Vol 34 issue 15

The Voice of the University of Toronto at Mississauga

MEDIUM THE

MONDAY, JANUARY 14, 2008

VOLUME 34, ISSUE 15

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A letter to Britney

Creative Corner

NFL final four

Page 6

Page 8

Page 12

The $5-million eviction Jilted resident serves UTM papers for a lawsuit totalling five million dollars SAIRA MUZAFFAR NEWS EDITOR

What started out as administrative confusion and lead to an eviction notice is now a five-million-dollar lawsuit against the University of Toronto at Mississauga (UTM).

Residence tenant Adam Rogers and his family filed on December 17, 2007, citing multiple reasons for their case against the university.

Rogers applied for transfer from Waterloo and moved his family into a Schreiberwood unit last August, after signing a lease with the university. But Rogers’s grades weren’t satisfactory for UTM, and he was denied admission in September. He received an eviction notice on October 14.

After numerous failed appeals to have the denial of admission and eviction proceedings reversed, Rogers filed a statement of claim against the university on the grounds of breach of contract, deceit or negligence, and for abuse of process.

“I am not looking to have some kind of retirement package. What would a reasonable person do? Just watch and say I am not going to do anything because they are U of T and they must be right? I can‘t even register with another school because you have to show how you intend to pay and I don‘t have any cash to put up for my tuition.”

- Adam Rogers

The statement of claim names the Governing Council, UTM, director of housing and residence life Marc Braithwaite, dean of student affairs Mark Overton, and manager of parking and transportation Alex MacIsaac as collectively responsible for leaving the family “in crisis and living in poverty.”

According to the Rogers’s lawyers, the family can claim up to seventeenand-a-half million dollars in damages resulting from the eviction order, dis-

qualification of admission, student loans, and the physical, emotional, and mental stress experienced by the family during the ordeal. Rogers opted to lessen the claim in order to expedite a trial or settlement.

“I am not looking to have some kind of retirement package. What would a reasonable person do? Just watch and say I am not going to do anything because they are U of T and they must be right? I can‘t even register with another school because you have to show how you intend to pay and I don‘t have any cash to put up for my tuition,” he said.

The claim also emphasizes that as a direct result of the eviction order Rogers will lose out on at least one year of postsecondary education, which will further delay his career and prevent him from supporting his family.

The Rogers family - which includes Adam, his wife Erica, and their four children who under the age of six - had to resort to an emergency loan of $1,000 from University of Toronto Students’ Union and help from relatives and friends to cover the cost of daily necessities. After Rogers was denied admission to UTM he could not claim any more loans from the Ontario Student Assistance Program, which had been the family’s sole source of income during the school year.

Since the eviction proceedings, the university has also refused the family access to a parking spot in the Schreiberwood complex lot, which forced Rogers to park off campus during the day - nearly a 30 minute walk - and pay five dollars to park on campus overnight.

The claim states that the university’s decision to refuse Rogers a parking space “aggravated the hardship suffered by the Rogers family,” especially when transporting Erica Rogers to appointments with her obstetrician and there was a need for ready access to a vehicle in the event of an emergency.

The dispute at the centre of the lawsuit involves Rogers’s claim that there is a serious legal error in the eviction order.

As detailed in the statement of claims, Rogers received an offer to lease a UTM housing unit in early July, 2007 under the condition that he is a full-time student at UTM. Shortly after, Rogers received another notice from the university informing him that his transfer application had been denied.

“They told us that before they can offer us the lease that they have to go through the system to make sure my

photo/Melissa Di Pasquale

The Rogers family has filed a lawsuit against UTM for an administrative error that has left the family without access to necessary resources. Ava, age 6 (far left), was pulled from elementary school after the couple’s OSAP funding was cut off. Without the funding, they could not afford proper nutrition for their three children. They worry that their newborn child may have also been harmed during Erica’s final trimester.

status is clear as a full-time student. So if the status is not clear, there’s no lease,” said Rogers.

Yet according to the offer made by the university’s housing department, Rogers was qualified for an offer to lease, but unknown to either party, the admissions department had already rejected his application. Rogers was also told that if he did not decide to take the offer of lease soon after the initial offer, he would have to give it up for other students looking for residence.

Rogers consulted with his advisors at the University of Waterloo and was told that early denials of admission can usually be successfully appealed by providing further information on the applicant’s academic background. Based on previous conversations with University of Toronto admissions representatives, Rogers was under the impression that he had sound academic standing to apply for what was supposed to be his final year of undergraduate studies.

Believing that the offer to lease vouched for his prospective admission, and worried about losing his home while waiting to hear back about his status, Rogers appealed his admissions application a second time, signed the lease

agreement, and moved into the Schreiberwood unit on August 16.

“I called downtown five or six times and admissions down there didn’t know what was going on. The people I needed to talk to were all on summer holidays,” said Rogers.

Around September 6, Rogers received another letter from the university stating that his request for a transfer was denied.

According to the statement of claims, “this confounded Mr. and Mrs. Rogers, as they believed that the administrative error, which they believed was committed by the admissions department, would have been rectified by this point.”

While Rogers claims that some staff at the university did acknowledge that an error was made, none of the university’s representatives have gone on record to admit so. The statement of claims also notes that instead of addressing the possibility of an error, Mark Overton, dean of student affairs, attempted to coerce the family into willingly terminating their lease. When Rogers refused, the university filed an eviction order.

The family then appealed the order of eviction twice and was denied both times by the Landlord and Tenant Board

- a neutral arbitrator - on the grounds that no administrative error was committed, nothing was legally wrong with the eviction order, and that the Rogers family was violating the reasonable enjoyment or lawful right, privilege or interest of the landlord by refusing to leave the property.

“They basically shut down our whole lives because we can’t do anything.

They knew right from the beginning what this decision was doing, how severe it was, we let everybody know. It was really bad, all we were eating was Cheerios and bread,” said Rogers.

Restricted to an income of $1,080 a month from Child Tax Benefits, the family had to resort to getting their meals from the food bank, which did not supply the adequate amount of nutrition needed by their young children. The couple also had to pull his oldest child out of school because they could not afford to pay for supplies, meals and transportation.

The stress was particularly hard on Erica Rogers, who began her final trimester of pregnancy just as the university filed for eviction - a fact that UTM continued on next page

2 THE MEDIUM

Monday, January 14, 2008

NEWS

UTM got served Students get territorial over Continued from front page

Rogers argues the administration at UTM was well aware of. According to the statement of claims, the “malicious, callous, wanton and reckless nature of the Defendants’ actions” risked the health and well-being of all four of the family’s children.

claim, the only assistance offered by the university was contact information of the local welfare office, programs to help with rent payments that are inapplicable under the present eviction order, information on local homeless shelters and social housing providers, a local crisis help line, and the Mississauga library.

The claim argues that “most of

“The Board of Governors was served on December 17, 2007. UTM was served on December 18, 2007, and Mark Overton was served on January 8, 2008. There are still two more defendants to serve, but so far only Mark Overton's lawyers have filed and served us with an Intent to Defend. I tried to serve Marc Braithewaite, but UTM told me he is no longer employed here.”

- Adam Rogers Along with falling behind on paying their rent, the family could also lose their heat, hydro, telephone, and internet service because they cannot afford to pay the bills.

“Right now, really the university can have us evicted. All they have to do is file the eviction order with the sheriff. We are waiting to see if they still will, after all of this, go ahead with it and evict us,” said Rogers.

Jane Stirling, UTM’s director of marketing and communications, said that she could not discuss the details of the case now that it is before the court but she commented that “the university is proceeding with the eviction.”

Stirling also referred to the findings by the Land and Tenant Board, which noted that Rogers “failed to avail himself of any help offered” by UTM’s administrators.

According to Rogers’ statement of

these resources are completely useless to the plaintiffs since they have no intention on remaining in the region, but instead will be residing wherever Mr. Rogers is able to resume post-secondary studies.”

“The university's legal counsel has filed a Notice of Intent to Defend with the courts,” explained Stirling on whether the university plans to reach a settlement or take the case to trial.

“The Board of Governors was served on December 17, 2007. UTM was served on December 18, 2007, and Mark Overton was served on January 8, 2008. There are still two more defendants to serve, but so far only Mark Overton's lawyers have filed and served us with an Intent to Defend. I tried to serve Marc Braithewaite, but UTM told me he is no longer employed here,” said Rogers.

coveted study space TEJAS AIVALLI ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

The use of the HMALC by students from outside UTM has become a topic of protest at UTM, with social networking website Facebook playing an instrumental part. A new group, “If you don’t go to UTM get the fuck out of MY library!” has over 900 members and is a hotbed of complaints, accusations, counter-accusations, and mind-numbing disputes on the subject.

“The extra traffic is a problem during normal times, i.e., non-exam periods because during exam period it’s more UTM traffic. Are there more non-UTM people during the nonexam period is what I want to know,” said Jonathan Scott, a second-year philosophy student and member of the Facebook group.

Scott added he would like to know what is being done to bar non-UTM students from the HMALC, and expressed opposition to its open-door policy. He says other university students should only be allowed to use the library if local students were guaranteed priority use of its limited resources, especially during busy periods such as exam time.

“We have to abide by the [HMALC]’s Code of Conduct and the Student Code of Conduct, but [they] don’t,” he said.

Sehrish Hassan, a third-year Political Science and History student and a member of the Facebook group, agreed.

“If people from other schools are socializing in the place where I study, what am I paying fees for?” she said.

She prefers regulation of the use of HMALC by students of other universities, such as checking T-Cards after 10 p.m.

Daniel G. Aspinall, a second-year humanities student, disagreed. He said the problem was being exaggerated, and was only an issue during exam time. Even then, he said the problem could be eased by ensuring that other study areas in the North, South and CCT buildings are open late and kept supervised.

“The [HMALC], for the most part, is publicly funded and should be run on a ‘first-come-first-serve’ basis,” he argued.

Walied Khogali, UTMSU president and administrator of the Facebook group, has taken a stance in support of UTM students.

The building cost $34 million to complete. Around $27 million of that was provided by SuperBuild, with $1.18 million coming from UTM and $6 million from private sector sup-

photo/Melissa Di Pasquale

UTM students have been getting increasingly angry over the occupation of precious study space in the library by outside groups, prompting the popularity of a Facebook group dedicated to the issue. port.

The Student Library Enhancement Fund added an extra $220,000.

Ian B. Whyte, acting chief librarian of the HMALC, acknowledged that UTM is a public institution that receives most of its funding from government and private sources, making the HMALC, in its capacity as a library, a public good.

“People have come to the library in record numbers. It is an academic space.

Unfortunately, space is used for recreation. As a result it is noisy. That has impaired study environment.

Pervasive noise has been the most important issue.”

- Ian B. Whyte, acting chief librarian U of T also has agreements with other Canadian universities which allow its students to visit and use the libraries, with U of T responding in kind.

“We are victims of our own success,” he said.

“People have come to the library in record numbers. It is an academic space. Unfortunately, space is used for recreation. As a result it is noisy. That has impaired study environment.

Pervasive noise has been the most important issue.”

A recent survey of HMALC users

conducted over seven days showed the number patrons from outside UTM at 2.7 per cent of the number of local students, rising to 3.6 per cent on the busiest day. Data was gathered by checking T-Cards and asking non-U of T students about their status.

But while Whyte understood criticism of the use of the library by nonUTM students, he was not impressed when he found out about the resulting Facebook group.

“I was disappointed,” he said.

“The site is not constructive and the creators of the site have seriously undermined their own credibility.”

Rather, he said students can help by reporting problems to library and security staff, either by calling the numbers for Information & Loans and Research & Information or using the new instant messaging service on the HMALC website. He also encouraged students to ask noisy, disruptive HMALC patrons to tone it down.

He also said the HMALC has also been promoting extra study spaces through the Study Zones website, as well as working with UTMSU and the UTM administration through QSS. The HMALC plans to look into stricter enforcement of the Library Code of Conduct, but Whyte said student critics who favour T-Card swiping may be disappointed.

“We have seriously considered card-swipe but it hasn’t been moved forward,” he said.

“UTM, and the University of Toronto at large, has always co-operated with other universities. Could that change? It would be a measure of last resort.”

Write for news! Email Saira at news@mediumonline.ca

Monday, January 14, 2008

THE MEDIUM

NEWS

Health Canada bans gays from organ donation

Charge to students possible for daycare

SAIRA MUZAFFAR

NEWS EDITOR

SAIRA MUZAFFAR NEWS EDITOR

Health Canada and Canadian Blood Services (CBS) are at the centre of heavy controversy after initiating policies banning sexually active gay men from donating organs, and retaining the ban on gay blood donors.

From June 2007, CBS has implemented a ban on blood donation from men who have had sex with other men since 1977. In January 2008, Health Canada instituted a new policy banning organ donations from men who have had sex with other men in the last five years, regardless of their HIV status.

Standing Against Queer Discrimination (SAQD), a student group at the University of Western Ontario (UWO), has joined other concerned voices in demanding clear evidence-based reasoning behind the policies it perceives as “discriminatory and blatantly homophobic.” On December 6, the group released a statement saying that UWO’s University Students’ Council (USC) turned its back on concerned students after refusing to issue a public statement condemning CBS’s policy against blood donations from sexually active gay men.

“The USC Board of Directors, voting as a bloc against this motion, delegated two members - David Simmonds, the VP university affairs, and James Arthurs, VP campus issues - to stand before council and attempt to appease students who have been

discriminated against by informing them that they simply didn’t understand the legal aspects and that they had not been discriminated against.”

A group on Facebook called “Reverse Canada’s Ban on Gay Male Organ Donors” has also started an online petition addressed to federal health minister Tony Clement requesting that the policies be repealed.

According to the group, the policies were put into action without the knowledge of Canada’s main organ transplant agencies.

Health Canada has explained that the policies are based on sexually active gay men being at high risk for transmitting infectious diseases. It further adds that the policy is not aimed at discriminating solely against sexu-

ally active gay men and that even a straight man who has had sex once with another man during the five year period would be ineligible to donate blood and organs.

SAQD of UWO, on the other hand, believes that the government is unjustly discriminating by arbitrarily including all sexually active gay men in the category of high-risk exclusions that includes prison inmates, sex workers, and intravenous drug users.

“The use of stereotypes and outdated beliefs to restore the public’s trust is being chosen instead of rigorous scientific research, and this is not acceptable from an organization which claims to have the best interests of all Canadians at heart,” said a SAQD press release.

cartoon/slapupsidethehead.com

Campus Police Reports January 1 - January 11, 2008 January 3, 2008 - 18:47 hrs Tres pas s to Property Act

January 8, 2008 - 14:00 hrs T h e f t u n d e r $5 0 00

A student who refused to show his T-Card to RAWC staff was addressed by University Police.

Books were st olen from a locker at the South Building.

Time and date of the theft could not be confirmed.

January 6, 2008 - 22:30 hrs Property damage

January 8, 2008 - 13:41 hrs F raud under $5 0 00

A vehicle was damaged when it drove over a piece of metal.

The location was the driveway of the South Building receiving area.

A student reported her student card and bus pass stolen. The cards were used by the taker to ride on the inter-campus shuttle bus and sign out books from the Robarts Library at the St. George Campus.

January 8, 2008 - 13:45 hrs T h e f t u n d e r $ 50 0 0 A student reported the theft of his laptop from the South Building. The theft occurred on December 14. Its reporting was delayed.

January 8, 2008 - 13:20 hrs F raud under $5 0 00 Tw o students bought telephones from a third student for a specified sum of money. The two buyers were promised features on the phones that were

later found to be absent.

January 10, 2008 - 17:50 hrs T r e sp a s s t o P r o p e r t y A c t Skateboarders were removed from the front of the Erindale Hall building. They were not community members.

January 11, 2008 - 11:15hrs Theft under $5 0 00 A wallet was lost at the CCT Building. When it was found, $60 was missing from it.

January 11, 2008 - 11:25 hrs T o we d v e h i c l e A vehicle was towed from Lot 5. It had been ticketed before on several occasions.

Read us online at www.mediumonline.ca

After announcing on December 3, 2007 that plans to open a permanent child care facility have been postponed indefinitely, the university administration may be looking at charging students to secure funding for the building costs.

According to the university’s director of marketing and communications, Jane Stirling, the costs of converting two townhouse units into a permanent facility for oncampus child care turned out to be more expensive than what the administration had anticipated. “[This] has delayed the availability of licensed care on campus.

We need to ensure our facility meets provincial government childcare regulations, and provides a suitable fit for our campus and our student, staff and faculty parents and their children,” said Stirling.

Stirling added that despite this third delay in providing child care at the University of Toronto at Mississauga, administrators remain committed to providing a licensed child care facility on its campus for students, staff and faculty.

“We are currently revisiting other child care options on campus so we can't speculate when a permanent facility will be built until we determine the best location and the full costs of construction/renovations to ensure the facility meets all provincial day-

3

care regulations,” said Stirling.

One of the options being considered by the university involves the possibility of a student fee to offset the cost of infrastructural expenses. Walied Khogali, president of the University of Toronto at Mississauga’s Students’ Union, supports endorsing a subsidy for the operations of a permanent child care facility through the Quality Services for Students, but not any costs to students.

“We would not support students paying the cost of the capital infrastructure (brick or mortar) without a mandate through referenda . We would like to emphasize that students pay too much tuition, in fact we almost contribute fifty per cent of the operating budget of the university,” said Khogali.

“This is outrageous, since the University of Toronto is a public i n s t i t u t i o n , c h i ld c a r e i s a l s o a government responsibility. The student union and the university should advocate for more funding for child care from the provincial and federal government. The current federal government has been irresponsible in neglecting the needs of parents in desperate need of child care spaces, since there is no funding available to create these new spaces,” said Khogali.

Both Khogali and Stirling added that university administration and the student government will continue working together to ensure the temporary Child Learning Centre located in the Student Centre remains in service until April 2008.

4 THE MEDIUM

Monday, January 14, 2008

EDITORIAL

Opinion JULIE TYIOS, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF | editor@mediumonline.ca www.mediumonline.ca

EDITORIAL Thank God for Stephen Harper, otherwise GST wouldn’t be cut, and perfectly healthy people wouldn’t be allowed to donate organs.

Canada’s political opposition is in a tizzy right now because of a sneaky ban on gay male organ donors, implemented rather secretly by the Conservative party – so secretly, in fact, that it’s impossible to find on the Conservative Party of Canada web site, but can be found scattered throughout a few Canadian media outlets.

The ban on gay male organ donors came about from some unpublicized consultations with various groups, none of which opposed the idea, according to Harper’s government. Looking for information online, I could only find articles from the press and on the Liberal web site – the Conservative party spends most of its virtual real estate bashing Stephane Dion. Health Canada offered very little.

Why the secrecy? Why the ban? The ban states that all gay males who have been sexually active in the past five years are exempt from donating organs because of their classification under people who participate in “high-risk” behaviour. Canadian Blood Services also classifies gay males as “high risk” and maintains a lifetime ban (any gay male who has had sex since 1977 - talk about progressive!), despite the fact that all donated blood is held and screened for HIV, AIDS, and other diseases before it is put to use – and “homosexual” is not a synonym for “HIV positive.”

According to a statement on the Liberal web site, Liberal health critic Robert Thibault opposes the discrimination: “Mr. Thibault pointed out that high-risk sexual behaviour and not sexual orientation is what puts an individual at risk for contracting diseases. In fact, he added, the statistics show that women are becoming the fastest growing population to contract HIV and AIDS not gay men.”

Xtra, one of Canada’s prominent queer publications, states that new rules and regulations for organ donation may also infringe on citizens’ rights to privacy. Egale Canada, a queer lobbying group, is urging the government to suspend the policy and create a panel to review the decision. They and other groups were not consulted by the Harper government before the ban was implemented.

If we are a progressive society, then why has this measure been put into place in such a way? It is discriminatory to lump all gay males – as opposed to everyone who participates in high-risk sexual behaviour, including women – into such a group.

It is estimated that seven out of every one hundred potential donors will be denied because of this new policy – seven people. Each donor has the potential to save over ten lives: organs and tissue that can be donated include the heart, liver, kidneys, pancreas, lungs, small bowel, stomach, corneas, heart valves, bone, and skin. Let me use my uncle as an example. A relatively healthy man, he had a stroke several years ago at age 51. After lying comatose for three days, with only five per cent of his brain capacity remaining, my family made the decision to take him off life support and donate his healthy organs. Several months later, we received a letter describing the results of his donation: Two people each received a kidney, eliminating their need to be on dialysis for the rest of their lives.

One person received his liver, saving their life.

One person received both lungs, also saving their life.

Four people received heart valves, allowing them normal lives.

A statement from Trillium Gift of Life, which coordinates Ontario’s organ donation program, states: “Each year thousands of Ontarians get a second chance to live life to its fullest, thanks to the kindness of people who have given the gift of life and donated organs and tissue. But many more are still waiting. All too often lives are lost because suitable donors are not found in time. Many people will spend months, and in some cases years, waiting for a second chance because the need for organs and tissue in Ontario continues to outweigh their availability.”

Seven. Seven out of every hundred.

Yours,

Julie Tyios

We have a full house today. Dan showed up and everyone went wild, like it was Beatles mania. Saira, Andrea, Rob, Ali, Andrei, Nikita, and Dan type away as I have a coughing fit. Ali warns me to stop talking about what goes on in the office and start slamming people. Nope. I got a card labelled “Boss” that accompanied a pop culture Trivial Pursuit game from some of the editors. I plan to cream Ali in it later. You’re on, Arts Boy. Y’all missed a heck of a Friday night. I don’t remember much of it. Great dinner, I love freaking people out. “I thought i twas a party of eight?” “Yeah, times two.” “Hwy, how come Nikita gets a wholetable to herself??” The new computers are out an dgiving us a hassle, naturally. Stupid Vista. Rob’s already broken his. Stupid Rob. If you ever want to freak peopel out in public, he advises a Mr. Big bar tossed into a swimming pool. Interesting. We’re ahead of schedule today, so we can all watch some Quark movies. Fascinating. I made lunch today. I’m trying to go at least one day without eating out. Does Whole Foods take-out count as eating out? Rob’s cell phone ring sounds like the X Files. I’m hoping to see a UFO hovering outside my window, but no. I want to make a group trip to the Harry Potter marathon on Tuesday, jelly beans and chocolate frogs and all. We can’t stop here, this is bat country. Melissa just showed up, and no photos are ready. Blah! I heard Rob say “crackpot.” We’re gearing up to play a big game of Trivial Pursuit later, and blood will be shed. Poor Andrei, he’s still here at 7 p.m. working on our font issue. We ache of hunger. I think we shoul dgo for pho. Moose, where are you? I think you and I shoul dplay Identity Crisis. Nikita sits quietly in the corner. Dan says something about library and natural terrorist tendencies surfacin gas he reads the acronym. Welcome to the new UTM, Dan. Cough cough. Cold FX doesn’t work! Pho? My desk is packed with Quark 7.0 manuals. Daunting. I read while I wait for everyone to finish. Lots of copy editing to do tonight. Draft root beer, anyone? Ali spread biological disease to the office. Thanks, Ali. You may be nasal, but we love you. Lights out. rob left for a hockey game, I think. I thought you were suspended?? Master Splinter is lonely. Next week, if you’re lucky, I may bring a friend for you to meet. Wow, 8 p.m. and Nikita’s still here! We’re all surprised. Arts Boy clicks away in the corner, as does Saira. Very quiet evening. Meliss afinally has something to do with Features. Here we are at 10.30. Stuff is done. I missed out on the Hubble tournament on PkerStars.net. Boo. Saira’s brought a club-worthy sound system to the office. We’ve been listening to a misture of classical, indie, and house music all night. Dan tries to work through the blaring bass. Oh, now the Cranberries. Trivial Pursuit is all set up. I think we’re takin ga break and going to Tremendous. Umbrella? I have some brief flashbacks of La Vegas, but very few... kind of like last Friday. Ali’s dancing. Where’s the pretentious attitude now, Arts Boy? Dan tries Tim Horton’s coffee and is not amused. I told you. I TOLD you. Ali snoops. His head is down on my desk’s like a dog. Armrest. “Tell them I’d sleep with you at the drop of a hat.” Blink blink. Hi, mom. I’m ruining Arts Boy’s hair. Now it no longer looks like Sunny’s. Or a bird’s nest (his words). Trivial pursuit awaits. No, I have not seen Garden State. My mom suggests Asshole TV. Yeah. Waiting on Moose. Mousse? Oh, the irony. Ali gives up. We’re waiting on Rob. We’re hungry. We’re done

Letters to the Editor

H ELLO, I’M A D OCTOR “Officer, I admit to speeding, but I’m a doctor. Hello, I’m Dr. Alemstein and here’s my card. I think you have great taste in shoes. It’s spelt Dr. Alemstein, with an ei not an ee and I work with Dr. Goldbawn, we need to pass through.”

O n n u m e r o us o c c a s i o n s , I ’ v e witnessed medical doctors, even dentists, pulling the doctor card.

Today I listened to a cool radio program on just that. It’s called White Coat, Black Art. It’s a CBC Radio One program that airs twice a week and is available online.

Dr. Brian Goldman, the host, explores the “I’m a doctor” rhetoric and in the January 7th episode that I just listened to, he captures through interviews and discussions the traditional and not-so-traditional perspectives of the prestige and power that radiate from this god-like title: Doctor.

I laughed when I heard the term

“pathologically insecure.” I respect doctors and the entire medical profession. I think medical schools, like the medical career, are a challenging experience. It’s a field where only the finest of characters can succeed.

To save a life or help heal a wound not only earns respect, but attracts enough karma that it becomes impossible for one to show too much respect for such a constructive win-win profession.

So I laughed because the doctors - especially the dentists that pull the doctor card - do, in fact, resemble the pathologically insecure. It’s a form of seeking validation. Larry Rosen, the CEO of Harry Rosen who was also part of that episode, says it takes away from their confidence and speaks to their inability to express themselves without pulling the doctor card. It’s obvious the white coat over the white collar is part of the

rhetoric. Rosen carries a traditional perspective of doctors with uniform but agrees that it is possible for doctors to express themselves if they’re aware of themselves and find their unique style. I don’t have a problem with doctors pulling the doctor card, but the ones that do, may I remind them: they’re not gaining status, but communicating neediness.

The doctor title only translates to status when you contribute to someone’s help, or if someone asks when they’re interested in you. But when we’re at a party, and you introduce yourself to me as a doctor, know that the only reason I’m talking to you is not because I’m attracted to you, but because I want to know why my left testicle hangs lower than my right.

Doc Love, Majid Hashemi

EDITORIAL Please write to:editor@mediumonline.ca Letters to the editor will be edited for spelling, grammar, style, and coherence.

Letters will not exceed 500 words in print. Letters that incite hatred, violence or letters that are racist, homophobic, sexist, or libelous will not be published.

Anonymous letters will not be published. Letters and and other editorial materials reflect opinions of the authors, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, staff, volunteers, or Board of Directors of The Medium. In other words, just because we print it doesn’t necessarily mean we agree with it.

Submission does not guarantee publication. Submission of materials to The Medium presumes the writer has read, and agrees with, this policy.

MEDIUM

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Monday, January 14, 2008

THE MEDIUM 5

Arts & Entertainment ALI KASIM, EDITOR | arts@mediumonline.ca

The art on war The Blackwood and Justina M. Barnicke galleries are preparing to launch a new exhibit that focuses on the relationship of contemporary art and its reflections of war.

There are also a few artworks that are disturbing, whether because of images we see or what is spoken, some of which we will see on the Video Wall. Again, these artworks mostly attempt to introduce us unusually to some more difficult subjects of war, subjects that, I think, are crucial to consider in this day and age.

ANDREA GRASSI ASSISTANT A+E EDITOR

Kealy: There is a curious history of art's relationship to war. Art has often served war, depicting occasions or personalities of war as mythic or heroic, or framing a period of time into a certain kind of history. Boris Groys, who will come to UTM on January 25 as part of the symposium on art and war here, says that today the artist is being replaced by the soldier or terrorist themselves - where images can be produced for political or emotive reasons by anyone, and images of war are more commonly arising from the field of war (and the media) than the artist. But this is a subject onto itself.

I organized this exhibition as a means of broaching the subject of today's ongoing war, and how it is not distinct or separate from our lives. Many of the artists' projects demonstrate this, and many others seek to form ways of imagining a world beyond war, but from the very realm of war itself. I feel this is a very urgent task.

Three letters often penetrate our media, our art, and our culture – W-A-R. Signals in the Dark: Art in the Shadow of War, a collaboration between UTM’s Blackwood Gallery and the Justina M. Barnicke Gallery on the St. George campus, explores contemporary art’s relationship with war through inter-disciplinary works of protest, struggle, enlightenment and even mockery. The exhibit includes work from seventeen international artists exhibited at two campus locations, a catalogue, a program, a public symposium, and a forty-day film and video program.

Blackwood curator Seamus Kealy expands upon the importance, the protest, and the transformation this exhibit could ignite in the U of T community.

What should students keep in mind while interacting with the exhibit?

Kealy: Students might want to keep in mind that each artwork is, in very different ways from each other, a response to contemporary war and the way that war is experienced.

I selected each artwork to fit into the theme of war and its representations - how war is seen from afar, thus imagined, and how we come to understand war. This theme also includes a confrontation of the terrible reality of global, uncontrollable war and how it has a proximity to ordinary life, no matter where one lives. This is underlined, for example, by the sculpture

by Abdel-Karim Khalil, which came all the way from Baghdad, and represents his reaction to how Iraqi people are treated, as well as represented.

Or we can consider Dominique Blain's banners in the CCT Building, which demonstrate how inter-connected architecture and contemporary institutions are with ideas and histories of war and, in many cases, actualities of current war. The banners might be seen to transform the atrium building into a space resembling totalitarian architecture. Upon closer inspection of the banners, it is clear that the artist is making a comment upon the order of bodies and machines under ideas such as nationhood or patriotic fervour.

War and politics have always been a prevalent topic in the arts world. Why did Blackwood choose this theme for its winter exhibit?

What do you hope will come from the exhibit's exposure to young students and university affiliates? Do you want this exhibit to be a form of protest against global war and the resultant “global empire”?

Kealy: Undeniably, yes. This project is a form of protest. However, it is also a heavily-researched and inter-disciplinary project that brings together a variety of different ideas and expressions. This mosaic of examinations, representations and analyses of war, I believe, enables many entry points for a wide audience.

However, what is constantly coming up with the artworks is a glimpse at the potential of humanity. By this, I mean that although the exhibition has a terrible, almost unrepresentable subject, the experience is not meant to be a pessimistic one.

This is what I would hope people will take away with them; a sense that the world can be actively imagined for the better, where from the stuff of reality we can produce and share ideas and expressions, and beginning very seriously with this communication, the world can be molded into a better place.

The exhibit will open Wednesday, January 16, at 7 p.m. in the Blackwood and 5 p.m. at Justina M. Barnicke, and runs until March 2.

photo source/Seamus Kealy

photo/www.www.fraggerzstuff.com

Art in gaming ASHISH SETH

The University of Toronto makes us hard-working, intelligent, progressive and competitive individuals. But, in turn, it also makes us tired, depressed, cynical and selfinterested. When we’re not competing with our fellow students for jobs after graduation – and contemplating how cold people really are in this capitalist reality – we need a “way out” for peace of mind; to take a break from the prostitution of selling yourself on a resume or cover letter.

The past twenty years have been a renaissance for video and computer gaming. We’ve gone from dots on a screen bouncing off walls to create a simple game of ping

pong to fully rendered graphics that animate an in-game character amidst a fully rendered graphical world. The amount of detail in a game has increased rapidly, almost to the point of rivalling the detail in film and literature. In no time, gaming has become a medium for artistic expression.

What is art? That’s a tough question. Whole disciplines have been devoted towards defining that very abstract term. Strict definitions aside, art usually comes with a message, delivered to those who view it, read it and watch it. Art, in any medium, attempts to evoke within us emotions that reveal not just something about the world we live in, but something about ourselves. Art helps us see and create meaning. Games are more and more frequently becoming experi-

ences that have the gamer pursue meaning or an ideal rather than just the goal of finishing or winning the game. Like art, games instil emotion into players, and engage the players to make significant and character-revealing decisions.

The past twenty years have not only brought graphical advancements to the medium of gaming – we have the PS3, XBOX 36O and Nintendo Wii to dazzle us these days with their visuals – but games have also advanced in terms of narrative, imagery, and gamerengagement. These three qualities put the “art” in gaming, all glued together by detail. Detail is key to any artistic masterpiece and, in gaming, it is no different.

Continued on page 6

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Monday, January 14, 2008

ARTS

Open letter to Britney One fan’s plea for the return of Miss Spears Dear Britney Spears Alexander Federline,

Hot on the heels of being crowned Forbes Magazine’s most powerful celebrity in 2002, you and Madonna Back in 1999 you writhed, lip- locked lips for a highly publicized kiss synched and Baby-One-More-Timed in 2003, studied Kabala and embarked your little Catholic school girl kilt into on your largest world tour ever. our collective hearts. Your girl-next- Christina Aguilera, Mandy Moore, door charm, southern drawl, Lolita- Jessica Simpson and Willa Ford tried esque demeanor and commendable vow and failed; they were no match for the of virginity made you a favourite with Britney machine. It didn’t matter that impressionable girls, horny boys, you couldn’t sing, act or formulate an pedophiles and parents alike. We under- original thought - you were a household stood your plight of Not Being a Girl, name that would rival Mr. Clean. You Not Yet a Woman, watched you grow made a controversial video for every Stronger than yesterday and inevitably time in which you may or may not have became Slaves 4 U. What happened, killed yourself in a bathtub.

BritBrit? How come you went from Foreshadowing, suspense and brilliance being touted as the next Madonna to the like this hadn’t been witnessed since next Anna Nicole Smith? Was it the Hitchcock.. fame? The designer duds/drugs? Maybe Your quickie marriage to Jason the break up with Justin was too much Alexander – not the one from Seinfeld – to bear? in 2004 was the first peek into your future as a train wreck.

Annulled within 52 hours, perhaps I should have taken this as a cry for help. But before I could ready your care package filled with Red Bull, Cheeto puffs, Frappachinos and ciggies, you announced your engagement to K-Fed, a back-up dancer you had known for three months. I gave K-Fed a chance, watched your show Chaotic on UPN and marveled at your skillful burping and affinity for saying “y’all.”

2004 also saw you becoming more involved with your career-grappling record company photo/www.mtv.com reins, and a first attempt at directing a music When you and JT broke up it was an video for Do Somethin’. A flying end of an era — no longer would two pink Hummer, amateur camera starlets wear matching denim outfits to work, poor styling and lazy choreMTV Music Video Awards, play chari- ography laced the clip. I yearned ty basketball games for underprivileged for the slick production of Toxic, inner-city kids and frost the tips of their sharp moves of Crazy and cutesy hair together. I wore my “Team Spears” poses of Oops…I Did It Again. t-shirt proudly and abandoned my “Mrs. Because you’re our girl Brit, we Timberlake” ribbed-cami in solidarity. gave you another chance to redeem

yourself. It didn’t matter that your wedding party was to the theme of pimps and hoes – I still wanted to see you succeed.

I thought it was a phase, but then in 2005 came the first Feder-spawn: Sean Preston Federline. Then came Jayden James by the spring of 2006. Later you would defend your actions of driving with SPF on your lap because “I’m country, y’all!” I started to miss toned and tight Britney. The Britney whose lower back would rather get a henna tattoo than an epidural. Your ultra-low-rise jeans made way for stained dresses and clunky cowboy boots. Unkempt hair and extensions, acne and drugstore sunglasses became your signature. The inevitable divorce preceded your ‘Britney Shears’ hair incident and eventual admission to rehab.

You weren’t supposed to turn out this way – you were the “American dream at seventeen.” Christina was supposed to be the skank, the fuck-up, not you.

Never you. You were the normal one.

You were the girl guys dreamed of dating, or at least sleeping with, and now your appeal is aligned to that of Karla Homolka.

2007 saw your crotch flashed across the blogosphere – clearly your head wasn’t the only thing you famously

shaved in 2007. Then you entered and left rehab, announced “it’s Britney, bitch!” to a bored audience at the MTV Video Awards, almost dropped SPF, finalized your divorce with K-Fed and realized you were about to become an aunt to Jamie Lynn Spears’ unborn spawn.

Weaves, hats with hair attached and neon pink wigs replaced your signature blonde tresses. On a positive note, Blackout garnered you critical success, your first number one in years and a promising slew of potential singles.

It’s the second week of 2008 and you’ve already had your first melt-down, and boy, was it a doozie. Dr. Phil saw you, apparently, and you were unresponsive to his usually excellent and provocative advice. If Dr. Phil McGraw can’t save you, who can?

You seem better since the incident – you’re back to your usual self, Brit: picking up married paparazzo for hotel romps, using public washrooms barefoot and speaking in a fake British cockney accent for TMZ cameras.

In 2007, the shimmer in your always-vacant eyes dimmed to a comfortable dullness only illuminated by the constant flickering of camera flashes outside of any given L.A. gas station. In 2008, let Jamie Lynne deal with her problem and how about you sit this one out.

It doesn’t have to be photo/google.images

like this, Brit! Remember the good ol’ times? You can have those again! Call up Oprah! She’ll send you to all the right people. Go to rehab and mean it – and really mean it, not Lindsay Lohan mean it. Get a trainer, personal stylist,

photo/http://justjared.buzznet.com

chauffer, hair stylist (no more Nice ‘N Easy for you Brit) and life coach. Move somewhere across the pond like Gwyneth Paltrow. Call up Felicia and ask her to be your assistant just like the glory days. Reconcile with mama and papa Spears. Go to Lamaze classes with Jamie. Spend some time watching Dora: the Explorer and Thomas the Tank Engine with your kids – they miss you.

Shoes in public places, washrooms or otherwise will also increase life expectancy. Hire the best video directors, producers and choreographers ¬– they’re worth it.

Kisses and cuddles, Your friend, Rafay Agha

Digital wilderness: art in gaming Continued from page 5

We’ve come a long way from the platform-jumping games of Mario and Sonic, where plot and purpose were simple: save the princess/defeat Dr. Robotnik, win the game. Sure, those are great, classic games in their own right, but all very much dated. A good game today is has to be layered with detail, much like a good action movie or an engaging novel, to pass the mark. Recent games such as HalfLife 2, Bioshock, and the Grand Theft Auto Series have shown what can be accomplished when art meets gaming.

Back in the old-school Nintendo days of gaming, story and narrative didn’t have much of a role. If the game was fun, the game was marketable. Nowadays, a major feature of the game is its story and narrative presentation. The story is just as important as the visuals. A good story – with likeable characters, an engaging plot, and well constructed narrative sequences – provides for a much more engaging and rewarding endgame experience. With this, there’s more incentive for the player to finish the game and see how the characters develop and the story concludes.

Games, especially first person shooters, also have a unique narrative

device or method exclusive to the gaming medium. A great example of this is Half-Life 2, where the premise is to shoot aliens with your gun, or whack ‘em with your crowbar. The first-person narrative is literal, and throughout the game, the view never leaves the main character’s eyes. This creates a very engaging, personal, experience, encapsulating and immersing you in a huge world with a drama playing out. Every decision you make advances the drama.

The story of Half-Life 2 bears much influence and inspiration from literature, borrowing elements from George Orwell’s Nineteen EightyFour and Stephen King’s The Mist.

Gaming publishers are also frequently employing big-budget actors to voice their in-game characters.

Character liability, depth, and celebrity add considerably to the gaming experience.

Graphics and visuals are not just there to wow us as we shoot aliens to pieces. Games like Bioshock boast visuals which are carefully constructed and arranged to reflect the environment as accurately as possible.

The game’s developers animate the game’s backdrop – an underwater city set during the 1930’s – full of art deco style advertisements and architecture. The game rests against a

backdrop of insanity, mayhem, corruption and destruction; in a sense, destroyed beauty. The story exudes the dangers of uncontrolled science, the heart of darkness at the core of mankind, the lust for power, and the transformation of a potential utopia into an inevitable dystopia. Meaning is stored in every pore of digital detail, if you know how and where to look. Bioshock also has players mak-

ing moral decisions throughout the game, creating more character engagement.

Gamer engagement has also increased. The decisions you make in games will affect your whole gameplay experience. In games such as the Grand Theft Auto series, you’re allowed an astonishing amount of freedom. Some things you would be arrested for doing in real life are mis-

sion objectives to be completed.

With all the developments of the past twenty years, gaming has become the artistic medium for the future because it engages a person more than movies, books, and paintings ever could. It is the most engaging artistic medium. You are always part of the message, and you’re always participating as the digital wilderness creates meaning.

photo/bbcworld.org

THE MEDIUM 7

Monday, January 14, 2008

Features NIKITA KING, EDITOR | features@mediumonline.ca

The beast behind society’s beauty NIKITA KING FEATURES EDITOR

I remember a group of kids kicking another kid to the ground. The rainbow colours of the playground were innocent, and, for a split second, silence reigned as the kid went sprawling onto the dirt ground. Accusing fingers pointed at him as shrieks of laughter mocked him: “You’re so fat!

Ugly, fat pig!” Helpless against the dominating shadows of his bullies, he curled up in a ball and screamed. That child’s scream echoed through my years of growing up.

Even though that was years ago, I feel like my surroundings are a grownup version of that same playground.

Society seems to promote the idea that any deviation from its portrayal of beauty is ugly. This becomes a playground of impressions and display.

The message of "image is everything" constantly bombards us in all forms of media. Flawless figures and faces aren’t just found in vanity magazines such as Cosmopolitan or Elle, they are exploited in advertisements and TV shows. This exaggerated ideal can create undue pressure on citizens to conform to a warped beauty that is unattainable.

Welcome to the next new big weight-loss and fountain-ofyouth trend, `The Adobe Photoshop Diet.` This program won`t actually make you feel lighter or provide you with a physical face-lift; it`ll just make your photos look that way.

Anorexia, low self-esteem, depression and other illnesses are often the result of a belief that distorting one’s appearance will help them fit in with society. Yet, the media’s artificial beauty continues because we seem to support it. Of course we all want to look good in photos. As long as no one is home, I’m sure anyone can walk boldly around their house naked and fresh out of bed. But when it comes to being in the public eye, whether it’s selling a product or going in for a job interview, we feel the need to look better than our best. People seem to find comfort in trying to avoid criticism by creating perfection- even if it’s not real.

No one is perfect. But, with today’s technology we can fake perfection.

Welcome to the next big weight-loss and fountain-of-youth trend, the “Adobe Photoshop Diet." This computer program won't actually make you feel lighter or provide you with a physical face lift; it'll just make your photos look that way. Digital cameras and numerous computer programs have the ability to manipulate, distort and alter pictures. A very popular Photoshop technique called airbrushing has the ability to fade out wrinkles, freckles and pimples. Despite how plastic a bad job can make the model’s skin appear, with today’s technology, airbrushing is the key to smooth and

photo/Claudia Infusino

With the magic of Photoshop, fuller lips, brighter eyes and skin, darker eyebrows, a straighter nose and smoother skin has transformed the orginal picture of the model (left) into a typcial magazine cover model (right). radiant skin - not L’Oreal or Avon anti-aging cream. Sometimes I wonder why on earth society even needs models to define beauty if their photos just undergo major Photoshop manipulation. We may as well just put Barbie and Ken on the front cover of Vogue.

Who needs Tyra Banks to sell perfume? Let’s just use the digitally created Lara Croft to steam up the advertisement. Hell, why don’t we all just wear paper bags over our heads because magazines and advertisements indirectly tell us we’re all ugly anyway.

As beautiful as some celebrities are, their pictures are still often retouched in some way to make them even more beautiful and thinner than they really are. Special camera lenses can also create the illusion that the celebrity appears thinner.

In 2002, when Kate Winslet was featured on the front cover of GQ magazine, the UK edition, she admitted, “I can tell you that they reduced the size of my legs by a third. The retouching is excessive. I do not look like that and more importantly, I do not desire to look like that.”

In 2003, Jamie Lee Curtis approached the editors of More magazine – which is geared toward women over 40 – and made an offer they couldn’t refuse. She told the magazine that she would like to publish a photo of herself in her bra and underwear, with no makeup, no hair styling and no special lighting.

“The whole goal for me with this was just that people would look at it and go like this: ‘Oh, I get it. She’s real. She’s just a person like me,’” Curtis explained. “And that was my whole goal. Look how happy I am, because I was so free.”

The public’s reaction was “100 per cent positive,” said More magazine editor Susan Crandell.

“We got hundreds of letters from women saying ‘thank you’ and they were saying ‘you look like me’ or ‘I look like you.’”

If the media is ultimately selling a

beauty that doesn’t truly exist, then what is beauty? Beauty has always had its roots in anything that is pure and good. Therefore, beauty is not so much seen as it is experienced. But as a certain saying goes, “the quite blind trust in the visible,” and society has perverted the essence of beauty by replacing it with a superficial, commercially orchestrated, redefined exploitation.

The media plays on physical appearance rather than the unseen.

We can all play around with Photoshop and look beautiful for the first five minutes after our perfected photograph is flashed around, but in terms of your lifetime, you should have a healthy outlook throughout. To be beautiful towards the end of your life, you need to be healthy and vibrant throughout all of it. That will only come from taking good care of yourself. Individuality should be the new trend because that is what makes us

different. And, our difference is the very feature which makes us unique something no form of technology could ever replicate. There is no bigger turn-off than self-obsession, and nothing sexier than self-acceptance and confidence. Remember, you’re probably not going to have much of an ass when you turn 50, so you better make sure you have a beautiful personality.

8 THE MEDIUM

Monday, January 14, 2008

FEATURES

Creative Corner Dream compass

4 letter game It’s the reason you’re crying at Four a.m.

It’s the reason you’re smiling.

It’s the reason you’re lying.

It’s the reason you’re honest.

It’s the reason you feel safe.

It’s the reason you’re insecure.

It’s the reason you apologize endlessly.

It’s the reason you’re swearing.

It’s the reason you’re still awake.

It’s the reason you’re still asleep.

It’s the reason you’re amazed.

It’s the reason you’re disappointed.

It’s the reason you’re scared.

It’s the reason you’re relieved.

It’s the reason you’re confused.

It’s the reason you’re sure.

It’s the hand that you bluff.

It’s the gamble you make.

It’s the one you just might lose.

It’s the one, you just might win.

It’s the four-letter game.

- Rolla Bahsous

The crashing waves of a thousand tears; the sorrow and doubt from those peaceful years; the wandering man alone in his thoughts.

The laws of society and what it has brought for those who contemplate

photo/Li-san Huang

Dean He says that love is gonna come one day.

In his mind are visions of bravery that will come to him in perfect form She will give him everything to match his nothing Then he will vanquish his sadness.

Inside he knows love is blacker than that.

-Melanie Smuts

photo/Li-san Huang

these asphalt times.

Alone be you in the test of all strength is it not the makings of man.

The tough hard decision in all broken lines Sanctuary sinking off the rocks of a barron land.

Yet all that stray will be at the masters hand a dreams redemption a fleeting chance for a life started over to make your stand!

A thousand lights dim, one star burn.

We act on anothers whim, the star learns.

A thousand voices cry, the pain of life too many years gone by, the pain of a knife.

Honour, duty, words spoken,

illustration/Francois Knoetze

used in vain The cycle of death never broken.

Life of man in wane yet follow the burning star.

Follow the yearning heart with wings of light fly further then life can start.

- Francois Knoetze

Monday, January 14, 2008

THE MEDIUM

FEATURES

Iraq’s forgotten billions

9

Profile: Tye Ballantine JULIE TYIOS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

DANIEL ROSENTHAL

In 2006, Dispatches, a special investigation unit of Channel 4 news, in collaboration with GuardianFilms, began an investigation into large sums of Iraq's “rebuilding” money that had gone missing. Their project, Iraq's Missing Billions, was filmed in late 2006. It follows the story of on Iraqi doctor, Dr. Ali Fadhil, and his search for what happened to this supposed "rebuilding" money.

This story begins with a coalition formed in April of 2003. It is formally known as the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA), created to govern Iraq until it had status as a sovereign nation.

Part of the CPA's duty was to allocate money from the UN's Oil-For-Food program, American taxpayer dollars, and the remaining assets of the former Iraqi government both inside and outside the country to the social and physical rebuilding of Iraqi infrastructure. However, almost all of this money was suspected to have been stolen, unaccounted for, or soaked up by various American contractors operating in Iraq. The amount stolen? In excess of $20 billion. This money was put into the Development Fund for Iraq, where it was then turned into hard cash and stored by the Federal Bank in New York. From New York, it was sent to Andrew's Air Force base in Washington, and finally flown from there to Iraq on military flights.

Responsibility can be found by asking a single question: who controlled what? The CPA was originally created by the “Coalition of the Willing,” a group of countries who were dedicated to America's War on Terror. Believe it or not, there was a plan developed by the American State Department to rebuild post-invasion Iraq. This plan, however, was disregarded by the Bush administration and instead the administration put the Pentagon in charge. Paul Bremer was the man who the Pentagon chose to run CPA, and as commissioner, Bremer nullified all American law and Iraqi law inside Iraq as it pertained to private contractors.

But what happened to law and order, you may ask? "[Paul Bremer] gave [American contractors] immunity from prosecution or even collection actions under Iraqi law.

American law was suspended and Iraqi law was suspended,” explained Alan Grayson, an attorney who represents whistle-blowers in the United States. “Iraq then became a free-fraud zone. In a freefraud zone you can steal anything you like.”

The "whistle-blower," so to speak, is a man named Frank Willis. Willis served as a senior officer of the CPA, just under Bremer. He was in control of all civilian flights across Iraq.

"I think that as trustees of the Iraq assets, we did a very poor job. I think it was a failure," admitted Willis.

However, with such a large amount of money missing, responsibility is something which is found not solely in the hands of a few men. Where did all this money actually go? Certainly not the Iraqi infrastructure or health care program, nor was it used for water filtration systems, or even the educational facilities. The most amazing facet of this problem was the lax security provisions used around all this money - security was nearly nonexistent.

"We were known to play football with some of the bricks of hundred-dollar bills before delivery. It is easy to see how money could just disappear in that kind of environment,” described Willis. “There were cases of vaults and safes being left open, which led to the theft of $750,000 from one safe.”

Miller, also spoke of another incident that involved two American agents who reportedly left Iraq with $1.5 million in cash. He stressed that the money was not all misplaced or stolen directly from a safe or airplane. In fact, much of it was blindly given to contractors who claimed their expenses were 1000% higher than they were in reality.

One crucial aspect of any developed nation is its electricity - everything runs on it. According to America's own figures, Iraq's electricity infrastructure was, during the making of the documentary, worse than it was before the invasion. However, $1.5 billion has apparently been spent on the electricity infrastructure. Power cables have not been laid and because of this, power plants cannot work. This inhibits the working condition of water filtration systems, leaving polluted water to flow downstream where it is then consumed by villagers.

"Contracts were negotiated fast and furiously. Sums were paid. Contractors went about their business, but there was very poor oversight of the performance in those contracts. There was a lack of personnel, on our part, and there was a lack of trained personnel on our part to provide effective supervising functions,” claimed Willis.

“Half a billion dollars has been spent on

"I think that, as trustees of the Iraq assets, we did a very poor job. I think it was a failure."

- Fred Willis, senior officer of the CPA

Iraq's oil manufacturing operation.

However, it is producing less oil as well.

In the same way, Iraq is producing less clean water yet, half a billion dollars has been spent on it.”

Fadhil's investigation took him to a hospital in an Iraqi village called Diwaniyah, where he noted the government spent $527 million on the infrastructure there.

Once at Diwaniyah, Fadhil visited the only pediatric and maternal hospital to see the progress. He went on to show viewers the poor state of the hospital. The camera captured footage of an open manhole outside the hospital where raw sewage was running. In the kitchen, there were sewage blockages under the counters and cabinets, where proper piping was lacking. Light fittings for operating rooms had melted and proper piping had not been connected.

The operating theatre changing room even had water-filled cracks in the floor. Fadhil describes the place reeking with a stench of raw sewage. The camera further revealed dead cockroaches and live ants crawling out of the floor which was not properly sealed - again, all this in an operating room which would be in use in a week’s time.

The shock of such horrors described in this article, is brief - brief - in its description of Iraq's missing money. Perhaps a novel could do this topic some justice.

According to people who actually worked with Iraqi health services and the CPA, lawyers, Iraqi civilians, and Fadhil himself, there is little - if anything - that can be done to get that money back. The money that belonged to Iraq fell to the greed of war profiteers.

If you wish to see Dispatches’ “Iraq's Missing Billions,” you may Google that title and watch it for free on the Internet.

Tye Ballantine sits in a chair in a New York piercing studio.

Wincing in pain, he squirms as a stainless steel wedge, heated to over a thousand degrees, sears a design into the flesh of his left forearm. Tye, 24, is the subject of a short National Geographic documentary on flesh branding.

Tye is a piercer at Way Cool Tattoos in Oakville, where he works six days a week. With a shaved head, stretched earlobes, two rings in his lower lip, multiple tattoos, brandings, and his ears sewn into pixie points, Tye is a poster child for body modification. Body modification is the act of altering a person’s physical appearance through piercings and tattoos, and other procedures like scarification, dermal implants, flesh splitting, and branding.

As a one-man sideshow, “Tyetanium: The Metal Golem,” Tye transforms himself into a human pincushion, driving long, thin metal pins through his neck, face, and other areas of his body.

He suspends himself with ropes attached to hooks jammed through his skin, and breathes fire, among other things. He performs these shows regularly across North America, joining metal bands on tour and making appearances at body modification conventions.

Tye has been in the industry for over nine years. He started off as a shop apprentice in Toronto, cleaning and sterilizing equipment.

“I got into [the industry] because body modification - piercing mainly - got me out of cutting myself,” he says. “Not so much out of hate for myself, but my fascination with the human body and how it works. Piercing fed that interest. It truly fascinates me and

photo/Julie Tyios

Tye Ballantine, a piercer, is fascinated with body modification as a form of selfexpression.

I wanted to share that with the world and other people who want to beautify their bodies.”

I visited Tye for a piercing last week. We picked a spot on my left nostril and Tye joked with me about keeping my fingers out of my nose until it heals. Once the ring was in place, he cleaned up, and we spoke about piercings, health standards in the industry, and people who “price shop” for cheap work.

“This really irritates me,” he said angrily, “as I don’t under-

stand how someone could care so little about their body, just looking to get the cheapest work done, and not looking at who is doing the procedure, their skill level, knowledge and so on. “ S a d l y i n C a n a d a t he r e i s n o regulation within the body modification industry,” he sighed.

“Anyone can open up and call themselves a piercer, as long as they have a working autoclave and meet health board standards, which in my option are very outof-date.”

Monday, January 14, 2008

10 THE MEDIUM

Sports ROB SILVA, EDITOR | sports@mediumonline.ca

Trade rumours, general managers, and the MLSE CHRISTOPHER SA’D AND ROBERT SILVA Trade, trade, trade is the only thing exciting in the NHL right now with the rumour mill oiled up and spinning across the coast.

Shortly after the first half of the season, teams are already talking about movements and trades with supposed bids coming two months before trade deadline. Toronto, Pittsburgh, Edmonton, Detroit, Anaheim, and even Dallas are on the suspect list to find their niche into contending playoff teams.

So what’s on the rumour list? Well, the east is looking to dish out players either within the conference or to the rival West, with big names set to become free agents come the end of the season.

The Toronto Maple Leafs are eager to make a move with a disastrous losing streak in the west and a last place power play ranking. Mats Sundin’s contract is coming to an end and Darcy Tucker is on the block for his underachieving season.

Detroit and Anaheim have shown

interest in acquiring Sundin to add some depth into their rosters to make a run for the cup. Detroit believes that Sundin’s Swedish teammate Nikolas Lidstrom would persuade Sundin to waive his notrade clause to bring him to hockey town, but Anaheim has the young prospects Toronto would most benefit from.

“Major, major changes (Ferguson) would have to bring to the (MLSE).”

- Leafs President, Richard Peddie

Darcy Tucker is another option for leafs, but who would want Tucker and his whopping five goals?

John Ferguson’s General Manager (GM) position is on the line before the trade deadline as Leafs President Richard Peddie made note of Ferguson’s

authority, or lack thereof: "Major, major changes (Ferguson) would have to bring to the [Maple Leafs Sports Entertainment (MLSE)] board."

Peddie also said that any request by Ferguson would have to encompass a full review by the MLSE board of directors.

Scotty Bowman was in negotiations with the Leafs organization to take over Ferguson’s position as vice president and general manager, until Bowman was told that he wouldn’t have full control over the day-to-day team operations.

Now let’s switch our attention to a team with a GM who isn’t treated like a pilon. The Pittsburgh Penguins are roaming the block for another goaltender. Their goaltender Ty Conklin is 90-1 since taking over for the injured Marc-Andre Fluery. But how long will Conklin’s hot-streak last?

The Penguins have shown interest in Montreal Canadiens young goaltender, Jaroslaw Halak. Unfortunately, Montreal wants forward Colby Armstrong in exchange; a price Penguins GM Ray Shero is not willing to pay.

The Pens even traveled west, showing interest in goaltender Marty Turco from

the Dallas Stars, but there is nothing to report thus far.

The Edmonton Oilers are searching for some upgrades as GM Kevin Lowe would like to see his team return to the calibre of play from two seasons ago, when the Oilers were crowned as Western Conference Champions.

However, Edmonton awaits the return of blue liners Joni Pitkanen and Sheldon Souray before they consider the movement of players.

The trade deadline is up and coming, but don’t expect too much to happen at the movement. Expect some blockbusters come February.

photo/www.thestar.com

John Ferguson, left, has the authority to decide which flavour of Gatorade the Leafs should drink after practice.

Monday, January 14, 2008

SPORTS

THE

MEDI- 11

Jumping off the treadmill SUNNY PATHAK ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

It’s only been two weeks into 2008 and a third of you who made New Year’s resolutions won’t make it to the end of January. In fact, twentytwo per cent of people with resolutions have already jumped off the wagon!

The tradition of New Year’s resolutions goes back to 153 BC 2,000 years later still we are still making and breaking promises to ourselves.

Over fifty per cent of those of you who made resolutions for the New Year opted for a new ‘lifestyle change,’ be it healthy eating, going to the gym or both.

“Several hundred people use the RAWC daily (since the Christmas break) – I haven’t seen the gym area this busy in a long time,” says Andrew Bellerby, program coordinator. “Our peak time is at lunch.

At lunch time you’ll see about the eighty per cent of the cardio equipment used. It’ll get busier in the next couple of weeks and in late January and February I’ll see a decline in the number of people (in the gym).”

Bellerby, a forrmer Canadian sculling champion, notes that the best time to use the gym is the morning before 11:00 a.m. and in the afternoon from 4:00 p.m. onward.

With hopes to compete in the prestigious Ironman triathlon, Bellerby attributes the decline to students getting busy with course work and a lack of motivation.

“People need to realize that it takes four to six weeks make a ‘life style change’ and to see results.”

Bellerby suggests developing a social network to stay motivated joining a spinning or pilates class does just that: “Those classes have a set time, you meet people in class – you have structure and social networking.”

With plans to bring a triathlon event to UTM, joining the outdoor run club is a great way to get started. The RAWC also offers personal trainers to guide you to your goals.

For more information on the running club, getting started in the gym or hiring your own personal trainer, e-mail abellerb@utm.utoronto.ca.

A promising 2008 With a New Year upon us, I could only imagine what New Year’s resolutions professional athletes made.

Eli Manning, to learn how to read…the defense? Older brother Peyton might want to join him on that.

George Tardik’s 5 Tips to Make and Stick to your Resolution 1) Identify and access your goal(s), why do you want to change your life, what is your motivation?

2) Develop a strategy or a plan and set small attainable goals, for example, “I will stop eating after 7 p.m., by making sure I eat four small meals during the day, and I will accept that I may be hungry at 11 p.m.”

3) Have ongoing contingencies, if you stumble what will you do? Having two pieces of cheesecake does not mean you through in the towel. What will you do tomorrow to get back on the right track?

4) Continue to re-access, depending on the demands of your work and family life you may need to adjust your strategy. Keep in mind that it will take time to break your old habit, so keep with it!

5) If you are serious about making a change in your life you don’t have to wait till New Years!

You can begin on any day, because the important part about resolving to change your life is not the day you begin, but all the others that will follow.

George Tardik BS.c (Hon), RHN, ND (Cand.)

- utritionist for ature’s Source

Or Tracy McGrady to play with be under the guidance of George his eyes open! Imagine how good Tardik. Tardik, a nutritionist at he would be instead of looking like Nature’s Source, has an honours he just woke up on every posses- degree in biochemistry and will sion. soon practice naturopathic mediFor the Toronto Maple Leafs to cine. put together a winning streak.

Tardik speaks philosophically Maybe that was a bit of stretch. about changes. “A New Year’s resSince the New Year, I’ve started o l u t i o n i s p a r t o f t h e f a b r i c o f to make a lifestyle change. I’m not Western culture. As if a change in dieting, no South Beach, Atkins, or c a l e n d a r i s s y n o n y m o u s w i t h a whatever the diet fad of choice is. change in habit.”

I’m not going to be searching for Come along for the ride, as I Brian McNamee, Kirk Radomski or switch from indulging in Twinkies even Barry Bonds’s personal trainer, Greg Anderson.

I don’t need Rogers Clemens after me.

I’m making healthier choices to my lifestyle – goodbye bag of Doritos, hello fruits and veg etables.

No more Fruit Loops and chocolate milk to start my day.

I’ve converted to whole grain bread with almond butter, skim milk, and fruit.

For the next six weeks, I will Too much for Tony Romo to handle.

to munching on baby carrots. I’ve said goodbye to soft drinks and alcohol, and introduced strawberry banana shakes with ground flax to my body.

Tardik will provide insight on how to make healthy choices, break down nutritional myths and provide answers to your questions.

Next week, I’ll sit down with him discuss my current diet, establish goals and set guidelines and put myself to the test.

photo/Google Images

12 THE MEDIUM

Monday, January 14, 2008

SPORTS

NFC Championship Game

AFC Championship Game

vs.

vs.

Eli Manning

Brett Favre

Philip Rivers

Tom Brady

Championship week predictions ROBERT KIELEK

AF C C h a m p i o n sh i p S a n Di e g o a t N e w E n g l a n d As the New England Patriots continue on their journey to perfection they st u m bl e i n t o an o t h e r r o a d block, that being the San Diego Chargers. The Patriots’ glorious season began perfect. They were blowing teams out by spreads that nobody was willing to put money on last season.

As the weeks went by, every team in the N F L w a n t e d t o g i v e t h e Patriots a beating. First it was the Colts, d e f e n d i n g S u p e r b o w l Champions. They had the early lead, but failed to carry a win. Then came P h i l l y , P i t t s b u r g h a n d Baltimore, all teams with an aggressive defense. Each game was undecided until the final quarter, where New England came out victorious.

At 15-0, the Patriots had one last hurdle in their way of a perfect season, the New York Giants. The game was tough, they were down, but once again Tom Brady took the field in the fourth quarter and did

what he was supposed to do, and leading the Patriots to a glorious victory that concluded the perfect regular season. Now came the playoffs. New England gave up an early lead to the Jacksonville Jaguars, but managed to pull off an impressive victory and advance to the AFC Championship with a 31-20 win.

The San Diego Chargers began the season in the rough. After the fourth week they were last place in the AFC West. A team that starts off in a slump after going 14-2 last season usually starts to panic. Being a m e n t a l l y st rong team behind coach Norv Turner, they turned their season around by winning the last six games. They faced a tough challenge in Vince Young and the Titans during the first week of playoffs, but came out on top with a 176 win.

Their next challenge seemed to be unattainable, a victory over the c h a m p s . Sa n Diego went into Sundays game vs. Indianapolis riding a seven game win streak. They were ready to give it their all, which they did.

They defeated Indianapolis 28-24 in the battle, where they finished the game without their quarterback Philip Rivers a n d r un n i n g back LaDainian

Tomlinson.

The San Diego Chargers will face the New England Patriots in Foxboro this Sunday. The Chargers, who will be playing their third straight playoff game, will have a very difficult time. The Pats should be well rested as they seemed to easily defeat the Jaguars without a great effort. The Chargers, who desperately await a quick recovery of Rivers and Tomlinson, will also heavily rely on Shawne Merriman and the defense. In order to win the Chargers will have to go up the middle on the Patriots whose stingy defense tends to regularly be in outside pass coverage.

If San Diego can do that, and LT will be one hundred percent healthy to run the game of his life, the Chargers will have a shot at keeping it close. If something goes wrong, Tom Brady will surely take advantage of any o pportunity to put points on the board.

N F C C h a m p i o n sh i p N Y G ia n t s a t G r e e n B a y Surprise, surprise. Two NFC teams meeting for the conference championship that no one may have pre-

dicted, except for fans of both teams. The Green Bay Packers finished last season at 8-8. The future of quarterback Brett Favre was gloomy. They had no number one running back. Now here they are playing in the conference finals. A few off-season acquisitions and an addition of several youngsters, the Packers formed a team that went from being 8-8 to 13-3, and scoring 134 more points. That’s almost 20 touchdowns!

Green Bay faced a beaten up Seattle team in their first playoff game. They were down 14-0 early in the game, but still managed to destroy their opponents 42-20.

The New Y ork Giants came close. They were four points shy of defeating the undefeated in the final week of the regular season, where they lost to the Patriots 38-35, but things did not change there.

Knowing that a shot at revenge would be three wins away, they went into the playoffs with their heads up high. Tampa Bay was their first victim.

The Giants hit the road and went to Tampa and came out victorious with a 24-14 win. They had a second challenge Sunday with the Dallas Cowboys. With the Cowboys

and Patriots being the projected Superbowl contenders, the Giants quickly put an end to that talk. They defeated the Cowboys in what seemed to be a close game 21-17.

Now they are just one win away at a possible shot at revenge.

With Jeremy Shockey encountering a late season injury, New York will rely on a flawless performance from their quarterback Eli Manning, who has had many up and down games all season long. His performance in the playoffs has been impressive, so far.

On the defense, powerhouse tackles Strahan and Umenyiora will be Favre hungry and will break thorugh the Packers offensive line to get to him. The Packers will have to do exactly what they have been doing all season long. It worked 13 times, and they will have a great chance at winning if they continue their impressive play.

Predictions New England goes back to early season styles and win by at least 14.

New York Giants will get their shot at revenge. They win by a late field goal.

NFL Divisional Results Jacksonville Jaguars 20 @ New England Patriots 31

Seattle Seahawks 20 @ Green Bay Packers 42

San Diego Chargers 28 @ Indianapolis Colts 24

photo/Google Images

Hat-trick Hero: Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo leaps over Newcastle's Shay Given en route to goal during Saturday's English premiership clash at Old Trafford. Ronaldo notched his first ever hat-trick for the English Champions as his side demolished the visitors 6-0. The Portuguese winger, who narrowly missed out on the FIFA World Player of the Year Award last month, currently leads the scoring charts with 16 goals.

New York Giants 21 @ Dallas Cowboys 17