Vol 34 issue 24

The Voice of the University of Toronto at Mississauga

MEDIUM THE

MONDAY, MARCH 24, 2008

VOLUME 34, ISSUE 24

www.mediumonline.ca

Teaming up to deliver Postcards

An environmental victory

Women’s div 1 ball team are champs

Page 6

Page 10

Page 12

Antakshri spreads love MEGHA KUMAR ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

In celebration of Holi, a spring festival of colors celebrated in India and Nepal, rival countries India and Pakistan competed in a musical challenge organized by the Hindu Student Council (HSC) of the University of Toronto Mississauga on March 20.

The event, which took place in the Presentation Room of the Student Centre, involved a lively performance by HSC volunteer Oshin Chhabra on a Bollywood mix and five rounds of Antakshari, a popular musical challenge where two or more teams sing Bollywood songs beginning from the last consonant of the song sung by the previous team.

HSC co-events coordinator Oindrilla Sarkar and vice president finance Vivek Govardhanam hosted the evening and controlled the high level of enthusiasm and extreme chaos within the crowded room.

The Indian team 'Kavis' competed against the Pakistani team 'Shayars' for five rounds, with each round increasing in the level of difficulty.

The two teams sat opposite each other against the wall, waving their respective national flags while each team screamed 'Pakistan/India Jitega' (Pakistan/India will win).

The final round, which involved figuring out the translation of English lyrics to popular Hindi music, saw the teams become more competitive and aggressive, and there were sever-

al “boos” when a participant on the Indian team got the name of a song wrong.

Controversy regarding lyrics confusion stemmed from complaints by the Indian team when they lost out on points because the hostess read the lyrics of a song incorrectly.

The judges finally called a tie in the total amount of scores, and the tie-breaker saw Pakistan winning the Antakshari contest for the second consecutive year.

Several Pakistanis paraded the Pakistani flag in happiness.

With Rohit Dubey as president of the HSC, the club won ‘best club’ in 2006. It has hosted several events since its inception, including a Diwali Mela and a Saraswati Puja.

“The message here is about diversity. The Hindu Council has tried hard to organize the event so that it's not controversial. Let's spread love between India and Pakistan because that's what it's about,” said recently elected president of the University of Toronto Mississauga Students’ Union, Wasah Malik.

The event ended with Hindi music and free South Asian food.

“We spent a lot of work and sleepless nights for two months and I'm glad everyone came out tonight and had a great time,” Govardhanam said.

He added, “We got the lyrics from reliable sources, no one can be a 'pandit' (scholar) for lyrics because it's never the exact meaning, so I think it was just a misunderstanding.

We did a great job otherwise!”

Photo/Melissa Di Pasquale

Students had fun at the Antakshri competition as part of Holi celebrations at UTM.

King Kong makes money MEGHA KUMAR ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

Photo/Matthew Filipowich

The Undergraduate Commerce Society (UCS) at University of Toronto Mississauga saw some chest-pounding action on March 20 in the South Building Faculty Club room as sports and entertainment marketing guru Jeffrey Neiman explored the world of King Kong and its consumerist power in an engaging seminar entitled “The Art of Licensing for a Major Movie Production.”

While discussing the film-making process, promotional opportunities and marketing strategie s of the fourth-highest grossing film in Universal Pictures history, Neiman offered free movies to students who answered questions about King Kong correctly.

His main advice to aspiring marketing students is to know who their audience is.

Research shows that not only is King Kong a recognized icon worldwide, it is ranked as the number-one movie creature, overriding even Godzilla and the tyrannosaurus rex.

Aside from choosing a good concept with key successful elements, a good director, an attractive female lead and state-of-the-art technology, Neiman attributes King Kong's success to the licensing of 'King Kong' products.

Taking key elements from King Kong, such as its strength, size power and the trademark chest pounding, Neiman promoted King Kong in products ranging from video games, Campbell’s Chunky Soup, Gatorade energy drinks and Webber multivitamins to up-sized 'King' meals in fast-food restaurants.

King Kong has issues relevant to the current world, such as the importance of strength and power, the misunderstood ferocious crea-

ture in a civilized world and the 'beauty and the beast' romanticized idea of love.

“Feeling bad for the bad guy still works in society,” Neiman said.

He noted that taking advantage of a particular market at a particular time is important during Christmas time, pointing out that Christmas was a good time to release the movie alongside 'King-size' products that were reflective of the iconic creature.

Neiman showed that marketing can have boundless capabilities by passing around an example of 'King Kong' currency that prompted several curious, shocked and amused reactions.

“The currency is valid in New Zealand [where they shot the movie]. It works just like the looney in Canada!” Neiman commented.

Refreshments were served, and Neiman was available for questions after the session.

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Monday, March 24, 2008

NEWS

“Skip a meal” at UTM MEREDITH LILLY On March 26, Meal Exchange (MX), a national youth-driven charity, will bring their “Skip a Meal” program to UTM. The program encourages residence students to donate unused meal plan dollars to the campus food bank.

Skip a Meal volunteers will be at food outlets around campus, including Mr. Sub, Tim Hortons, Pizza Pizza, Spigel and Oscar Peterson Hall, to collect cash or meal plan dollar donations.

Sunny Pathak, Meal Exchange’s UTM chapter coordinator, hopes the program will give students an opportunity to use unused meal points more constructively by helping those in need.

According to Pathak, the Skip a Meal program “allows students with an abundance of meal plan points to give back to less fortunate students.”

“If you have excess meal points,

don’t waste them on your friends,” he added.

Though Skip a Meal began in 1993, this is the first year that the initiative has been hosted at the University of Toronto. Pathak has been organizing the event for the past year and has had a good experience working with the administration and Chartwells.

“This sort of event doesn’t happen overnight,” he said. “Chartwells recognizes the importance of giving back to the community.”

“I am absolutely thrilled that UTM students will be given the opportunity to donate to the Mississauga community through Skip a Meal. The individuals at Meal Exchange work very hard to ensure the money is spent in a meaningful way,” said Bill Mcfadden, director of hospitality and retail services at UTM. Raffle tickets will be issued for every donation that exceeds five dol-

lars. Additional tickets will be issued with every fifty-cent increase above the initial donation. Consumer Connection, a Vancouver-based company, has donated an iPod touch to be raffled off. Other prizes include beauty products from Sally Hansen and gift baskets from Nature’s Source.

The organizers hope to raise $2,500 to go towards local food banks. Next fall, Pathak plans to start a “Breakfast Club” at UTM as a part of the Meal Exchange program. The purpose of the Breakfast Club is to encourage students to serve the community by serving breakfast at primary schools.

TheSkip a Meal initiative is supported by Me to We UTM, Roots and Shoots UTM, the Catholic Student Club, and the Residence Council.

If you are interested in volunteering for Skip a Meal on March 26, contact Sunny at: utm@mealexchange.com

Students lose shirts during sit-in SAIRA MUZAFFAR NEWS EDITOR University police and Toronto police were called in to break up a sit-in protest at Simcoe Hall on Thursday, March 20 that left some of the participating students injured.

The protest, which began with a peaceful rally, was organized to secure a meeting with University of Toronto president David Naylor to have a proposed twenty per cent residence fee increase for New College dropped from the University Affairs board meeting scheduled for March 25.

Around 35 students from the New College Students’ Council, New College Residence Council, University of Toronto Students’ Union, Arts and Science Students’ Union (ASSU) and the political student group Always Question (AQ) entered Simcoe Hall and refused to leave.

After almost four hours police began taking more aggressive measures to break up the group.

Many students claimed that they were injured in the process.

“It started with one of these undercovers grabbing me by the arms but then at one point there were three people grabbing me and trying to drag me away,” said ASSU

president Ryan Hayes, according to the Canadian Press.

Deena Dadachanji, a member of AQ, said she saw an officer come out of Simcoe Hall with blood on his hands and that another student was stepped on by a female administrator. The group also posted a video of the incident on YouTube.

“The aggression that was exercised on us by the police was directed to us from the administration,” said Dadachanji.

She added that initially, officers were only standing by but that they eventually stopped attempts to send in food and medication for some of the demonstrators inside.

“The police were actually telling us that they are only following orders from higher up. They had done this on behalf of the administration,” said Dadachanji.

No one from the administration came out to address the protesters.

University spokesperson Robert Steiner told the Canadian Press that the proposed fee increase is ten per cent, not twenty. He also commented that those involved were protesting an array of issues, including the war in Afghanistan.

But Dadachanji explained that the plurality of issues brought up during the sit-in focused on pushing the university administration to “drop fees not bombs.”

“U of T has millions invested in corporations that manufacture weapons like Lockheed and Martin which the U.S. buys arms from for the war in Iraq. We’re saying that they should pull those funds out and drop fees,” said Dadachanji.

The fee increase is being considered to pay-off a six million dollar debt incurred from the construction of a new residence building at New College, according to AQ. But New College Students’ Council (NCSC) withdrew their support from the rally.

“At no time did Always Question indicate that the rally would lead to a sit-in at Simcoe Hall and other demands unrelated to the New College student community,” said NCSC president Jason Marin in a statement on Facebook.

The remaining participants plan to hold another rally on March 25 to protest the fee increase along with the administration’s decision to use police force against students. No legal action is being considered at this point.

“We have consistently written letters and petitions but they keep on voting for increases,” said Dadachanji, pointing to the history of sit-in protests at the university which have lead to women being allowed to enrol and Robarts Library being opened to undergraduate students.

Question of the Week: Should faith-based student clubs on campus do more to promote tolerance?

Faith-based clubs on campus should not be promoting tolerance, but acceptance. To simply tolerate each other is not enough. It’s time we make an honest effort to understand one another.

- Jenna Sweiss, Political Science and English

Peace, tolerance, accommodation, compassion, respect, equality, etc are some of the qualities that all faiths and all ethnic values tell us. There is no point in fighting over issues that are just crafted by a few selfish individuals.

Faith-based student clubs should do more events alone and also collaborate with various clubs of different faiths to promote tolerance, thereby setting an example to the present political world to promote peace and tolerance.

-Vivek Pemmasani

The limiting factor for many clubs is funding; if funds are available from our umbrella organizations, I dont see why holding more events like Antakshari should be a problem. One’s religion and faith are secondary, what is more important is that we consider ourselves equal citizens of this planet and show more humane attitudes towards everyone around us.

- Rohit Dubey, HSC president I think it’s definetely good to have student clubs promoting tolerance about their beliefs, but everything has a limit and they shouldn’t go all out and try to instill the faith, but knowledge and intermingling between cultures and beliefs is always great.

- Srishti Gurnani, first-year student

Monday, March 24, 2008

THE MEDIUM 3

EDITORIAL

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

EDITORIAL I poured through editorial letters I received this week regarding the subject I wrote about last week, which was an issue over something that was said in the khutbah – sermon - during a Jumu’ah prayer service to end Islam Awareness Week. There has been controversy over whether or not it was an open service, who the intended audience was, and the meaning of parts of the khutbah. The question I posed to UTM asked whether or not sermons about judgement, heaven and hell should be delivered in a public on such a diverse campus with a wide variety of faiths, especially when non-believers of the faith were invited to the prayers.

To clarify a few things that I received in letters, there were concerns from people in attendance who were not my reporters. But I didn’t speak to them personally, and will not speak for them and their individual own concerns about the khutbah. What I asked in my editorial last week stemmed from my own questions about the proceedings, based on my understanding of the words spoken at the khutbah and various faiths. Indeed, I took some of the advice I received to heart, and spent the week asking people what they thought, non-Muslim and Muslim alike. The answers all stated the same thing – that the subject of heaven and non-believers should not have been discussed during a service that was opened to the public as part of an awareness week for the faith. One Muslim woman echoed my sentiments when she said, “It was such a good opportunity if non-believers were in attendance to preach about the goodness of Islam. There is much else to talk about.” And, to go back to the question as to whether or not it was an open event, a Muslim man I spoke to at length informed me that general Jumu’ah are open to anyone who wishes to listen, non-believer or believer, so long as they follow the rules.

I am not here to question anyone’s faith or tell them what to preach and what not to preach. I certainly do not believe that any words spoken would be twisted or misinterpreted by members of the faith. I respect all faiths and understand that each has their own say about such issues, but in a diverse setting, with mixed faiths in attendance, perhaps the khutbah should not have created a separation between believers and non-believers, especially when both were asked to attend – this is my personal belief. Just like in other faiths, there is much that can be said that can appeal to the goodness is all people.

The speaker apparently knew that non-Muslims were in attendance, and thus yes, there may have been a possibility that things could have been interpreted differently by people who are not of the Muslim faith, which I believe calls for a need to choose one’s words carefully. And, is there any harm in speaking only of goodness, especially in the context of a religion like Islam - which places much emphasis on the fundamental good - rather than speaking only for certain members of the audience during such a time?

As to the response letter stating that The Medium has been portraying Islam in a biased and stigmatized way, I must question this accusation. In light of events that have happened on and off campus in the past few years, I think The Medium has not done anything to present a negative view toward Muslims or – as the letter writer put it – to “fan the flames of racism.” In fact, if anything, it has been quite the opposite, contrary to the stance many mainstream media outlets have taken lately. My editorial last week was purely an exploration of what I perceived to be an ill-timed sermon delivered in a public setting, and not a question of the Islamic faith or anything regarding any other religious group. I specifically alluded to the fact that each faith has its own beliefs in regards to believers and non-believers and final judgement, and my questioning was nothing to do with the fact that it was a sermon delivered from the Islamic faith’s point of view. I do not believe there was any animosity towards Islam and its followers represented in this or other pieces that have appeared in The Medium.

I still invite readers to give me their responses to these issues in an intelligent and academic manner. And remember, it is intended for all faiths, and not just any particular one.

Yours,

Julie Tyios

Read online and see the latest Medium 2.0 episodes at

www.mediumonline.ca

Meet The Medium Want to find out how you can volunteer? Have a paying job with us?

Come and meet The Medium!

Wednesday, March 26, 3 p.m. in Room 200, Student Centre (The Medium’s office) Refreshments will be served.

Letters to the Editor CRYING FOUL OVER ELECTION COVERAGE

NOTICE TO ALL CLUBS Dear Editor, I would like to emphasize my disappointment in the position the Medium has taken in our union’s election. It is unfortunate that your staff felt that it was important to tell us how to vote. I have been around campus for a while and I know for a fact that Tejas and Sunny Pathak are not the best sources of information. I would like to point out that Tejas Aivalli has been politically involved in our student union. In fact he ran for office and lost. I was in one of the classes when he gave a class speak last year. He was also supposed to run on team Your UTM’s ticket but unfortunately was away from the country, ask James Delinis the current candidate who lost the election to Marijana Josifovska, who I voted for by the way. So why is Pathak, who I just realized is on the medium staff writing an inaccurate editorial as if he is not a biased sup-

porter of your UTM. This all smells funny and you know it.

I hope that my membership dues to your organization are not put to use to appease the political motivations of Mr. Aivalli or Pathak.

As a general courtesy I believe that both teams should have the right to be heard fairly and without impediment. Although I was a supporter of UTM Progress I never booed disregarded or tried to spread false information about the other team. In future if this is allowed I believe this will do no good for our generation as we will be no better than those who play dirty in the arena of life. We are responsible for bringing the right change for a better future.

Letters to the editor may 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 libellous 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 opini ons 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.

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Special thanks to our assistant editors: Arts and Entertainment: Andrea Grassi News: Tejas Aivalli Megha Kumar Features: P. Andrew Hamilton-Smith Lujayn Ali Photography: Matthew Filipowich Sports: Christopher Sa’d Sunny Pathak

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Monday, March 24, 2008

OPINION

LETTERS Dear Editor, I would like to pose a question to those students who attended the sermon at last Friday's Jumu'ah, and left with feelings of concern regarding the content: What exactly were you expecting to hear?

Although I did not attend the sermon myself, from what I have read in The Medium, it sounds as though some students were less than pleased with the content. If anyone attended expecting to hear a crowd-pleasing, non-denominational address, then they clearly did not know what they were getting themselves into. I'm sure that Mr. Ashour did an excellent job of discussing some of the tenets of Islam during his sermon. However, if some of the content caused people to be alarmed, should he be blamed for that? How can anyone, especially at this university, frown upon him for doing nothing more than accurately portraying several of the ideas and beliefs of Muslims?

Promoting religious diversity and ensuring that everyone has a safe environment in which they

Dear Editor I have one question. Did the speakers lie? If you profess to follow Islam, you profess to the fact that non-Muslims will go to hell. It might not be politically correct but what else could the speaker say?

That everyone will be saved? They can't, the Quran is clear on this. Of course lets not to single out Muslims. The Bible states that the only path to heaven is through

can practice their faith is an important objective on this campus. However, when promoting such diversity, a healthy dose of realism and logic is required as well. Whenever people of different religions intermingle, no one should be surprised, concerned, or offended when they hear beliefs that do not harmonize with their own.

I'm sure that if you asked those who were concerned by Mr. Ashour's words if they consider themselves religious, they would answer yes. This is one of the many occasions where it pays to be an Atheist. When you tell an Atheist they are not going to heaven, your words do not fall upon deaf ears; they fall upon ears which, to put it bluntly, simply do not care. Before judging someone else's beliefs, perhaps it would be a good idea to examine your own ideologies in an attempt to rationalize what makes them more or less credible than those of someone else.

Marc Cerulli

Jesus. If you're a Christian, your position is that Muslims will burn in hell.

I always wondered what kind of meaningful dialog can occur between groups that are absolutely sure the other side will burn in hell for all eternity. What is more surprising is that we have to respect these beliefs.

Daniel Kozimor

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Dear Editor, Last week, our respected editor spoke on behalf of several voices that seemed distressed by what she called a “moral and ethical dilemma� that took place on Friday.

Shockingly, I was the subject of the editorial. And the moral and ethical “dilemma� was the sermon I delivered last Friday on campus.

Allow me to clarify the several misinformed facts that were used to weave together the meshwork of straw-man fallacies that was last week’s editorial.

Contrary to what our editor was informed, the sermon was not a public service for believers and non-believers alike. Like every sermon delivered every Friday, the intended audience was Muslim. To uproot any ambiguity, I made this explicitly clear in the opening of my message.

The only variable added to last week’s prayers was that we invited our non-Muslim friends on campus to come and check it out. But the message was for Muslims, inspired by the numerous FAQs we have received from Muslims throughout IAW. This, too, I made explicitly clear.

The second mistake our editor

Dear Editor, Last week's issue of The Medium had three articles concerning Islamic Awareness Week at UTM. There was an article by Meredith Lilly that reported on the khutbah on the last day of IAW. A couple of students in particular, Muslims who attended the Friday prayers – approached her (off the record and she respected that) regarding what they thought about it from a Muslim's perspective.

One of those that spoke to her was me and I gave my honest opinion based from others I spoke to as well.

I found the speech inspiring and it strengthened my faith, as any khutbah (religious sermon) should do, but I made suggestions (constructive criticisms, nothing more) on how it could have been better. While I do not feel that Meredith Lilly misrepresented my 'constructive criticisms' of the khutbah, I did feel like the Letter from the Editor last week indirectly misrepresented my criticisms and of others as well that was briefly touched on in Meredith's article.

There were things that I thought should have been highlighted more in light of the fact that it was open to non-Muslims who can misinterpret the things being said. Shaykh Adib Kallas, a leading Damascene scholar and theologian says: "We know that those who reject faith (man aba) are in Hell. It is not decisively established what exactly entails rejection of faith - this is why the scholars of Sunni Islam differed.

As for the details, we should concern ourselves with our own fate: Allah will ask us about ourselves, not about what He should do with others."

committed was over exaggerating the concern she received. Being the one who delivered the sermon, I saw my audience. There were four nonMuslims at the sermon, including the two reporters of The Medium.

Further, the two non-reporter students – who happen to be devout Catholics – approached me and expressed their admiration for the sermon, voicing absolutely no concerns.

So unless our editor is amplifying the personal opinion of her two reporters, her claim that "the content of the sermon caused alarm among several of the students" was baseless and unsubstantial. "Several" and "couple" should not be used interchangeably – and of all people, certainly not by our Editorin-Chief.

Having edited our editor’s mistakes, let us get to the real “dilemma�.

The Medium’s reporters exercised their principled concerns when a sensitive theological issue was raised, calling it a moral and ethical dilemma, while the front page of the same paper exposed a picture of two half-naked females sliding and gliding atop each other under a bold title that read, "Sex Sells". I beg to question the inconsistent chivalry and courage in standing up for the many women on campus

who have been very offended by the reinforcement of a slogan that is a euphemism for, "Women's' Bodies Sell".

Further, other faith clubs on campus had awareness weeks in which they preached – with the full right to do so – their own beliefs about salvation. Where were these morality-keen reporters then?

This is not the first time the Medium has gone out of its way to use a biased and stigmatized approach towards all things Muslim. For this reason, I made it a point to publicly raise awareness to the apparent prejudiced lens through which The Medium continues to view the Muslims on campus, ultimately presenting a distorted image for all.

I must ask why the Medium feels the need to fan the flames of racism in order to give itself some sort of relevancy to the average UTM student?

If the Medium, its writers and editors, have any intent towards sincerity in their call for tolerance and mutual respect – then let them start with themselves.

On the individual level, no one can judge whether someone is going to hell or heaven. The great Muslim scholar, Imam Ghazali, spoke about people who receive a distorted picture of Islam as being excused in comparison to those who receive the truth and reject out of arrogance.

The key is sincerity in looking for the truth – some will find it and some will not – and everyone will be judged on their sincerity and intentions. It is divine amnesty as opposed to confirmation of the validity of their beliefs. While the acceptance of the One God and the Prophet Muhammad are theologically necessary, there should have been greater emphasis on the full theological picture and on how Muslims should translate this to their everyday dealings with non-Muslims. This is the context in which I made my statement: that not mentioning these prominently would result in people coming to a distorted conclusion.

There are groups on campus that would attempt to politically hijack such a khutbah in order to score points against the Muslim community and I was concerned by that. All of that said, it was a khutbah designed for Muslims who should understand all of this in its entirety.

While the concerns that the editor of the Medium raised have validity, she should have taken a different tone and approach with her article.

She should have taken the time to understand in a bit more detail what Muslims thought and how they felt concerns should be addressed. There is nothing wrong whatsoever for Muslims to hear such polarized concepts in a specialized place and she should not suggest a halt to such a practice. That is completely out of

line and carries many subtle negative assumptions about the Muslim community. There is no need for a discussion or dialogue about this as there is already a rich one happening within the Muslim community – on this campus and on a wider level.

The sermon had purely theological undertones and Muslims on campus always handle such messages positively and responsibly - thanks to the help and hard work of the MSA – and we should not assume otherwise. All of that said, I read Julie Tyios's editorials all the time and she has been tremendously supportive of anti-Islamophobia campaigns and of the Muslim community. She has written to different national/regional newspapers countering stereotypes, bigotry and racism against Muslims - thus, I advise everyone to not question her intention.

Lastly, Meredith and Muhammad and the MSA in general were excellent in doing their jobs. I cannot think of anyone doing the job any better. I write this article with the best of intentions and that is to make sure that there are no misunderstandings between good people. In this case, there are just some improvements to be made and lessons to be learned on both sides and including me as well. It was not my intention to create this type of hoopla at all and I would greatly advise the Medium to take greater care in addressing issues regarding the Muslim community in the future.

Mohammed Ashour VP MSA

Gabriel Galang Social Science Undergrad www.criticalmood.com - Political Hip Hop Association -

Monday, March 24, 2008

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6 THE MEDIUM

Monday, March 24, 2008

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

Rape Town and The Writing Circle An interview with Canadian-South African author Rozena Maart SAMANTHA BERGER

Decked out in a lovely grey dress, silver necklace and matching earrings, Rozena Maart meets me in a crowded coffee shop in Toronto on a chilly Good Friday. She quickly informs me that she has plans for later that evening, justifying the ensemble.

Almost immediately, Maart dives into conversation, covering everything from her new book to her passionate beliefs to what I study in university. Arms rested on the table a mere foot away from my notepad, she pulls me into her world through her stories and her strong opinions, a world I would safely stay in for the next hour and a half. To call Ms. Maart an engaging woman would be an understatement.

Maart, a Cape Town native, moved to Canada in 1989 and now resides in Guelph. An author-teacher by profession, she published her first novel in 2004, Rosa’s District Six. Early this year she released her second publication, The Writing Circle; a fictional piece that centers around five wellto-do women who live in Cape Town and meet every Friday evening to share and discuss their writing.

The first chapter, titled “Isabel,” begins the novel by recounting the mugging of Isabel, one of the members of the circle. On a random Friday evening, after having just pulled up to her home where the other four women are awaiting the commencement of their weekly meeting, a man corners Isabel at gunpoint before forcing himself into her car and raping her. Isabel gains control of the gun as the man is mid-climax and shoots him in the head. The rest of the women - Jazz, Beauty, Amina and Carmen - hear the gunshot from inside and hesitantly go to the scene of the crime. There, they find the body of Isabel’s lifeless attacker pinning their traumatized friend to her

own back seat.

From ‘Isabel,’ the novel transitions into its second chapter, “Jazz,” documenting the development and execution of an action plan to help Isabel.

Jazz, of course, devises the plan – she is the only one of the women who remains outwardly calm while the others scurry around in hysterics. The remainder of the novel intersects the perspectives of Carmen, Amina and Beauty in their respective title chapters, as they all endure the disposal of the body and its inevitable discovery, while revealing their own encounters with sexual assault.

After asking me how I found the book, I confess to Maart that it was difficult to get through, to which she wholeheartedly agreed. Each chapter and page is weighed down with heavy subject matter as the reader is subjected to the traumatic experiences of the women as they struggle to recover. Once you begin, it is impossible to put down and, by the end, I longed for an extension. Maart justifies the loosely ended conclusion to “how life really is,” a statement not only reflected in the book’s conclusion, but in the depictions of the characters and events themselves.

When asked if art imitates life in beautiful Cape Town, Maart sternly responds with an emphatic yes.

“Cape Town is the rape capital of the world,” she informs me. “The Brits never colonize ugly places.” Under Cape Town’s beautiful exterior is a world of crime and sexual misconduct that has shaped Maart into the fearless woman she is today.

“When I first came to Toronto, I was out until 3, 4 in the morning. I wasn’t scared.” To Maart, there is a big difference between the reaction to crimes in Toronto and in Cape Town.

“In Toronto, if someone is shot, there is an investigation and it’s on the news and there’s a vigil.” She explains that in Cape Town, the event is mentioned in a passing conversation and quickly forgotten.

Rape and sexual assault remains the topic for some time. Maart admits that in talking to women about The Writing Circle, most tell her that they relate the experiences in the book back to a woman they know who has been raped. “Everyone knows someone who has been raped. It’s prevalent.”

Having worked in a hospital in the 1980s, Maart was privy to the frequency of these events. On one occasion, she explains, a man who had raped three women was brought in one evening after being shot by police. When the perpetrator’s mother arrived and was told what happhoto sources/Rozena Maart pened, her only response was, “he’s my Author Rozena Maart, who won the Journey Prize for Best Short Fiction in Canada in 1992. son, my son.”

Below: The cover of her latest novel.

“At that moment, I reluctantly understood assault happens to women of all ages dents, while at the same time mainthat this was not only a rapist, but a and ethnicities. Maart is careful not taining the lives that continue around son with a family,” admits Maart. to over-dramatize these experiences, them.

This story is one of many real life instead portraying them as honestly experiences she illustrates in the as possible. She comments that when book. women are in situations like rape, All five women in the book are they tend to “dissociate” from it, and given their own voice in their respec- shut down emotionally. This is portive chapters of the novel, and as a trayed during Isabel’s rape scene, in reader, you will find both likeable which Isabel explains, “… all I could and annoying-yet-familiar qualities in see was my car jerking; someone was each of them. “Don’t you have a being violently jerked around in my friend who is controlling like Jazz?” car. As I looked down I saw a man on Maart poses. For the author, it was top of a woman.” important that none of the women As captivating as she is in person, were all together sympathetic; there Maart’s novel is a perfect reflection were aspects of them that the reader of a woman with a powerful voice would not necessarily agree with. and strong opinions. In a time where This is what keeps them true to life. women are still being summed up as Another importance for Maart was “tits and cunts,” The Writing Circle to depict these women as successful, takes a refreshing yet eye-opening educated women, rather than poor look on the realness of women forced and tragic. The point is that sexual to heal from the most horrific of inci-

Student writers and actors team up ALI KASIM A&E EDITOR

photo/Melissa Di Pasquale

Kelsey Goldberg recites the postcard “Helvete” written by Samantha Berger.

Several professional writing and communication (PWC) students collaborated with students from the theatre and drama studies (TDS) program for the first time last Tuesday night to perform stories from the backs of postcards for an enthusiastic audience.

Snapshots, the second event of the year held by the UTM Writers Group, featured true travel tales written and read by PWC students.

In between each story was a short, fictional postcard recital (also written by PWC students) performed by TDS acting students. Held at the MiST Theatre in the CCT building, the postcards were uniquely chosen and projected as the backdrop to each story.

“There are a distinct flow and humour in all of the stories, in particular the ones brought to life by

the acting students,” reveals Samantha Berger, Snapshots coorganizer and vice-president of the Writers Group. “The collaboration between the writers and actors was expectedly smooth and we had a great audience response.”

Kelsey Goldberg, a second-year TDS student, worked alongside Berger in gathering a group of committed actors, calling open auditions for the writers to choose their own actors to fit their particular postcard stories.

“Working with the Writers Group was a brilliant experience, but I have to say it seems sort of shocking that it hadn't been done before; it's such a natural alliance,” Goldberg explains. “After all, TDS actors spend thousands of dollars to be taught to ‘respect the text’ of someone we never get to speak to or meet. It’s amazing to have the writer right there working with you.

You feel a greater sense of responsibility, but also a greater sense of

creativity.”

Two stories read by PWC students, “Cheap Whore, Cheap Bastard” by Richie Pang and “Throb” by Christopher Rogers, are featured in the latest issue of Mindwaves, the professional writing and communication journal, which Snapshots also promoted during the event.

According to Goldberg and Berger, this may be the first but certainly not the last collaboration between student actors and writers.

“To use a cliché, this could be a start of a beautiful friendship,” admits Goldberg.

The Writers Group meets every Wednesday to share and critique peer writing and is always welcoming new members. To get involved, or to find out about future events, email the group at utmwritersgroup@gmail.com. Also, check them out on Facebook by searching for “UTM Writers Group.”

Monday, March 24, 2008

THE MEDIUM 7

ARTS

Brooke beginning to see everything Canadian folk musician Brooke Miller chats with The Medium before her U.S. debut ANDREA GRASSI ASSISTANT A&E EDITOR

“Right now I’m cooking a chicken,” answers musician Brooke Miller to the question: “So, how has your day been?” On one of her off days before her Ontario tour begins, the P.E.I. songstress chats to me during a small round of questions over the phone from her home in Cannington, Ontario – a small town of 2,000 just outside Toronto.

The first song Miller learned to play on the guitar was “Enter Sandman” by Metallica. At 11, she began writing her own songs, and at twelve, when Halifax and Nova Scotia exploded into the mainstream in the early 90s with bands like Great Big Sea – what Miller calls “the second coming of Seattle” as Nirvana and SubPop defined grunge – Miller was playing gigs every weekend with her punk band Bleek.

“The name of the band sounds like a downer, but we had a lot of fun,” she says. Although her punk years were short, Miller managed to open for acts like Sloan, Modest Mouse and Rebecca West before she entered high school.

A drastic change from her preteens, a simmered-down 25-yearold Miller is what comprises her

North American debut You Can See Everything – a warm mix of folk and country softened by her caramel voice. Far from her punk beginnings, oddly enough, the record has been criticized as maintaining a hint of punk edginess.

“They can hear it?” laughs Miller. “Well, history is always part of your current and future…I like that bit of edge.”

Writing and composing the entire album, she won the Colleen Peterson Songwriting Award in September 2007 for the track “Two Soldiers.”

“I was tickled,” she says about receiving the award. “It was such a great honor to be recognized by the Ontario Arts Council and the folk community.”

A slide guitar melody, peppered with bluegrass twang, the song about war and its consequences - is credited by the Arts Council as “poignant and personal yet connected to universal themes.” In fact, this is the first song about war that I’ve heard in a while that doesn’t use drums as its backbone.

Along with establishing her own record label, Sparkle Plenty Records, Miller has also scored in the U.S. with a distribution contract and management in New York City, as well as Chicago-based Paperwork Media, and Nashville’s Hickory Records. With a big-city foot forward, she describes the New York exposure as “insane at first,” but she manages to discover and appreciate the pockets of community there.

“Being from a small town shouldn’t limit me. New York is alive with music, and they are really interested in singer/songwriter,”

she says. “I’ll always tote that I’m from P.E.I.; those are my roots. But I want to be worldly as a musician.

Musicians have to be mobile. Being in New York gave me a different perspective… but I soon realized there are these pockets of community – then you have a core. I enjoyed understanding New York that way – finding a little bit more of what it’s about and that [musicians] are part of this culture instead of just on foot as a tourist is.”

This summer is devoted to live shows accompanied by her “ladies” – what she calls her collection of guitars – but Miller already has three-quarters of a sophomore album in the works for 2009. With her eclectic taste in music – from Steve Winwood to the Police to Portishead to Rick Lee Jones – Miller says she will bring a different approach to her next disc, while still maintaining her roots. Now that you know her, you can say you knew her “back when” – before she bloomed into Canada’s freshest folk powerhouse.

More about Brooke Miller and her music can be found on her myspace and at http://www.brookemiller.ca photo/www.brookemiller.ca

The Arts & Entertainment Editor is looking for a successor for the next academic year. If you think you’re cool enough and you can write better film reviews, email Ali at arts@mediumonline.ca and tell him so.

Application forms are available at The Medium office. Drop by to pick one up and have your questions answered by any of our friendly editors.

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8 THE MEDIUM

CD Review

Lenny Kravitz It is Time for a Love Revolution MICHAEL DI LEO

Am I insane? Is this some sort of alternate universe? What has happened to the world?

Every single reviewer I have read has lauded It Is Time For A Love Revolution as some sort of saving grace for Lenny Kravitz. Am I the only one in the world who can see past the bullshit? “The best Lenny Kravitz album yet?” “9/10 Stars?”

Did they even listen to it?

As you can tell, right now I’m feeling a mixture of confusion and anger, mostly at the general body of “professional reviewers.” On the other hand, I tip my hat to Lenny for hoodwinking the world, not only into believing that this was a good album, but one that is worthy of extremely favourable reviews.

I guess the most painless way to get through this is to first explain what I like about the album, and then to explain why everyone else is wrong – someone has to do it.

There are very few, if any, general things I like about Love Revolution. The song “I’ll Be Waiting,” notwithstanding its incredibly cliché progression and overproduced arrangements (since when have cheap knockoff ProTools strings been cool?), has a sort of Aerosmith “I Don’t

Monday, March 24, 2008

ARTS Want To Miss A Thing” vibe to it, which I sort of dig – in an ironic way of course.

The opening note to “I Love The Rain” is pretty cool. But mostly because it’s the same as George Harrison’s in “While My Guitar Gently Weeps.”

And lastly, I appreciate the whole “Zeppelin II” thing Kravitz has got going on in “If You Want It,” with its backing folk acoustic guitar, rolling bassline, and riffer madness solo at the end.

I suppose that that would be the best way to describe It Is Time For A Love Revolution is that it’s music for the masses. And Kravitz has spared no expense in making this the most commercial album of his career.

Lyrically, Lenny is just taking up space: If you want it/You can change your world today/If you want it/Just break free and walk away. His odes to the suburban housewives bring tears to my eyes.

What’s more, his voice makes everything he says sound the same. There are no flashes of emotion like on past songs “Again” and “Black Velveteen,” instead, we are stuck with a hodgepodge of monoexpressive vocals which lull you into boredom.

Musically, Kravitz proves that he is a very singularly talented musician. His songs all follow a similar structure, and nothing discerns one song from another.

Honestly, it would be easy to go through three songs straight and think you’ve only listened to one (true story, actually). This record has no more credibility than one released by Kelly Clarkson or Jet. In the end, all these bands are saying the same thing: nothing.

All this I find disturbing: it’s music made for middle-aged women to play in their SUVs while they pick their children up from soccer practice. Music played in fast food joints and easy-listening stations that evoke no emotion whatsoever. Music that is made to just sit there.

I can’t possibly dish out a 0 out 5 for a Lenny Kravitz album, can I? Surely not to the man who penned “Again” and “Rock And Roll Is Dead.” So I’ll give a 1 out of 5. But remember Lenny, if rock and roll is in fact dead, you have contributed to its demise.

Six underrated albums you’ve never heard ASHISH SETH AND MICHAEL DI LEO Picture this, if you will: let us simplify things for the sake of simplification; there are basically two types of music.

There is the type of music everybody hears, that everybody likes, that everybody knows about, that ranks high on Billboard charts, that sells in heavy numbers, and that sells out very quickly. And then there is the type of music that shatters all preconceptions of what can be done with sound, that which, to critical ears, is a cake of cacophony, providing epiphanies only to lousy coke junkies and artsy critical darlings. This is the type of music that never sells, that no one hears about, and is confined to the back catalogue of some failing second-hand record store.

For the worshippers of this second type of music, who salivate to its lyrical stylings, musical ingenuities, and 7/8 funk time signatures, this article pays homage to the undeniably underrated records that laid (and will continue to lay) the foundations for things to come.

Here are our six picks for underrated records that scared the daylights out of critics and masses and yet enticed their curiosities and changed the way they listened to music, albeit behind the curtain. Here are our six “underrated records you’ve probably heard, but never actually heard.”

John Frusciante iandra LaDes and Usually Just a T-Shirt iandra LaDes, the first solo work by John Frusciante, is a frighteningly real look into the life of the rock star.

While the music is classified as “experimental,” it contains elements of surreal, psychedelica and, most noticeably, acoustic avant-garde.

However, you should be prepared: the sound is a complete departure from the Chili Peppers, and it is scary - in the most beautiful sense of course.

Oxygene is a space odyssey in sound, packed with intergalactic synth battles, and planetary atmospheric explorations.

Listening to this album is like sitting in a strapped seat in space overlooking planet Earth. Oxygene reveals a human face in the endless void’s dark depths. With Oxygene, Jarre laid the foundations for future synth-pop compositions. It still remains as deep and mysterious as when it was constructed in Jarre’s bedroom over 30 years ago.

U KLE Psyence Fiction UNKLE is a duo featuring Mo’Wax record label founder James Lavelle and turntablist extraordinaire DJ Shadow. Their debut record, Psyence Fiction, is a testament to the art form of sampling. Taking samples from contemporary artists and constructing a faux science-fiction concept album, the record trips listeners through electronica, hip-hop, and all-out psychedelica as listeners experience the sun melt in “Celestial Annihilation,” and get lost in space in nearly every other track.

“Guns Blazing Part 1” is an all-out sampled bombardment, and “Rabbit in Your Headlights” features one of Thom Yorke’s best guest vocals ever.

Other guests include Ian Brown, Mike D of the Beastie Boys, Badly Drawn Boy, and Richard Ashcroft.

To top it all off, iconic lines from science fiction opuses like Star Wars and Blade Runner are mixed in to add credibility to the concept. Somewhere in space, this may all be happening… right now!

Big L Lifestylez Ov Da Poor and Dangerous

Jean Michel Jarre Oxygene Ground-breaking artists like Kraftwerk and Tangerine Dream laid the foundations of what could be done with synth, constructing futuristic, murky, and pre-industrial sounds.

But it was French musician Jean Michel Jarre who constructed lush, sonic, electronic landscapes of color in space.

I’m not sure who has or hasn’t heard of L, but you have never experienced true rap if you haven’t spun this. The album exemplifies the true use of the multi-syllabic rhyming pattern (in fact, in the track “All Black” the rarely heard quintuple-syllabic rhyme is used).

Although it didn’t sell particularly well, the album did manage to jumpstart the careers of Jay-Z, Ma$e, and Cam’ron, all members of L’s crew who are featured on the record. From the intense and centered dissing to the minimalist backing melodies, Lifestylez embodies the soul of the Harlem hip-hop scene in the 90s.

Funkadelic Standing On the Verge Of Getting It On This one is widely recognized as a classic funkadelic album, alongside Maggot Brain and Free Your Mind...And Your Ass Will Follow.

Although George Clinton’s lyrics take a backseat, the jamming is incredible with Eddie Hazel in his prime. The guitars are dirty and funky, the harmonies are groovalicious, and the vivid personality of the group is flaunted throughout. Guaranteed to “lick your funky emotions.”

Tricky Maxinquaye If you haven’t tripped over trip-hop yet, Maxinquaye would be one of the places to start. Tricky, a former member of the trip-hop collective The Wild Bunch - which contained the future members of Massive Attack (of which Tricky was a brief member) - constructed Maxinquaye for his dead mother, whom he believed spoke through him.

Maxinquaye made trip-hop accessible to the mainstream. It’s a journey through the dark grooves of dubflavoured beats, eclectic percussions, and melting pot of hip-hop, trip-hop, punk rock, and electronica.

The track “Aftermath” is laid-back ecstasy, and the punk reinterpretation of Public Enemy’s “Black Steel” is probably the best cover of it around.

You’ll probably never hear anything like it, and it’ll probably take you a long while to understand.

Editor’s note: The abovementioned albums in no way reflect the editor’s taste or opinion. In fact, when speaking about underrated albums, he takes offense to the fact that Budgie’s “Bandolier” or “Impeckable” aren’tmentioned anywhere.

THE MEDIUM 9

Monday, March 24, 2008

Features NIKITA KING, EDITOR | features@mediumonline.ca

More power plants forced to gas Mississauga?

P. ANDREW HAMILTON-SMITH ASSISTANT FEATURES EDITOR

On Thursday, March 20, the Mississauga South NDP invited MPP Peter Tabuns to speak about the current plans for power plants in the city, to explain possible alternatives to meeting energy demands, and to offer suggestions on how the community can get the government to listen. A diverse crowd of approximately 40 citizens turned out, representing various political and activist groups in Mississauga, including perennial mayoral candidates Roy Willis and Donald Barber, and federal Conservative nominee Hugh Arrison.

Tabuns offered a grim picture of what is planned for the city: the Sithe Corporation has had its plant mostly approved, and is delayed only because the company is arguing with the province over the share of the price of electricity that it will receive. Eastern Power, which is planning to build a smaller gas plant near Queensway and Dundas called Greenfield South, hopes to have that under construction by 2008, although on March 19, the company announced that it would no longer be proceeding with its second plant, planned for Hurontario and Derry Road.

With no fanfare, the Sithe Corporation has received provincial permission through quiet persistence to build an 800-megawatt gas-fired power plant at Winston Churchill Boulevard and Royal Windsor Drive. While the Lakeview Ratepayers Association focuses on keeping a power plant out of their own backyard, two or three other potential sites are being considered or approved in the city of Mississauga.

Most residents are not even aware of these proposals, and even for those who do know, the constantly changing nature of the negotiations between the government and the private firms who want to build them make it all but impossible to mount any effective opposition.

On March 17, Mississauga South MPP Liberal Charles Sousa stood in the Ontario Legislature and congratulated the city of Mississauga for voting on February 27 against a new Lakeview power plant. He did not mention the other sites considered and he did not address the fact that the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) can overrule the city and permit construction of a power plant regardless. One source involved with the Sierra Club in Mississauga suggested that the possibility of a new Lakeview plant is being used as leverage to gain community acceptance of the other two locations.

Tabuns, as Ontario NDP energy critic, referred to a report by the Ontario Energy Board (OEB) from September 2007, which identified “an electricity generation gap in the southwest GTA area” as being the reason why the Liberal government is insisting on building new power plants in Mississauga.

Are there realistic alternatives, though? Ontario is facing a veritable power crisis that will unfold over the next few years: we are near maximum capacity in terms of electrical production and, due to population growth, demand is projected to increase substantially in the future. Can we solve this predicament without building new power plants?

According to Tabuns, most definitely. He provided countless options available to either generate new power or

reduce existing demand, a dizzying list of creative ways to make our system more efficient and reduce dependence on non-renewable fuels, almost always imported from outside sources. Tabuns pointed out that Ontario will need to replace and rebuild as much as 80 per cent of its electrical system over the next 20 years, and that this can be seen as either a problem or as an opportunity.

Tabuns pointed out that Ontario will need to replace and rebuild as much as 80 per cent of its electrical system over the next 20 years, and that this can be seen as either a problem or as an opportunity When considering how to meet electricity demand, we must realize that it is possible to reduce our need for electricity in the first place. The highest usage of electricity always occurs in the summer, in order to meet the demand of millions of air conditioners. For most of the year, Ontario’s electricity demand is nowhere near the peak, and if it were possible to keep buildings cooler, we would reduce our overall demand significantly. Cities in the United States are currently testing “white roof” and “green roof” projects in built up urban areas – which tend to be hotter than the surrounding countryside – in order to lower the amount of sunlight absorbed by the buildings and concrete. By legislating “green” building codes, which costs the government nothing, it is possible to keep our buildings and homes cooler in the summer, and to save further energy through highefficiency light bulbs and insulation.

Less demand for electricity means fewer power plants are needed, and everyone saves money – except the power companies.

Tabuns listed a huge number of small initiatives that are proven to cut electricity demand, by improving efficiency and cooling large concrete buildings. In Toronto, he told the meeting, many of these small steps are being implemented, such as LED lighting for street lights and the world-class public utility Ensource, which pumps cool water from Lake Ontario directly into downtown office buildings, thus providing air conditioning for these buildings for a fraction of the cost. In Manitoba, the only provincial NDP government in Canada offers low-interest loans to home owners in order to make efficiency upgrades to their homes. This again saves everyone money – except the power companies – as the home owners reduce their hydro bills and increase the value of their homes, whereas the government saves money by not having to build multi-billion dollar power plants.

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of Tabun’s presentation was the one which seems to get the least amount of attention in the media: cogeneration. For those not familiar with the term, this means generating electricity at the same time as some other existing function.

For example, large office complexes and universities have huge boilers, which use natural gas to heat water. By combining small generators with these boilers, using the burning gas to heat not just the water but also create electricity, it is possible to make use of energy that would have otherwise been wasted.

Mohawk College in Hamilton has con-

verted their boiler to co-generate electricity, and so have York University and the University of Toronto St. George campus. These schools have realized substantial cost savings, as their electricity use has been supplemented by the power that they create themselves on site.

Sewage treatment plants are another possible candidate for co-generation, since they use natural gas to heat and dry sludge removed from waste water.

Tabuns even suggested that buildings with emergency generators – at least those with acceptable ventilation systems – could be used to co-generate during peak demand times, feeding additional power into the grid, and eliminating the need for costly new power plants.

“Of course there need to be some power plants,” admitted Tabuns, “but what kind should they be?”

Ontario has three sources of energy: water, wind and sun. There are few (if any) coal, oil or natural gas deposits here, and so when we build a plant that requires these fuels, we are sending our money out of province. We are not investing in new jobs, but we could if we planned to build wind turbines instead, which could be built right here.

We are not developing new technologies or making Ontario a leader in the world, because the government is not embracing the new ideas that already exist, turning instead to powerful lobbyists from the gas and nuclear power industries.

“It is like the decision that businesses faced in the 1980s,” Tabuns pointed out, “when they had to decide to invest in new typewriters or computers: this government has chosen typewriters.”

An 800-megawatt power plant – like that proposed by the Sithe Corporation – costs about $1 billion to build, and then has ongoing operating and maintenance costs. This is not a question of money, because the McGuinty government already plans to spend huge amounts of money. Why are renewable sources of power being ignored?

Recently leading environmental groups published a report called “Renewable is Doable,” which calculates that the Liberal government will spend $113 billion on rebuilding our electrical system over the next twenty years, with a focus on nuclear production. (The Liberals insist that this number is closer to $70 billion, but the environmentalists adjusted the figure to account for cost overruns, which always occur in every single power plant project.) This same report found that for half the cost the system could be rebuilt without coal or nuclear, if it was instead based on renewable production such as wind, solar and hydroelectric, and if it also focused on increasing efficiency and decreasing demand. Furthermore, the price of electricity to consumers within this hypothetical system, due to its independence from non-renewable fuel sources, would be lower than it is right now.

Far from simply criticizing the government’s plan, Tabuns offered a very clear and compelling alternative vision for the future. Those who oppose power plants in Mississauga are not crying “NIMBY” (Not In My Back Yard) because there is no need for gas-fired plants at all, anywhere, period. So the discussion moved to the final point: how to compel the government to listen to the people, consider these alternatives, and make a decision that is good for future generations. Unlike Sithe and

MPP Peter Tabuns addresses concerns over government plans to build power plants in Mississauga.

photo files/P. Andrew Hamilton-Smith

Discussing alternative solutions to get the government’s attention, over 40 citizens attended the public discussion.

Eastern, the people opposed to these projects do not have millions of dollars with which to lobby to government.

“I want to put the question another way,” Tabuns said. “How can the community get their politicians to consider efficient and renewable options first?” It needs to be clear to our leaders at all levels that we are not resisting development, we are seeking better solutions.

The first step is to organize politically, form a Citizen’s Action Committee, hold meetings, educate the public, identify allies and bring them all together.

The second step is to demonstrate that there is a better alternative, by working with city planners and local hydro utilities to “crunch the numbers” on how to find other ways to meet electricity demand. A solid and functional proposal will have far more credibility than simply complaining or making demands. Lastly, everyone needs to apply pressure to their elected officials.

Already, Mississauga city council has voiced its disapproval of gas-fired power plants: that is a good first step.

Charles Sousa made a statement regarding the Lakeview site, and so perhaps he would be willing to support his constituents in resisting the Sithe project as well. Sousa also talked about how the Liberal government is committed to renewable power, so maybe this government will be willing to back up its words with actions.

“You need to get your school board trustee, city councilor, MPP and MP all pushing your issue forward at their respective level,” Tabuns explained. He suggested asking the Ontario Power Authority to prepare a plan for reducing

demand by the amount that the new power plants will provide, in order to provide concrete evidence that alternative solutions are feasible. Our politicians work for us, he reminded the crowd, and we must hold them accountable if they refuse to work with us to find better ways to address Ontario’s energy situation.

The meeting concluded with a feisty question-and-answer session, including Mr. Willis’ reminder that Mayor Hazel McCallion is on record as saying that she is both for and against new power plants in Mississauga. One gentleman represented a company that produces carbon-gas regulating equipment, and he asked Tabuns why the government had not fulfilled its promise to introduce new standards requiring such equipment.

University of Toronto Mississauga student Edna Toth pointed out that there still is no safe way to dispose of spent nuclear fuel, and she couldn’t understand why the government was making nuclear power the basis of its new energy plan. There were moments of pointed partisanship, but for the most part the meeting focused on the facts related to the issue. The vision put forth by Tabuns, one of a New Energy Economy that prioritizes economic security and environmental sustainability, no doubt inspired many of the assembled group to remain true to their beliefs and fight for this worthy cause. It was definitely refreshing to see a large group of concerned citizens trying to affect change in government, and it will be exciting to see where things go from here.

10 THE MEDIUM

Monday, March 24, 2008

FEATURES

Roots and Shoots scores with Pizza Pizza DARLENE DE SOUZA AND LEANNE SOUZA

DE

The chapter of U of T Roots and Shoots began in 2006 with a small executive team based out of UTM. Focusing on both environmental and humanitarian issues, the Roots and Shoots (R and S) club now has a tri-campus executive

team. The club focuses on one major event each year, along with a few smaller events. Last semester, the R and S club organized a basketball tournament food drive for the Salvation Army.

Smaller events have included a Community on Campus and R and S planting/Naturalization project, an antilitter poster campaign for the new Hazel McCallion Academic Learning Centre,

and a participation in a multi-university workshop with Dr. Jane Goodall.

However, it was the Pizza Pizza petition, one of the club’s greatest achievements, that had many students talking.

With the amount of pizza consumption on campus, it was only a matter of time before the Pizza Pizza’s new pizza boxes translated into more than a mere food expense. These new Pizza Pizza

boxes had begun to aggravate the waste on campus and something needed to be done about it. Darlene De Souza and her sister, Leanne, answer some commonly asked questions about the Pizza Pizza petition and the R and S club.

Q: Who are you?

A: Darlene, the co-founder of the R and S club, is a third-year student in the environment specialist and biology major program. Leanne, the president and co-founder of the R and S club, recently completed her MSc in the Faculty of Medicine at the St. George campus.

“After only two days of petitioning, we collected over 700 signatures... With their encouragement and the cooperation of Pizza Pizza, the slice program was reinstated along with a reduction in pizza prices on November 1, 2007.”

- Darlene De Souza, co-founder of R and S Q: What inspired the Roots & Shoot’s move to organize a campaign against the pizza boxes used at Pizza Pizza? And, who proposed this campaign?

A: At the end of last year, we felt discouraged by the amount of waste on campus and were in the midst of brainstorming events for this academic year.

We arrived in the new school year to find the new Pizza Pizza boxes, along with higher prices for pizza. These boxes were exacerbating the already bad litter situation on campus. It was devastating to witness the large-scale, seemingly overnight excess of pizza box waste accumulating everywhere. We were determined to plan a resolution. We quickly put together a petition requesting Pizza Pizza to eliminate the wasteful boxes and provide an eco-friendly alternative or at least return to the slice program. In addition, we requested a lower price in the pizza because we assumed the boxes added to the increased prices.

Our president Leanne De Souza and our corporate liaison David Kenney proposed the campaign and they asked Darlene to spearhead the launch the following day.

Q: When did Roots & Shoots organize this petition and how long did it for Pizza Pizza to put this plan into effect?

A: A preliminary, casual survey of

students and caretaking staff provided an initial comprehension of views and perceptions. We started the petition during Clubs Week in late September and by early October, we had the support of Ray deSouza, chief administrative officer of UTM, and Bill McFadden, director of hospitality and retail services at UTM. With their encouragement and the cooperation of Pizza Pizza, the slice program was reinstated along with a reduction in pizza prices on November 1, 2007.

Q: How did Pizza Pizza deal with this issue? Surely, it’s a win-win situation because Pizza Pizza saves on costs of material while still being environmentally friendly.

A: Pizza Pizza responded professionally and responsibly. We would like to commend them for their prompt, proactive participation and to thank them for their efforts.

Q: Take us through all the efforts involved to make this petition a success.

A: The idea, launch and completion of the campaign were supported greatly by staff and students alike. After only two days of petitioning, we collected over 700 signatures. It was a great success and the immense response helped expedite the process. Often, campaigns such as these can take a long time, especially when additional expenses are involved: Pizza Pizza had to, in effect, rebuild the front of the store to accommodate the new slice product. Also, our request for lower prices was heeded, which can also complicate a petition of this nature. The success was thanks to the support of the UTM community and again a very special thanks to Pizza Pizza for being a responsible member of our community.

Q: What was the most challenging part of this plan?

A: We were initially worried about student apathy as this is one of the major obstacles in any student-driven initiative.

Also, any request of scale often involves bureaucratic obstacles, but considering the very short time in our execution and implementation, we were very fortunate to have the support that we did.

Q: Are there any other places that Roots & Shoots aims to target in order to promote more environmentally friendly methods of doing business?

A: Our library poster campaign has been launched this year and we are working towards objectives for next year’s environment-based events.

For more information on the R and S club, visit: www.utrands.org or email Darlene at: darlene.desouza@utoronto.ca

photo files/Darlene De Souza

(L- R): Darlene , Leanne and a fellow Roots and Shoots member celebrate Pizza Pizza’s elimination of wasteful pizza boxes.

THE MEDIUM 11

Monday, March 24, 2008

Sports ROBERT SILVA, EDITOR | sports@mediumonline.ca

Major League Baseball: Fact or Fiction?

STEVE KHAN Vernon Wells will return to All-Star form.

Fact: Wells had the worst season of his career last year, but he is too good of a player to repeat that kind of performance.

He also battled with a shoulder injury for much of 2007.

Vernon appears to be fully healthy and looks good in spring training thus far. He’s the centrepiece of the Jays’ offense and he has protection. The offense struggled last year, but fully healthy, they have enough talent to be one of the better line-ups in the American League.

Wells will be surrounded by Alex Rios, Frank Thomas and Scott Rolen, and they acquired an experienced leadoff hitter in David Eckstein. On any given day, the lineup will also include some combination of Aaron Hill, Lyle Overbay, Matt Stairs, Shannon Stewart and/or Reed Johnson.

Under the reign of J.P. Ricciardi and John Gibbons, the team hasn’t stolen many bases. This is where Wells and Rios can be even more valuable as they are both capable of stealing 20-30 bases each. Gibbons should give these two the green light.

Also expect Vernon to return to his Gold Glove form in centre field as well.

B.J. Ryan will save 35 games.

Fiction: Ryan was outstanding in 2006, but Tommy John surgery ended his 2007 season early and he was expected to be gone until mid-2008.

However, Ryan is way ahead of schedule and would like to be the team’s closer

on opening day. He pitched a scoreless inning in his first spring training game on Friday with two strikeouts against Tampa Bay. These are all encouraging signs, but manager John Gibbons can’t overuse Ryan like he did in 2006 when the lefty earned 38 saves.

They also have a safe closer option in Jeremy Accardo, who is more likely than Ryan to close to start the season. Still, B.J. can have a successful comeback season without earning 35 saves.

Roy Halladay will win the Cy Young.

Fact: This is the boldest prediction I’m going to make. Halladay has been one of the best pitchers in baseball since 2002. He won the American League Cy Young award in 2003 and was well on his way for a second one in 2005 before his season ended early because of a line drive to the leg.

Roy returned in 2006 and finished third in Cy Young voting. Chien-Ming Wang finished second, but that’s only because he plays for the Yankees. Halladay is the most efficient pitcher in baseball and gives his team a better chance at winning than anyone else, given his ability to pitch deep into games. Since 2002, Halladay leads all AL pitchers with 26 complete games. C.C. Sabathia is second with 14.

Given Doc’s tendency to pitch deep into games, he’s more likely to earn wins. Wins for a pitcher are an overrated stat – but not to Cy Young voters. The biggest factor against him will be his strikeout total, another favourite stat category for voters.

Roy has not been a strikeout pitcher since 2003, but if he gets all the other numbers

regardless, his strikeout total should not matter.

The Jays will make the playoffs.

Fiction: In order to make the playoffs, the Jays will need at least 90-94 wins, a big leap from their 83 wins in 2007. At their best, Toronto has great defense, good pitching and probably good hitting.

However, the volatility of this team was exposed two weeks ago after Casey Janssen went down for the year with a torn labrum. Janssen was to compete for the fifth spot in the rotation with Jesse Litsch or would be a setup man (along with Accardo) for Ryan.

Litsch is still healthy, but if he struggles in his second season, there aren’t many options. Again, this represents the difference between the Jays and Boston and New York. With significantly higher payrolls, the top guns in the AL can afford to take more risks on guys to fill holes on their roster, but the Jays can’t, so the damage caused by injuries is exponentially higher for Toronto.

I do expect the Jays to compete deep into the season. Even if they don’t make the playoffs, 2008 will be a success if they’re fighting for a playoff spot in late September. This kind of improvement is naturally considered as a step in the right direction. However, 2009 presents several big questions.

First, Alex Rios will be looking for a long term deal and a large payday. With this in mind, J.P. Ricciardi tried to deal Rios in the off-season knowing he had a surplus of outfielders. During a spring training interview, when asked if almost being dealt

will affect his decision to re-sign with the Jays, Rios said yes. He still appears happy to be here and willing to re-sign, but it may take some more convincing to keep Rios in Toronto.

Second, A.J. Burnett will probably optout of his contract if he can stay relatively healthy, since he can cash in with a new deal. Burnett will make $12 million per season in 2009 and 2010 if he remains with Toronto. That’s a lot of money to give up, which is why it’s more likely he’ll stay if he spends a lot of time on the disabled list since it will lower his market value.

The price for pitchers has increased since Burnett signed his deal as lesser pitchers are getting similar contracts. The Seattle Mariners gave Carlos Silva a four-year, $44-48 million contract, and he’s not nearly as good as Burnett.

The Jays may also need a new catcher if Gregg Zaun doesn’t play well. Curtis Thigpen is currently set to be his replacement, but catching prospects are less likely than other players to live up to their potential.

Including 2008, the Jays have two more years with Frank Thomas (assuming he stays healthy enough for his 2009 option to kick in) and Matt Stairs, both of whom will be 40 years old by the end of this season.

They also have three more years with injury-prone Scott Rolen, who makes over $12 million per season.

If they re-sign Rios, they still have a nice core of players including Wells, Halladay and Hill, but they’ve had a similar core of players for a few years now as Toronto fans tap their toes entering the seventh year of J.P. Ricciardi’s five-year plan.

Women’s field hockey HEATHER SABISTON Frustrated after last year’s winless season, the UTM women’s field hockey team rebounded this year with a record of two wins, one loss, and two draws, securing their spot in the semi-finals. An injection of new players brought them star midfielder Anita Tewari, defenceman Madison Ash, and forwards Maari Wotherspoon, Tina Koepcke and Treena Gormley. Many other rookie players stepped forward, including a few from the downtown’s pharmacy and nursing faculties.

The final game of the season ended in an intense scoreless draw against Scarborough, giving the tender Jenn Chapman her second shutout of the season. UTM played an aggressive game and spent most of their time in Scarborough’s half, but couldn’t find the twine.

The semi-finals were held on March 6, where UTM aimed to settle the grudge against their rivals in the borough. UTM’s aggressive forwards, notably Tian Wang and pharmacy’s Maari Wotherspoon, fought hard through the first half, with no results. Despite heroic efforts from Jenn Chapman and defence Morgan Bowser, Scarborough slipped a goal in towards the end of the second half. Scarborough won 1-0 and proceeded to the finals.

This season marked a vast improvement in skill and participation in field hockey, which we hope will continue next year.

12 THE MEDIUM

Monday, March 24, 2008

SPORTS

Women’s Div 1 Ball team UTMAC to build on brings home the hardware this year’s success SUNNY PATHAK ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

The UTM Women’s Division 1 basketball team poses with their new piece of hardware after they ousted archrivals UTSC Raccoons 52-40 on March 17 at the RAWC. After a slow start, the Eagles blew the game wide open in the second half and never looked back.

With eight minutes left to play in the game, UTM extended its lead to eight points and controlled the momentum and pace of the rest of the game.

photos/Robert Silva

The UTM faithful pose proudly as they witnessed the Eagles annihilate those pesky Raccoons.

With chants of “WARM UP THE BUS,” “GO BACK TO SCARBOROUGH,” and the classic singing of “hey, hey, hey, goodbye,” the girls definitely got a boost from the UTMAC bros.

Don’t think that the refs had it easy because they were definitely glad when this game had come to an end, as the hecklers did not hesitate to voice their opinions.

“We did it! It feels good to finally be the champions. With leadership from our key veterans, strong back court, and great coaching from Jack and Vanessa, we were able to pull off the wins when we needed it. Wooh!”

-Ashley Nguyen, Div 1 player

The current University of Toronto Mississauga Athletic Council (UTMAC) will end its most successful term in office in a few weeks, but president Andrew Lalla isn't crying a river just yet. Lalla and his council spoke candidly about the year that was and all that these athletic student leaders accomplished.

“This year we had several goals in two different columns: politics and leaderships. I'm proud to say that this council accomplished everything we said we would,” he said. “This council has created relationships on campus and our events have been diverse."

One of the cornerstones of this year's council was to advocate for lower fees. Khalid Pasha, VP admin, spoke at length at one of the biggest accomplishments.

"Last year the fee for a locker was $80. It was too expensive for students.

Andrew and I worked closely with the Athletics Governing Council to reduce these costs to students. It's now $65.

Also, all clubs have free rentals on Fridays in the Athletics Centre; it’s something that we pushed for as council."

In previous years, administration and UTMAC worked together, but ideas never left the starting block.

"We've had a more progressive, results-oriented relationship with athletics this year. Ideas were discussed but never left the ground. This relationship has resulted in benefits for the students," said Pasha.

In the future, Pasha wants to ensure that the council continues to have a “stronger student voice.”

Pasha, who graduates this year, says future UTMAC council should "develop stronger policy so that changes that happen should be in effect for the future. Student input and consensus is important, we need to provide a forum where students, council and admin work together for the betterment of students."

Advocating for students rights in the gym was a key part of the council, but UTMAC did have some fun.

Along with a strong frosh presence where a life-size game of Monopoly was played, with the winning group attending last Sunday’s Raptors Nuggets game, UTMAC also held their first overnight ski trip at Horseshoe Valley. Amrik Singh, director of special projects said, “the response for the two-day, one-night trip was positive – it’s something that could be done in the future."

In January, UTMAC held a number of events for Health Week. Free massages were provided to students in the South Building, along with free breakfasts and lunches in the Student Centre.

"One of the ideas we had was to stress healthy eating. We worked closely with Health Services to provide information to students to eat healthy on a student's budget," said Aneel Dhuga.

In all, UTMAC organized three Raptors basketball trips that sold out within three days, sponsored the popular dodge ball tournament, and held multiple cheap wing nights at the Blind Duck.

Andrew Lalla returns next year as UTMAC President and with a new council. Don’t forget to get out and vote for your 2008/09 UTMAC council this week.

Who will shine through this year’s March Madness?

KYLE WHITNEY

With March Madness underway, the future stars of the National Basketball Association (NBA) will be on display, to showcase their skills and raise their stock for the 2008 NBA draft.

The March Madness tournament has been a stepping-stone for many players in the past, to elevate their play and showcase their abilities in front of the millions of people watching and, more importantly, NBA scouts.

Players like Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh, Kevin Durant and some guy named Michael Jordan – to name a few – have all played in the NCAA tournament and all made an impact leading into their respective drafts.

This year is no different as it may be one of the deepest drafts in recent years with many young prospects looking for exposure.

Right now, the consensus number-one pick is Kansas State forward Michael Beasley.

Beasley has averaged 25.7 points per game (PPG) and 12.6 rebounds per game (RPG), making him a gem for any team that is in need of a dominant forward down low. He is very athletic, he can shoot, pass, rebound and defend, and would be a great asset to any NBA team.

After Beasley the rest of the draft class is all very talented and all have different skills that can benefit any team.

O.J Mayo of USC is a scoring threat from the guard position. The problem for many scouts is that he is 6-4 and that is short for a shooting guard and he doesn’t distribute the ball enough to be a point guard, but there is no denying this guys explosive speed and great basketball sense.

Another talented guard is Memphis’ Derrick Rose. Rose is a player that makes everyone around him better and has great vision of the court to make plays happen.

Expect Rose to be the first point guard selected in the NBA draft.

Sophomore centre Brook Lopez from Stanford is a very talented big man who is a great shot blocker and rebounder. Expectations for Lopez will be high, but with a good sense of scoring, this talented player will make any team in need of a big centre salivate at the chance to draft the agile seven-footer.

Another centre that may get some looks from NBA scouts is Texas A&M’s Deandre Jordan. To say he is a force down low is an understatement, as scouts and analysts are comparing him to all-star centre Dwight Howard. Jordan has the size, length and explosiveness that teams dream of in a player down low.

The 2008 NBA draft is filled with talented guards, but Texas’ D.J Augustine, who averages 19.9 PPG and 5.9 assists per game, has been compared to New Orleans’ Chris Paul, even though he watches Steve Nash film to emulate the twotime NBA most valuable player.

Averaging 17.8 PPG and 11.2 RPG, UCLA’s Kevin Love has garnered a lot of attention and could very well be a top-ten pick in the upcoming draft. Versatile in the centre and forward positions, Love’s great athleticism and impressive leaping ability for a 6’10” 270-pounder will draw much attention. Love could return for another season at UCLA, but the big man might want to take the leap into the NBA. North Carolina is never short of talented players, and guard Ty Lawson is no different. Lawson is a player that any NBA team would be glad to add to their roster. His speed is intense for any of his opposing teams. Containing him is by no means an easy task; he creates plays, scores points and is a great leader in the dressing room.

Other players that shouldn’t be overlooked are North Carolina’s Tyler Hansbrough and his 23.4 PPG and 10.5 RPG, Georgetown’s Roy Hibbert, who is seven-foot-two and is a talented scorer and potential leader, and Kansas’ Darrell Arthur, who is a scoring threat and has the

potential to be a prolific defender.

The players that are in the NCAA tournament all have something to prove, and with the stakes at an alltime high, these talented prospects

will all be NBA players one day.

As for now the Madness is on and a national championship awaits. Let’s see if these NBA hopefuls can handle the pressure.

photo/Google Images

Averaging 25.7 PPG and 12.6 RPG, who wouldn’t want Kansas State’s Michael Beasley?