The Voice of the Univerisity of Torotno at Mississauga
MEDUIM TEH
MONDAY, MARCH 31, 2008
VOLUME 34, ISSUE 25
www.mediumonline.ca
Banging out the beats
Creative Corner
Champ vs. Prez
Page 7
Page 9
Page 11
Smooth and successful this time around MEGHA KUMAR ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR
On March 28 and 29, large crowds of University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM) students fled towards the Blind Duck to witness a handful of students play model-for-a-day. Style and Profyle (SAP)'s fifth annual UTM fashion show, aptly titled “Style Wars: A Journey through the Genres,” featured a series of catwalks intertwined with performance-based entertainment. With three shows held over the course of two days, the Saturday matinee didn’t sell as much as the previous evening, but those in attendance were treated to an equally vibrant and energetic show produced by Michael Ross, Paulina Filewska, Daniella Fragomeni and Michael Lombardo. Hosts Norris Yacoub and beat-boxing Oren Williamson had the audience laughing and cheering with their onstage chemistry and friendly banter, while the thematic choreography showcased cultural variations, from a Michael Jackson number featuring fedoras and black pants to disco-styled outfits from Unicus at Square One. The intricate choreography of the Steppers was well synchronized, but if audience reaction is anything to go by, then the highlight of the show had to be Oren Williamson's pirouettes while wearing a pair of skin-tight black leggings.
Other memorable segments of the show were “Romantic,” a poignant dance number which involved a blindfolded Michael Lombardo with the ballet-inspired Diana Pandya, and a salsa number featuring producers Fragomeni and Ross, amongst others. But it was the belly dance number “Belly” that drew the loudest applause and cat-calls of the day. And it was no wonder, considering it was lead and choreographed by the talented and beautiful Meghna Venkatesh. But there was on glitch as Victoria Paige, a design student and friend of one of the models, had her personally designed clothes struck off the repertoire at the last minute. “You know what the worst part of the show was? That my daughter spent the whole night designing these beautiful outfits and [they] refused to wear them,” Mrs. Paige said. Mrs. Paige insisted that her daughter's name be removed from the event itinerary, and even after the hosts apologized to her and urged the audience to clap on behalf of Victoria Paige's tremendous efforts, she proceeded to walk out of the show midway. Regarding the incident and the rejected clothing, Ross commented, “There was a wardrobe malfunction, so we had to replace [the clothes.]” Before the show, while speaking to The Medium, Ross commented on last
year's Fashion Show controversies: “Whatever controversy happened in the past, happened in the past. Our goal is to have no negativity. This year, Style and Profile has a new face with new members… we intend to take the club in the right direction, to help the community. Any controversy that went on before, it wasn't me, I wasn't running it… but that's not our goal for this year.” The audience's stunned reactions at the incident simmered down after some lively hip-hop and soul numbers that focused on bright tones and a lot of athletic, preppy wear. At the end, the cast and crew of the show gathered on stage to celebrate months of hard work, effort and an overall successful show. “The organizing was smooth from day one. Last year was a lot more choppy in terms of organizing, but this year was very smooth. I have no complaints with the producers and had one of the best times ever working on this fashion show!” said Meghna Venkatesh. Proceeds, which amounted to $4,000 as of Wednesday (based on pre-sale alone), will be given to the Canadian Cancer Society. Audience members during each of the three shows were handed gift bags with perfume samples and discounted shopping cards from retail sponsors. With files from Ali Kasim
Photo/Melissa Di Pasquale
Student performers gave a fantastic show at the fifth annual Style and Profyle Fasion Show.
Fee increase approved despite protest MEREDITH LILLY On March 25, the University Affairs Board approved plans to increase residence fees for New College by 13.1 per cent. The fee increase places New College fees in the mid-range of residence choices for students at the St. George campus. According to Rick Halpern, New College principal, the fee increase will not touch the accumulated debt (which is in excess of six million dollars), but will allow New College to “staunch the hemorrhaging.” The fee increase was shrouded in controversy, due largely to a demonstration organized for March 20 in Simcoe Hall. A peaceful sit-in turned ugly when protesters refused to leave and police were called in to ensure that all staff could exit the premises. Students, police and staff alike claimed that
they were injured and harassed in the process. Naylor issued a statement in response to the events at Simcoe Hall, condemning the actions of the protesters. “We do not accede to thuggish tactics by mobs, and we can scarcely engage in rational discourse with protesters yelling obscenities and slogans in support of grievances on a wide range of local, national, and international issues,” he stated in the letter. Naylor stressed that the offending protesters represented a fringe on campus, and was very critical of the support the demonstration received from the Arts and Science Student Union, the University of Toronto Students’ Union, and the Ontario Public Research Group, all of whom receive funding from a compulsory fee collected from all U of T students. Following the protest, the unions have
dissociated themselves with the demonstration. The protesters present on March 25 were met by six uniformed officers outside of Simcoe Hall. Security within Simcoe was equally tight, with officers stationed at every corner leading to the Council Chamber. UTMSU president Walied Khlogali arrived late and was initially denied access to the meeting. He was allowed to enter only after the protesters urged the police by chanting “let him in!” Not all students were pleased with those demonstrating on their behalf. Students responded quickly to what they perceived as a misrepresentation of their interests. Some started the Facebook group “Shame on you: ASSU and AlwaysQuestion do not speak for me,” which has over 200 members, at the time of printing.
Some also started the “U of T Love Movement (anti-senseless-protest protest)” and launched the website www.questionalwaysquestion.info in reference to AlwaysQuestion, a student activist group that played a role in organizing both protests. The Love Movement organized a counterprotest on March 25 in response to students’ tactics at the March 20 protest. Jesse Cohen of the Love Movement said that the rowdy protesters “do not represent student opinion,” and was concerned at the impression demonstrations of that kind give to the administration. “Next time we have a legitimate concern about a decision the administration makes, do you think that they will be super responsive, or very weary?” Cohen wanted to provide a positive non-aggressive voice on behalf of students.
Deena Dadachanji of Always Question doubted the motives of the Love Movement and thought that they were “being rude.” “The Love Movement protesters do not understand the history behind the demonstration. We have tried other means of protest, but they were ineffective. They don’t understand the opposition,” she said. For students discouraged by the decision to increase fees, Dadachanji encouraged continued student involvement with the decision-making protest. “We are calling on all students to stand up and assert their rights to a free and fair education system. As individuals who are committed to social justice, we know in our hearts that what the administration has done to our brothers and sisters is an injustice, and so we will not step down until justice is served,” she said.
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Monday, March 31, 2008
Rats in the Student Centre NIKITA KING FEATURES EDITOR
A grey furry face peeked out from Professor Jeff T. Lombard’s lab coat as he explained that Mother Nature always ensures that there is a garbage collector for the earth. “Dung beetles are the janitors of the jungle. Vultures are the vacuum cleaners of the sky. Crabs are cleaners of the ocean. And, rats are our rubbish removers,” explained Professor Lombard. Professor Lombard, who lectures on behaviour genetics and animal behaviour at the University of Toronto Mississauga, has begun a startling new experiment that involves introducing two tamed sewer rats, Silver and Slim, to the Student Centre’s washrooms. These two sewer rats are what Professor Lombard refers to as “super” rats, or mutant rats, due to their powerful immune system. As alarming as they may sound, the Health Department approved of the 40-day experiment due to the increasing amount of janitors that have been reported falling ill just from constant exposure to the unhygienic state of washrooms on campus. Concern that this may break out into a spread of even greater diseases amongst the community has the Health Department supervising Professor Lombard’s experiment. The Student Centre’s janitor, Luigi Franks, who most students know as Louis, also supports Professor Lombard’s new experiment. “I certainly do enjoy the environment of the Student Center but just because I am a janitor, it does not mean that I’m going to put up with poor toilet training from the students,” Louis complained. “A new toilet trend I have noticed is pub food remains being flushed down the johns. So, I am confident that Jeff’s rats will have a fun time,” he said, “I’m just so tired of getting sick. Most of the time I suffer from stomach bugs just from cleaning up the washrooms three hours a day.” Patting his rat on the head, Professor Lombard theorized that if sewer rats could live off the remains of filthy sewers, there should be no problem for rats to clean up after any messes in the washroom. “Rats, ‘super’ rats in particular, have immunity systems strong enough to help them feed off shreds of toilet paper, dirty toilet seats, stained floors, and even crumpled, used tissues,” he noted. Contrary to what people may think, “super” rats are not always monstrous-looking rats that rip everything to shreds. Professor Lombard emphasized that appearance isn’t everything; the rat’s body functions are normally what are more important in genetic studies. “I first worked with mutant rats when I worked in Germany's Federal Biological Research Center for Agriculture and Forestry for five years. Mutant or ‘super’ rats have incredibly strong immune systems,”
he said. “They are even immune to rat poison.” According to Professor Lombard’s studies, he explained that it does not matter which brand name a rat poison product carries. All kinds of rat poison use anticoagulants which stop blood from clotting. The poison blocks the effects of vitamin K in its body. Vitamin K regulates the permeability of blood vessels as well as blood coagulation. With anticoagulant poisons, the rat dies from internal bleeding. Professor Lombard further explained that the first poison of this type was called Warfarin, which became available in 1953. Although it had many advantages, it had one big disadvantage. Just a few years after its introduction, rats capable of surviving Warfarin showed up in Scotland. The population's DNA had mutated so that the rats’ blood was not affected by the poison. Today, resistant grey and brown rats, just like Silver and Slim, exist in several parts of Europe as well as in North America. Professor Lombard also warned that just because the rats are the new “janitors” of the Student Centre’s washroom until the end of the 40-day trial, it does not mean that they cannot spread these germs and diseases. Luckily, students can only be infected if they are bitten by either of the rats. Silver is purely grey and can be recognized by her somewhat larger body size. Professor Lombard described her as unusually bold for a female rat. Slim is also grey but has a white belly and Professor Lombard described her as a gentle creature. However, as tame as these two rats are, Professor Lombard does not encourage any interaction with the rats. A list of precautions for students will be posted on notice boards soon. Professor Lombard advised that students should not feed the rats because it would ruin the monitoring results and distort the overall evaluation of the experiment. In addition, no photographs of the rats should be taken because rats can turn extremely aggressive when exposed to sharp flashes of light. “Now I know that Silver started chasing Miss Di Pasquale, The Medium’s photographer, after a photo had been taken. And, Silver didn’t manage to take a nip at Miss Di Pasquale’s heels - I just consider her lucky,” said Professor Lombard, “Students should really just try and ignore Silver and Slim. They are like people too, just trying to live out their lives.” After two years of struggling to convince the Health Department that rats do have a place in society, Professor Lombard hopes that the 40day experiment will run smoothly. “I’m quite sure that this experiment will go according to plan because my work colleagues and I had experimented with previously,” he remarked, “But it’s time to put the experiment to the test.” For more information on Professor Lombard’s experiment visit www.utm.utoronto.ca/lombrats
photo/Melissa Di Pasquale
With powerful hindlegs, Silver can pounce onto the washroom basin for water.
photo/Melissa Di Pasquale
Missed the toilet seat? With Slim exploring the washrooms, she is ready to clean up any excess mess left behind by careless students so the janitors can have a break from cleaning up the constant filth.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Save a car, ride a camel JULIE TYIOS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
After numerous meetings with both the University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM) Green Team and UTM administration, a new environmentally friendly transportation alternative has been implemented on campus to alleviate the current parking and traffic congestion problems. In partnership with the Toronto Zoo, the “Save a Car, Ride a Camel” program has officially kicked off at UTM, making it the first university campus in North America to use animal-based transportation alternatives in an attempt to be eco-conscious. Camels can travel over 60 miles a day for 20 days easily without water and survive for another five days without water after that, making them one of the world’s hardiest beasts of burden. They can also tolerate extreme heat, making them the perfect alternative to cars for long stretches of highway transportation in the warmer months. “We’re really excited about this initiative for many reasons,” said UTM sustainability coordinator Aubrey Iwaniw. “It will no doubt cut down the number of cars emitting greenhouse gases that will increase UTM’s carbon footprint, and save on a lot of gas for the cars that would have been on the road. And, as a bonus, any waste collected from the camels will be put to use as fertilizer on UTM’s nature trail. Environmentally, it’s a win-win situation all around.”
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NEWS
Students may sign out camels for hourly or day use at low rates to travel to and from UTM. On average, Iwaniw noted, it will take about three hours to reach the St. George campus if a camels travels at top speed, so students need to plan ahead if they intend to ride a camel to a lecture downtown. Students are encouraged to use the animals for local trips, such as to the grocery store, as the animals can carry up to 400 lbs. Renters are responsible for any camel waste deposited off campus, as local by-laws still apply. Compostable garbage bags and shovels will be provided with each camel to encourage renters to clean any resulting messes. UTM has graciously accommodated the new program, diverting funds from administrative salaries to perform emergency construction to “camelize” the campus as fast as possible. New “Camel Trails” have been built beside the Outer and Inner Circle Roads to accommodate an increase in camel traffic, built with sand imported from the Middle East. A special holding area for the camels has been built on the North Field as well, complete with a heated stable for cooler nights. The animals will be shipped back to the Toronto Zoo for the duration of winter, as they cannot tolerate the extreme cold of the average Canadian winter. Students are advised not to feed the camels, as each beast is on a special diet to maximize the nutrients in its waste for optimum flora fertilization.
Photo/Google images
Camels may be the new look of transportation at UTM if the “Save a Car, Ride a Camel” program gains popularity among students, staff and faculty.
Write for the last issue and you can come to the year-end party! E-mail Saira: news@mediumonline.ca
Earth Hour sees worldwide action BY JULIE TYIOS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Earth Hour in Toronto hit environmental targets on Saturday evening as the city powered down to conserve energy for one hour. Earth Hour began as a smaller event in 2007 in Sydney, Australia, where residents were urged to shut
their lights off for one hour to see how much they could conserve. This year, Earth Hour went global, seeing about 30 million participants. Nearly 100,000 Canadian residents signed up on the World Wildlife Fund’s web site as a pledge to shut off their lights between 8 and 9 p.m. on March 29, beating out the United States. In Toronto, it is estimated that
demand decreased by 900 megawatts, or 5.2 per cent, according to Terry Young, spokesperson for the Ontario Independent Electricity System Operator, in the Toronto Star yesterday. Toronto Earth Hour celebrations included an acoustic performance by Canadian singer Nelly Furtado, and the usually brilliantly lit CN Tower’s participation in the “lights out” event.
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THE MEDIUM
Monday, March 31, 2008
EDITORIAL
Opinion JULIE TYIOS, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF | editor@mediumonline.ca www.mediumonline.ca
EDITORIAL With the aftermath of the student protest gone wrong downtown, I thought I’d explore it from an editorial perspective. As a bit of background, some student groups held a protest on March 20 at Simcoe Hall in order to obtain some meeting time with President Naylor to talk about the proposed increase of New College fees. Reports from the unions say 20 per cent, and reports from news sources and the university state it is only 10. I’m not sure who’s right here, but the biggest issue of the protest was the conduct of the union representatives and administration when the police were involved. Police reportedly dragged students out of the hall, even injuring some, while fellow students chanted a variety of things. Why did this all happen? Each side blames the other. Sure, we can say that Naylor should have agreed to meet with representatives to discuss the fees, which he reportedly would not. It’s too bad that happened, because it led to poor conduct on behalf of the union representatives in desperation. And now there are groups and protests opposing this group, so this entire ordeal has snowballed into a huge mess. Protesting can lead to change, when done correctly. I’ve seen it happen. But I’ve also seen my fair share of three-ring circuses at administrative meetings, and it’s really hard to make a respectable point with first-grade antics. I truly don’t believe the police should have used force, but I don’t think student representatives should have behaved that way, either. It’s just a shame that things have gotten to this point and, if what the unions say is true, that the university doesn’t give a damn about the student experience with regards to the tuition fees. By constantly increasing the price of education, we’re only closing the doors to some of the less fortunate brilliant minds. Is that progress? Yours,
Julie Tyios
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www.mediumonline.ca Full house today. Nikita and i have been watching Neg on Balls of Steel while we wait. Jack is here, eating a chicken and mayo sammich. It’s dark, it’s quiet, and it’s the joke issue. Rob left for hockey again. We expect him back soon. Melissa’s working on her laptop with headphones. Ali is pissed that his cellphone went missing, much like my soup did earlier. Pity. The Medium plans to host a day where we take on Neg’s urban sports challenges and beat his records. Chartwells will make a killing from all the burgers and chicken nuggets we’re going to buy. Saira suggests sushi and no one else goes for it but me. Blah. Bah. Whatever. Nikita ponders an old issue of The Medium and shakes her head. I think we’er going out for dinner. Everyone else is working, I guess. I really have nothing to write because it’s been a rather dull day, sorry to say. M&M were here when I got in, but they’re long gone now. Bah. Saira and I went for sushi, no one else wanted to. Rob came back from his hockey game in a bad mood, we think he lost. Everyone finished early, so I’m back to watching more Neg. Urban rodeo and leg it? Burger bowl-off? Urban sprinting? I think we need to get a bunch of people together and try this. “It was a bad joke, just say it, say it, say it, it was a bad joke, come on, say it, say it.� Yeah, sure. “Alright, while you wait for that, Ima gonna go grow a chinstrap. Be right back.� Oh Arts Boy, always the most insightful of all the editors. I think Arts Boy found his phone. Isn’t that lovely? I found my soup, too. I hope he didn’t eat any, cause I coughed in it. TB test tomorrow! Arts Boy tries to whistle the Neg theme song. “I can’t whistle to save my life.� “Nah uh.� “Well, can you?� “I ain’t trying.�“You gonna write the chinstrap thing?� “Yeah, it was pretty funny. Give me something more insightful.� “No one’s going to get the context of the joke, Julie.� “That’s fine, I ain’t writing it for them.� “I ain’t giving you any more dialogue!!� Everyone’s gone but Arts Boy, Saira, and Melissa. Not much opportunity for jokes. “You’re too easy.� “Apparently not, I try everything. Including calling your house, which I’m doing this week.� “Alright, don’t say anymore, Julie’s writing this shit down.� Now I can’t get the theme song out of my head. I sent it to my mother. She never sent me her reaction. Drat. I need some blurb fodder. I don’t know why I bother writing this, it’s longer than most articles we run. It’s just so... quiet. I haven’t found anything else interesting on the net lately. Human Tetris, Quiet Library, crazy ass Japanese game show (involves a tub of very hot water and the jiggling of breasts, really weird), and some Japanese toilet humour. Those are all the names on YouTube if you want to look them up. I told Saira to write about Earth Hour. “It’s a stupid idea.� “But my mom was crazy about it, she was checking out the windows and telling people to turn their lights off.� “Blurb that.� And I did. Hi Mom! “A Life is Passing...� so emo. What does it mean? Oh, Tickle me Emo is a good one from MadTV as well, but, well, you’ll see. The snow’s all gone, except at UTM. I don’t understand. It’s as if global warming doesn’t exist on the campus. What will the camels do?? What about the mutant rats living in the Student Centre? They may freeze to death. El Captain tells me to hurry up. I’m hurrying, I’m hurrying. Melissa still seems wrapped up in whatever she’s doing. She’s one of the most dedicated photo editors we’ve ever had. Somebody give that girl a raise. I’m hearing something about cute boys. Time to make an exit. One left. Oy.
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Letters to the Editor HARPER SHOULD BACK OUT The environment is among the top three issues for Canadians and the vast majority disagree with Harper’s approach of sticking our heads into Alberta’s oil sands, poll shows: “Overall, 79% of Canadians and 81% of Albertans said that greenhouse gas emissions from the sector should be ‘capped at current levels and then reduced’ because of the impact on global warming, according to the McAllister Opinion Research poll. Only 12% of respondents, both in the province and in the country as a whole, said that emissions from the oil sands sector should be “allowed to exceed current levels� so as to encourage eco-
nomic growth.� - Mark De Sousa, National Post. Ecology and economics are interlinked. If the environment is polluted and our climate has changed, there is no economic future for Canada or anyone else. Four out of five Canadians understand that, why doesn’t our government and opposition parties? The environment is what the federal opposition parties should talk about: cap-and-trade, carbon taxes along with tax cuts for Canadians, alternative energy, new technologies, tougher standards, etc. BC listened and introduced carbon taxes. In the recently
EDITORIAL Please write to:editor@mediumonline.ca 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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announced Ontario Liberal budget, we are seeing some signs of a capand-trade system: “Will begin with an aggressive cap-and-trade initiative — when new regulations are introduced, others will be eliminated� – Ontario Finance Minister Dwight Duncan. Quebec is not too far behind. The environment is the issue that should bring down the Conservative government, it’s what Canadians want and its the right thing to do. Sincerely, Vlad Glebov www.vladglebov.com
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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
Monday, March 31, 2008
THE MEDIUM
OPINION
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LETTERS We would like to thank Mohammed Ashour VP MSA for his response and comments to our article and report on IAW. And, as much as Mr. Ashour has taken the time and trouble to highlight and clarify supposed mistakes in our reporting of the event, allow us to do the same for his. In the above-mentioned letter, Mr. Ashour indicates how “the sermon was not a public service for believers and nonbelievers.” Yet he goes on to say in the next paragraph that he and the MSA invited their non-Muslim friends on campus “to come and check it out.” Clearly, this is a contradiction. What is the difference between a non-public sermon and a sermon where non-Muslim friends are invited to come and check out? And if his “intended audience was Muslim,” was he in turn intending for his invitation to the nonMuslims to be entirely turned down? Or perhaps he meant for them to be there, but not to listen and receive the sermon as an audience? But above all of that, was the affair not termed as a “public jumu’ah”? The crux of the matter is this: while it is within the prerogative of the speaker, in this case Mr. Ashour, to base the topic of the sermon on whatever he wishes, should he not also bear in mind what’s appropriate to discuss considering non-Muslim invitees were also in attendance? He did after all say himself that he “saw his audience.” This is the same point that the editor-in-chief was making in her editorials. After Mr. Ashour’s response letter, I can only reiterate and reinforce it again. As for Mr. Ashour’s indirect and implicit accusation of hypocrisy and “inconsistent chivalry” on the part of The Medium, I fail to recognize how our headline of “Sex (Pub) sells” is in any way derogatory to women on campus or even on the whole. The headline of “Sex (Pub) sells” was simply a reflection of the sold-out event. This event by the way was the “Sex Pub.”
Really, what else should The Medium call it? And how else can we portray and report on such an affair? Furthermore, the frontpage photo which Mr. Ashour refers to in his letter was forwarded to us by UTM’s Sexual Education Centre. Considering that, it would certainly be ironic to deem the photo as offensive to women. Yes, other faith-based clubs on campus have preached their own beliefs about salvation without any controversial coverage on it. But the reason for that is simple: they do it under their own discretion, without inviting outsiders of that faith to “come and check it out.” That way, if they preach such things like non-believers not being able to go to heaven, outsiders aren’t in attendance to be alarmed by it. When these faith-based clubs do invite outsiders during their Awareness Week programmes and sessions, I’m sure they are weary and thoughtful as to what messages they send out. Finally, Mr. Ashour’s claims that “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” and that The Medium “needs to fan the flames of racism...” are bold statements which are unsubstantiated and slanderous. The Medium in recent times has always made it a point to address and promote MSA movements and events, as in this case Islam Awareness Week. I challenge Mr. Ashour to recount any Muslim-biased incident during the term of current editor-in-chief Julie Tyios that she or The Medium has had to apologize for. If not, then for falsely accusing the editor-inchief and the publication for bias and racism, I ask Mr. Ashour to apologize for his remarks. Sincerely, Ali Kasim, A&E Editor
Sudoku Challenge New puzzles and solutions will appear in next week’s Medium.
Expert
Casual
Last week’s answers: Expert (left) Casual (right)
THOUGHTS ON THE THEOLOGICAL In the last issue of The Medium, in a response to an editorial about the sermon given on the Friday of Islamic Awareness Week, the gentleman who originally gave that sermon claimed that The Medium was “fanning the flames of racism” by criticizing the intentions of the sermon itself. This is a strange claim to make since Islam, on last checking, has nothing to do with race. Regardless, the editor of this or any other newspaper has every right to say that something she heard expressed in a sermon (or a speech, or an interview) is detestable or has been said with ill-intent, or indeed, that she thought it was just pure nonsense. That’s what free speech is all about. Thus it may well be that the editor of this newspaper was offended by Friday’s sermon. It may also be that the sermonizer was offended by the fact that she was offended. What of it? Honest disagreement. Personally, I have no problems with any sermon which says that, because I don’t subscribe to the tenets of Islam, I’m
going to hell. Since I don’t believe a place such as hell could or does exist, nor that the tenets of a man-made religion (Islam, Christianity, Mormonism) could possibly know what the entry requirements are for such an undesirable place, I find such a sermon more absurd than offensive. I also have no problem with it being preached. I would have a problem with it being taught to children as truth (that’s why religion has no place in our science classes), and I think that parents and guardians who teach any religion as truth to their children are committing something close to child abuse, but as a mature adult sermons have about as much effect on me as a 3 AM infomercial for Ginsu Knives. Moreover, I’m delighted that Friday’s sermon (and The Medium’s reporting on it) made me more aware of Islam, which was supposed to be the whole point in the first place. It certainly made me more acutely aware that I dislike Islamic ideology just as much as I dislike Judaism, Christianity, Mormonism, and all other
ideologies which use fear as a bargaining tactic to help instil their version of morality. It sharpened my awareness that by not believing in monotheistic ideas of hellfire or eternal damnation or vengeful gods (as John Lennon would say, “it’s easy if you try”), I dispose of the fear of such things, and get on with sorting morality out on my own like everyone else. The point is, religious believers may find my distaste for their religion equally distasteful in itself, but that’s as far as either of us can take the matter. It certainly isn’t an instance of bigotry to say that somebody’s belief in Islam is undesirable for reasons X-Y-Z, nor to say that statements A-B-C make better claims about the universe than Islamic teachings do. That’s a simple difference of opinion. And the very last thing it could be is racist.
I understand that Islamic Awareness Week saw its finale take shape in the form of an open Khutbah delivered by a fellow Muslim student. His sermon consisted of spelling out quite clearly the fate of nonbelievers: that they risk their unfaithfulness at the hands of eternal damnation. I personally don’t find this statement controversial for the same reasons I don’t find the late Jerry Falwell threatening when he babbles on and on about facts that are almost undebateable. Within the religious sector, I would think that such a statement is a truism: why would we expect anything less? But for good measure, many of my Muslim friends would go on to challenge this giver of sermons on theological grounds, given that fact that he is not Allah, and his interpretations of the alleged deity may be distorted. Fair enough. Understandably, many of us would condemn such a sermon and the message of fear it carries. They would go on to call this giver of sermons a fanatic because he speaks the basic message of his religion (which all inherently carries such a message of salvation and fear these days like they always have): it polarizes the community, and target
those of different faiths, or those without faith. If one were to take such allegations seriously, one would come to two conclusions: 1. Define fanaticism as the unrelenting effort to impose your beliefs on others through terror and threats. 2. Put the Islamic version of the Apocalypse/Rapture in religious perspective. That is, if preaching eternal damnation is wrong Jummahs at school, then it should be wrong for all faith based societies. The fact is, there is a difference between preaching your faith peacefully, and unreasonably imposing it upon others (like picketing gay people's funerals). In this case, the student simply did the former, not really enough if he wants to be called a fanatic. We certainly have an obligation to allow others to believe what they in whatever they, but we don't have to respect the content itself: drawing the line for perhaps a theological/intellectual discussion. This is based purely on personal choice, and I think we the citizens have enough maturity to peacefully challenge or even ignore that which we do not believe in. This is of course assuming that the believers keep to themselves and
try to engage us along peaceful and respectful lines. I believe that this law has been fulfilled throughout IAW. I'm still not convinced, but I'm not dead either. Now that would certainly polarize! Furthermore, if people feel threatened and outraged at such a statement, they should sue every monotheistic religious gathering (church, synagogues, etc...) that’s open to all for "committing the same crime." These centers of religion function within the community itself, and we seldom comment on them as divisive structures. As a citizen and an atheist, I would rather know the unvarnished truth about what a religion has to say than have someone mince words with me. Sure there are the Farwells and smack talkers that go on television and preach their faith in the most arrogant fashion, but people believe in all kinds of things: from aliens all the way to bigfoot all the way to witches and the spaghetti monster. They may have ideas that I scoff at given what I believe is evidence (or lack thereof), but that doesn’t mean we cannot sit down and have a decently respectful conversation together.
Paul Bryant 3rd Year Philosophy Major
Steven Zhou
6 THE MEDIUM
Monday, March 31, 2008
Arts & Entertainment ALI KASIM, EDITOR | arts@mediumonline.ca
ARTS Fest wraps up seventh and best year ANDREA GRASSI ASSISTANT A&E EDITOR Last Friday saw the final showcase wrap-up of ARTS Fest – a weeklong campus event coordinated by Joey Romkey and Bridget Mantha. Kicking off a showcase with “Big Spender” to a packed crowd on a buzzing Friday night timeslot is a tough crunch. I am happy to report that Romkey, as host of the event, killed it, even though he claimed he was offered the hosting position last minute, and was only wearing a tuxedo because he was supposed to be at a wedding. In its seven years, ARTS Fest has contributed over $25,000 to the campus art community in prizes, and has offered priceless opportunities for UTM’s artistic talent to be showcased. The festival started last Tuesday with a coffee house showcase and some on-campus activities. The Friday showcase was judged by an impressive panel of thespians which included some familiar names: Ron Cameron-Lewis, Zach Smadu, Nicole Bemister-Lardino, and Chris McGrath. Awards for the visual art that decorated the main atrium in the CCT building were also presented towards the end of the show. The seventh year proved lucky for the ARTS Fest crew judging from the huge turn-out, the solid performances, exceptional student art, and the professionalism from the organizers all around. Of note was performance artist and winner for best dance act, Allan
Zacca. Last year, Zacca impressed the showcase audience with twirling glow sticks. This year he upped the ante and wowed with fire. A huge crowd gathered outside of the CCIT building to admire the ten o’clock flame show – an edge-of-your-seat act with Zacca spinning and twirling enflamed batons to the serene sounds of Imogen Heap’s “Hide and Seek.” Close enough to smell the sulphur off of the two flaming balls dangling from strings, I cringed when Zacca threw the flames between his legs and, with arms outstretched, twirled the flames in front of him. No singed eyebrows or nether regions here, the talented Zacca was definitely a crowd favorite. For best instrumental, Jason Hu and his violin took top honors. Hu’s humor added great presence to the performance, playing embellished slurs and, at one point, placed the violin on his back and exercises the strings over his head. Best Drama went to Eric Fournier and Chris Sironi for their fight scene involving adultery, swords, and Matrix-type music. Joe Soliman won best instrumental for his performance on the piano, but the musical act that really caught my eye was Nick Robinson on electric guitar and Ohmeed Arlani on piano and vocals which lulled the audience via a stripped-down version of Coldplay’s “Yellow.” ARTS Fest keeps getting better and better every year. With a packed house this year, I’m afraid the artistic resource team may have to try and find a bigger venue for the next.
photos/Andrea Grassi
Above: A bird’s eye view of the scene last Friday at the CCT Building. Below, right: Winner of Best Drama performance, Eric Fournier, looks at student artwork. Left: Student Nicole Schlosser in front of her art exhibit
Pirates steal the show at Theatre Erindale SAMANTHA BERGER
photo source/Dan Bowers
Left to right: Dan Bowers, Andrew Ingram and Nathan Bitton, with Theatre Erindale’s technical director Jim Smagata in the background.
Theatre Erindale proved once again that UTM has an ample amount of dedicated actors and creative minds. The theatre held its annual end-of-year series of Independent Student Productions (ISP), On the Fringe XIII, this past week. With a mixed audience dominated by Theatre and Drama Studies (TDS) faculty and TDS students, the festival kicked off on Thursday night with a familiar play. Me and My Asian Mother, written by fourth-year TDS student Vivian Cheung, premiered last year at the Hart House Drama Festival, picking up the awards for Best Direction and Best Set Design. The cast for this year’s performance remained the same, with exception to the role of Nathan, played now by Paolo Santalucia. Based on the relationship between her own mother and herself, Cheung’s script focused on and poked fun at the many stereotypes of the traditional Chinese household. Riddled with cute moments and some hilarious dialogue, the play was just as much a hit with the audience here as it was with the one at Hart House at the Drama Festival last year. The evening continued with American playwright icky Silver’s The Eros Trilogy, the only script of the evening not written by a TDS student, although the adaptation was trimmed down to two acts from the original three. In the first act, Claire, a middle-aged woman who “uses sarcasm to make her point” has the audience howling with
perky, back-handed jokes, as she narrates an incident which occurred in the morning; an incident which all too frighteningly shatters the reality of her “beautiful world.” Claire’s son Philip emerges in the second act, and is a polar opposite of his mother’s character – gay, neurotic, and a pure mass of anxiety and tension. Philip is fixated on a young man he sees at work one day. Fearful of rejection, he limits his acquaintance with this man to furtive glances. He decides one day to finally make contact, which plays out to a haunting and violent consequence. The two-member cast comprised of Janelle Hanna and Qasim Khan fell nowhere short of doing the intense and mood-swaying script justice. Both delivered the performance of their careers on the Theatre Erindale stage as Claire and Philip respectively. together/coloured (instant) was the evening’s next show, written by fourthyear student Tamara Chandon. Easily the most original play of the evening, Chandon’s poetic script was presented in the form of spoken-word repletion while the characters on stage intersect with one another with little to no contact. Impressionistic to say the least, the play explores a myriad of branching possibilities contained in an instant of contact between two strangers. Sporting a new, short hairdo, Chandon looked stunning and brought character and emotion to the lead role. Brady Paron, effective as the play’s narrator, gave the show a bit of an awkward moment when his character took the stage for the first time, getting in
between Chandon and her onstage beau Marc Johnston. Sharing a moment with the leading lady, while towering over Johnston, the scene broke apart for a brief moment, readjusting the chemistry between Chandon and Johnston. That aside, the play was beautifully written, and perhaps something even Leonard Cohen would be proud of. Saving the best for last, the night closed with Skull and Crossbones, a first for Theatre Erindale, as the show put stage combat first and dialogue second. Written collectively by TDS students Dan Bowers, athan Bitton and Andrew Ingram, the show was simply 20 action-packed minutes of pirate fun. Split into four scenes, the three lead pirates - Bowers, Bitton and Ingram each have their own fight scenes that establish them as worthy opponents to battle for the mighty stone. With each fight choreographed and executed perfectly, the audience was left in awe and at the edge of their seats. Indeed, the mix of cheesy action movie-like catch phrases certainly added to the fun. Toward the end, cameos featuring Theatre Erindale’s technical director Jim Smagata on guitar and TDS leading man Mark Koelch on recorder had the audience in stitches as they furiously applauded. This year’s ISP series was a complete success in an annual event that rarely disappoints. Be sure to watch out for Before the Fringe next September for more original student talent. Pick up next week’s issue for an interview with the cast and director of Skull and Crossbones.
Monday, March 31, 2008
ARTS
THE MEDIUM 7
Norwegian band “cooks up” new beats JULIE TYIOS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Few people in North America have heard of Hurra Torpedo, a Norwegian band that puts a different spin on percussion. They are the world’s most famous – and, well, only – kitchen appliance band. But what exactly is a kitchen appliance band? The band has three members with a variety of duties – frontman Egil Hegerberg sings and plays guitar, while Kristopher Schau does percussion by whacking freezers and stoves, and Aslag Guttormsgaard provides additional vocals and percussion with a variety of appliances. Hurra Torpedo’s stage act involves bashing, smashing, and trashing appliances of all sizes to provide a beat while Hegerberg strums an electric guitar and sings in a deep, accented voice and Guttormsgaard provides falsetto back-up vocals. And how does such a band come into existence? “It was Aslag and Kristopher’s idea,” said vocalist Hegerberg via email. “They were recording a demo in Kristopher’s flat in the early nineties when they needed some percussion sounds. They looked around at what they had nearby and started playing on various kitchen appliances, thereby discovering that these had a great sound and the potential for replacing a more typical drum kit. As luck would have it, Kristopher was living in a very run-down part of town at that time, and there were appliances standing all around, on street corners and in abandoned buildings.” Their set, according to Hegerberg, consists of one deep freezer, two stoves, two washing machines, and one water heater. “In addition, we use anything kitchen related with a great sound,” he said. “We make castanets out of waffle irons, boots out of small
CD Review
Goldfrapp Seventh Tree ANDREA GRASSI ASSISTANT A&E EDITOR
For their fourth studio album Seventh Tree, electronica outfit Goldfrapp (singer Alison Goldfrapp and composer Will Gregory) takes a nature walk and dirge to earth outside of the dance hall. After a synth cyclone of dance stardom on 2005’s Supernature, Goldfrapp tones it down, literally. If the first single, “A&E,” isn’t indicative enough of their new direction toward linear organic sound saturated with piano and guitar, Alison Goldfrapp choreographed dancing with shrubbery (bundles of leaves and tree trunks) in the video, and this should get the point across. This is closest to the old Goldfrapp on the record however and, perhaps, the reason why it is the first track out over the air. The album begins with the whimsical “Clowns,” sparing lyrics addressing the
microwave ovens, etc.” Guttormsgaard writes original material, while Hegerberg searches for songs to cover that would benefit their unusual percussive talents. The group became famous after covering Bonnie Tyler’s 1983 ballad “Total Eclipse of the Heart” on a Norwegian variety show in 1995, a performance made famous via YouTube. They have also covered t.A.T.u.’s “All the Things She Said” and Britney Spears’s “Toxic;” all featured on their fulllength 2006 album Kollossus of
Their set... consists of one deep freezer, two stoves, two washing machines, and one water heater. Makedonia. In 2005, the band accepted an offer from Ford to promote the Ford Fusion, traveling across the US in a tour paid for by the car company. They also filmed a mockumentary called “The Crushing Blow,” which was viewed over 500,000 times in just a few days on iFilm, according to the band’s Wikipedia entry. Although the video has since all but disappeared from the Internet, links to archived versions are still available through the band’s Wikipedia site. “[Ford] called and asked if we wanted to do a tour, and we said yes and they said ‘You’re Hired’!” exclaimed Hegerberg of the offer. The tour officially brought Hurra Torpedo to the United States, and in 2006, they had two spots in the South by Southwest Festival in Texas, followed by a three-week tour from Boston to San Francisco. But, Hegerberg notes, the States has not been entirely friendly to the Norwegian trio: “It’s very hard to get into the matter of breast implants: Only clowns would play with those balloons/what you want to look like Barbie for?/...Roast and roast and roasting, mahogany/ Titties that live on and on. Embracing pop, the frothy “Happiness” and “Caravan Girl” are the emptiest of the songs on the album. Heartbreaking delicacies such as “Eat Yourself” and “Little Bird” make Goldfrapp’s deep soothing vocals and melodies crack and buzz with aged beauty. Strings also make a delightful appearance on seven of the ten tracks, but are best highlighted in “Road to Somewhere” and “Cologne Cerrone Houdini.” Oddly enough, both devote lyrical bulk to car travel imagery. If transition is the inspiration, it certainly manifested itself here – although speaking of cars, perhaps it is comforting for Goldfrapp to know that any of these songs probably won’t be subject to new car commercials. While the down-tempo feel provides whimsy, the messages this album translate lie thin. Nevertheless, it’s a delightful listen and perhaps a new direction for mainstream Goldfrapp who peels back the glitter and flash to embrace non-synthetics and soft sunlight. Fans will be surprised, but hopefully they will appreciate the stripped-down sound. It’s very Kate Bush in vocals, yet in terms of lyrical content, it proves to be more ambient than prophetic. Then again, who can write perfect poetry after two years of hard partying? It’s a very delightful listen that provides more reward than risk.
photo source/Hurra Torpedo
country. The hassle of getting visas and work permits is hardly worth it. They make us answer questions like ‘Have you ever been working for Nazi Germany?’ and ‘Are you a member of a terrorist organization?’ and then they harass us at immigration. Apart from that, it’s like a dream come true. Everything is bigger over there. Even our own cocks! It’s quite a marvel to behold.” The group plans to play a festival in Norway this fall, but due to other obligations – each of the members plays in a number of other bands – Hurra Torpedo will not be touring North America anytime soon. More information about the band can be found on their official web site, hurratorpedo.org, and their music videos can be viewed on YouTube. Above: Hurra Torpedo performing live in full kitchen gear. Right: The band in their vintage, ill-fitting jogging suits.
8 THE MEDIUM
Monday, March 31, 2008
Features NIKITA KING, EDITOR | features@mediumonline.ca
Oh, deer! Mating season arouses aggression P. ANDREW HAMILTON-SMITH ASSISTANT FEATURES EDITOR
Every year, especially during spring, campus police file student complaints about deer displaying aggressive behaviour towards students walking from building to building. This behavior stems from hormonal changes during mating season, which make male deer territorial and aggressive. This year, campus police report that there have been twice as many deer attacks as last year. The heated debate on whether any deer that harm humans should be put down is now sparking much controversy across the campus. According to campus police, more students have opted for better deer “control.” The University of Toronto Mississauga doesn’t seem to be the only campus that has witnessed increased deer attacks. According to Statistics Canada, deer attacks, in general, have been on the rise in recent years. For example, last year there were multiple attacks at Nippissing University, as well as the much-popularized attack at Athabaska University in 2006, where an aggressive male deer paralyzed a female student. In all cases, the animals responsible were destroyed, despite similar protest movements on many campuses. There is currently no specific legislation regarding deer attacks, and although no laws actually forbid destroying the deer, there is no regulation specifying that they must be destroyed, either. Last Thursday, an open meeting was held with campus police, the UTM Wildlife Preservation Club, students, parents, and faculty members to discuss the matter. Lisa Jung, a fourth-year drama student, began the meeting by retelling her story of saving a fellow student from getting entirely mauled by a deer two weeks ago. As some of you may know, a deer viciously attacked a UTM student on the evening of March 14, while he was walking along the five-minute walk. The victim credited a Jung with saving his life. Jung said she managed to scare the deer off by swinging her backpack at it. Campus security believes that if Jung had not acted, the student could have been injured far worse than he was. “She’s a hero,” commented University of Toronto Mississauga police officer Doug
Longarm. Adam Dawkins, the president of the UTM Wildlife Preservation Club, then took the stage and introduced his club’s interest in studying animal behaviour and tracking the population levels of the many animals found in Erindale Park. He explained that because Erindale Park is so close to our campus, it makes it so much easier for the club to observe many of the animals such as squirrels, rabbits, snakes and deer. “We have noticed startling changes in animal behaviours. This may be because of global warming. I’m sure many of you have noticed that the squirrels hibernated very late during the winter this year,” he pointed out, “and squirrels usually start preparing for hibernation before the winter.”
“The chemical make-up of that particular fragrance mimics the pheromones that the female deer emit, therefore confusing the deer that attacked him.” - Adam Dawkins, President, UTM Wildlife Preservation Club He then related the increased deer attacks with the deer mating season, which often arouses strong aggression tendencies in the male deer. But because global warming may have distorted the weather changes, the deer have begun mating season a month earlier than otherwise should have been. Not only have the deer started their mating season earlier, they have perceived their mating season to end two months later than the norm. This may have resulted in an extended time period for wandering, aggressive male deer. Before Adam could continue talking about his club’s findings, an angry parent interrupted and said that she didn’t care if weather changes were responsible for increased deer attacks because she believed that in this point in time the deer were clearly the problem. She further continued her argument but talking about her son, who refused to be named for personal reasons, and how he was bitten on the ear and but-
tocks, and had his arm trampled during a deer attack, which resulted in a fractured wrist. A parent advised that a fence could be built to block off certain parts of the campus from the deer, but Dean Holloway feels that this is an expensive option and may not be the highest spending priority for the school. When asked if there was any reason that this student in particular may have been targeted, Adam suggested it may have been the student’s excessive use of popular cologne, Axe Kilo. “The chemical make-up of that particular fragrance mimics the pheromones that the female deer emit, therefore confusing the deer that attacked him,” Dawkins explained. Dawkins said that he has studied the deer for almost three consecutive years and knows that deer are very sensitive to any foreign scent and that a deer’s natural instinct is to associate a foreign scent to danger. Outraged parents then proposed that campus police, in conjunction with the Peel Regional Police, should considering taking blood samples from all of the deer later on this week. And, if the animal responsible for the recent attacks is found, Animal Control should consider destroying the deer. Dawkins then began shouting to keep everyone quiet. He was clearly appalled at the suggestion to destroy deer responsible for student attacks. He said that he couldn’t agree with this proposal because his club is also a great supporter of animal rights groups. “These deer have rights just like you and me,” defended Dawkins. “Can you imagine if the university tried to execute one of the students just for getting into a fight with somebody? That’d be crazy, man.” Even crazier is the fact that Dawkins said he would be willing to have his club occupying the Spigel Hall for the duration of the exam period, in an attempt to send a message to the UTM administration and gain student support against the proposal of killing deer. When asked how the group’s members would study for and write their own exams, he answered, “If the university wants to approve drastic deer killing methods, we will stand our ground - even if we fail our exams.”
photo/Melissa Di Pasquale
With mating season begining earlier for the deer, students are warned to be on the lookout for aggressive male deer. The dean of student affairs, Richard Holloway, who was also present at the meeting, responded by threatening the group with expulsion if they attempt to do so. “If the university decides to approve killing deer, then that move is to be respected,” he stated. “The university will not cave into such high-pressure coercion tactics. If we must make an example of this deer, then so be it,” he added. The meeting ended with the UTM Wildlife Preservation Club abruptly leaving the room. University of Toronto police constable Doug Longarm decided to end off the meeting and said that he would bring the issue to the university’s attention to see what could be done. He said that a formal and organized event would take place with-
in in the next few weeks. Currently, with the UTM Wildlife Preservation Club not willing to negotiate on the proposed destruction of aggressive deer by the university and Peel Regional Police. According the spokesman for the Sawmill Valley Ratepayer’s Association, Wayne Rogers, there have been families of deer living in the forested areas of the Credit River valley near the UTM campus for as long as most local citizens can remember. He plans to back the UTM Wildlife Preservation Club in their fight against the administration, but hopes that a peaceful resolution will be reached quickly, before the exam period begins. There is a possibility of using an Animal Rescue service to relocate the animal instead, he says, which could satisfy both parties.
and to access the service they must apply for a “zipcard;” a convenient passport. The zipcard will provide members-only benefits such as around-the-clock access to a diverse fleet of vehicles.
Vehicles can be reserved in advance by phone or online for as little as $10.50 per hour, depending on user preference. Gas, insurance and reserved parking spots are all included with the service for the flat hourly rate. Each Zipcar takes up to 20 privately owned vehicles off the road, providing a big decrease in carbon usage. Fewer privately owned vehicles on the road leads to less traffic congestion and increased goodwill among residents in the community. Furthermore, a modern fleet of vehicles means that potential Zipcar users, or “Zipsters,” can take advantage of the latest in green car technology such as the fuel-efficient hybrids like the Toyota Prius. Overall, the service offers many positive benefits to the community as well as the environment and eliminates the burden and costs of renting or owning a car for simple day-to-day errands.
Deals on wheels at UTM GARRETT LIM
photo /Melissa Di Pasquale
The Zipcar program on campus is a self-serve access to cars in the CCT parking garage.
Need to get to a lecture at the University of Toronto St. George campus? Ever had several important errands which required the use of a reliable set of wheels? If you answered yes to the above questions then look no more. The answer is parked just around the corner. Zipcar, a self-serve car rental service located in the CCT parking garage, is available for all students to use. The Toronto-based company implemented a car-sharing solution at UTM in August, 2007. The program allows University of Toronto Mississauga students, faculty and staff to sign up for the program online and take advantage of the discounted Zipcar membership rates for an hour or a whole day. Participants have to register online,
Vehicles can be reserved in advance by phone or online for as little as $10.50 per hour up to an entire day, depending on user preference. A quick tap of the card on the vehicle’s windshield grants the cardholder access to and use of Zipcar vehicles of their choice. To be eligible for the service, participants must have a valid driver’s license and be at least 21 years of age, for insurance purposes.
Monday, March 31, 2008
THE MEDIUM 9
FEATURES
A short story: There I was HASSAN SHEIKH So there I was. Sitting in the back of my friend’s car, I hugged myself, trying to keep warm. It was funny how freezing cold could create a stronger sense of self-awareness. ‘Those times,” I whispered as my sight drifted off into my mind. My eyes closed heavily. My head gently nodded and once again I awoke into the same nightmare - struggling against the beckoning of death. “Let them close. Let it go, slip away with me for a moment. It’s okay.” “No I can’t, I don’t want to lose everything… myself to you,” I thought.
It was hard to remember the vibrancy of sunshine and family laughter when I was dizzy with the sensual pleasure of turning the other way. Endless sprinkles of snowflakes spun into hypnotic swirls in the wind. Dancing to their doom as they fell, the snowflakes redefined the earth. It was heaven sculpted in ice. Everything was at peace with silence. Deathly, tickling sensations traced over my wrist like the edge of a cold knife. It was hard to remember the
vibrancy of sunshine and family laughter when I was dizzy with the sensual pleasure of turning the other way. “Come a bit closer,” I begged under my breath. Your ever-warm seat was placed in my heart with extra leather cushioning. People would wonder what our last moments were like and what we had said to each other. Did we die pleading each other to validate our insecurities and did we embrace the infinite warmth that exuded from our hearts? “But it felt so right, so good,” I wondered, “Where did it go wrong?” “Let it go and start a new beginning with an end. Let it go, my love.” The wind swept through the snow violently as the snow sprayed into the air. Unaffected by the coldest touch of their skin, the lovers reside in relief. Each breath had quieted. “But my love….” I murmured. A soft inhale made my head spin.
illustration/Claudia Infusino
‘I don’t know where it went…” As my eyes closed, I took my last breath before I could finish my last wish. “I love…” And there I was staring at his head that gave way as he slumped into the passenger seat. The cold night became his sheltering mother. As if she understood his pain, knew his ever quest to receive the gift he deserved. She blew with all her might and the snowflakes became a natural coffin. The winter wind continued to howl. “Be free now, my child.”
illustration/Claudia Infusino
Creative Corner Her and Eye
I can’t express that look, in your shiny cold eyes. It is like someone took, Joy and replaced it with ice. I can’t express that colour, that colour of blue. That feeling of sorrow.
That feeling of rue. I can’t express that shade, that shade in your eyes. I never seen them before, in that shade of bice. - Sasha Khvatov
10 THE MEDIUM
Monday, March 31, 2008
Sports ROBERT SILVA, EDITOR | sports@mediumonline.ca
vs. photo/Facebook
photo/Google Images
Champion
President
39-0 in the Boxing Ring
2-0 in the Political Ring
Warriors set to collide in Vegas UTMSU President Walied “I’ll make you Bleed” Khogali faces off against “Pretty Boy” Floyd Mayweather for the world welterweight championship ROBERT SILVA SPORTS EDITOR
Floyd “Pretty Boy” Mayweather has done it all in the world of boxing. He has a 39-0 win-loss record with twenty-five technical knockout victories (TKO). Without a doubt he is pound-for-pound the best fighter in the world today. He has proven himself and his ability time and time again. His reputation was put to the test with fights against Oscar De La Hoya, whom he beat by unanimous decision, and against England’s Ricky Hatton (43-0 at the time of the fight), whom he beat by TKO in the tenth round.
Mayweather currently holds six world titles, which is an incredible feat for a boxer. His speed and unconventional technique will be a difficult task for any opponent. But one man has emerged from the darkness – and by darkness I mean politics – to face off against the man they call “Pretty Boy.” This competitor is none other than the University of Toronto Student Union (UTMSU) president Walied “I’ll make you Bleed” Khogali. When asked what he thought of Floyd, Khogali’s response was “Pretty Boy? Floyd is so ugly he should donate his face to the US Bureau of Wildlife.” Strong words from a strong man indeed, but is Khogali ready to take on the best fighter in the
world? UTMSU president-elect Wasah Malik says it is so.
“Pretty Boy? Floyd is so ugly he should donate his face to the US Bureau of Wildlife.” UTMSU President Walied Khogali
“Walied Khogali has no boxing experience, nor does he have any fighting experience, but I can say
this, when I told Walied that yellow was a stupid colour, he sucker-punched me square in the nose and separated my shoulder via arm bar. From that day forward I nicknamed him, Walied ‘I’ll make you Bleed’ Khogali.” The Medium traveled all the way to the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada to get in touch with the undisputed welterweight champion of the world, Floyd Mayweather. The big-headed champ had a few choice words for Khogali: “I will beat his ass. I’m at the top. When you’re at the top you aren’t worrying about who’s behind you. Walied’s going to have to take my spot. He can’t beat me. He knows I’m going to
win, it’s just a matter of how I’m going to win.” The sport of boxing tells a story, with a good guy and a bad guy. But who’s who in this fight? Mayweather is the cocky and arrogant champion with all the skill and talent in the world, while Khogali is the tough-nose intimidator. Both will embrace their roles as the bad guy and, on April 26, somebody will leave the MGM Grand a bloody mess. “Bro, I fought to reduce tuition fees, I fought to increase food options and I’ve battled with UTM senior administrators. Who’s this Fred guy?” said Khogali of Floyd Mayweather. “I'll beat him so bad he'll need a shoehorn to put his hat on.”
See next week’s issue of The Medium for an in depth report of the 2007/08 UTMAC Athletic Banquet. Rob Silva and Sunny Pathak will recap the awards, prizes and open bar festivities. photo/Melissa Di Pasquale
Monday, March 31, 2008
CIS launches Marco Polo League CHRISTOPHER SA’D AND ADONIS EL-JAMAL Marco Polo? That’s right, it finally happened. The University of Toronto is announcing its involvement in the first ever co-ed Varsity Marco Polo league, and there’s a familiar face taking the team to the underwater battlefield. After pools of petitions, letter campaigns and rallies involving students from all three U of T campuses, administration has finally agreed to dive into CIS’s first annual Marco Polo tournament. Students have lined up in Speedos and water-wings in front of the doors of UTMAC to sign up for tryouts. Coaching staff is inviting the best aquatic athletes to come out and showcase their skills. And who’s coaching the talented swimmers? None other than Mike “Pinball” Clemens, who’s dying to the hit the water and show the young guns that gliding through water is a skill that is similar to being a hall-of-fame runningback. After a year of squabbling between the campus directors, the dream of the spectacle that is Marco Polo has come to life. U of T president David Naylor has joined the Marco Polo committee and approved, through the rule of his iron fist, U of T’s first ever co-ed Varsity Marco Polo team. “I think Marco Polo is a soothing and competitive activity that will give our students an opportunity to get away from the textbooks for a while,” Naylor said. “Marco Polo will teach them about crucial life lessons. After all, isn’t life just one giant Marco Polo game? No don’t answer that. It was a rhetorical question that doesn’t really make much sense. All you need to know is that Marco Polo is a rough and tough sport and I can honestly say it made me the
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wild man I am today.” Naylor has joined the coaching staff in a tri-campus scouting initiative to find ambitious and truly dedicated aquatic warriors. But, it’s the coaching staff that’s inspiring the students to slap on their blue-and-white banana hammocks. “I really, really want to bring that competitive edge to the team and crush all competitors,” said an excited Clemons during the U of T press conference. “You know, winning comes from hard work and this is a sport with the potential to change the world… but if the team is not up for the challenge, I might have to dive in myself.” Naylor and Pinball attended U of T Scarborough over the weekend with the hope to fill a few spots on the team. They left disappointed, however, as there weren’t any students who knew how to swim without water wings.
“I was hoping it would be a little easier finding talent,” Naylor explained to the press. “Maybe we should start the tryout with swimming lessons first, before we start yelling out ‘Marco’.” They will be heading to UTM on April 3 and 4, searching for Mississauga’s best. So get your goggles, swim caps and nose plugs because “Pinball” WANTS YOU to join the first ever University of Toronto co-ed Varsity Marco Polo team. “Marco Polo is not like football, you don’t have time to think of plays and fix mistakes, you need to be able to outsmart your opponent and with the group of students we pick, All of CIS will be singing the U of T Blues. I got my playbook ready and I strongly urge all UTMers to attend next weekend’s tryouts. No need to shave either, the hairier the better I always say,” exclaimed Pinball.
photo creation/Christopher Sa’d
“Pinball” WANTS YOU to join the first ever University of Toronto co-ed Varsity Marco Polo team. It will be the survival of the fittest.
Two Raptors deported SUNNY PATHAK ASSISSTANT SPORTS EDITOR
Just minutes after the Raptors’ win over New Orleans, sad faces took over the Raptors locker room. In what has come as a shock across the city and the NBA, Toronto Raptors guard Jose Calderon and forward Carlos Delfino were told by Canadian government officials that their work visas had expired and were to be deported to Spain and Argentina, respectively, on Tuesday. The president and general manager of the Toronto Raptors, Bryan Colangelo, released a brief written statement to the media: "We are working with our legal staff and the government to overcome this issue. It comes as shock and surprise to our team, our families and our fans. We hope to rectify this issue and believe it to be nothing but an error." Minister of Immigration Mike Foligno said to the Canadian Press, "We've looked over the case of illegal aliens Delfino and Calderon several times. An expired visa is an expired visa, and my staff has done their due diligence. I wish I could say the same for the Toronto Raptors organization." The potential loss of one of the best point guards in the East in Jose Calderon hurts the Dinos, who have nine games remaining until the post-season. Calderon leads the NBA in assists-toturnover ratio was recently named a finalist for the new John Stockton award. With the home court advantage all but mathematically eliminated, the Raptors also lose Delfino, their best bench player. With games left against division rivals
Detroit and New Jersey, rumours have circulated that Colangelo is interested in signing guard Bashir Moussa or Drew Meerveld of the of the Somalian Basketball League. The NBA head office refused to comment regarding this matter, only saying that this was an isolated incident to be handled between the Raptors organization and the Canadian government. Raptors players refused to comment.
photos/Google Images
Carlos Delfino, top, and Jose Calderon, bottom, show their feelings regarding their impending deportation.
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Monday, March 31, 2008