.T.S.U. extended health and dental plans.

Plan members who are first year students or returning from a leave of absence are covered starting September 1, 2012. Although coverage is effective from September 1, new plan members will not be able to receive reimbursements until their accounts are activated by the end of November.

Provider info: 1-888-711-1119 greenshield.ca/ studentcentre

OPT-IN & OPT-OUT DATES

Students starting in September: Aug. 27 to Oct. 5, 2012 Students starting in January: Jan. 7 to Feb 1, 2013 OPT-OUT ONLINE AT STUDENTPLANS.CA/UTSU ENROL BY VISITING HEALTH@UTSU.CA

YOUR INSURANCE PROVIDER IS GREEN SHIELD. YOUR GREEN SHIELD ID IS:

SAC (U of T ID#) - 00 i.e. SAC 999999999-00