Vol 39 issue 17

2

« 02.11.2013

UTSU’s Special General Meeting fails to reach quorum after UTM students leave Larissa Ho NEws Editor UTSU’s Special General Meeting, held last Tuesday, was adjourned unexpectedly before attendees could vote on the controversial electoral reform. The meeting was a replacement for November’s Annual General Meeting, whose agenda was voted down before the meeting could begin.

The SGM was called to order in the Meeting Room of the Medical Sciences Building at the St. George campus, a half-hour before it was scheduled to start, at 6 p.m.

Benjamin Dionne, the president of the University College Literary and Athletic Society, raised the first point of order: the students’ union had not included a motion to approve the agenda.

Ashkon Hashemi, the chair, responded that unlike the AGM, an SGM does not require a motion to approve the agenda.

Also, an SGM has a higher quorum, which was met at the beginning of the meeting. Quorum is the minimum number of voters required to proceed with the meeting. However, after running for nearly four and a half hours,

Ayman Khan/The MEdium

Quorum for the Special General Meeting as higher than the Annual General Meeting. the meeting failed to maintain quorum after a large number of UTM students left to catch their chartered bus at 10 p.m.

UTM students were barred from leaving until they could vote on a motion that would have allowed for greater discussion of electoral reform. Once UTM students were permitted to leave, the number of attendees dropped below quorum and the meeting was ruled out of order.

Attempts to bring in more students to regain quorum during a 10-minute recess were unsuccessful. The meeting adjourned after Rishi Maharaj, the president of the Engineering Society, moved for the meeting to reconvene next Tuesday. First, a second count was made of those inside and outside the room and established that quorum had not been reached.

Dionne then made the same motion again and it was approved by

the remaining members. Thus, the meeting adjourned without having voted on electoral reform.

Hashemi made it clear before the meeting adjourned that the next meeting would strictly continue where the SGM had left off, without further collection of proxies.

Before the meeting adjourned, members of the union voted to oppose unpaid internships, ban Styrofoam food containers on

campus, begin an antiwar coalition, condemn the website avoiceformen.com, endorse the Idle No More movement, reduce the required nominations for UTSU executive candidacy, and lobby for changes to student representation on newly formed campus councils.

The motion to reduce the number of permitted proxies, whereby students can entrust their votes to another student, did not pass.

Those who authored the motion spoke strongly about the need to maintain it for accessibility reasons while reducing the potential for the system to be “politically abused”.

Several motions carried over from November’s Annual General Meeting passed with minimal discussion. This included motions to approve the audited financial statements for the 2011/12 year, examine winter residence fees, create a box office for clubs, extend the AGM notice and deadline requirements, and lobby for multi-faith space and international student representation on the Governing Council.

SGM continued on page 3

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02.11.2013 THE MEDIUM NEWS

»3

Vote on electoral reform shut down »What are you doing for reading week?

UTSUVP internal Corey Scott speaks on a motion.

SGM continued from page 2 Munib Sajjad, the former UTMSU VP external and current UTSU VP student affairs, spoke during the discussion of the motion to lobby for increased student representation in university governance. The motion was made by Andrew Ursel, UTMSU’s VP university affairs and academics. Sajjad explained that the student unions at all three campuses are asking for ex officio non-voting seats for students on the campus councils.

“The reason why is that we represent students,” said Sajjad. “We’re not a government; we are a student union. Students come to us talking about student issues, whether it comes to parking, residence, meal plans, [or] tuition fees. Now, I think that […] from 64 seats at the college council level, shooting it down to three or four seats without any actual, true clarity about why this is hap-

pening except efficiency and clarity of business, I think that’s wrong at an educational institution.”

“They saw it endorsed by six college councils. They saw the need for change.

I don’t think this type of heavy-handed tactics against the student voice will be successful forever.”

—Sam Greene “We should be fighting for greater democracy at our institution,” he added. “And I have to say that governance at U of T is not about democracy, especially at the central administration level. I will say very strongly […] that students are at the forefront

ayman khan/the medium

and the chief stakeholders in this.”

Sam Greene, the student head of Trinity College, said that while some people “had legitimate reasons to leave”, others left in order to “shut down the vote”, and that he “has a problem with the people who left to manipulate for political reasons”.

“It’s disgusting,” said Greene in a phone interview. “I’m more than disappointed.”

Greene also commented on UTSU’s consideration of electoral reform. “I think UTSU saw the writing on the wall,” he said. “They saw it endorsed by six college councils.

They saw the need for change. I don’t think this type of heavy-handed tactics against the student voice will be successful forever. They have no legitimate argument against online voting, except they’re afraid that the administration will rig the vote.”

“This goes to show how the students’ union is out of touch with the average student,” he concluded.

Natasha Hartono 3rd-year, CCIT

Natalie Swieton 3rd-year, biology

I wannt travel but I can’t.

I’m going to downtown Toronto, probably.

I’m going to be studying.

Olivia DiFresca 2nd-year, criminology

Fabio Fialho 4th-year, environment

I’m working, doing homework, hopefully catching up with friends.

Driving down to Florida, just going to get some sun.

UTTV’s reality series set to air Eight UTM students will star in a reality series run by UTTV that combines Survivor and Big Brother

be manageable, since the contestants and producers are all stu-

dents. “We realize we can’t expect students to commit to long periods of extracurricular activities,” said Sani.

According to Sani, the producers settled on 12 hours because “it allows us to get all the footage we need in a small time span and creates a lot of tension for the contestants. Because they only have 12 hours, they’re forced to form relationships within a small amount of time.”

On Sudden Death Lockdown, the alliances contestants formed within the first 30 minutes were broken within the first four hours.

The show currently has a planned staff of 15–20 students,

including cameramen, production assistants, technical assistants, and producers. This does not include the eight contestants, for whom the auditions closed last Friday. At least 50 students tried out for the show.

Sani said that she isn’t seeking a specific type of contestant, but wants a wide variety among the auditioners.

More detailed information about the show, including the filming dates and final title, will be listed on uttv.ca as production proceeds.

Since its creation three years ago, UTTV has grown to over 1,200 members, making it one of the largest clubs on campus.

Woman dies after late-term abortion in Maryland

Father pays daughter $200 to stay off Facebook

Brown University’s student health plan will cover sex changes

Florida judge approves birth certificate listing three parents

The second family in under a week has come forward with allegations that a Disneyland character spurned them for being black. Mr. and Mrs. White alleged that a performer wearing a Donald Duck costume refused to hug their son because of the colour of his skin. The mother says it was impossible that she misread what happened.

Disney officials said they did not believe the original complaint was about discrimination, only a child being ig-

A 29-year-old woman died on Thursday of complications from a late-term abortion, according to claims by several pro-life organizations. The unidentified woman was 33 weeks pregnant, according to reports, when she went to an abortion clinic in Maryland. Early on Thursday, the woman began experiencing chest pain, and allegedly suffered bleeding in her abdominal cavity before she died.

Paul Baier, a father in Boston, Massachusetts, has has drawn up a contract and paid his daughter $200 to stay off Facebook for five months. The contract states that his daughter must surrender “access to my Facebook to change the password and to deactivate the account. This will prevent me from reactivating the account in the future.”

Beginning in August, students at Brown University who decide they want to change their gender will now be covered under the school’s generous student health insurance plan. The plan as currently configured will cover only students, not staff. Brown’s student health insurance plan will pay for more than a dozen different sexual reassignment surgery procedures, including scrotoplasty, labiaplasty, clitoroplasty, and placement of testicular prostheses.

A Florida judge has approved the adoption of a 22-month-old baby girl whose birth certificate will list three people as parents: a married lesbian couple and a gay man. The decision ends a two-year paternity fight between the couple and a friend of the women who donated his sperm to father the child but later sought a larger role in the girl’s life. The unusual arrangement was approved recently by a Miami-Dade Circuit Court judge.

Source: The Daily Mail

Source: The Daily Mail

Source: CBS Local

Source: The Daily Caller

Source: Reuters

U of T’s own television station is beginning production of a reality series starring eight UTM students.

The premise combines Big Brother and Survivor: eight students will be locked in a house for 12 hours and cut off from phones, television, and Internet, and every few hours they will have to complete mental and physical challenges that reward the winner with immunity during the next vote-off to expel contestants from the house.

A test run of the show was filmed two years ago by direc-

tor Ana Sani and film student Nathan Marniak. The test show, called Sudden Death Lockdown, involved challenges such as playing Jenga while wearing thick gloves and completing a puzzle while tied to another contestant.

“I can’t disclose what challenges we will be having this year, but they will be much harder and more intricate than those of the test run,” wrote Sani in an email interview. “One of my favourites [in the test run] was the measuring game, in which we had students estimate the number of objects, sizes, and weights of different items.”

The 12-hour duration was a challenging decision to make, and

Sani revealed that multiple arguments took place before it was settled. They wanted the time to

Disneyland accused of racism after Donald Duck incident

Michael J. Watson ASsociate News Editor

“[It] creates a lot of tension for the contestants. Because they only have 12 hours, they’re forced to form relationships within a small amount of time.”

—Ana Sani

4

«NEWS THE MEDIUM

02.11.2013

Increased thefts on campus Results of referendum Larissa Ho News Editor Campus police are reporting a high number of thefts on campus since the start of January.

Since January 1, there have been thefts of several Apple products: three MacBooks, one iPhone, and one iPad 3. Four of these thefts occurred in the Instructional Centre and one in the Kaneff Building.

According to Campus Police, on January 31 two MacBooks were stolen from the Instructional Centre at around the same time in the afternoon after students had left their belongings in the front of the lecture hall of room 110 during their midterms.

Last Monday, a student sitting at a table to the left of the Second Cup in the Instructional Centre near the front doors of the building was using her MacBook Pro when she got up to go to the bathroom, leaving her computer unattended at the table. Though she was gone from the table for about 20 minutes, it took only eight seconds for her laptop to be stolen.

Campus Police have footage of two suspects as they enter the building, take the laptop within eight seconds of the student leaving the table, place it in the male sus-

pect’s backpack, and immediately exit the building.

Len Paris, the special constable and manager of Campus Police, says he doesn’t believe the suspects seen in the video footage are students, and that they could be professional thieves.

Because the two suspects are wearing hats and the cameras are angled in such a way that the faces are not visible, police are still investigating. It appears that the two individuals are both Caucasian, probably between 20 and 30 years of age, and wearing black coats. The male is of medium build and average height. The female is of heavier build and also of average height.

On January 18, an iPhone 4S was stolen in the library, and a female student has been arrested and charged for stealing it and subsequently selling it to a store in Mississauga as a used phone.

It was then resold to another student. When it was activated, police traced it and managed to track it back to the woman who stole it.

The woman is expected to appear in court in the next five weeks.

Paris said that Campus Police have made two arrests recently in residences in regards to thefts.

Two male students who live in residences have been charged with

theft under $5,000 for stealing an iPad 3 and are expected to appear in court on February 15.

Three weeks ago, a student left his computer in an unlocked locker at the RAWC while he went to work out. When he returned, the computer was gone.

“You have to treat these items like cash. You wouldn’t leave $1,000 in cash on a bench, but people leave their computer on a bench unattended,” said Paris. “Would you expect $1,000 in cash to be there when you come back?”

Paris says there are some security measures that students can take to protect themselves, including using a password and installing encrypted security software on their phone or laptop so that the item can be traced if it is stolen.

“The number-one thing is, don’t leave it unattended,” said Paris. “If you have to go the washroom, take your laptop with you. If you want to save your study spot, don’t leave your laptop there.”

There were 104 thefts of personal property in 2012. Thefts typically occur in the residences, in the library, and in study areas, said Paris.

In almost every case, the property was left unattended and the owner was gone for anywhere between five minutes and three hours.

not ratified by UTMSU

Student Centre expansion put on hold Larissa Ho NEws Editor According to UTMSU, a human error on the part of a member of UTMSU staff, which was “expedited by miscommunication with staff of the University of Toronto”, resulted in both the decision not to ratify the results of the Student Centre expansion referendum and the resignation of the UTMSU staff member.

In a press release, UTMSU said that the members of the elected UTMSU Board of Directors, in consultation with its Elections and Referenda Committee, have decided not to ratify the results of the referendum held from January 29 to 31.

On February 1, a day after the referendum ended, members of the Elections and Referenda Committee were informed of “administrative errors that impacted the verification of eligible voters”. UTMSU alleges that they tried to fix the problem; however, five days later, on February 6, it was concluded that it would not be possible to fix the problem while maintaining the privacy of those who voted.

Babatumi Sodade, the chief returning officer who was allegedly

responsible for the human error that resulted in the non-ratification of the results, has resigned.

“It was a miscommunication between the CRO staff of UTMSU and the school administrators,” he said in an interview. “Because of the administrative error, we couldn’t ratify the results. I’m not too sure about what happened, but the fact is there was an error somewhere that called the referendum into question. So we can’t ratfiy it. That would throw the whole integrity of the referendum into question.”

The university has communicated to UTMSU that the match of $2 million is secure pending a successful ratification of the referendum to expand the Student Centre.

“The plans to expand the Student Centre will be kept on hold until a successful referendum is held and the results are duly ratified by our elected Board of Directors,” said Chris Thompson in the press release. “I am glad that the university has communicated to UTM students that they are supportive of the project and will continue to invest in expanding student space.”

Thompson was not available for comment.

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02.11.2013

«5

Editor-in-Chief » Stefanie Marotta

Not our bad blood Let me graduate in peace Disturbed by UTMSU’s campaign tactics I’ve heard plenty of stories over the past week about the Student Centre expansion referendum. For one, the board couldn’t ratify the results because of “human error”. That means the referendum results will be thrown out the window. Look forward to another campaign at some point in the future.

The biggest story that has come out of this referendum, from my own personal experience, is the number of students that have approached me to discuss the information that the UTM Students’ Union spread about The Medium.

After we published the first article a few weeks ago about the referendum, UTMSU’s president Christopher Thompson and executive director Walied Khogali approached the news editor and me for an interview to answer our questions. During this interview, they expressed concern about our coverage, saying that we had misinformed students and caused confusion.

I read aloud the portion of the article that dealt with the fee increase and explained the numbers in terms of the regular academic year and the semester. I asked Mr. Khogali and Mr. Thompson to point out the incorrect information so I could release a correction. They confirmed that while the information was correct, the article isn’t worded the way the student union wants. This interview is on record.

I have copies of The Canadian Press Style Guide and The Canadian Reporter for anyone who would like to have a read. Newspapers don’t always reproduce the exact wording of publicity materials. They report the facts.

After this discussion, I was under the impression that the issue had been clarified and that Mr. Khogali and Mr. Thompson were in agreement: the article is factual, albeit not worded in the way they hoped.

I’ve heard two things since the

results were announced. The first is that UTMSU campaigners gave speeches in lectures stating that The Medium has published “lies” online.

The second is that UTMSU executives expressed their concern to volunteers in a meeting regarding the “lies and misinformation” published in The Medium.

Besides the concerned students approaching me to discuss these occurrences, I also sat in one of these very lectures where a campaigner accused The Medium of spreading misinformation.

How can the student union accuse The Medium of spreading lies, have that falsity clarified, and then continue to campaign on the point that the information we published is false? As it turns out, it’s UTMSU that spreads misinformation about The Medium, not the other way around.

Over the last five years, I’ve had many interactions with UTMSU executives and they’ve always maintained professionalism—at least as far as I know. Presidents past and present have expressed to me their desire to “repair the relationship” with The Medium.

On my end, the relationship was never broken. We cover all UTMSU news, from the time they banned bottled water on campus to the time they were caught in a proxy scandal.

We cover the good and the bad, as all credible newspapers should.

When we publish something they don’t want students to know or in a way they don’t want students to hear it, they call it “lies”. That’s the way it’s been for generations of editors and student union executives at UTM. If the relationship is indeed broken, then maybe the finger shouldn’t be pointed at The Medium. yours, Stefanie Marotta Editor-in-chief

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Stefanie Marotta editor@mediumutm.ca

Stop asking about my plans. You should know better Dear Editor, I believe there is only one question that I hate being asked (okay, maybe three; two of them are “Are you going to finish your fries”— yes, always yes—and “Do you mind if we check your basement for several axe murderers? They’ve escaped the local asylum and it’s believed they’re in your area”).

That question is “What are you going to do after you graduate?”

The reason I hate this question—besides the obvious, jerky response of it being none of that person’s business—is because no matter who is asking that question, they’ve probably been asked it themselves and hated every moment of having to answer it.

“Oh, I’m looking at a few grad programs. I might apply next year.”

“I might just work after I finish my degree, you know, gain some more experience. Maybe do an internship.”

“I’m working right now. You’re asking me this at my job. What?

You mean you never dreamed of working at Chuck E. Cheese? Well, sooooorrry for not aiming a little higher, Your Highness!”

Whatever lame, half-baked answer you give someone, they’re always going to respond in a weird way. And that’s because there is no proper way to reply to this question, a question they initiated.

If you reply with an unsure response, all they can say is: “Well, that’s okay; you don’t have to know just yet,” and feel really terrible for even asking. Or if you give a really detailed, self-actualized response, like “Oh, well, Humber has a great comedy-writing program.

I’m working on a pilot idea right now since I need some great script pieces for my submission portfolio,” then all they can say is, “Well, good for you! Look at you being so organized and on the right track!

SPORTS EDITOR Isaac Owusu sports@mediumutm.ca

You sure showed me; I was expecting you not to know a damn thing!”

This “good for you” response can only come across as belittling, but this is the only response you can give unless you just so happen to have a life-altering experience or opportunity for this person tucked away in your pocket.

Which many people who ask don’t.

Most of the time, they’re just curious, wanting to know more about you, wanting to make small talk; but really, is satisfying your little ounce of curiosity even worth the social pressure you’re putting on this person? Or worse, the impression this person is getting of you as someone who only cares about their value in a career-oriented way?

“I’m working right now. You’re asking me this at my job. What?

You mean you never dreamed of working at Chuck E. Cheese? Well, sooooorrry for not aiming a little higher, Your Highness!”

The asker is not whatsoever as curious about what you plan to do on the weekend, and if they do ask, they’ll say “That’s nice,” when really, what a person does on the weekend is a great way to open up a conversation about their lifestyle, interests, and hobbies—you know, those things that really should matter.

And the worst part about the question is that the person who asks it doesn’t know the right answer to life. It’s not like they have the exact blueprint for your life; it’s

WEBMASTER Gary Li

DISTRIBUTION MANAGER ASSOCIATE SPORTS EDITORS Amanda Braddock Jason Coelho Larissa Ho Ebi Agbeyegbe AD MANAGER news@mediumutm.ca Aditya Kristiono ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITORS PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR ads@mediumutm.ca Junaid Imran Jai Sangha photos@mediumutm.ca Michael J. Watson BOARD OF DIRECTORS Matthew Butler, Paul Donaghue, ASSOCIATE PHOTOGRAPHERS Sviatoslav Romaniuk, Monika A&E EDITOR Alberto Becerra Colleen Munro Bianca Nagy, Warren Clarke, Jasmeen Virk arts@mediumutm.ca Gwera Kiwana ASSOCIATE A&E EDITORS ONLINE MANAGING EDITOR COMPLAINTS Aristotle Eliopoulos Edward Cai Comments, concerns or complaints about online@mediumutm.ca The Medium’s content should be directed FEATURES EDITOR to the Editor-in-Chief who can be located Carine Abouseif DESIGN EDITOR at the email address above. features@mediumutm.ca Vivian Wong

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

not like they’re asking you, waiting for you to say something that’s a word-for-word match to what they know already, like a weird game of charades.

“Yes, yes... you’re going to... come on, you’re so close! Just say it! You’re going to become... augh, you almost had it! Sorry, we were looking for ‘marine biologist’. I was hoping you’d figure it out on your own. You make me sick. I really thought you’d figure it out.”

Nope.

Most likely, this person isn’t even sure if the choice they made in their life is right, yet they went with it and just hoped it would all work out.

Maybe there is a point of exaggeration, but it’s all true: there really is no benefit to asking that question in a normal social situation, and when you do ask it—if you choose to—there’s really no point in analyzing it or commenting on it. Sure, there will always be appropriate situations to ask it, like at a networking event, an employment centre, or maybe even when it comes up in normal conversation (sometimes a person makes it very clear that they hate what they’re doing and they’ve left you no space to take the conversation to another place).

But if you’re just asking because you want to know, maybe think about the fact that if you’re asking this person, you’re probably the 80th person to do so, and if you’re asking just because you want to know or to make small talk, reevaluate your priorities and your choice of small talk. Because if you’re making proper conversation, this shouldn’t even need to come up at all.

Aristotle Eliopolis Fourth-year English and communications

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2013 UTM CAMPUS COUNCIL & STANDING COMMITTEE ELECTIONS Student Candidate Statements http://www.utm.utoronto.ca/governance/elections-2013

UTM Campus Council Election: Full-Time Undergraduate Student Candidate Statements Hamza Ansari I am your current Associate to Vice President of University Affairs & Academics as well as last year’s Minister for UA& A. Today, our students are not seriously represented in the major governance decisions that directly reflect your campus experience (programs, transcripts, parking, and food options) and I would like to reflect these concerns at these meetings.

We are currently working to DROP 1.0 credit from your transcript, make Library 24 hours, and FREEZE Tuition so YOU are better equipped for the Graduate School of your choice. Help me improve your future!

Ayman Khan My name is Ayman Khan. I am a third year CCIT student. If elected, I will work with other councillors to: • Lobby to include international undergraduate students under OHIP. • Advocate for more funding from the provincial and federal government in the form of grants and bursaries.

• Lobby to split-tuition fee payments centrally.

• Lobby to ban the sale of bottled water on campus.

• Lobby to introduce more Green and Organic bins on campus. Advocate for a freeze or reduction on parking fee increase.

Alice Li I believe I am an excellent nominee for Campus Council because I possess the essential background experience and aspiration to be a leader. I have served as a member of Student Council during high school, where I overlooked the school community, as well as the Milton Mayor’s Youth Advisory Council, where I represented the youth voice alongside Town Council. Having volunteered for 30 different organizations, I have been trained to be responsible and reliable. I take my Campus Council nomination very seriously and seek to contribute to my school community.

Ro’a Saafan My name is Ro’a Saafan and I am pursuing a specialist in Political Science, a major in Criminology and a minor in History. Having been a part of various student organizations at which I have held many leadership roles, I am a best fit candidate for Campus Council. I will lobby to introduce a 1.0 Drop Credit, work to remove additional fees for essential services, lobby to increase Study Space on campus, and advocate for a freeze on parking fee increases. A vote for Ro’a Saafan is a vote for greater student input in the issues central to UTM students!

Cherri-Ann Valentine My name is Cherri-Ann Valentine and I am a fourth year Forensic Science student running for UTM Campus Council.

This University has been the pride and joy of many students with its prestigious stature as an institution. But with every great foundation, there are some inevitable flaws and these flaws can affect all students. If elected, I will lobby to include international undergraduate students under OHIP, advocate for more funding from the government in the form of grants and bursaries for all students, lobby to split-tuition fee payments centrally, and lobby for more student input in faculty hiring.

Sarah Elborno Hello, my name is Sarah and I am a fourth political science student and I want to be a part of the UTM Campus Council. I am actively involved in the ECC. As the representative in the highest governing body at UTM I voted on matters that affect UTM students such as the 1.0 credit drop, removing incidental fees, increase study space, advocate to decrease tuition and parking fees. As an upper year student I know what it is like to experience these issues and you can count on me to advocate my votes with your best interests in mind.

Sobia Khan If elected, I will work with other councilors to improving academic and campus affairs. I will lobby to introduce a 1.0 Drop Credit so that students will be able to drop their lowest mark on their transcript, work to remove additional fees for essential services (such as those for deferring exams, getting exam remarked etc.), and establish viable alternatives to turnitin.com. My previous experience on the Erindale College Council has opened my eyes to the inner workings of the decision making bodies at UTM, and will help me to better represent my peers on the CC.

Muhammed Talha Mahmood The question as to why one would make a good candidate for the Campus council is a strong one, albeit a slightly misleading one. Many of us will use their colorful imaginations and use this chance to list many things that they would do for the UTM community. Before I become victim to such vagaries, I will introduce myself. My name is Muhammed Talha Mahmood, I'm a first year commerce student. With the introduction of the Campus council, I will take this opportunity to humbly wish the UTM students to a prosperous new era and the happiness that UTM offers!

Sukhpal Kaur Sangha I would like to run for a position on the UTM Campus Council for a chance to collectively and individually make governing decisions. I plan to bring my extensive experiences to the Council. As a UTM student, I will effectively represent other UTM colleagues. My background in volunteering on campus, coupled with my work experience, makes me a valuable addition to the Council that oversees finances, infrastructure, human resources and many other affairs of the University of Toronto Mississauga. If elected I will contribute to the decisions made by this Council to accurately reflect the University’s current and future needs.

Grace Slobodian N/A Shirley Shi N/A Farah Tash N/A UTM Academic Affairs Committee Election: Full-time Undergraduate Student Candidate Statements Noura Afify Hello everyone! I am an ambitious hard worker. I will push myself to ensure that I am properly and ethically representing you, and that university decisions are always in your interest. I believe my experience at the UTM Food Bank, and working for a democratic advocacy group will enable me to succeed in this position. I am the type of person who is open to criticism, self improvement.I would be honored to represent you in the committee, because I believe in student rights and I feel that there is so much that needs to be change Hamza Ansari I am your current Associate to Vice President of University Affairs & Academics as well as last year’s Minister for UA& A. Today, our students are not seriously represented in the major governance decisions that directly reflect your campus experience (programs, transcripts, parking, and food options) and I would like to reflect these concerns at these meetings. We are currently working to DROP 1.0 credit from your transcript, make Library 24 hours, and FREEZE Tuition so YOU are better equipped for the Graduate School of your choice. Help me improve your future!

Sarah Elborno Hello, my name is Sarah and I am a fourth year political science student. I want to be a part of Academic Affairs Committee to help make positive changes for UTM students. As a representative I will vote on matters that affect UTM students such as matters affecting the teaching, learning and research functions, the 1.0 credit drop and co-curricular record. As an upper year student I know what it is like to experience these issues and you can count on me to advocate my votes with your best interests in mind.

Sobia Khan If elected, I will work with other councilors to improving academic and campus affairs. I will lobby to introduce a 1.0 Drop Credit so that students will be able to drop their lowest mark on their transcript, work to remove additional fees for essential services (such as those for deferring exams, getting exam remarked etc.), and establish viable alternatives to turnitin.com.

My previous experience on the Erindale College Council has opened my eyes to the inner workings of the decision making bodies at UTM, and will help me to better represent my peers on the CC. Michael Paulin My name is Michael Paulin . I am a third year political science student. If elected, I will work with other Councillors to: •Lobby to introduce a 1.0 Drop Credit - Students will be able to drop their lowest mark on their transcript.

•Lobby for more student input in faculty hiring and tenure.

•Work to remove additional fees for essential services - Deferring exams, getting exam remarked etc.

•Increase Study Space on campus.

•Lobby for more co-op programs.

Naeema Hallak My name is Naeema Hallak. I am a second year political science student. If elected, I will work with other Councillors to: • Lobby for more student input in faculty hiring and tenure.

•Work to remove additional fees for essential services.

•Increase Study Space on campus.

•Lobby for more co-op programs.

•Lobby to introduce a 1.0 Drop Credit - Students will be able to drop their lowest mark on their transcript.

•Lobby for more academic town-halls.

Laasya Annadevara My name is Laasya Annadevara. I am a second year commerceaccounting student. If elected, I will work with other Councillors to • Lobby for more student input in faculty hiring and tenure.

•Work to remove additional fees for essential services such as proof of enrollment.

•Increase Study Space on campus.

•Lobby for more co-op programs.

•Lobby to introduce a 1.0 Drop Credit - Students will be able to drop their lowest mark on their transcript.

•Lobby for more academic town-halls.

UTM Academic Affairs Committee Election: Graduate Student Candidate Statements Sarah da Silva I am currently the Vice-President of UTMAGS and actively advocate for the enhancement of graduate student life at UTM. Over the past few years, I have also represented graduate students on a host of Campus Committees, including the Erindale College Council, Academic Affairs Committee, Advisory Committee to the UTM Library, South Building Redesign Committee, and the Snider Lecture Committee. I wish to continue to represent graduate students on the newly amended Academic Affairs Committee for the 2013/14 academic year, where I will continue to broadcast the comments and opinions of the graduate student constituency regarding academic affairs at UTM. Masood Samim By representing the graduate students at the Academic Affairs Committee of the UTM Campus Council, my top goal is to advocate for increased funding for the Grants and Awards. I am aware of the severe limitation of funding resources for research travels and equipment, but UTM graduate student population have been consistently at a disadvantage. Additionally, I will voice your concern when it comes to research planning. As a cofounder and former vice-president of the Chemical and Physical Sciences Graduate Student Association, I have the experience to help enhance the graduate student life on campus.

UTM Campus Affairs Committee Election: Full-Time Undergraduate Student Candidate Statements Hassan Havili My name is Hassan Havili. I strive on promoting a progressive environment on our campus in which students, faculty and administration can come together and create a better future for our home: UTM. It’s about time we start treating it like one. Vote Hassan.

Noura Afify Hello everyone! I am an ambitious hard worker. I will push myself to ensure that I am properly and ethically representing you, and that university decisions are always in your interest.

I believe my experience at the UTM Food Bank, and working for a democratic advocacy group will enable me to succeed in this position. I am the type of person who is open to criticism, self improvement. I would be honored to represent you in the committee, because I believe in student rights and I feel that there is so much that needs to be change.

Zoë Adesina N/A Moe Qureshi N/A Bilal Sandeela N/A Cyril Zheng N/A

Questions about the UTM Campus Council elections process may be directed to the Deputy Returning Officer, Ms Cindy Ferencz Hammond (905-828-5233; cindy.ferencz@utoronto.ca) or the Chief Returning Officer, Mr. Anwar Kazimi (416-978-8427; anwar.kazimi@utoronto.ca).

02.11.2013

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Editor » Colleen Munro

Students unite to celebrate UTM talent Unity Through Diversity offers a week of events, including UTM’s Got Talent

MARIA CRUZ STAFF WRITER UTMSU held their annual Unity Through Diversity initiative this past week, beginning on Monday with the Cultural Expo. The week was jam-packed with fun events and free food that drew lots of attention from the students. There was an International Cuisine Day and a fashion show as well.

The main event of the week, though, was the concluding one: UTM’s Got Talent, held on Wednesday evening. The first thing one noticed on walking into the Blind Duck Pub was that it had been refurbished into a venue fit for the stars.

Following a black-and-white theme, there were hanging disco balls, shining silver stars along the left wall, balloons scattered throughout, and, of course, a red carpet leading to the stage. Chatter arose from the crowd. The night looked promising.

And what a night it was! At the door, guests were greeted with tickets for a raffle of three iPod Nanos.

Before the show began, the judges were introduced, one to represent each of U of T’s campuses.

The show began with a great performance by the Soul Sisters and the Funk Brothers. Their act consisted of a mash-up of popular

MARIAM AHMED/THE MEDIUM

Dabkeh at Unity Through Diversity. songs from current artists, including Usher, Christina Perri, Bruno Mars, and Train. But of course the performance just wouldn’t be complete without paying homage to Psy and his massively popular song “Gangnam Style”. The band slowed it down with an acoustic sound, and there were no complaints from the crowd.

The night continued with a per-

formance from Northern Souls, who are no strangers to the UTM music scene. These young gentlemen, who also performed at Frosh Week, wowed the crowd with their original song “Serenity”. The charismatic group even got the audience to join in on the chorus.

One of the standout acts of the evening was a young rapper calling himself “Revelations”. Taking a

step away from the “mo’ money, mo’ problems” rap scheme, Revelations channelled an old-school sound with meaningful lyrics. This talented artist rapped not only in English but also in Spanish and in Arabic.

Another act that impressed the crowd was Matthew Butler. Beginning with a few jokes, Butler immediately got the crowd’s attention. He sang an oldies love song, his voice

carrying through the large room and drawing much applause.

Also memorable was a cellist who performed two original songs, “Deer” (a song about all the deer living on campus) and “Phantom Train”.

In addition to the singers and musicians, several dancers captivated the audience with their moves, including a rhythmic gymnast who danced with hula hoops, ropes, and a ribbon. Rhythm, a medium-sized dance group, performed to a song with a deep story behind it.

I had the opportunity to catch up with the first act of the evening. Ala Cho, one of the lead singers of Soul Sisters, is a bubbly second-year international law student. Her friends introduced themselves: “I’m her manager, this is her choreographer, and this is her bodyguard.” Cho said this was the first time she had performed at UTM’s Got Talent. “She definitely wants to come back next year and show a new side of us,” said one of her bandmates. She also shared that she was nervous but excited and wanted to show the crowd what they had rehearsed.

UTM’s Got Talent packed a serious punch. With no shortage of talented acts, the night lived up to all the hype surrounding it. It’s definitely worth a visit next year.

A thrilling conclusion to a career Steven Soderbergh says his newest thriller, Side Effects, has come just before his retirement RAJ-KABIR BIRK STAFF WRITER Throughout his illustrious career, Steven Soderbergh has managed to steer clear of classification. He treads the oft-neglected ground of art house significance mixed with commercial viability, navigates various genres, and directs roughly one film a year. Despite all of this, he manages to maintain a filmography consistent in quality since 1998’s Out of Sight (with the arguable exception of Ocean’s Thirteen).

At 50 years of age, Soderbergh is reportedly calling it quits, and he has left us with a film that bears little resemblance to his previous efforts. The psychological thriller Side Effects stars Jude Law as Dr. Jonathan Banks, a psychiatrist tasked with helping suicide case Emily Taylor (Rooney Mara), whose husband, Martin (Channing Tatum), has just been released from jail. After several therapy sessions and various antidepressants, Emily is prescribed Ablixa. It gives her temporary relief, but also some unforeseen side effects.

The story drives on, following a template reminiscent of Hitch-

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Rooney Mara gets melancholy in Steven Soderbergh’s Side Effects.

cock but ignoring convention and predictability; there are twists and turns aplenty. Soderbergh’s visual narration and effective use of music take precedence, but adept performances from Law and relative newcomer Mara balance the film. A breakthrough role in David Fincher’s The Social Network and subsequent The Girl with the

Dragon Tattoo has put Mara in the limelight, and she is continuing in a vein of troubled, mysterious characters that may become her niche.

Supporting turns by Catherine Zeta-Jones and Tatum are low-key but aptly executed, slowly adding to the sense of paranoia inherent in the plots and subplots. Side Effects doesn’t get bogged down in preten-

sion or theatricality either, opting for deliberate pacing in a modest 106-minute running time.

Composer Thomas Newman (The Shawshank Redemption, American Beauty) provides a score outside of his regular range, treading unfamiliar territory along with Soderbergh. While not known for thrillers, his natural style adapts to

the genre impeccably. Not daunting or dramatic, but eerie and ever-present, the score is effectively understated.

The social commentary about the abuse of prescription drugs and the business of pharmaceuticals is not heavy-handed, but rather pertinent to the suspenseful narrative. Riddled with unpredictable plot twists and bolstered by strong writing, Side Effects ultimately succeeds with a disarming combination of Soderbergh’s polished yet innovative style, a chilling score, and strong performances from the leads. Never formulaic or predictable, Soderbergh has executed the edge-of-your-seat thriller with ease. It’s not a surprise to some, but it is disheartening as his directorial career comes to a close.

Next for Soderbergh is the TV movie Behind the Candelabra with Matt Damon and Michael Douglas, and after that, early retirement.

His is a career that could have stretched another 20 years and countless more memorable films, but solace can be taken in the enduring body of work he has left behind. MMMM

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“Human books” share their stories with students The Living Library Project opens up dialogues about social equality ALEXANDRA BALAJ On Wednesday, in collaboration with Hart House, UTM welcomed 14 “Human Books” to the IB Café to be loaned to students for 25-minute one-on-one sessions as they shared their unique stories.

The event, part of the Living Library Project, is the first of a promised many to be held at UTM. The Living Library Project collects individuals with stories of achievement, struggle, and determination who have inspired social change in their community and personal change in themselves. With speakers as diverse as their stories, the event is intended to stimulate conversation that explores issues of social equality to promote understanding and reduce prejudice.

The speakers included Kim Crosby, a mixed-race artist and activist working to cultivate community-driven relief for the oppressed and sexually abused. Also participating was Hal Johnson, the producer and co-creator of Body Break, a set of TV programs and commercials that encouraged Canadians to get off the couch and try a few leg exercises or a recipe for low-fat lasagna. The show challenged the status quo in the late ’80s by featuring mixed-race co-hosts Hal Johnson and Joanne McLeod.

I went to see Demetra Dimokopoulos and Wendy Chung, both UTM graduates and women with two very different career paths.

Seven years ago, Dimokopoulos, a psychology and professional writing double major, took the “Mak-

NAIXIN KANG/THE MEDIUM

Students spoke one-on-one with “human books” at the UTM Living Library. ing a Book” course taught by Guy Allen. She was one of the few who chose to publish a non-fiction novel. Her book, Exposed, recounts the history of a small Montana mining town where—at a time when one generation of miners was inching towards retirement—a journalistic investigation discovered that the miners and indeed the entire town had been inhaling asbestos fibres at lethal levels every day.

As our 25 minutes swept by, Dimokopoulos recalled the challenges of receiving permission to publish copyrighted photos, convincing the town’s residents to share their personal accounts, and making highquality yet cost-effective choices of the paper stock and cover design.

After graduating, Dimokopoulos worked for a year at The Medium

as an associate editor before taking a paid internship for the publishing powerhouse Penguin Group.

Her advice for today’s writers?

Write everywhere and as much as you can. These days, writing a blog, writing for the newspaper, or selfpublishing your own book can put you a step ahead in terms of the job experience so coveted by publishers.

In my second session, I met Wendy Chung, a certified management accountant whose work with corporate giants Pepsi and WalMart enabled her to obtain her designation in five years and set the foundation for a secure career.

However, even though her goal was fulfilled, Chung wasn’t. “That excitement and reward lasted probably only six months. It was like,

‘Great, now I’m a CMA. The world is my oyster.’ The problem is, I still didn’t quite know what I wanted to do.” So she did what every young person seeking answers does: she negotiated two months off work, and backpacked solo around the world.

“I think the conventional wisdom people tell you, even in university, is ‘You choose your major, and this is pretty much it.’ I think the reason I’m participating in the Living Library is to share the story of an unconventional path,” she said.

Unconventional indeed. In what was supposed to be only a two-day stop in the time-preserved Chinese town of Dali, Chung bonded with locals in their kitchens as they cooked their traditional dishes for

her. As she took in the uncommon opportunity, Chung got to see how unfamiliar ingredients were prepared and hear the history of the recipes.

“It was one of those things that are life-changing in some ways but not drastic enough to be an eyeopener on the day of,” she said. “After that trip, that journey, I came back to Canada thinking, ‘What am I going to do with this trip?’

Like many people, it just becomes a photo album. And for the longest time it was that.” After a few months, she came up with the idea of Culture.licious, a Toronto-based cooking class where cooks of different backgrounds teach their native recipes and explain their cultural role. Students cook and eat a meal in class with their instructors and receive a recipe book so the experience can be shared.

After we had talked for well over the meagre time limit, Chung finished with a message of encouragement. “What this trip has done for me is it has made me challenge my comfort zone. It made me realize there are a lot of things we find ourselves in and we think those are boundaries, but if you just try and step out it may bring you to another place,” she said. “I think that’s where having a good education counts a lot. I realize over the years that having a good foundation with education, strong circles of networks and friends and family, is what’s really important. Because even if you do make a mistake one day, it’s okay. Just pick up and go again.”

Review: Josh Groban Operatic, multilingual crooner returns with new album

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MARIA CRUZ STAFF WRITER

unfortunately that’s what happens in some of his new songs.

All that Echoes, Josh Groban’s sixth and latest album, hit shelves on February 5. Groban went all out with instruments this time around. In his album trailer on YouTube, he said, “We weren’t afraid to use big sound on this album.”

That they weren’t. The only problem is that Groban’s voice is best matched by a quieter sound.

Comparing his latest hits, like “Brave” and “False Alarms”, to past hits, like “You Are Loved” and “Higher Window”, the contrast is quite large. Groban’s recent songs have more of a pop sound than the operatic one his fans are used to. That’s not to say this is a bad thing; it’s just different. Hardcore Groban fans likely won’t mind the difference, but those who aren’t as familiar with Groban’s tunes might be taken by surprise.

Looking back to Illuminations, released in 2010, “If I Walk Away” is notable for its large sound and use of choir. On the new album, “I Believe (When I Fall in Love It Will Be Forever)” uses the same style, but the sound might be too big this time. One wouldn’t expect a voice like Groban’s to be drowned out by the music, but

The only problem is that Groban’s voice is best matched by a quieter sound.

Comparing his latest hits, like “Brave” and “False Alarms”, to past hits, like “You Are Loved” and “Higher Window”, the contrast is quite large.

Groban’s recent songs have more of a pop sound than the operatic one his fans are used to.

Regardless of what sound he chooses, any Josh Groban fan knows to expect some songs in Italian. True to form, the new album has the songs “Un Alma Mas” and “Sincera” in Spanish and Ital-

ian respectively. The soft instrumental background in “Mi Mancherai” and “Per Te” (on Closer, an album released in 2003) complemented Groban’s voice beautifully, and the new songs do the same. The Italian songs will never let his fans down—they’re the only ones that fall into the typical operatic genre his listeners know and love.

All that Echoes reminded me of “Never Let Go” (another song on Closer) for the simple reason that the sound overpowers Groban’s outstanding voice. That’s not to say that there aren’t great songs on this album (most notably, “Hollow Talk”, “Happy in my Heartache”, and “Changing Colours”).

Groban was kind enough to stream the majority of his album free on iTunes, but there are some songs that remain exclusive to the album. I have not yet heard the remaining four tracks on All that Echoes, but one of them, “Grazie”, is in Italian, so it’s sure to be fantastic.

Overall, this album is hitand-miss thanks to its change in sound. Groban’s voice gets lost in some of the beginning tracks, but further into All that Echoes, normality is restored and it’s an easy listen. MMM

02.11.2013 THE MEDIUM A&E

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Oscars gear up for a night of record-setting and laughs The Medium makes its picks for who will win and who should win on Hollywood’s big night SUNNY GILL The 85th annual Academy Awards will take place on February 24 this year, so here’s The Medium’s rundown of what to look forward to, who will go home with Oscar gold, and who might just make film history.

Let us begin with the good, which (surprisingly) is the Oscar telecast itself. After the incredible financial success of Ted and even a perplexing nomination for Best Original Song at this year’s awards, Seth McFarlane may not be that shocking a choice to host the show, but still, it’s a nice change of pace from recent years.

After the James Franco plus Anne Hathaway train wreck and a disappointingly benign Billy Crystal, it should be refreshing to have a host who can actually tell a joke. It remains to be seen whether the jokes will actually be fresh, or if they will be the same “Hey, rich people are giving each other gold statues!” shtick that every host seems obligated to follow. I do, however, trust McFarlane to be edgy enough to keep the audience at home laughing, but also self-aware enough to realize that actually pissing of a theatre full of people there to see the awards get handed out wouldn’t make for the smoothest ceremony, especially when that ceremony is four hours long.

Another good sign is that per-

formances of the Best Original Song nominees are returning after a year without them. The telecast will include performances

by Adele, Norah Jones, and the cast of Les Misérables. There have also been a slew of presenters announced, including all seven actors who have portrayed James Bond, as well as the cast of The Avengers, which should entice more mainstream viewers. The Academy has also tried to shorten the running time, another sign that the awards may not be as tiresome as they could be.

As for who will take home the glory, many categories are lacking in suspense. This is especially true for this year’s Best Supporting Actress award, where Anne Hathaway is all but a lock to take home her first Oscar for her role in Les Misérables. There seems to be no chance of an upset, with Sally Field’s Mary Todd Lincoln holding just a sliver of hope. As for my personal pick, it would be wonderful to see fourtime nominee Amy Adams win for her nuanced performance in The Master as Peggy Dodd, the woman behind the master, but alas, she will likely have to wait a little bit longer to take the podium.

A much more heated race is that for Best Actress; Jennifer Lawrence (Silver Linings Playbook) and Jessica Chastain (Zero Dark Thirty) have seemed to be

neck and neck for the last few months. Recently, though, Lawrence pulled away from the pack when she won the Screen Actors Guild award for Best Actress, and she will probably become one of the youngest to win the Best Actress Oscar at the age of 22.

Seth McFarlane may not be that shocking a choice to host the show, but still, it’s a nice change of pace from recent years.

After the James Franco plus Anne Hathaway train wreck and a disappointingly benign Billy Crystal, it should be refreshing to have a host who can actually tell a joke.

Oscar history could be made in more than one way in this category: Quvenzhané Wallis (Beasts of the Southern Wild) is the youngest-ever Best Actress nominee at the age of nine, while Emmanuelle Riva (Amour) is the oldest— she will celebrate her 86th birthday on Oscar night. Frankly, all five of the nominated actresses,

including Naomi Watts in The Impossible, were fantastic, and all of them deserve the honour.

But with such a strong field this year, great performances by Helen Mirren and Marion Cottilard were unfortunately snubbed.

In terms of the men, the more contentious of the two acting categories is Best Supporting Actor, with all five nominees being distinguished actors whom the Academy has honoured before. It seems like Tommy Lee Jones will win, though, with his performance as Thaddeus Stevens in Lincoln being an apparent favourite among voters. As for who should win, I’m going to again have to pick The Master, in which Phillip Seymour Hoffman delivered what will be surely remembered as one of his signature performances.

The final acting category is also the easiest to predict; Daniel Day-Lewis is the only actor who has any chance of winning.

His turn as Lincoln was not only remarkable, it will become historic. Lewis will almost certainly become the first actor to win an Oscar for portraying a president and the first person to win three Best Actor awards. Even though I am personally inclined to root for Joaquin Phoenix’s performance of Freddie Quell in The Master (again, I know), Lewis is more than deserving for his surprisingly subtle performance.

Now here’s where my predictions get a lot less sure. In terms of Best Picture and Best Director (awards that often go hand in hand), the favourite seems to be Ben Affleck’s Argo. However, after winning seemingly every major award precursor, Affleck didn’t even manage to secure an Oscar nomination for Best Director. This leaves Argo at a major disadvantage, as a film has not won Best Picture without being nominated for Best Director since 1990, when Driving Miss Daisy took home the award. I see Argo following a similar path to Apollo 13, which also won seemingly every award before the Oscars but, after not getting a Best Director nomination, lost Best Picture to Braveheart.

So who will be this year’s Braveheart? Well, it seems like Lincoln is the obvious choice for Best Director, since it’s a feelgood historical film and it currently leads the competition with 12 nominations. Unless Argo can keep up its momentum, Lincoln could win Best Picture as well.

Although it would be great to see more experimental films like Beasts of the Southern Wild or gloomier films like Zero Dark Thirty win, over the years it has become apparent that we should just take what we can get. But this year it seems like what we got might not actually be that bad!

10 « 02.11.2013

Editor » Carine Abouseif

Can you survive on $25?

We challenged a writer to eat on a budget at UTM for a week. Here’s what happened.

MARIA CRUZ STAFF WRITER One week. I’m $25 rich. The goal?

To survive five days on campus on this budget, eating one or two meals a day.

We all probably have more than $25 saved up somewhere, but who wants to dish out $8.25 on lunch every day? Upper-year students have discovered ways to beat the food prices. Eating at home sounds simple enough, but with an eighthour day and a snooze button at home, not everyone has the time or energy to pack lunch. So it’s off to the dreaded cafeterias, surviving on Tim Hortons bagels.

I decided to partake in a little experiment to see just how far I could get at UTM on a $25 budget.

Day 1 I was smart enough to eat breakfast at home today, so I’m still full when lunchtime rolls around. Of course, at lunch, with a pocket full of $25, I’m cocky enough to splurge on some food. I grab a slice from Pizza Pizza and a Powerade. Total? $7.46. I spend that money, regretting it with every bite and every sip.

I only have $17.54 left and I already feel poor.

Day 2 Breakfast is taken care of and I pack myself a snack and several water bottles. I refuse to pay another $2 and change for a drink. A granola bar doesn’t carry me half as far as I thought it would. I indulge in lunch again. I play it smart this time and grab a bagel from Tim Hortons. None of those fancy bagels; just a regular plain bagel. I breathe a sigh of relief. A plain bagel with butter costs me only $1.91, and I’m still going strong with $15.63.

Day 3 Thank you to the kind souls who hosted Unity Through Diversity on campus. Today, UTMSU held International Cuisine Day. I gorged on delicacies from every country there. No money spent, and a full stomach—one of the greatest feelings in the world.

Day 4 I skipped breakfast today because I slept in. I’m forced to buy breakfast.

A muffin from Tim Hortons will do.

Tim Hortons: the safe haven on campus that doesn’t force me to sell a kidney for lunch money. It’s $1.70 for a chocolate chip muffin, and this holds me until I purchase their beef lasagna casserole for $5.07 and am left with a very sad $8.86.

Day 5 My last day. With almost $10 burning a hole in my pocket, I’m torn between spending all my money on a decent lunch and grabbing another bagel and putting the change in my piggy bank. I opt for a decent lunch.

It’s Friday, after all. I strut into the new Davis cafeteria and grab some rice and potatoes from one of those little places that sells legitimate food. I figure it will cost me just about everything I have left, if not more. In which case I plan to haggle or cry if I have to. It turns out that rice and potatoes are considered sides and therefore they only cost me $2.19. I am left with a whopping $6.67.

Conclusion: if you’re okay with eating something small pretty much every day at school and you’re lucky enough to nab something from a generous club or two in the Student Centre, then, ladies and gentlemen, $25 covers you (drinks not included). Of course, it doesn’t hurt to go for the zombie survival kit and bring some water or granola to school. But if you’re one of the big spenders on campus that likes to actually eat, you may want to ask Mom for an allowance hike before heading off to school.

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Mississauga’s secret study spaces The city’s quietest, comfiest study spots KIMBERLY JOHNSON Panera Bread Once upon a time there was a young, incredibly stressed university student. His kingdom was overpopulated, his chambers loud, and he had not the time nor the hour to search for a fair maiden. He was but a broken man clinging to the everthinning stands of sanity.

Of course, we’ve all been in the situation where life provides more than enough distractions on the dizzying rollercoaster that is the academic season. Our young man had heard of taverns far and wide, but alas, none found his favour.

“Where to study!” he cried. “Where to learn!” His heart sank in despair and his marks came tumbling after.

But fret not, dear friends! For indeed there is hope for our young student—and for you as well. For behold! I bring forth a haven that will raise your spirits and your marks. May I present: Panera Bread.

If studying at home is not a reality for you, then Panera Bread is definitely ideal. This fine café and bakery boasts a wide selection of breads, pastries, sandwiches, and

SUPERLATIVES.BLOGSPOT.COM/PHOTO

Both Panera Bread and Coffee Culture offer a variety of drinks to sip as you study. soups that really do taste as good as they smell. Let’s admit it: if you have to cram for a test, you often want to cram your face with cookies, too.

As you drag your exhausted rear end into the store, you are greeted by a grand selection of wide tables and soft plushy couches. Imagine— learning and being comfortable at the same time! Oh, sweet wonder!

As you set your “life in a backpack” down, take a moment to be thankful for the welcome emptiness that

is but a rare treat in your world.

Panera Bread also offers bottomless coffee, tea, and pop. (Yeah, you read that right. BOTTOMLESS.) As in you have an unlimited access to the most wonderful legal stimulant there is. So yes, you sweet, exhausted pursuer of a degree, sit back, open your textbook, sip your drink, and study away. That is why you came here, right?

Coffee Culture Imagine this. You watch raindrops

cascade down the translucent window before you stare at the wordless open document on your screen.

Words. You need words. Brilliant words. Yet none appear.

You sigh and look down at your heavenly cup of coffee, the golden elixir for which you came. You raise your eyes and glance over the groups of people huddled around tables, laughing, eating, talking.

Families, friends, and dates surround you, each with their own story.

This is Coffee Culture. A place where people come to socialize, write, and, yes, study. Coffee Culture offers a wide array of food, drinks, and ice cream, all at an affordable price. In order to classify as an ideal study space, a place needs food, and this café has it.

Coffee Culture offers cheesecake, sandwiches, soups, salads, pastries, and even coffee.

But to be honest, the best part of Coffee Culture isn’t the food, it’s the environment. The café is littered with large tables and plushy couches between walls painted in warm colours. Coffee Culture has an amazing environment, perfect for studying, reading, or group projects. The café’s free Wi-Fi also helps you access Facebook… oh, and the material you need for school. You write your essay that’s due soon—or you frantically cram.

So if you’re ever in the area and you know you need to study, check out Coffee Culture, grab a drink and a slice of cake, sit down, and get to work.

Study continued on page 11

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02.11.2013 THE MEDIUM FEATURES

STEFANIE MAROTTA EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

In an Italian household, round-bellied adults indulge in homemade wine and vats of lasagna, seated around a large pop-up table. Growing up in a tight-knit Italian community at a Catholic School, my childhood revolved around watching soccer and eating cannoli in my grandmother’s basement (heaven forbid you use the furniture upstairs!). I identified wontons with ravioli and shawarma with meatballs. Then I came to UTM. Spending day after day on a multicultural campus does wonders for your palate. The Student Centre is a fount of free food when clubs campaign to attract new members. While my first interaction with a spicy samosa wasn’t the most pleasant dining experience, the fried delicacy has since become one of my favourite snacks.

As I joined more clubs and met students from unfamiliar parts of the world, I not only tried new foods, I also participated in unusual pastimes.

A few years ago, the cigarette chimneys that stand outside the library started telling stories about shisha.

When a friend of mine smuggled a hookah over the Mexican border, I had to give it a try.

Rami rolled off the plane with a black suitcase draped in fire engine red stickers that read “FRAGILE”.

“What’s with the decoration?” I

asked.

“Yo.” Rami’s eyes darted to a Mexican customs officer. “I brought a shisha.”

“Oh, one of those things!” I laughed. “I don’t get it—what’s the big deal? What do you smoke out of that thing anyway?”

“Stef, don’t you go to UTM?” He smirked. “I’m surprised you’ve never tried it.”

A hookah, also known as a shisha, argileh, or goza, is a water pipe used for smoking specially made tobacco (also called shisha). The tobacco is heated by a piece of coal, causing the smoke to pass through a chamber filled with water. The water is supposed to act as a filter. The smoke rises through a pipe and is inhaled through a mouthpiece. Hookah tobacco comes in a variety of flavours, like green apple and grape. The whole contraption reminds me of a fallopian tube.

The customs officer frowned at the computer screen as Rami’s luggage slid through the x-ray machine. The officer unzipped the case and rummaged through clothes until pieces of the pipe stuck up above the brim. A small bag of tobacco fell out of a sock and tumbled onto a pile of clothes.

Rami’s eyes widened slightly as the officer sniffed the bag.

“What is this?” The officer’s eyes scanned Rami’s face.

“It’s just tobacco,” Rami said in earnest.

The officer dropped the tobacco

onto the sock and zipped the luggage shut. After such an intense mission to transport the pipe, how could I not try the latest trend at UTM? Seated on a balcony overlooking a glistening pool surrounded by palm trees, I breathed in the rich, flavoured smoke.

“You have to hear bubbling.” Rami pointed at the cavernous base of the shisha. “That’s how you know you’re doing it right.”

“You have to hear bubbling.”

Rami pointed at the cavernous base of the shisha. “That’s how you know you’re doing it right.”

This brings me to my first tip: don’t get overzealous and breathe in too deeply. Instead of looking smooth and collected, I coughed and hacked.

The editorial board at The Medium is divided on the issue of smoking.

Every Sunday, some of the editors rise up from behind their iMac screens and zip up their jackets to stand outside the Student Centre and puff a few cigarettes. The rest of us stay inside and boast about our healthy pink lungs. When I recounted the story of my shisha experience, one editor exclaimed that I had moved over to the

dark side.

Contrary to popular belief, smoking tobacco from a hookah is not cleaner or healthier than smoking cigarettes. Many shisha smokers think the water in the pipe filters out the harmful chemicals in tobacco. In reality, hookah smoke contains the same high levels of toxic chemicals as cigarettes such as nicotine, tar, and carbon monoxide, according to Toronto Public Health.

And yet the Medium team hit up a local shisha lounge on Saturday night.

Like the hard-hitting journalists that came before us, we went undercover to investigate the scene.

Poorly lit streets and factory buildings occupy the west end of Dundas Street. The area is shady, to say the least—but that’s how you know it’s going to be a good time. Soft lighting and plush booths line the walls of Oko Blu, an Arabic-style lounge in Mississauga. The ground thumped as the DJ pumped his fist in the air and diners stood at their tables pumped right back, swaying back and forth.

The hookah in the middle of our table was just barely skimmed by the low-hanging light above. Our features editor, Carine, swiftly unwound the rubber hose from the pipe as our photo editor, Junaid, adjusted the coal that sparked red. Plates full of hummus, tabouleh, and kebab lay scattered around the pipe.

I held the mouthpiece to my lips and breathed in until the water in the

11

pipe bubbled. As I exhaled and the smoke swirled around our heads, the flavour played on my tongue. We ordered the house blend, a concoction so top-secret that even the waiters are uncertain of the ingredients. Carine and I sipped martinis and scooped up chunks of meat and baba ghanoush.

The crowd of girls on the dance floor parted as a belly dancer swept in from behind the DJ, twirling the blue wings of her dress in circles. I leaned back against the leather seat and took another puff of the pipe, breathing in the orangey flavour. The belly dancer wound around tables, gyrating her hips and twirling her hands in the air. People rose from their seats and clapped their hands over the heads, cheering her on.

In adherence to the Smoke-Free Ontario Act, local shisha lounges are supposed to be tobacco free. The World Health Organization reported that 40 minutes of smoking shisha is the equivalent of smoking 100 cigarettes due to the passive nature of the hookah.

As girls left the dance floor, we wound the rubber hose around the pipe one last time and zipped up our jackets. Weaving around tables and dancers, we stepped past the glowing embers of the dying coal.

Snow crunched beneath my heels as we headed past the sturdy security guards.

I kicked snow at Carine. “So where can I get a shisha?”

Couches, coffee, and cramming Study continued from page 10 ALIZA KHAN

Centre for Education and Training The Centre for Education and Training in Mississauga is a resource facility set up by the provincial government intended to help residents find employment. The Mississauga centre is located on Burnhamthorpe Road, a five-minute journey by bus from Square One. Unexpectedly for a government facility, the centre is elegantly designed and furnished in a way that could put anyone at ease.

The reception area is lit by soft ceiling lights and painted in warm yellow and green tones. The centre provides free access to computers, printers, and photocopiers, and offers employment and education advice. All you have to do is to fill out a form regarding your status in Canada (Canadian citizen, permanent resident, student visa, etc.), and then a counsellor comes up to you, explains how you can take advantage of the centre, and hands you an identification card that gives you

BRIEFLYSPEAKINGBIZ.COM/PHOTO

With its comfy counches and bright lights, the Sheridan campus serves as a great study spot. access to the computers.

What you do next is up to you. You can go up to the rows of blue workstations and spend hours studying on a comfy rolling chair and print 20 pages of lecture notes for free, or you can quietly take a seat among the many study tables and prepare for your quiz next week. You can also sign up for one of their programs for youth or browse through their other career

resources.

One thing’s for sure: you will have unbroken concentration on the task you set for the day. I could suggest no better place for studying for a university midterm or quiz, because the centre is literally unmatched in its feeling of quiet familiarity and yet independence to work without the distraction of family and friends.

Sheridan Learning Commons (and library) Upon entering the Sheridan Learning Commons, the first thing that hits you is the cheerfulness of the space.

The second-floor hall looks upbeat, with a high ceiling and equally high windows overlooking Square One and Duke of York Boulevard. It’s amply lit from inside, and the rooms are even brighter during the day. The

natural light is the biggest plus of the Sheridan Learning Commons, making the space seemingly larger and more optimistic—which is always a plus when you’re under pressure to do well on your next test.

Each table is painted a different colour and comes equipped with sockets for laptops and the comfort of cushioned rolling chairs. Moving along the curve of the hall, you come across the Mac desktops (which are sadly inaccessible since they require Sheridan usernames and passwords).

The Learning Commons hall branches out into the Sheridan Library for research work, which seems dull and dark in comparison to the hall. But a well-lit room peeks out from the far end of the library. This is the silent study area, a bright room furnished only with 15 individual wooden desks and rolling chairs, each with opaque partitions on three sides. This room in the deep corners of Sheridan College’s new campus sets the right mood for hours of smooth, uninterrupted study.

2013 GOVERNING COUNCIL ELECTIONS: Student Candidates Statements Please visit http://www.governingcouncil.utoronto.ca/elections.htm

Voting Period: Monday, February 11, 2013 at 9:00 a.m. to Friday, February 22, 2013 at 5:00 p.m.

Online voting will take place on ROSI (www.rosi.utoronto.ca), and paper ballots will be mailed to post-graduate medical trainees.

Full-Time Undergraduate Students, Constituency I (Faculty of Arts and Science, University of Toronto Mississauga, University of Toronto at Scarborough) Yifan (Ellen) Chen Hi there, My name is Ellen, just like the talk show “Ellen”!

I major in Commerce at Victoria College. I currently represent you on the GOVERNING COUNCIL’s Academic Board and Planning & Budgeting Committee. Also, I am on the SENATE and the operational COUNCIL of my college. Governing Council is a forum for representatives to question proposals that will impact your future: like curriculum changes and expansion projects. I know how things work because I’m currently on it! Believe me, these governing bodies need someone who will tell them what students really think! POINTING UOFT IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. Adrian De Leon I am a third-year UTSC student working towards a double major in English Literature and Biology. I would like to ask for your vote to elect me as a Full-Time Student Governor for the University of Toronto With my experience as the Vice-President of Academics at Scarborough Campus Students’ Union, as well as having been extensively involved with campus and student life, I have seen the implementation of tangible change ( e.g. improved library, student space, ect.) If elected, I would like to bring real change as your Student Governor—let the student voice be heard.

Daniel Di Cenzo My name is Dan DiCenzo. I am a fourth year UTM student. Being a member of the U of T community has given me a great deal of pride and respect for our university. However, no matter how great this university is, there are still a large number of issues our students face. Having been an active student leader for three years, I have worked with many students and heard their concerns. So far, I have been adamant to fight to ensure their concerns are raised. If elected I will continue to represent students’ issues to bring about positive change at UofT. Aidan Fishman Between work, fun and maintaining your GPA, do you ever feel like a fish out of water? If so, Aidan Fishman is your candidate! I’m running for reelection to Governing Council because I believe that undergraduates need a strong, experienced representative looking out for our interests. As one of just six undergraduates among sixty Governors, I fought successfully against grade deflation, expanded wi-fi access, and sparked a review of breadth requirements. We can’t stop now – please send me back to push for a better university. Every school (of fish) needs its leader – vote the Fish for Governing Council! http://www.facebook.com/fishmanfor Ariane Ganji I am student active in both academic and extracurricular activities at the University of Toronto giving me a solid background for this position. I will make sure that full time undergraduate student’s needs are represented accurately and solved efficiently.

Reema Gowani Vote Reema GOWANI! My goal is to bring forward the student voice at U of T. I will put forth my time and absolute effort, going above and beyond to represent the Arts/Science students. Knowing that U of T is a large institution, my plan is to bring a fresh, innovative perspective to help govern our school. Everyone should have an unbiased, accurate understanding of any issues that arise at their university, and most importantly someone who can help voice their opinions of those issues. Let me represent you, and I will make your voice heard! Your opinion matters! www.ReemaGowani.com Leena Halees Hello. My name is Leena Halees and I’m running for student representative on the governing council. I’m a first year student studying Peace, Justice, & Conflict studies. I have had several experiences working with diverse clubs and committees ranging from the athletics, the arts, and the academics. My passion is to volunteer in hopes to make a positive difference. My goal is to bring a voice reflective of the student body, ensuring only the best for the U of T community. With your support, I will do whatever it takes to make it happen. Thank you for your consideration.

Annie Hsu Like you, I am a student still trying to figure out my academic passions and career goals. Like many of you, I am not the most academically successful student or the most outspoken activist. But I am a good listener. I want to listen to you and figure out what needs to be changed to improve students’ university experiences, both academically and socially. I hope to connect with you and represent your needs and concerns as a member of the Governing Council.

Areesha Jacob Areesha Jacob is a second year student of Political Science and French at the University of Toronto, St. George. She has a distinct love for the campus and wishes to be a vital part of such a marvelous institution.

Vote for her, she can truly represent you as a student. With great time management skills and strong support for advancement of the university, she only favors the best decisions for the students. She hopes you make the right choice, she believes in you, rather. Your one vote truly matters.

Masud Khalif N/A.

Full-Time Undergraduate Students, Constituency II (Professional Faculties)

Shannon Knox Shannon Knox is currently Treasurer of the Canadian Studies Student Union and wants to get more involved in the politics and procedures that make the University of Toronto the great institution that it is. Governance is an area where Shannon is experienced, working as a Building Manager for a nonprofit housing co-operative where the Board of Directors constantly strive to improve their own governance practices. Participating on the Governing Committee will give Shannon a change to engage in matters of governance from a new perspective other than that of staff facilitator.

Yuan Chung YUAN CHUNG is a first-year medical student at the University of Toronto. Winner of numerous prestigious national and international scholarships, Yuan graduated with the University Gold Medal from University of Ottawa with a degree in Biomedical Sciences. During his undergraduate studies, Yuan founded an organization supporting charitable efforts in Cameroon and started a program facilitating student transition to post-secondary studies. Now, Yuan is a member of the class council and is involved with multiple volunteering and leadership endeavors through the Faculty of Medicine. Yuan hopes to bring forth YOUR perspectives and represent YOU in the Governing Council.

VOTE YUAN CHUNG!

Aida Liman-Tinguiri When it comes time to elect a representative, you want someone that is dedicated and eloquent. As an experienced and accomplished public speaker, I’ll have the audacity to make your voice heard loud and clear. Rest assured that Ontario’s top three bilingual debater will be able to advocate for your rights in the governing council. A vote for me, is really a vote for yourself.

John Nguyen My name is John Nguyen, an undergraduate in second year. I’ve never stood at the forefront of student governance because of one problem, its relevance to the average student. I want to make sure that everyone stays acquainted with how they could contribute their ideas, which could result in faster phases of progression in our political, social, and academic systems that will affect individual students on a personal level. I’m an average undergrad that understands the importance of the Governing Council and am running with the vision to demonstrate student governance is both applicable and relevant to the average student.

Elicia Pavan If elected for the Undergraduate Constituency of Arts & Science, I intend to help voice the student opinion in regards to the guidance and strategic direction in The University’s future, ensuring the best possible experience and long-term interests for undergraduate students. Majoring in both Human Biology and Drama, I have the ability to reach students over multiple disciplines ensuring the attention of diverse student experiences across campus are addressed. With an extensive volunteer history within the surrounding community and within U of T, I am able to articulate issues and provide creative solutions with the collective in mind.

Tannishtha Pramanick Hi! As an Arts and Science student at the University of Toronto, I am very much looking forward to being your student representative on the governing council. You can count on me to keep your best interests in mind and uphold your views. I am currently floor president and on the council at my residence. My previous employment and political experiences include working in clinical research at Boston Children’s Hospital/Harvard Medical school and participating in a government and leadership program at Yale University.

If you would like to know more or have any questions, visit my website at http://2013tanni.webs.com/.

Ashley Racine The University of Toronto has a unique commitment to treating its students as future leaders. We, as a student body, make this university what it is through a keen dedication to improving ourselves and the world around us.

I, Ashley Racine, would enjoy the privilege of sitting as a representative of this great student body on the Governing Council. I served on the Arts and Science Council and learned that we have the power to shape our education if we can only be inclined to ask the hard questions and demand the results.

That is what I plan to do.

Rodney Rousseau Rodney Rousseau is a 3rd year student in Biochemistry and Sexual Diversity Studies at the University of Toronto. If elected, Rodney intends to represent students from all three campuses using an equity-focused lens. Among other concerns, Rodney wishes to address issues of secondary school transition, support for graduate school transition, employability of graduates, and sustainable diverse access to academia. As the University of Toronto continues to grow, it is integral to student success that effective representation support the interests of U of T’s diverse student body, which is what Rodney plans to do.

Roghieh Shariari Get YOUR voice heard!

Are you worried about tuition fee hikes? New academic policies? Graduate school? Your future profession? It’s time to take a stance on your education.

You, the student body, have the biggest impact on our university’s future. I strongly believe that the Governing Council needs a hardworking and motivated member who understands these issues, and who will be there to make sure your concerns are addressed. Together we can make a difference – to make our academic and student life even better. A vote for me is a step in the right direction!

Daniel Szulc Hey there UofT’ers. My name is Daniel Szulc, and it would be an honour to be elected as your voice for the Governing Council. Your undergraduate experience should be some of the best, most creative and most inspiring years of your life, and I plan to ensure that every student has that opportunity. I’m constantly involved in my community from fundraisers to organized sports, so I hear and see all of your problems. School’s hard enough and as your representative I’ll do all that I can to ensure that what you want and what you need is what you’ll get.

Andrew Girgis Re-elect Andrew Girgis and have your interests voiced to those that make decisions on your behalf on matters relating to tuition, academic standards, and student life! Beware of empty promises! Student governors cannot make sweeping changes! However, with the right person and the right experience, you can count on the professional student perspective to be voiced when decisions on governance are made. Now serving my first term, vote of the person who has gone through the heavy learning curve and knows what is expected of a student governor and what is not and who wants to continue to serve YOU! Ryan Gomes My name is Ryan Gomes, and I’m a full time undergraduate student currently enrolled in Engineering Science. I am running to be a student representative on the Governing Council because I think it’s important for there to be a strong, independent student voice speaking up about student concerns. I’m not shy about expressing my opinions and I am always ready to listen and talk about the issues that matter most to students in how the university is being run. I hope I will have the honour of representing you this upcoming year on the Governing Council.

Igor Mihajlovic You’re an ambitious student with big dreams. You’ve been involved in countless clubs, spent summers researching, working, and volunteering. You’re ready to change the world! But now you face a five-figure tuition and mountains of textbooks. Not quite the dream? We professional students are a gem in this city. I will strive to integrate existing city resources to your benefit and bring your unique concerns to light.

It’s time for Toronto’s epicentre of innovation to work creatively and interprofessionally. I’ll use my economics background to ensure resource efficiency in Governing Council and support professional students like you.

Part-Time Undergraduate Students One of the two seats reserved for Part-Time Undergraduate Students has been filled by acclamation.

Laura Amodio Living in a society that promotes and values life-long learning, parttime students are clearly a vital component of the University of Toronto student body. As a fellow part-time student who has many responsibilities outside of studies, I can relate to those of us who are trying to find balance in it all. As Governor, I will represent you and be your student voice! I will listen to you to determine what your key issues/concerns are, come up with an action plan on how to address and advocate for the key issues, and follow through on the action plan Asad “A.J.” Jamal As a mature student in Arts and Science, and graduate of the Academic Bridging program, I know the challenges faced by part-time students.

Access to education, bursaries, child-care, more evening courses, university services, housing, equity and representation are issues I’ve advocated for as current President of the Association of Part-Time Undergraduate Students. As a member of the Mature Students’ Association, South Asian Alliance, and Debates Team, I’ve helped to build community on campus. As Governor, I will use my experiences and drive to be a strong voice for part-time students. On February 11-22, vote ASAD “AJ” JAMAL for Part-Time Governor. facebook.com/asadjamal Martin Zhang Part time students often experience difficulty in their lives. This difficulty can be financial, where a lack of funds prevents full time studies.

It can also be emotional, where family or social issues overwhelm their ability to study properly. Many part time students are at a crossroads in their lives where they seek a higher education to supplement their careers. Others are overcoming past trauma. I have lived and overcame all of those issues first hand. I can advocate for these issues in the Governing Council, ensuring that our voice is heard in the administration.

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02.11.2013 THE MEDIUM FEATURES

Madeleine Brown reviews Pho Big Bowl 2655 Liruma Road I talked about pho with friends, read about pho in food magazines, and watched specials about pho on television, but it wasn’t until recently that I realized I had never actually tried it.

Eager to satisfy my curiosity about the Vietnamese classic, I headed to Pho Big Bowl.

I ordered chả giò (deep fried spring rolls) and a large phở tái chín (rice noodle soup with eye of round steak and brisket). Within minutes, the waiter brought me a spoon, a fork, chopsticks, and a pot of green tea.

Then, just as I took my first sips of tea, the waiter brought me a small plate of bean sprouts topped with two branches of fresh basil, a small pepper, and a wedge of lime. The bean sprouts came with a small bowl of clear liquid with a few strands of carrot in it. Revealing my ignorance, I poured the bowl of liquid over the bean sprouts and began to eat them as a salad. (When I got to my computer later that night I realized

my mistake: I should have added the bean sprouts, basil, pepper, and the squeeze of the lime to my pho.) My blunder worsened when I decided to take a bite of the pepper.

Thankfully my spring rolls and pho arrived before any further mishaps.

They were delicious. The broth and noodles were sweet and delicate. The bright colours of the spring onion made the dish particularly attractive.

The spring rolls were crispy, flaky, and not greasy. I jumped from plate to plate. My bean sprout “salad” became the perfect cooling side dish to the hot pho and spring rolls. The tea was an ideal contrast to the savoury flavours of the meal.

The whole meal came to only $11, and by the end of it, I was full. Very full. I am excited to return to the restaurant to try some other varieties of pho. Lined up for my next visit is their avocado milkshake.

Despite my “pho pas”, I am proud to declare that I ate my entire meal with chopsticks. I’m not a complete embarrassment after all. Right?

Larissa Ho reviews EL Fishawy 5055 Plantation Place I’ve never tried shawarma. I’ve never tried falafel. I’ve never tried any Arabic food. So Carine, our features editor, asks me to go to an Arabic restaurant and initiate myself. Junaid, our photo editor, suggests El Fishawy, a place he’s never been to that received questionable reviews online.

On Thursday night Junaid, Carine, and I sit down at a table in the middle of the restaurant. (The waiter tells us that we can’t sit at the couches unless we order more than $70 worth of food.)

The restaurant’s walls are decorated with random objects, including a model of an 18th century-looking ship, swords, urns, a guitar, and a sombrero. In the corners of the restaurant sit models of roosters and monkeys. Arabic pop music plays overhead and the TV mounted on the wall presents an Arabic news channel.

“The menu is just one page,” Junaid observes as I flip open the menu.

“There. You’re at the end.”

I start to see why the restaurant didn’t get very good reviews. Still, about 15 other people are here, I see as I look around. I notice a bald man behind the bar staring at me.

“It’s because you’re the only Asian here,” says Junaid when I point out the man.We order grape-and-mintflavoured shisha, kofta, lamb kebab, and beef shawarma.

“I don’t know why people assume Arabic food is spicy,” says Carine as the waiter lays the three dishes on our small table.

I haven’t really thought of whether or not it will be spicy. I take a bite of the kofta, presented as meatballs with sides of salad and fries. It’s not spicy. The meatballs are tasty and the fries are crunchy. I try Junaid and Carine’s dishes as well and like both of them. The shawarma tastes a little like a Greek gyro; the lamb kebab tastes like hamburger meat, which I happen to like.

“There. You’ve tried Arabic food,” says Junaid. “Now you’re no longer a virgin.”

Thanks, Junaid.

The atmosphere is relaxed. The food is pretty decent for the price, which is $9 a dish. The shisha smells very fruity.

For dessert, we order baklava, which I’ve never tried before either.

“It’s wonderful!” I exclaim when I’ve tried the sweet pastry, which is so sugary it makes my Coke seem tasteless. It’s my favourite part of the meal. I don’t think I’ve ever before tried anything that’s this sugary—in a good way.

So now I’ve tried Arabic food.

By the end of the night, I decide that I like it and wouldn’t mind trying it again, but I’ll go somewhere else where the bald man behind the counter can’t stare at me. Maybe I’ll travel to Egypt and try the authentic versions of what we had tonight.

Although Carine warns me that I’d still probably get stared at on the streets of Cairo.

2013 GOVERNING COUNCIL ELECTIONS: Student Candidates Statements(continued) Please visit http://www.governingcouncil.utoronto.ca/elections.htm

Voting Period: Monday, February 11, 2013 at 9:00 a.m. to Friday, February 22, 2013 at 5:00 p.m.

Online voting will take place on ROSI (www.rosi.utoronto.ca), and paper ballots will be mailed to post-graduate medical trainees.

Graduate Students, Constituency I (Humanities and Social Sciences) Victorina Baxan I am a PhD Candidate in the Department of Leadership, Higher and Adult Education at OISE. As a Graduate Student representative on the Governing Council of the University of Toronto, I will be working towards improving academic, cultural and communication supports needed for student success. I have gained a good understanding of the needs of graduate students through my work as academic advisor with the OISE Student Success Center. My work is informed by my experiences as an immigrant to Canada, being an international student outside of Canada and my current research that focuses on diversity in Education.

Rastko Cvekic I am an upper year PhD student in the Department of Anthropology. During my seven years at UofT I have held numerous positions on the Anthropology Graduate Student Union, departmental committees, the GSU and CUPE 3902. If elected, I will provide a strong voice for all graduate students in Divisions I and II, and especially international students who cannot sit on Governing Council. Two of my top priorities are the replacement of full tuition with lower post-residency fees and the recruitment of more Aboriginal students at the graduate level.

Adanya Dunn My education includes: B.Mus with Honours (2008-2012), U of T and M.Mus in Operatic Performance (2012-2014), U of T. I have additional experience in languages, physics, chemistry, and history courses, and have lived both off- and on-campus (go Vic!). I have been a consistent and active member within and beyond the University community, in positions such as president, treasurer, event planner, and coordinator of various organizations and committees. Further to this, I offer a holistic approach to all I do, drawing on creative as well as logistical problem solving and solutions, in order to create an effective and welcoming university environment!

Darryl King I am currently a Master’s student at the Rotman School of Management, and have a Bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Queen’s University.

I am passionate about the role that the University of Toronto plays within our city and the broader global community. In order to nurture and strengthen this role I believe that three key values must be upheld throughout all of the University’s affairs: integrity, freedom of expression, and a commitment to excellence. I am eager to represent the interests of Graduate students on the council while working together to ensure that the University flourishes in the years ahead.

Kate Partridge As an M.Ed student in Sociology and Equity at OISE/UT and undergraduate in International Relations and Latin American studies, I’ve been deeply invested in the impact of policy and governance on marginalized communities, including students. During my five years at UofT, I have been involved as a researcher, tutor, and club executive addressing access to schooling, student housing, food security, discrimination and academic practices. As Governor, I will be a strong advocate for graduate students on post-residency fees, funding, academic freedom, student rights and other issues affecting the graduate student experience. On February 11-22, vote KATE PARTRIDGE for Governing Council.

Graduate Students, Constituency I I (Humanities and Social Sciences) Alexandra Harris My name’s Alexandra Harris and I recently completed a combined Master of Nursing (MN)/Master of Health Administration (MHSc). I’m now a first year doctoral student in the Faculty of Nursing, as well as a Junior Fellow at Massey College. I have experience in health governance and want to extend this knowledge to the University, thereby providing an informed perspective on the strategic, financial and academic directions of the institution. I believe that I would be an effective steward for the University because I’m a trustworthy, committed and diligent person. I would be honored to act as your graduate representative. www.alexharrisrn.ca Farhang Jalilian Farhang Jalilian is an MSc candidate in the Department of Medical Biophysics and a research assistant at Sunnybrook Health Sciences. He completed his Hon. BSc in Physics from the University of Western Ontario. Active in the student community at Western, Farhang was the vicepresident of Physics and Astronomy Students’ Association and has been involved in a variety of outreach activities within the Faculty of Science.

Since June 2010, Farhang is a volunteer Medical First Responder with St. John’s Ambulance. Here at UofT, he is a member of the Medical Biophysics Graduate Student Association.

Ayesha Rashid Having an appreciation for the unique needs of graduate students, I am highly motivated to serve as a liaison between graduate students and the university. Good university governance is a shared responsibility, achieved through the sharing of voices and perspectives at all levels. As a graduate student, and with prior experience in graduate student and university governance, I have the skill and motivation to engage in effective dialogues and representation. I would like to have the opportunity to continue in my efforts in voicing the interests of graduate students to impact decisions to help foster excellence at our university.

Luka Srejic Luka Srejic is a Ph.D. student in the Institute of Medical Science studying the neuroscience of depression. He obtained his B.Sc. (2006) in Psychology/Physiology and his M.Sc. (2009) in Physiology, both from University of Toronto. He has been involved in student leadership in the Graduate Association of Students in Physiology. He is currently on the graduate executive committee of the Collaborative Program in Neuroscience, playing an instrumental role in organizing the first collective body of neuroscience graduate students at UofT. Luka’s broad perspective and 10-year experience makes him the ideal candidate to represent the interests of physical and life science grad students.

Yinming Sun My name is Yinming and I am a biomedical PhD student. As one who has been here since frosh, I have experienced much that the university had to offer, from the academic rigors of engineering science, to the joys of extracurriculars, to the passions of student clubs. University of Toronto is a home I am proud of and would like to make even better, which is why I seek your support in becoming a student representative on its governing council. My understanding of the university and its student body will allow me to optimally voice the needs of our constituency.

Chirag Variawa RE-ELECT Chirag Variawa for Governing Council. He has repeatedly demonstrated a passion to bring ALL graduate issues to the forefront of UofT governance. The doctoral completion award and many other critical issues need continued focus, as they form the basis for graduate student financial requirements. Working with the GSU, CUPE, GC, and others, Chirag can leverage his existing network in Simcoe Hall to ensure that grad student concerns are always up-front and centre. Chirag has a LONG list of daily activities as current governor, and all are documented on his website at www.ChiragVariawa.com PLEASE VOTE FOR CHIRAG VARIAWA, thank you!

Students registered at UTM and UTSC are also encouraged to vote in the elections for the Campus Councils and their Standing Committees.

Questions about the Governing Council elections process may be directed to the Chief Returning Officer, Mr. Anwar Kazimi (416-978-8427; anwar.kazimi@utoronto.ca), or the Deputy Returning Officer, Ms Mae-Yu Tan (416-978-8794; maeyu.tan@utoronto.ca).

14

«FEATURES THE MEDIUM 02.11.2013

Precious on the pursuit Is your classmate a pickup artist by night? Lessons from Precious,the pickup artist and UTM student JAI SANGHA ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR I have no luck with women.

Valentine’s Day is usually a day of self-contemplation for me as I watch pink hearts in commercials, store specials, and Facebook posts. I see photos of couples on my newsfeed, guys who were single a few years ago, and ask myself, “How do these guys find girls?”

I wait for the St. George shuttle bus inside the Instructional Building doors on a Friday afternoon.

The guy standing next to me asks whether he will get to St. George by 5 p.m. We’re waiting to catch the 3:35 shuttle, so I tell him he probably will. We start talking about the St. George campus, how this is his first time taking the shuttle, and our plans for the evening. I tell him I’m attending an astronomy symposium and ask him what he’s doing.

“I’m actually teaching people pickup,” he says.

“Pickup, as in women?” I ask. He smiles and nods.

“Precious” (as his goes by in pickup circles) is a professional pickup artist who teaches men—mostly college students—how to seduce women. He usually teaches the twonight course on Friday and Saturday evenings. The class begins at 5 and moves on to a practicum at a club in Toronto at around 10. He charges $200 per student for a course.

“It’s Queens actually howadI’m paying forad COLES U spring bw:open learning my UTM tuition,” he says. We hear

FANPOP/PHOTO

Barney Stinson instructs his friends in the art of picking up women. the shuttle bus arrive outside and walk towards the doors. He tells me he’s a second-year finance and economics student at UTM. My curiosity is too much. We board the shuttle and I ask him if we could meet for an interview about what he11:40 teaches.

He 1agrees.

01/02/12 AM Page I meet Precious at the Starbucks

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in Streetsville a few weeks later.

I arrive first and sit in the back of the store facing the front door. He comes in, chats with the girl at the counter, gives his order, and comes to the back. We start talking.

Precious started learning “the game” in grade 11 from established companies in Toronto after fumbling a chance to date a girl he liked since grade nine.

“Every year she would have a different boyfriend. Grade nine, she had the total jerk. Grade 10, she would go for the complete wimp.

Then grade 11 came and she asked me out, and after all that time I was just ‘Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God’—psyched myself out and I lost it. So then I realized I need a game plan,” he says. “I thought: all these assholes get the girls, so why can’t nice guys have the girls? So that became my inspiration. I want to do it for the good guys.”

He made friends through these companies, practiced “approaches” hundreds, even thousands of times, and eventually started teaching people how to do it.

“That’s my story. You start as a nice guy and then you work your way up,” he says. “I’m going to tell you now, it’s the slowest progression you’ll ever see in your life.”

Precious tells me the five stages of pickup: approach, interest, attraction, comfort, and seduction.

For men like me, Precious outlined some tips on how to get women interested.

First, some terms: A set is the number of women in a group. A group of three is a “three set”.

Approach anxiety is when men panic about approaching and talking to a woman. For the majority of the students he teaches, approach anxiety is the biggest problem.

“Just be confident in what you’re doing and you’ll be fine. Don’t second-guess yourself,” he says. “You are your biggest enemy when it

comes to women.”

Approach over the shoulder as if you’re heading somewhere else and only turn your head towards the set with your feet facing away. Feet are very important. Always make it seem that you have something better to do and they caught your interest.

Openers are the first thing you say to a woman. They can be of four types: Situational: talk about something that’s going on around you.

Opinion: ask the set for a female opinion about something.

Indirect: start a story that gets them interested or do cold reading. Ask her when she last took a risk, read her palm, or make a guess about the ring on her finger.

Direct: be direct about your intentions. Something like, “Hey, you girls look cute.” And go from there.

Demonstration of higher value consists of stories about your life, fictional or non-fictional, that you tell to get the set interested in you.

Choose words that show emotions and aesthetics.

DHV stories must have two things: preselection, where you talk about other girls in your life, be it friends or ex-girlfriends, and social proof, where you talk about other girls who are interested in you.

Create a false time constraint by saying you have to be somewhere or you have to meet up with friends.

This increases your value.

Negging is the infamous backhanded compliment; for example, “You should bring your hair up; it’ll bring your eyes out more.” You can also “body rock”, which is looking away from time to time as she speaks to you, causing her to try and validate herself to you—not vice versa.

The hook point is when you’ve created enough interest that the girl or set wants you to stay. Once this happens, do two things: 1. Control the area you’re in. For example, if the set is in a corner and

you have your back to club, switch places with one of the girls so you have full view of the club.

2. Reward her behaviour when she does something you want her to do. Turn your body towards her, pay more attention to her, and so on.

Precious also said what to do: • Compliment a girl’s energy or personality rather than her looks. It’s much more intimate.

• As a beginner, approach as many sets as possible.

• Seem different from the other people. Ask yourself why she should be with you in particular. And then communicate that reason in how you approach her.

• Touch her hands, waist, or hair whenever appropriate.

• Carry a cheat sheet of different openers and DHVs. (Almost everyone in the business carries them.)

• Be conscious of everything you do and mentally note the feedback to each of your actions.

• On a scale of 0 to 10, go for women who are between 6 and 10 both in looks and personality. After the pickup, you should enjoy meeting up with the person.

• Always add value and positive energy to the conversation. Body language says a lot about energy.

And don’t: • Don’t sit like you are anxious; relax. Act like you own the coffee shop, the club, or wherever you are.

• Avoid women sitting alone. She’s probably waiting for someone—a boyfriend or friends that don’t know you. You’ll spend more energy trying to stay in once they come.

• Don’t touch anyone with a fiancé or boyfriend.

• If a girl shows interest in you, don’t keep going with your routine. Shut up, isolate yourselves, and close.

• Don’t be intimidated by big guys.

Never get scared, but don’t push if there’s a guy in the set that’s drunk and getting physical. Walk away.

Precious stressed the point that rejection is not to be taken personally. All it means is that you didn’t make yourself seem interesting enough this time. Learn from it and change. Every pickup artist gets rejected. Let go of your ego and start taking rejections.

I was unsure what to make of all this—the idea that there’s a “game” you can play to get women to react a certain way. He says the point is not to trick women into bed but to have the choice to make meaningful relationships and build your confidence so that you’re the best you can be.

“Be ambitious, be amazing, be as awesome as you possibly can. Be happy and be smiling. Don’t strive to be someone you’re not,” he says.

“Remove rejection from the equation; it’s not a big deal. Nothing is ever a big deal for you. Hakuna matata.”

We finish our interview. Precious invites me to a club with him and his wingman on Friday and Saturday night to work on my newly learned pickup skills. I take a rain check— I have to work, finish writing this article, and study for my term tests before reading week.

No wonder I have no luck with women.

02.11.2013

»

15

Editor » Isaac Owusu

Div 1 Blue win shoving match and game EBI AGBEYEGBE ASSOCIATE SPORTS EDITOR After having won a very intense game against rivals Woodsworth College last week, the UTM Division 1 Blue men’s basketball team played against UTSC last Wednesday.

The game started off fast-paced, with both teams running up and down the floor and scoring easily. The Eagles had only six players suited up for this game; usually they have nine or 10. The lack of bench players didn’t seem to hinder UTM in any way, though. They held to their offensive philosophy, which has won them many games this season.

The Eagles’ defence led to offence and they kept on pushing the ball. On one play after a rebound by centre Tevin Sutton-Stephonson, he made a quick outlet pass to Jonathan Harvey, who looked up and passed the ball down the court to guard Tyrell Subban. This passing, which was much better than it has been in previous games, continued throughout the first half, getting everyone involved in the offence.

Sutton-Stephonson brought a spark to the play in the first half. He started by making a deft pass to the cutting Jordan Nazarene, who finished easily at the rim. Then, on the very next play,

ALBERTO BECERRA/THE MEDIUM

With only five players for most of the game, UTM was able to penetrate through the UTSC defence. he caught the ball just inside the threepoint line and got his jump shot to fall.

On the other end, UTM’s defence kept UTSC searching for answers—they couldn’t get their shots to fall and were visibly frustrated with their poor offence.

The Eagles’ impressive first half was slightly deflated with 5.5 seconds left.

After a missed shot by UTSC, players scrambled for the rebound, and in the hustle for the loose ball UTM forward Victor Dang felt himself elbowed by a UTSC player and reacted by pushing the UTSC player a couple of times. A small shoving match ensued but was quickly extinguished by players of both teams. The referees sent both teams to

their benches while they deliberated. In the end, they called a two-shot technical against Dang, ejecting him from the game. This left UTM with just five players and no bench to play the entire 15-minute second half. But UTM still held the lead at 39–27 going into the break.

UTM started the second half the same way the first half ended: with efficient passing that led to easy baskets on the other end. After two minutes, the UTSC coach called a timeout with the score at 50–35 in UTM’s favour. But UTM’s defence still didn’t allow UTSC any easy baskets, and, possession after possession, UTSC couldn’t get much going on offence. But as the game wore

on the Eagles tired and their intensity dwindled.

UTSC felt this, and with nine minutes left on the clock they hit a threepoint shot on one end of the floor, then got a clean block on Nazarene on the defensive end. UTSC went on the offence and hit another three-pointer. This sequence brought UTSC within six points of UTM and left Nazarene with a slight shoulder injury. UTM called a timeout with the score at 50–44 to strategize on how to slow down UTSC. Afterwards, UTSC tried to pick up the intensity again and started pushing to the rim, where they got easy shots on a noticeably weaker UTM. When UTSC had made it only a four-point

gap, UTM got good play from Subban, who kept his team in the lead with a pull-up three-point shot and a fast break layup after a steal on the defensive end. But UTSC wouldn’t go away.

With the score at 60–56, UTM called another timeout to give their players a rest.

UTM forward Osama Abdelkader, who didn’t play in this game, encouraged his teammates on the bench. After the timeout, with less than two minutes left in the game, Harvey drove to the rim and got fouled after making the layup. On the other end the defence got stingy, and with Stephonson grabbing the rebounds and hitting his foul shots, UTM put UTSC away. The game ended with a final score of 71–65.

“I got into my rhythm early on in the game and I was able to hit my shots,” said Subban, who is in his first year with the team, after the game. “The team chemistry has improved because we’ve been playing together for a while and we know each other’s game.”

The playoffs are this week and UTM Blue has hit its stride at the right time, earning a bye week. Their passing has improved, they’re running plays more effectively, and the defence is there when it needs to be. They won’t be an easy out in the playoffs.

Rumour has it...

Analyzing the upcoming NBA trade deadline and potential Raptors deals

KAREEM RAMADAN With just over a week left before the NBA trade deadline, speculation abounds about which players will move and which teams will push over the top in time for the postseason.

The Los Angeles Lakers, Chicago Bulls, San Antonio Spurs, and Los Angeles Clippers are all rumoured to be in the market for additional help. The Lakers and Bulls are both in need of a stretch shooter to flesh out their offence and add a threat from the three-point line. Both clubs are thought to be looking at the Toronto Raptors’ Andrea Bargnani and Orlando Magic’s J.J. Reddick.

The Clippers are allegedly in the market for a big man to complement Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordon on the front court; the most likely option seems to be Kevin Garnett, the Boston Celtics’ power forward.

However, the Celtics insist that neither Garnett nor forward Paul Pierce are available for trade.

The teams looking to sell include the Utah Jazz, the Minnesota Timberwolves, and the Orlando Magic.

The Jazz have a crowded front court and are rumoured to be offering Al Jefferson or Paul Millsap to create payroll flexibility and make room for Enes Kanter and Derrick Favors, whom they hope to acquire. Since the San Antonio Spurs have a hole

in the front court after Tim Duncan’s injury and a strong trade relationship with the Jazz, they are suspected to be interested in buying.

“The Raptors need to add a pass-first point guard to replace José Calderón. It is a must; John Lucas III is not an adequate backup point guard at this level.”

—Afnan Azam The Magic are reeling following the departure of franchise player Dwight Howard, and appear bound for a lottery pick this season. In light of this, the Magic are reportedly pursuing trades for prospects and picks to supplement their young core and create further payroll flexibility for future acquisitions. Reddick is rumoured to be on the move in Orlando; his contract will expire in the summer, which could net the Magic a decent pick or prospect from a contender in need of a sharpshooter from the perimeter.

Despite completing a major threeteam trade a week ago, the Toronto Raptors are reportedly still looking for a big man to pair with Amir Johnson in the front court and a vet-

eran backup point guard to replace José Calderón, who was shipped to Detroit by way of Memphis in the trade. The Raptors and Bargnani were connected to the Lakers and Pau Gasol, but Gasol recently suffered a foot injury that will keep him out of the lineup for the foreseeable future.

More recently, Mark Stein of ESPN reported that the Raptors and Bulls had discussed a potential trade involving Bargnani and Carlos Boozer. Like Gasol, Boozer could fill a spot in the front court for the Raptors.

Among UTM students, Raptors fans are eager to point out which holes the team needs to fill before the deadline.

“The Raptors need to add a passfirst point guard to replace José Calderón. It is a must; John Lucas III is not an adequate backup point guard at this level,” said Afnan Azam, a first-year accounnting student.

“The Raptors have a legitimate starter at the point guard position and on the wings, but there is a hole in the front court with Ed Davis and Aaron Gray,” said Eddie Lorenzo, a third-year life sciences student. “Jonas Valanciunas could develop into a legitimate starting five in the future, but there is little in the way of help at the power forward position, and Andrea Bargnani has proven that he is not the solution.”

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16

«SPORTS THE MEDIUM

02.11.2013

Richard Gonsalves, UTM’s strongman Getting to know the RAWC’s go-to guy for weightlifting, personal training, and a little bit of evertyhing else INGRID MELDRUM I sit in the high-performance centre at the RAWC, waiting to interview Richard Gonsalves, an Olympic weightlifting coach.

Around me there are tons of weights—weights too heavy for a scrawny girl like me: dumbbells that are twice my weight, barbells with weights being dropped left, right, and centre, and grunting weightlifters pushing their limit.

Not too many people know about the high-performance centre at the RAWC; it’s hidden by the elevators at the bottom of the stairs that lead up to the bookstore. Confusing, right? (Well, try giving someone directions to any building or specific spot on campus. It’s impossible.)

After I’ve spent a few minutes of observing the happenings at the high-performance centre, Gonsalves is able to take a break from training some rowers to chat with me.

He introduces himself. He’s a fourth-year UTM student taking French and crime law deviance. He has been working at the RAWC since 2008 in various positions, including front desk, lifeguard, and trainer. His current position is Olympic weightlifting coach.

He started getting into weightlifting in 2010 when one of his

KRISTOF ARASIM/ RAWC

Gonsalves showing why he’s ranked fifth in Ontario and a potential Olympian. coworkers at the gym said, “Hey, Rich, you wanna get big?” Being a scrawny young boy, Gonsalves took him up on his offer, and now lifts competitively. He is currently ranked fifth in Ontario—high enough to be on the Canadian senior national team.

As a junior, Richard was awarded a bronze medal at the Canadian junior weightlifting champion-

ships in 2011.

When asked about his plans for the Olympics, Richard replied, “The Olympics are a longterm goal; there are a few other stepping stones in the process.”

To qualify for the Olympics, he must first participate in a number of other weightlifting competitions. These competitions include the Commonwealth Games,

the World University Games, and the Senior World Championships. Gonsalves trains five times a week for three hours at a time with the club team at UTM. The team consists of nine people who also go to competitions.

He brings his experience as a trainer to his position as an Olympic weightlifting coach at the gym. “I do stuff that I did not

do previously, with more emphasis on sport-specific training,” he said. The weightlifting training Gonsalves gives is part of the UTM recreational Olympic weightlifting program officially launched in September.

Last year, the program was put through a test run to find out if there would be any interest. Now that the program has officially launched, there are about 50 participants. “A lot of people wanted to learn how to lift, and I know how. I was in the right place at the right time,” Gonsalves commented.

Gonsalves does the training, while Nikki Robichaud and Andrew Bellerby do the organization of the program. “Nikki really helped us get organized,” said Gonsalves. “She’s the glue that holds us together.”

The program is designed for people who want to start weightlifting but don’t have the skills to do it competitively. Students and RAWC members can come in for a free assessment and then decide to join for either four or eight months.

The team holds classes in the High Performance Centre from 4 to 8 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 12 to 2 p.m. on Wednesdays and Fridays, and 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Saturdays.

You win some, you lose some Keeping up with the Toronto Argos JASON COELHO ASSOCIATE SPORTS EDITOR

As the Toronto Argonauts come away from their celebration as champions of the Grey Cup, it will be noticed that the team has made significant changes to both their management and their roster in the hope of achieving a similar run at the title in the upcoming season.

As CFL teams look to free up some room for the free-agent market, which opens on February 15, the Argos have said goodbye to some notable players, including Armond Armstead, Ejiro Kuale, Ronald Flemons, Noel Prefontaine, and, only last Tuesday, veteran receiver Ken-Yon Rambo.

As the team looks to re-sign many of their current stars—who will soon become free agents— freeing up room now will allow for ample space come the freeagent frenzy.

So far, the team has re-signed Canadian wide receiver Spencer Watt for the 2014 season and is looking to re-sign stars Ricky Foley and Chad Kackert after the stellar season they spent on the team.

On the sidelines, the Argos have added some coaching talent, including former CFL all-star defensive lineman Ed Philion in the

position of defensive line coach.

Following the departure of the Argos’ defensive backs coach, Orlando Steinauer, to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, former AFL star Eddie Brown has been called on to take the position. Chris Jones, the Argos’ defensive coordinator, assistant general manager, and assistant head coach, has opted to stay with the team through the 2013 season after being considered for a head coaching position with the Montreal Alouettes.

“They are making the necessary moves to put together key pieces for another championship,” says third-year psychology student Tony Liu. “I hope they can continue to bring victories to the city and rejuvenate the sports world in Toronto. Our confidence in the Argonauts as worthy contenders has definitely grown over the past few months, and has given fans something to cheer about.”

Michael Prempeh, a former Varsity Blues football star and fifth-year history major at UTM, hasn’t let the team’s losses detract from his expectations for the team. “This thing happens with championship teams—basically tightening up loose ends,” he explains. “I don’t expect them to have any drop-off; they knew how to get it done last year, and this year should be the same.”