Vol 35 issue 13

Monday, December 1, 2008

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Volume 35, Issue 13

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www.mediumonline.ca

UTMSU Proxy-gate scandal

photo/Matthew Filipowich

UTMSU VP External Dhananjai (DJ) Kohli at UTMSU’s Annual General Meeting last Wednesday, which saw approximately 100 students in attendance. Inside sources have revealed a vote-rigging scheme allegedly orchestrated by UTMSU executives.

ANDREW HAMILTON-SMITH AND

ALI KASIM

Over one hundred UTM students turned out for the UTMSU Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the South Building Council Chamber on November 26. The proceedings were civil and polite throughout, despite a few objections raised by two or three students in attendance.

UTMSU President Wasah Malik opened the meeting with a slideshow presentation outlining the accomplishments of his administration, such as Orientation Week, the Green Experience week, and the November 5 “Drop Fees” Day of Action, to name a few. As outlined by Malik, future plans of the UTMSU include lobbying the administration to consider a twelveweek semester with a study week, instead of the current thirteen week semester, as well as holding a referendum with regards to the impending Student Centre expansion.

When the floor opened up to ques-

tions from the audience, the first topic raised was that of part-time students at UTM. Fourth year history student Ryan Singh asked the chair of the meeting Walied Khogali “where do things stand?” since the court ruling that the Association of Part-time Students (APUS) was entitled to consider parttime students at UTM as their members. Malik responded that the Erindale Part-time Students (EPUS) and UTMSU acted in good faith – which the court ruling confirms – and that EPUS was being denied funds by APUS, which meant that it was impossible to even run an EPUS office on campus, let alone effectively lobby for part-time rights. Despite the court ruling, “UTMSU still represents part-time students on campus through the vicepresident Part-time Affairs and through two Board of Director positions,” Malik pointed out.

The resignation of VP part-time Mubashir Ali in October had nothing to do with this controversy, Malik insisted, and the vacant position will be filled after due process is followed. However, the court ruling handed down by the Ontario Superior Court of Justice explicitly states that “EPUS and UTMSU had no authority to take actions that affected fees and membership in APUS without APUS’s consent” and that the referendum merging EPUS and UTMSU – while in itself an

act of good faith – is invalid.

Next on the AGM’s agenda was the auditor report from the Student Union budget last year, which showed $26,000 spent in excess of revenues, leaving the union with a $52,000 surplus carried forward to this year. The Blind Duck Pub was cited by VP Internal Affairs Joey Santiago as the primary reason why the budget went into the red in some areas, since the UTSMU paid off $44,000 in loans and debts accumulated by the pub, in order to improve its credit and lower longterm costs. “Furthermore, the Blind Duck opened a month late last year,” added Malik. “So naturally, year-end revenues were lower as a result.”

Jonathan Scott, a third year philosophy student, called attention to the fact that the Academic Societies budget showed an accumulated surplus, despite the fact that all money set aside for this purpose must be spent. Santiago agreed that was the case, and explained that certain funds were set aside for clubs that were planned for each department.

“Some departments didn’t end up having a club for whatever reason last year, so the money was carried over to this year and distributed to the new clubs created this year,” explained Santiago.

The last item on the agenda was a series of changes to the UTMSU Constitution and by-laws. Again Singh and Scott rose to the microphone, chal-

lenging various amendments, but two items were resolved in very interesting ways. The question of whether or not to allow executive members from the past year to automatically serve on the Board of Directors was raised by Scott, and President Malik quickly agreed that it was an undemocratic motion, since these appointments could impede current executives. In addition, Chair Khogali pointed out that the union is able to invite past executive members or appoint them to the Board on its own, and thus the measure proposed was unnecessary.

When the inclusion on the Board of a non-voting representative from the University of Toronto Scarborough Campus (UTSC) came to the floor, Scott again raised an objection. “This arrangement would automatically give the Scarborough student union greater influence over the board than students and groups on campus here at UTM,” he protested. President Malik and VP External Dhananjai (DJ) Kohli responded that the inclusion of a representative from UTSC was necessary because it allowed the various campuses to work together on common issues in solidarity, and pointed out that UTSC planned to add a UTM representative to their own Board. When contacted to confirm this, UTSC viceChair Daniel Greanya explained, “We did not complete consideration of all

items on the agenda [but] the issue of adding an ex-officio director from UTMSU will be added to the next meeting of members for consideration.”

Proxy collection questionable A vote was held on the abovementioned motion, and although there was more or less an even number of hands for as there were against, the motion passed by a substantial margin. This was in part because many of those voting in favour of had proxy forms, meaning each voter held up to as many as eleven votes on their blue voter cards – with the ten other votes comprised from signatures collected from other students – whereas a student with no proxy had only one vote, that being their own.

It is especially significant how these proxy votes were distributed prior to the AGM. The Medium has learned from a number of sources, who insist that their identities be protected for fear of recrimination, that UTMSU executives handed out nameless and signed proxy forms – with eight to ten student signatures filled out at the bottom – to certain students, so that they could vote to support the UTMSU in whatever motion the union wished to pass.

Continued on page 2

2 THE MEDIUM

Monday, December 1, 2008

NEWS

UTMSU accused of vote rigging scheme at AGM

“What is your reaction to the recent bombings in Mumbai?”

“While this event is tragic, we must be careful not to get into another cycle of violence. We need compassion and hope, not weapons and death.”

Continued from front page

During the AGM itself, reporters in attendance overheard a student holding a blue voter card and asking, “What does this eleven mean?” in reference to the number written on the student’s card. Reporters also witnessed two instances of these cards being passed on from UTMSU execs to students as they entered the room, despite the fact that all attendees were given their rightful voter cards before they entered the chambers. When handed another card, one of the recipients was overheard asking, “Does this mean I have nine votes now?” in reference to the student’s initial “one” vote and the subsequent “eight” he was given.

After the meeting adjourned, another student, who refused to be named for fear of “burning bridges” with UTMSU, attested to the fact that he was handed a high-numbered voter card just before the meeting by one of the UTMSU execs, whom he also refused to name, without ever collecting or filling out a proxy form. Proxy forms were to be collected from UTMSU office administrator Linda Feener in room 115 of the Student Centre throughout the week prior to the AGM, with the deadline to submit the forms set at 5 p.m. the day before.

Further investigation by The Medium led to declarations from two students who currently sit on the UTMSU Board

- Joel Fernandes 3rd year English specialist

“It is a very tragic event, it is horrible that something like this is happening - something must be done.”

- Shantanu Mittal 4th year Biotech student

photo/Matthew Filipowich

UTMSU President Wasah Malik votes on behalf of eleven students. of Directors. One of them claims to have been privy to two UTMSU execs, a day before the AGM, on the phone, collecting names and student numbers while having a stack of nameless proxy forms in their possession. Another board member even attested to having seen a UTMSU exec forging “his friends’ signatures” on the forms.

According to the UTMSU Constitution and By-Laws, under the heading By Law 3 – Meetings, 1.5 Proxy: “Every member of the Union is entitled to designate another member to act as their proxy. (a) The proxy must be in writing and conform to the requirements of the Act, Bylaws and Policy of the Union. (b) No member

shall carry more than 10 proxies.”

When asked to clarify this apparent contradiction of their own by-laws, UTMSU President Wasah Malik responded that the “UTMSU will investigate the matter further, to inquire if proxies were collected through a due process,” although he has already concluded that “the process of collecting proxies was fair and correct.” The Student Union has a full record of students that signed out proxy forms and students that returned them to the office, and members of the UTMSU executives and board of directors were given an opportunity to sign out one proxy form each from the office.

UTMSU mourns victims of Mumbai bombings The recent tragedy in India has affected many of our community, and it is a time for sorrow and mourning for the loss of innocent civilians.

The Mumbai bombings will be a moment in history that has challenged us more than any recent event. Many will assume stigmas, many will think that this is the usual violence of Muslim against Hindu, Pakistan vs. India, or Islam against Westerners but this is not the reality. These are the undertones that brew amongst the emotion of hurt, and are conveyed in the media, and become the belief of many. But it is a wrong belief and we must identify the true perpetrator.

We know Islam is not a violent religion. However, we also know that there are those who have manipulated this religion to suit their own desires, and have molded minds filled with hatred and violence. These charlatans of faith are the ones that breed extremism and are the evil that is the cause of such brutality and death.

The President of the Hindu Student Council came to us, and said we need to do something about these bombings. It was his people that were killed but his call was not for revenge but for creating tolerance and understanding. He spoke of how we are one people and that both the Pakistanis and Indians on this campus need to exemplify to their nations how to behave. And that both Hindus and Muslims must come together to condemn violence as a means to any end goal.

He identified the challenge: that many will create beliefs that are false, that many will point at Muslims and call them terrorists, and that many will look upon our one nation as savages destroying themselves among communal violence. The challenge is that we must come together and stop these falsities from becoming beliefs.

UTMSU in collaboration with the HSC, PSA, SAA, MSA, SSA, EPA, UN @ UTM, TSA, ASA,TMA, and UCC will together launch a campaign on Wednesday December 3 to remember those innocent victims of these violent crimes. It is important that we come together and speak out against violence and intolerance and I invite you all to join us.

I would like to invite students to join us on Monday, December 1, 2008 at 6 p.m. at the UTMSU Office in the Student Centre to help in launching this awareness campaign so UTM students can show their strong support.

- UTMSU President Wasah Malik

“It is senseless and serves no purpose. This sort of thing ruins people’s lives and does not actually benefit anyone’s agenda.”

- Prubjot Singh Biotech Master’s student

Campus crime report November 21, 2008, 2:46 a.m.

Transport to Hospital Campus Police attended Erindale Hall and transported a female student that was feeling ill to Credit Valley Hospital.

November 21, 2008, 3:22 a.m.

Liquor Licence Infraction Campus Police investigated a female student that was found intoxicated inside the South Building. The female was charged under the Liquor Licence Act for being intoxicated in a public place.

November 21, 2008, 7:40 p.m.

Trespassing A student and non-community member were investigated for misusing a student card to gain entry into the Recreational Athletics & Wellness Centre.

November 21, 2008, 6:04 p.m.

Theft under $ 5000 Campus Police investigated the theft of a ladder belonging to an outside contractor. The theft occurred on November 20, 2008.

November 21, 2008, 6:10 p.m.

Transport to hospital Campus Police attended a townhouse complex in regards to a complaint of noise emanating from an adjacent unit. The source of the noise was located and the occupant turned down their television set.

November 23, 2008, 6:50 p.m.

Transport to hospital A student inside the Recreational Athletics and Wellness Centre had injured his ankle while playing soccer.

The student was transported to hospital by Campus Police.

November 24, 2008, 2:25 a.m.

Disruptive behaviour Campus Police attended the CCT Building and investigated a complaint by a student that had been verbally insulted by a group of males and one female. Campus Police investigated the group and two were identified as UTM students. Three members of the group were not affiliated with the University.

November 26, 2008, 8:30 a.m.

Property damage A lab on the 3rd floor inside the South Building had become flooded. The Engineering and Caretaking Services were dispatched to the scene. A lab on the 4th floor was the source of the problem.

November 26, 2008, 8:00 a.m.

Improperly discarded syringe found Campus Police were contacted in regards to a syringe that was found inside a washroom located at the Hazel McCallion Academic Learning Centre. The improperly discarded syringe was retrieved and disposed by Campus Police at UTM Health Services.

In 2nd or 3rd year? Apply now for ACE YOUR CAREER CASE on Jan. 16 & 23, 2009. learning from industry professionals.Students who attend this conference will also receive “front-of-the-line” access to upcoming Finance/Management Networking Breakfast (March 2009) or Accounting Networking Breakfast (September 2009).

Learn more about the conference and read student stories on our website - the deadline to apply is Monday, December 8 @ 4 p.m.!

TO REGISTER FOR EMPLOYER EVENTS, WORKSHOPS AND MORE, visit www.utm.utoronto.ca/careers

UTM CAREER CENTRE

Monday, December 1, 2008

THE MEDIUM 3

NEWS

HIV/AIDs week builds awareness FIONA BUCHANAN

The Peel HIV/AIDS network held an event last Wednesday at the Unitarian Congregation in Mississauga in order to raise awareness on HIV and AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome). Focus was also on youth and their perception of racism, homophobia and stigma often attribute to the illness in society. World AIDS Day, which is on Monday, December 1, seeks to raise awareness about AIDS. AIDS is caused by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), which attacks the immune system, resulting in a chronic and progressive illness, leaving infected people vulnerable to opportunistic infections and cancers.

“Two million people died in 2007 [from AIDS] and infection rates remain at unacceptably high levels. It is estimated that 33 million people are living with HIV. Two million of them are children under the age of fifteen.

Women account for half the HIV infections worldwide,” wrote David Pavanel, chair of the Peel HIV/AIDS Network.

A dramatic presentation and dance about HIV and AIDS was performed

by School of Mayhem. The performance accompanied a selection of artwork, pictures and words reflecting the theme of AIDS and HIV, racism, homophobia and stigma as experienced by the youth of the PEEL community.

There was also a panel of four speakers discussing several topics such as perceptions and belief about sexual health, stigma surrounding HIV and AIDS and the need for communities, particularly

young people, to become more educated about these issues.

The first speaker, Esther Guzha, Support Coordinator at Voices of Positive Women in Toronto, emphasized the importance of the youth being responsible for their sexual health and the importance of using protection when engaging in sexual relations. “Every age group experiences peer pressure. We are wanting to be accepted, wanting to be ‘normal’.

Sometimes we’re shy to introduce any form of protection,” said Guzha.

Second panel speaker, HIV and AIDS activist Believe Dhliwayo, discussed the way communities interact with people diagnosed with HIV and AIDS. “I’m very disappointed that people are still AIDS-phobic. When you tell someone that you are HIV positive, they change how they act [towards you], they frown, they start judging you,” said Dhliwayd, “What are we doing to reach out to them [people with HIV and AIDS in the Peel region]? They need love and support.”

Health Canada states that HIV cannot be transmitted through casual, everyday contact: shaking hands, hugging, kissing, coughs, sneezes, sharing eating utensils and other typical social situations. It can only be transmitted through unprotected vaginal, anal and oral sex, shared needles, unsterilized needles for tattooing, through pregnancy and breast-feeding, and occupational exposure in health care settings (Health Canada).

Dhliwayo reiterated the importance of using protection and addressed false beliefs among young people regarding chances of contracting the virus. “How

are we are protecting ourselves? We say, because I am still young, my chances of getting infected are very limited. So many times I have come across young people who say, you know what, I’m straight so I won’t get HIV. That is a misconception...

Respect yourself; use protection.”

Community and Partnership development coordinator Matthew Cutler encouraged the youth to get involved.

Commenting on the earlier presentation by School of Mayhem, Cutler said that “statistics and research have shown time and time again that purebred models, like the work that School of Mayhem is doing, are the best way to connect with young people...youth to youth programming is incredibly important.”

“Sex Ed in my high school did not speak to me at all,” added Cutler, pointing out problems with the information provided to youth through sexual education in schools. “Using a condom for oral sex was completely out of the sexual health program. And that is just one small example of where we are missing opportunities to connect with our young people,” he said.

“Two-thirds of grade seven students and about half of grade nine students [in Canada] believe that there is a cure for AIDS. We’re not doing something right. We really need to keep pushing forward to make sure that those statistics change,” Cutler concluded.

The last speaker, Nicole GhanieOpondo spoke about how HIV and AIDS are closely related to homophobia and racism and ways in which prejudice can be reduced in society. “[To] the young people, your voices are

incredibly powerful. When there are opportunities to participate, please do,” said Ghanie-Opondo. “Challenging racism, homophobia and gender discrimination is all of our responsibility.”

This past Friday, approximately fifty students attended the UTM Sexual Education & Peer Counselling Centre’s annual World AIDS Day Gala at the Blind Duck Pub. There was dancing, a silent auction and a live band at midnight, and the event showcased the UTM debut of People You Know, a local indie band. Throughout their performance the lead singer, Aimee Bessada, a recent graduate of UTM, encouraged attendees to bid on silent auction items. “We received a lot

of generous donations this year from a number of sources on campus and off campus,” claims Samantha Polspoel.

The Peel HIV/AIDS Network is currently seeking a youth representative to sit on the board of directors. For further information or other volunteer opportunities, visit www.phan.ca. For more information about AIDS and HIV, visit www.hc-sc.gc.ca and search “AIDS.” On Monday, December 1, a World AIDS Day Commemoration will be held at the Hart House Debates Room at 4:30 p.m. The free event will include diverse dance and music performances from different clubs and organisations from the University of Toronto.

photo source/UTM Green Team

The UTM Green Team conducted a Waste Audit across the campus last week in order to measure waste levels. The results will be made available in the new year.

4 THE MEDIUM

Monday, December 1, 2008

Letters to the Editor Questionable voting at St. George AGM Dear UTM,

Ali Kasim, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF | editor@mediumonline.ca www.mediumonline.ca

EDITORIAL When UTM student Ehsan Motamedi approached the podium repeatedly at last year’s AGM to voice his concern over the collection of proxy votes, many in the room felt he was simply stirring up a storm over nothing, that he was simply acting out his own agenda against the UTM Student Union. There were of course a handful of students who backed his claims that the proxy forms were indeed “illegitimately distributed,” i.e. certain students were given shorter deadlines for submission than others, and that “blank, nameless” proxy forms were in the possession of some Union execs, despite the ruling that only one form can be signed out by any student, and that they must do so in person. In the end, nothing came of this accusation. The claims and accusations were dismissed each and every time they were raised.

When I arrived at the South Building Council Chambers last Wednesday, I found no dissenters like Mr. Motamedi from the year before – this time, things ran smoothly, without constant interruption. Yet, the mishandling of proxy votes which he and others spoke of was apparent. I personally witnessed a former UTMSU exec hand a blue voter card with the number eight (votes) to a student who already had one himself; his card represented only “one” vote. The rest of what reporters from The Medium saw and heard are already stated in this week’s front page article (“AGM proxy-gate”).

If you ask the student union execs, they’ll probably have a plethora of reasons for doing what they did, if of course they don’t deny the allegations in the first place. On the top of that list is their premise for attaining quorum. Quorum refers to the minimum number of members, or in this case, voters necessary to conduct the proceedings of an official meeting. For the UTMSU AGM, quorum is set at 40 voters, meaning 40 student voters must be in attendance for the meeting to proceed. As well, there must be a minimum of 200 votes in attendance.

The Union execs may tell you that they collected proxy forms on behalf of students because they needed to make quorum. They may tell you that they collected the signatures on each form legitimately, and that they had the consent of each and every student they signed out a proxy form for. While that may or may not be true, the point of contention here lies in the fact that the execs had access and were in possession of more than ten signatures, i.e. more than one form, which contrasts what is written in their constitution and by-laws.

Needless to say, this creates a huge discrepancy. Students like myself are only limited to one form and ten signatures. Unlike the UTMSU execs, I am prohibited from obtaining forms on behalf of my friends. If I wish to vote against some of the motions at the AGM, I have only my maximum of eleven votes to use, whereas the UTMSU has armed itself with over 500 – collected by only eight to ten of them.

Whose voices are UTMSU representing now?

Fittingly, UTMSU VP Equity Saaliha Malik submitted a Letter to the Editor this week detailing the “strategic” and questionable goings-on of the UTSU (St. George) AGM held last Monday. It makes no sense to me that UTM, who themselves make accessible the minutes of all their meetings to every student, would vote against the St. George students’ plea for the same level of transparency. From my discussions with those who attended that meeting, UTSU’s rationale is that their minutes contained various “campaign strategies” which they did not wish for administration to have access to. Well then why not vote or simply arrange for such details to be omitted from the meetings altogether? Discuss them under a different, more closed setting perhaps. Why make something that should be rightfully accessible to students inaccessible simply because it inconveniences you? More significantly, why would UTMSU, who openly and repeatedly declares to “represent students,” vote against what students want? Is this in “student solidarity,” or are we really talking about “Student Union solidarity” here?

Ms. Malik’s letter outlines the hard work put in and the countless sacrifices made by the UTM Student Union thus far. I do not contend with this claim at all, having witnessed for myself the hours and dedication each and every executive has put into their job since the summer. Initiatives like the Green Experience week and the effort put into the November 5 “Drop Fees” Day of Action are perfect examples of some of the accomplishments of the Union this year. Yet, you have to wonder why that same amount of hard work could not be put into ensuring quorum for the AGM, the right way.

Yours,

Ali Kasim

THE

MEDIUM 3359 Mississauga Road, Room 200, Student Centre, Mississauga, ON, L5L 1C6 Phone: 905.828.5260 | Fax: 905.828.5402 | Advertising: 905.828.5379 E-mail editor@mediumonline.ca | Website: www.mediumonline.ca

Board of Directors Christine Capewell, Jane Ngobia, Isa Cunanan, Raji Aujla, Laura Gaspini, Umeimah Bastaki, Bhagyashri Bhandakkar, Julie Tyios

I've had many important decisions to make lately. One of the most significant decisions was last Monday, when I decided to abstain from voting at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) for the St. George campus student union, U.T.S.U. Several UTM students, including myself, held proxy votes as they travelled to the St. George campus to attend the UTSU AGM. When I attended the meeting, I heard real concerns from St. George students requesting that their student union update minutes regularly and publish them on their website for students to be able to access every month.

In my opinion, that is a very reasonable request from students to ask of their student union. However, when it came time to vote, the motion failed. Most of the UTM students who attended the meeting voted against the motion in solidarity of their St. George counterparts. And they were successful in doing so.

After the AGM adjourned, a few of them spoke to me and said they didn't know why we (UTM students) would

vote against a request of other students.

They felt that the vote was simply a strategic one, and not borne of an informed decision. Of course, no one forced any UTM student to vote against the motion, but at the meeting, there was a clear understanding that UTM would stand united and vote the same way – to have their voices heard. Unfortunately, there was no regard for the voices of the St. George students who had wanted rightful access to the minutes and regular updates from their student union.

At the end of the day, we as individuals have to take responsibility for the decisions that we make, and seriously evaluate why we make decisions such as this that will ultimately prevent students like us from simply seeing and following what decisions their student union is making on their behalf.

There is a commonly held attitude that student unions don't care and are not sincere and I think this all comes down to the decision-making. Elected leaders need to look to students for guidance on their decisions. Needless to say, the processes they undertake should be readily available and transparent.

Students also need to decide how they want their voices heard. The only protection in instances such as these is strong student participation and scrutiny.

Without having accessible minutes for students to read regularly, there is a lack of scrutiny and participation, which in turn contributes only to a cycle of doubt toward their student union.

There is no doubt that student leaders have good intentions. They spend countless hours working in and out of the office and make huge academic sacrifices to be able to represent students. But they have to make sure that participation is accessible to all and not simply dismiss those who ask questions as their “opposition.” Without the input of students, whose voices are student unions able to represent?

Yours, Saaliha Malik UTMSU VP Equity P.S. This letter does not reflect the opinion of the UTM Student Union. The opinions and concerns expressed are solely my own.

MSA President offers his perspective on Mumbai attacks I have a confession to make. When I woke up on the 31 July, 2008, I grew intensely worried as I read the title of what would be the groundbreaking news story for the next several weeks. “Man Decapitates Passenger Aboard Greyhound Bus in Manitoba.” Why was my reflexive reaction an apprehensive one? Was it because I briefly scanned my memory for any recollection of family or friends that could have been passengers?

Hardly. Was it because I dreaded to read on, only to find out that more innocent victims were slain? I wish I could nod, but shamefully and regrettably, I shake my head.

My instinctive concern was to unmask the identity of the perpetrator. I wanted to know who did this. I skimmed through the body of text trying to identify if a name had been revealed, and to my awe, there it was. I let out a long, howling sigh of intense relief. The criminal was not Muslim.

Now that I was at rest, I took my time to digest the article and reread it from various sources. As the story evolved and more facts were revealed, I felt my conscience tearing and chewing at my moral fiber, determined to deconstruct this apparently unchecked impulse that I have acquired. Since then, I have informally surveyed the majority of my Muslim friends, community members, and even extended family, only to realize that I am apparently a victim of an epidemic – everyone seemed to have contracted this virulent trait of instinctive selfish defensiveness.

9/11 has profoundly scarred many

lives and permanently altered the course of history. Amongst its many marks, 9/11 signifies the official beginning of the hijack of Islam. And since then, we have witnessed a series of terrorist attacks dispersed throughout the globe, the perpetrators of which were almost always Muslim. After enough media classical conditioning, we eventually grew accustomed to equate Islam to terrorism, despite the reality that this association is statistically inaccurate and philosophically flawed. I say statistically inaccurate because a non-random sample of several hundred misguided “Muslims” cannot be taken to represent a population of 1.3 billion followers of this religion. I say philosophically flawed because likening the (disgustingly) exceptional behavior of some to be the rule of all others is to commit a fallacious appeal to popularity.

When I visited CNN.com last week and met the dreaded headlines about Mumbai, India, my heart was deeply wounded. This time, there was no scanning for names, no searching for photos, no worry or wish engulfing my prayers. I only wanted one thing: that the massacre stops. I kept thinking of the ailing mothers whose children were shot. The rabbi and his wife who were innocently murdered. The two Canadians who will never come back home. The harmless senior citizens of Mumbai. And that is all that mattered.

As I eventually became aware, a group that calls itself “Deccan Mujahideen” was allegedly responsible for the attack, although intelligence ser-

Editor-in-Chief Ali Kasim

Composite Editor Matthew Filipowich

News Editor TBA

Copy Editor Shelly Bahorie

Features Editor Andrew Hamilton-Smith

Distribution Manager Ali Kasim

Arts & Entertainment Editor Michael Di Leo

Business Manager Romano Bergic

Sports Editor Christopher Sa’d

Webmaster Verisha Khanam

Photography Editor Matthew Filipowich

Assistant Photo Editor Lara Matiisen

vices remained skeptic and eventually declared that the matter is likely a hoax.

There is very little evidence to confirm the very existence of this group. As such, we do not conclusively know whether the offenders were Muslim or not.

Regardless, I don’t find myself sighing in relief. It’s not about who held the gun, as I have grown to learn. It’s about who got shot.

Even if these terrorists were Muslim, I would have absolutely no reason to apologize on behalf of their actions because quite simply, their behaviour has nothing to do with Islam. The Quran is unequivocal in this regard, when God says, “Whosoever kills an innocent soul…it is as if he killed the whole of mankind. And whosoever saves one, it is as if he saved the whole of mankind (Quran, 5:32)” If anything, I despise anyone who wrongfully uses the name of God and His Messenger in defense of the very actions He has warned of. I despise these men who have hijacked our religion, and accumulated a heavy moral debt whose payback is being made through the sexual and physical abuse of our innocent women, some of whom are shining members of this and other communities.

On behalf of every Muslim on this campus, I offer my deepest condolences to the grieving families who have lost their beloved. May we all strive to save the whole of mankind.

Yours, Mohammed Ashour President, Muslim Students’ Association

Assistant Features Editor Alain Latour

The Medium is accepting applications for the position of Assistant Copy Editor until December 12. To apply, send a cover letter, resume and two writing samples to editor@mediumonline.ca

THE MEDIUM 5

Monday, December 1, 2008

Michael Di Leo, Editor | arts@mediumonline.ca

Bah-Humbug!

The modern Christmas movie ANDREA GRASSI

I’m starting to think more and more about my family, fruit cake, and my raw nails pulsing red as I look at bank statements and forecast. Yes, it is the Christmas season. A blistering time often spent worrying about knot tying – taking that final exam, checking off Christmas lists, losing the weight before New Year’s.

Wind and wet snow whipping through our scarves, and the weird dismay of umbrella holding in the slapping wind, Christmas tunes in the general background, this marks an encroaching December in the GTA. How to warm-up? Chicken soup, hot chocolate, and merino wool?

Physically yes, but spiritually, the West is out in the cold, waiting on the platform for the morning commute. Where did Christmas spirit go?

Now all we do is pull our hair when we see Black and Decker Christmas commercials, and dread impending Visa bills. A good form of escapism is watching a film. Perhaps we can even look to some holiday films to teach us a thing or two about spirit.

However, while nestled fireside, embracing the season with a holiday flick, make sure you know what kind of Christmas you are buying into.

Christmas movies were classically constructed as narratives exploring existentialism. This exploration and subsequent celebration of life takes its roots from the entire Christian roots of Christmas, the birth of Jesus Christ; the celebration of life. It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) and A Christmas Carol (1951) are prime examples of this. Both use time travel to illuminate the significance of life and the purpose that each person has on earth. At the time, stories about the social implications of Christmas and its “spirit” made their marks and became classics still sold, watched, and celebrated today.

Miracle on 34th Street (1947) is another classic marked in sentimentality, and expectation of faith and hope.

photo/losingticketpro.com

Santa versus the invading robo-martians. Who will be victorious?

photo/alexross.com

The Grinch delivers an unprecedented performance in this animated Christmas classic.

What marks a good Christmas flick nowadays? Commercialism steeped in family dysfunction. The beginnings of this genre had it right. A Christmas Story (1983), the top of everyone’s Christmas list and voted #1 by America Online, was the first to explore modern familial dysfunction in the 80s, with a vein of commercialism (Red Ryder BB gun) weaved within. Shortly after, Chevy Chase electrocuted himself in Christmas Vacation (1989), and the dysfunctional holiday slapstick was born. Unfortunately, this combination became more bawdy, ridiculous, and misguided during the 90s.

This genre now takes family ties, knots them up, and in the end, dribbles them with comedy and turkey grease while managing to patch things up in order to spew some sort of moral or sentiment concerning Christmas spirit. The message is often misdirected as well. A friend of mine pointed out that Fred Clause (2007) is basically about the importance of every child, naughty or nice, receiving a toy on Christmas. What about a loving family? One of the children in the film gets his puppy, Macaroni, but remains an orphan. A healthy dose of reality? As warmhearted as we would like holiday films to be, perhaps this moment in the film is the most honest. Yes, this actually happens. In our own lives the holidays are often wrapped up in neat packages, hiding any sort of significance.

But then again, I don’t think this is what the film was really intending, as the premise of the movie is seriously exploring the in-workings, and dysfunctions of the Clause family.

Hollywood runoffs using this formula are: Christmas Vacation 2: Cousin Eddie’s Adventure (2003), Christmas with the Kranks (2004), Deck the Halls (2006), Bad Santa (2003), and the recent release Four Christmases starring Reese Witherspoon and Vince Vaughn, which garnered terrible reviews. I bet you didn’t even remember half of these movies. In fact, I don’t think I’ve seen one memorable Christmas movie since Elf (2003).

Half the time, the modern movie isn’t even trying, and it is evident, ironically, how much about the dollar the effort is. Take remakes for example. The box-office, if animated, would smile if it could at Christmas.

There are always plenty of Christmas movies to fill the theatre seats and I am convinced most remakes are for this purpose only. Since when did movies start following supply and demand trends? How the Grinch Stole Christmas will infinitely be better animated, and 1994’s Miracle on 34th Street was unnecessary and a waste of our time.

How can you remake a classic?

Which begs another question, why in the hell was Kelsey Grammar ever cast as Ebenezer Scrooge (An American Carol, 2008)? The only exception to this, however, is The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992).

Here, I may be met with criticism, but the movie is both warm-hearted as well as taking the beloved original – always boring for kids – and reinventing it successfully for a different audience. Here, the Muppets do a good job of transforming, not copying or revisiting, and that is what makes it worth our time.

The modern film also tries to modernize Santa and the North Pole. The films put a time on the timeless, westernizing myth by giving Santa a cellphone, ninja bodyguard elfs, and nitrogen powered sleighs. At times this is funny and perhaps creative, but who wants a Santa 2.0? How are children supposed to appreciate a mythical figure who’s on a diet?

One film that did successfully alter the image of Santa was the 1994 film, The Santa Clause starring Tim Allen. Although the film strays from tradition, at the heart of the story was family. Inevitably though, the film’s success resulted in a franchise, tragically resulting in Martin Short playing Jack Frost in the 2006 cash cow, Santa Clause 3.

What these modern films are often without is the real sense of Christmas – of family, giving, and the holidays.

Not exploiting the tradition for a few laughs (Single Santa Seeks Mrs. Claus (2004) – starring Steve

Guttenberg as Nick, santa’s son. (I really only had to mention that it was starring Steve Guttenberg). It’s a Wonderful Life wasn’t even supposed to be a Christmas film. But when a copyright clause (ha!) enabled the film to be distributed freely, the television networks began to play it often and the film won audiences over. It is only really a Christmas film in that it takes place around the holidays.

Following this lineage, there are a lot of non-Christmas, Christmas movies. Lethal Weapon (1987) takes place around Christmas when Martin Riggs (Mel Gibson) travels to LA to celebrate the holidays. The Holiday (2005) starring Cameron Diaz and Jude Law is a happenstance love tale of two couples down and out of luck.

Gremlins (1984), The Ref (1994), Less than Zero (1987), and Tim Burton’s Batman Returns (1992) all have Christmas as the running theme or plot, and although they are great movies, they don’t focus on the spirit and goodwill of the holidays.

The problem with the modern holiday movie is that they are so fixed in time that they are unable to transcend. Half the movies that come out today will probably be forgotten in twenty years, red-stickered and buried in the discount bin at Wal Mart with Thighmaster DVDs. By this, I’m not saying we should stop enjoying modern Christmas movies, or even giving them a chance. I am simply suggesting that we celebrate what used to be good and the timelessness of the holidays. Spend it

CD REVIEW

Moka Only Carrots and Eggs 3/5 MICHAEL DI LEO A&E EDITOR

Most of us remember Moka Only for his collaboration on the Swollen Members 2001 hit, “Fuel Injected,” or perhaps, and more likely, his perennially unruly coiffure. Well the man is back, and with a strong effort to boot.

His latest album, Carrots and Eggs, covers some ground with Moka going through different elements of his career and productions, along with appearances from a number of west coast connections including the legendary Bootie Brown of Pharcyde fame.

with family. Don’t worry about the shopping malls. Try and watch any of these: A Christmas Story (1983) It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) How the Grinch Stole Christmas!

(1966) Charlie Brown Christmas (1965) ightmare Before Christmas (1993) Miracle on 34th Street (1947) A Christmas Carol (1951) The C word can also stand for “crap.” Here are the five worst holiday movies: 5) For being lame, boring, and backed up by a brand name: all annual made-for-TV holiday movies produced by Hallmark 4) For putting James Gandolfini in a Christmas hat: Surviving Christmas (2005) 3) For its approach to commercialism and its expectation to transform the Terminator into a lovable father: Jingle All The Way (1996) 2) For casting Hulk Hogan in a comedy and distastefully tailoring the Santa suit: Santa with Muscles (1996) 1) For its overall plot, characterization, concept, and execution: Santa Clause Conquers the Martians (1964) The music is eclectic. There are 23 songs on the record, all of which run less than four minutes, and none sound similar.

“Carrottro” delivers a mash-up of dirty funk and poignant keyboard lines over outbursts of scratches and vocal samples. The second half of the song sounds like a DJ Shadow recording with its jazz-funk-monologue. “Hardly Say” reaffirms these tendencies but adds in some G-funk for good measure, courtesy of Bootie Brown. “Fer Sure” begins simply enough, but its slow R&B pattern is quickly turned into electronic disarray. Moka is tight and flows well – think Large Professor on Breaking Atoms.

While the tracks are interesting, it is possible that there are too many changes. At certain points, it becomes difficult to follow what is going on exactly. There are references to carrots and eggs scattered throughout the album, yet none explain what the title actually means. That’s not to say that the album lacks direction, but that it could be stronger with a clearer intention or concept.

Think of it this way – much like the famous saying, “as the carrot boils, it softens,” Moka’s album is much like that. It starts off firm, but as it progresses, the content dwindles. The end product doesn’t feel as strong as when it first started, but on the whole, it still isn’t bad. A bit mushy, perhaps even a bit soggy, but well-structured and still delicious.

6 THE MEDIUM

Monday, December 1, 2008

ARTS

Student style profile The Medium’s style sartorialist takes a look at students’ fashion on campus Editor’s Note:

Raji Aujla

We plan on continuing the Student Style Profile as a reoccuring segment in the Arts & Entertainment section. If you know of any stylish UTM students who would like to be featured in this section, or have any questions or comments, please direct them to arts@mediumonline.ca.

Ghayas Shams

Boots – Kensington Market ($70) Socks – Sister’s Closet (free) Blue Panty Hose – Aritzia ($15) Parka – Aritzia ($400) White Dress – Black Market ($10) Black [Mesh] Dress on top – Dovercourt Street ($20) Glasses – Gucci ($700) Bob Marley Bag – Birthday Present (free)

Stay stylish!

CORBAN CONSALES photos/Matthew Filipowich

My fellow students, it is that time of year again. The snow is falling, obnoxious holiday music is playing throughout the malls, houses are decked with colourful festive lighting and all UTM students know that this c a n o n l y m e a n o n e t h i n g – exams are fast approaching. With all of the deadlines and evaluations coming up, even this sartorialist understands that dressing your best is probably one of the last things on your long list of “to-dos.”

However, as mentioned before, I believe that there is some validity in the belief that dressing well can help put one in the right state of mind. This week, we will keep it nice and short by taking a quick look at four UTM students who have managed to stay fresh and look stylish during the most hectic of times.

Sweater – Tommy ($90) Jacket – H&M ($75) Shoes – Lacoste ($110) White Shirt – H&M ($15) Jeans – Guess ($70) Glasses – Versace ($30) Scarf – H&M ($10)

I’m sure the first thing that you notice, as I did, was the wonderful v-neck sweater. The choice of a bold orangey-red is very effective in picking up this outfit. As for what to wear underneath, matching it with another v-neck shirt (as done here) or a round neck “T” is fine.

Ghayas’ waist length jacket is also simple yet functional and even though he is tall, this is a very good choice for shorter guys (it will make you look taller by making your waist seem higher up). Dark trousers are also the right choice for winter apparel.

The first thing that caught my eye was her bluish purple tights. Purple is definitely one of the hot colours for women this season and these tights add a nice splash of creativity to her ensemble.

Even though it is winter and many feel that anything but drab colours seem out of place, the use of stronger tones can help accentuate your outfit.

Her boots are another thing that I would like point out. Both practical and stylish, a nice pair of boots will keep your feet warm and dry. Go for something leather (like Raji has done) or rubber, and steer clear of impractical suede or shear ling (i.e. Uggs), if you are only going to invest in one pair this season.

Ravi Gabble Black Wool Coat – Zara ($190) Argyle Scarf – H&M ($15) Straight-fit Jean – H&M ($60) Shoes – Stance ($60)

Loriner Chu Pink Coat – Hong Kong ($20) White Shirt – Hong Kong ($10) Shoes – Urban Behaviour ($25) Pants – Levi’s ($80)

The three-quarter-length pea coat is a staple this season. Ravi has also paired it with a classic argyle-patterned scarf and a pair of edgy checkered vans, providing his own take on this traditional look. The matching of the colours of the shoes and scarf are also a nice touch which really helps to tie the outfit together in a very fashionable package. As with Ghayas, Ravi shows us that darker denim is the way to go this season.

Keeping up with the theme of using colours, we have Loriner as a great example. Her peach top is bright and colourful and really stands to juxtapose the dra b c olours that become so ubiquitous during the winter months. For this particular outfit, skinny jeans are a must in dealing with the long and flowing top.

The Rape of Nanking SHAISTA KHAN

Atrocities by humans against fellow human beings have always been occurring. However, in cases when these instances do not enter the pages of history, and are seen as dim shadows rather than straight facts and numbers, controversies occur and leaders outright deny whether any such crime was ever committed. One example of this was the massacre of Nanking which occurred before the start of the Second World War and exemplifies a horrific crime against Chinese soldiers and civilians in China’s capital at the time.

On November 25, the historical society of University of Toronto Mississauga screened Iris Chang’s “docudrama” which follows her book The Rape of anking, and tries to explain the differing factors which caused the deaths of up to 300,000 Chinese civilians by Japanese soldiers.

Students going into the room for the free screening did not expect the blistering truths and images which the documentary put forth, and many

came out with an experience they are not likely to forget soon.

The documentary, produced more like a movie, depicts the harsh actions of the Japanese soldiers as well as following the life of Iris Chang during her research and the success of her book. Starting off with the statement that Chang committed suicide because of depression in 2004, and then getting right into the story of her researching on Nanking, the audience is thrown into a place filled with murder and a mountain of horrific crimes.

The documentary reminds them that though Westerners know about the Holocaust against the Jews during WWII, very few people are familiar with the “forgotten holocaust” which took place in China. Although it happened in one city and for a shorter time, it was more concentrated, yielding to more severe injustices not only against men and women, but also against parents, grandparents, young boys and girls, and even pregnant women. It catalogues the stories of the survivors who, even after seventy years, remember the fate of their families, and the actions of the soldiers who committed such notorious acts in huge numbers.

Exhibiting images of men being decapitated, of soldiers practicing how to kill effectively on civilians, and telling the stories of what befell many of the family members and the shock and sorrow it brought the survivors, all yield to an eye opening experience for the audience. The documentary also reveals how many westerners, including some German Nazis, helped the civilian population by keeping them in “safety zones” where thousands of people flocked for safety and stayed until the massacre had ended. Many of the documents and journal entries come from the Westerners’ outside perspective and therefore provide a better picture of what exactly happened in that short time to so many people.

The final part of the documentary tells the events from the point of view of the Japanese leaders and soldiers themselves. Despite the fact that some Japanese leaders deny that this ever happened and hold to the theory that this was fabricated by the Chinese government at the time, many now, especially after Chang’s book, have become aware of the past and serve as activists against anything like this occurring in the future.

Chang’s documentary also provides many knew about before. Her need to some solid reasons of why the sol- write the book, as she explains in the diers acted the way they did, provid- documentary, is not only to shine ing a better understanding for the light upon the subject, but also to make people understand that someaudience.

Many controversies about Chang’s thing like this should never occur book have also surfaced. Professors again in any society. and historians from many universities argue this because Chang is not a professional historian; she undermines the themes of her book, holds onto some biases, and even provides some false information as well as some doctored photographs.

Despite the fact there are and always will be different sides as to the exact information and evidence of this event, Chang does bring her audience from photo/famousnewjerseyans.com the dark into light Iris Chang (right) promotes her bestseller, The Rape of about a subject not Nanking.

THE MEDIUM 7

Monday, December 1, 2008

Andrew Hamilton-Smith, Editor | features@mediumonline.ca

The Prince of Pot’s right hand man ANDREW HAMILTON SMITH FEATURES EDITOR

Dana Larsen, a well-known Canadian anti-marijuana prohibition activist, spoke to University of Toronto students at the Bahen Center (St. George campus) on Friday November 28 about the problems created by making marijuana a criminal offence.

Larsen gained national attention when he resigned as NDP candidate for West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast during the last election, in response to videos found on YouTube showing him under the influence of drugs. He runs the Vancouver Seed Bank, which he co-founded with the “Prince of Pot” Marc Emery, and has been involved with Cannibis Culture magazine, the now-defunct PotTV, and the federal Marijuana Party. Most recently he has been working to promote eNDProhibition, which represents the anti-prohibition wing of the New Democrats, and is his motivation for coming to Ontario on a speaking tour .

1. A recent survey placed Canada fifth in the world for marijuana consumption. Why do you think so many Canadians use marijuana?

Canadians use marijuana because we have a tradition of tolerance and diversity. Many Canadians understand that marijuana is a responsible choice compared to alcohol and

tobacco. More Canadians are discovering the medicinal benefits of marijuana as well, and finding that using marijuana is cheaper and more effective than many pharmaceutical medicines.

2. Given how many Canadians use marijuana or hold lenient attitudes towards pot, why is it still criminalized?

The ongoing criminalization of cannabis is due to American influence, the powerful lobby of police and corrections officials who profit and benefit from pot prohibition, and political inertia where politicians will shy away from taking a stand on a controversial issue.

3. Have you encountered any resistance within the DP toward ending marijuana or drug prohibition?

I have experienced only support from the grassroots of the NDP across Canada. However, much of the NDP leadership, provincially and federally, seem to think that supporting marijuana and drug policy reform is not a vote-getter, so they shy away from making it a priority issue.

4. How has e DProhibition changed the DP's drug policies?

End Prohibition has been instrumental in shaping NDP drug policy in a few different provinces. We have passed resolutions supporting mari-

juana legalization in BC and Saskatchewan, and resolutions backing expansion of the Supervised Injection Site in BC, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and federally. We have also initiated debate and discussion of prohibition-related issues in a variety of NDP forums.

5. Are potheads more likely to forget to vote?

All the “potheads” I know are very politically aware and active.

Marijuana users have grown into an increasingly vocal and political movement. Not only do we vote, we have formed our own political parties, created lobbying groups and generally been highly involved in the political process.

6. Why do you think pot is illegal in the first place?

Cannabis prohibition and drug war has its roots in racism and ignorance.

Canada's first drug laws were explicitly created to expel opium-smoking Chinese labourers from Canada, because of the competition they gave to White workers.

7. Do you find university students to be more, less or the same as the general population in terms of using pot and accepting marijuana use?

Marijuana use cuts across all social and economic boundaries. However,

photo credit/Tim Chen

Dana Larsen speaks about the problems associated with the War on Drugs. marijuana is more commonly used by younger people, and so more students use marijuana due to their age.

8. Briefly describe what would happen in Canada if marijuana were decriminalized tomorrow.

If Canada ended marijuana prohibition and created a taxed and regulated system for legal marijuana, the positive benefits would be immediate.

We'd see substantial cost savings in police, courts and prisons. The court backlog would vanish, allowing speedier trials and justice for real

crimes. There would be a massive economic gain to the Canadian economy as this lucrative underground industry went main-stream. There would also be an immediate surge in tourism from Americans and others eager to experience Canadian freedom. Ending the drug war would also mean a major reduction in urban gun crime between gangs battling for lucrative turf. Legal marijuana would also mean lifting the bureaucratic chains which restrict Canada's cannabis hemp industry, allowing our farmers to take full advantage of growing hemp.

Long live procrastination The Medium presents their less-than-serious list of tips for exams ALAIN LATOUR ASSISTANT FEATURES EDITOR

We’re all anxiously waiting for the holidays to arrive, but something ugly and big looms ahead, and it’s not Santa Claus. This something is unpleasant, stressful and menacing and must be dealt with before the holidays. Many professors have warned u s a b ou t i t , a b o u t i t s encroaching inevitability, about its power to ruin our academic efforts.

I’m referring to exam week.

UTM h a s p l e n t y o f r e s o u r c es design e d t o h e l p u s d e al w i t h exams. The University offers workshops on studying techniques and many professors and TAs encourage students to bring their questions to them during their office hours.

Then of course there’s the Hazel McCal l i o n C e n t r e ( ak a l i b r a r y ) which allures us with rows upon rows of literary resources, its display of computers, the not-so-comfy couches and its smiling staff.

Study in advance, preaches the enemy, and thou shall succeed. But we all know better. We are not going to do that. We have other

things to do: TV shows, having sex, eating out, shopping and going out with friends. Profs and TAs seem to hope we’ll stop sitting around, acting cool, and uttering meaningful words such as “yo” while we pull up our ever-sliding ultra-baggy jeans, or while we prance around, clicking our heels on the floor, wearing tights and a gallon of perf u m e w h i l e g o ssiping with our friends.

God invented caffeine so you could pull allnighters. This recipe is guaranteed to keep you awake the night before an exam.

Lest we forget: We’re young. We possess – and treasure – an enormous capacity to procrastinate, to hope for the best, to wave aside warnings, to unheed tips. Yes, deep down inside us a suspicion may be hard at work, gnawing away at our enormous life experience, and we may even know, without yet know-

ing we know, that one day we’ll learn the hard way, that there’s a limit to the amount of nights you can go without sleep because you didn’t study for tomorrow’s exam and you need to cram ten chapters and fifteen lab reports. But that’s all fine. We’re here to help.

Ladies and gentlemen, may we present The Medium’s List of S tudent’s Errors Resolution (LOSER).

1. Whenever you feel anxious about an upcoming exam, breathe deeply ten times. If that doesn’t work, take another breath.

2. Professors themselves used to procrastinate. So did your parents.

Everyone did. Keep that in mind when they lecture you.

3. God invented caffeine so you could pull all-nighters. This recipe is guaranteed to keep you awake the night before an exam: buy a dozen Starbucks lattes or that battery acid from Tim Horton’s (can you not taste the difference?). Do not add sugar. Every hour or so, pour some salt into your coffee. Drink up. Do

not puke.

4. Place a thumbtack on your chair.

Continuous pricks in your buttocks as you twist in despair, worrying about the exam, will help you stay awake.

5. Optimism is a powerful thing.

Hope that some last-minute inspiration comes to you as you struggle to answer a question. For example, a little bird might fly in the SE Gym, land on your shoulder and tell you the answers. No academic dishonesty here: the code clearly says no cell phones or peeking over your shoulder at the next student’s exam, but it says nothing about a little bird. If the Profs object to this, tell them you’re a member of the Pirate Church. As usual, fear of interfering with religious rights will stop any institution from messing around with you.

6. You can also hope your professor goes bananas and lets the answer slip in front of everyone.

7. Be an annoying little son of a bitch. Call the Prof or TA to your

seat as often as possible and ask them to clarify a question. They might end up whispering the answer to you just so you would leave them alone.

8. Students may not always get good marks, but we excel at one thing: coming up with superstitions that ensure exam success. A few more examples: Don’t wash your hair the day before. Use your lucky pencil. Wear a Superman undershirt.

The list extends further than this, but we hope it’s enough to carry you over until 2009. Happy Holidays, and don’t study too hard.

Features Wants You! Ever wanted to publish your stories/poems/articles?

Here’s your chance!

Contact Alain at features@ mediumonline.ca.

We’re always looking!

8 THE MEDIUM

Monday, December 1, 2008

FEATURES

Sexual devolution KAREN AKHTAR

“It’s not rape – it’s rough sex”. I heard this statement many years ago when I was in high school. It was Valentine’s Day, and one of my male classmates apparently thought it was funny to make a joke about rape. A popular female classmate laughed along with him. The comment still disgusts me to this day. It also disgusts me that another female would laugh at this “joke”.

Attitudes like that show that violence against women is still being glamorized, and that our culture is being shaped in such a way where oppression against women will be allowed to continue. It’s also attitudes like this that led to the Montreal Massacre on December 6, 1989, when 25-year-old Marc Lepine stormed into the Ecole Polytechnique in Quebec and killed 14 women and wounded 13 others.

The oldest of his victims was 28; the youngest, 21 years old.

We live in a token lipstick democracy. A woman is free to be anything she wants to – as long as she’s stereotypically beautiful and respectable to begin with. A woman is only considered valuable if she is a model, pop star, or rich socialite. Meanwhile, the average woman in Ontario is still making 71 cents an hour for every dollar a man makes for doing the same work, with the same skills and levels of education. The Pay Equity Act introduced in Ontario twenty years ago reduced the pay gap from 38 per cent in 1988 to 29 per cent.

It is ironic that women in Ontario have been given the freedom to go topless by Ontario politicians. It would seem, however, that the same Ontario politicians are intentionally impoverishing women by refusing to give them equal pay for equal work.

Unfortunately, discrimination

against women isn’t just limited to Ontario. It is also increasing at the national level under the leadership of Stephen Harper. According to a September news release from the Public Service Alliance of Canada, women’s rights organizations such as the National Association of Women and the Law (NAWL) are being forced to shut down, despite Stephen Harper’s promises to improve the status of women in Canada.

Women’s representation in the media isn’t any better.

Women are expected to be a size zero with the exception of a few well-placed curves. They are being told what not to wear, yet they are not being told to stand up for our rights.

Ironically, former Minister Bev Oda, who was responsible for the Status of Women, claimed that women’s equality was no longer an issue, and shut down most of the Status of Women Canada regional offices while also decreasing financial resources available for advocacy and research. These actions set a dangerous precedent for women’s rights: with a government unwilling to spend money on women’s needs, urgent issues such as violence against women will certainly be neglected — a definite step backwards for the advancement of women’s rights, and a symbolic slap in the face for concerned citizens who are affected by the memories of the Montreal Massacre.

Unfortunately, sexism is not just a political issue — it’s a social issue as well.

Women’s representation in the media isn’t any better. The female body continues to be manipulated by the advertising industry.

Unrealistic notions of body image prevail in media. Women are expected to be a size zero with the exception of a few well-placed curves. Women are being told what to wear, yet they are not being told to stand up for our rights.

Marketing towards female children has become increasingly sexualized as well. Girls are being encouraged through the media to be “sexy” through fashion and toys — tank tops and tight pants are in high rotation at girls’ clothing stores, and the marketing of the sexualized “Bratz Dolls” to young girls proves that advertisers have no regard for the well-being of young girls.

The bombardment of young female pop stars becoming role models for young girls has also contributed to the notion that looks and popularity are the only goals that young girls should strive for.

How can we as a society complain that young girls these days are sluts while we encourage the sexualisation of young girls as “normal”?

As a female who frequently researches political issues, I have been constantly criticized for not being a typical “girly-girl.” I was also told to alter my appearance so I’d become more “likeable.” I have even been told by members of my own Pakistani community to lighten my hair. Glamorizing such narrow definitions of beauty and respectability for females make it very clear to me that our society has a long way to go before it can honestly claim to value women’s well-being beyond keeping up physical appearances.

Saturday, December 6, 2008 will mark the nineteenth anniversary of the Montreal Massacre. Ceremonies will be held to honour the women who were killed. People will protest violence against women by wearing white ribbons for a day, but after that, who is going to stand up for real political change, and challenge cultural oppression against women?

I'm in a relatively new relationship.

I really like him and don't want to end things but his libido is way out of tune. It's far too much sex in one day. On average, it’s about three times a day and up to seven or eight on some days. On top of that, he still does a little one-handed action in the bathroom when he doesn't think I'm looking.

I don't know how to tell him without hurting him or making him selfconscious, that although I love him, I can't keep up with his needs. Any advice would really help me out.

Wow, seven to eight times a day?

How did you find the time to write this letter? This is actually a pretty common problem. A lot of the time it's hard to match up with someone who has the exact same sex drive. I have a couple of suggestions.

1) You mentioned that the relationship was new. It's possible that the hyper sex drive is just because it's the beginning of the relationship. Sex usually occurs more frequently at the beginning of a relationship because everything is new and exciting. If you are worried about hurting his feelings, you might want to try waiting it out for a little bit longer and see if his sex drive starts to fizzle.

you tell him that you’ve been feeling like this for awhile he might feel a little foolish because you hadn't told him earlier. Also, there are ways to tell him without making him feel bad about it.

Try putting it as delicately as possible and make sure that you provide an explanation when you do it. A lot of the insecurity that partners develop about being rejected sexually usually stems from a lack of clarification.

4) This last suggestion is just in case you don't feel comfortable with any of the other suggestions or if you try them and they don't work out. Start putting yourself in situations where sex is not an option. Start spending more time outside of the bedroom or wherever you usually have sex. At the same time, let him know that you want to spend more time out of the house, i.e. instead of inviting him over to watch a movie you could go out to one, or spend more time with groups of friends. That way you are still spending time together, and when you get home you can still have sex without it being excessive.

It's great that you care about his feelings but make sure that you aren't sacrificing your own comfort level for the sake of his.

Good luck,

2) Is it just the intercourse that you have a problem with or the sexual activity in general? If you just don't want to have intercourse, you could try oral sex for a change, or in its place.

3) I know that you are worried that you might hurt his feelings, but it's important to be communicating this problem with him, especially if it prolongs. It will likely hurt his feelings more if you tell him later on in the relationship because he might wonder if something has changed since then. If

SEC

Please send your questions to sex.column@utmsec.ca.

Note that this column is intended for entertainment purposes.

Creative Corner Balloon We sat in the park of yesterday Talking about chandelier mountains and looking-glass springs We threw false hope at the neighbours as we drove by without license Even though they said that people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.

We drove downtown and painted the town yellow And then we took our brushes to the sky... and painted it green And in our green-and-yellow world we sat, with paint on our faces, in our hair, in our hands Fingers intertwined and laced together, clutching soft

Medium 2.0 is a multimedia version of The Medium.

Composed of a series of weekly newscasts, Medium 2.0 represents the future of information sharing.

email ali at editor@mediumonline.ca or visit our office in the student centre

I told you that I dreamed of being a housewife That I disliked having children and wanted to be an atheist (because I hadn't come out of the closet yet about being one) I said that I wanted to live in a house with two dogs and a cat, somewhere in a nice neighbourhood where the noses weren't long You told me that I'd eventually change my mind and ignored me the rest of the day.

My China is far from your Canada and Britain and Italy And my dreams are as far and many as the stars While you keep me firmly grounded, you are my anchor to the Earth And you keep me from floating away into the atmosphere... away from the wind and the rain and the cold.

If I had the guts, I'd tell you that I would survive... but I'm only a helium balloon Bobbing away on a string.

- MICHELLE Z. CHEN

THE MEDIUM 9

Monday, December 1, 2008

Booster Juice – Controversy in a Cup Winner - Non-fiction Karen Sue I like to think I’m pretty environmental. I mean, I’m no David Suzuki or Elizabeth May, but I do what I can to be ecofriendly in my daily choices. I bike to class when it’s nice, take the bus when it’s not. I recycle, reduce and reuse - the trifecta of green living. And nothing invigorates me more than a cup of shadegrown fair-trade organic Columbian dark roast!

So you could imagine my shock when I noticed the slew of Booster Juice cups clenched in the hands of UTM students clamouring between classes.

“Styrofoam?” I thought, “What’s up with that?” I went to the campus Booster Juice located in the South Building and found the answer posted on a counter sign. According to Booster Juice, Styrofoam cups are actually better for the planet than waxed lined paper cups – they’re recyclable, they use less energy to make, and are ozone friendly. Satisfied with that answer, I purchased my mango tango smoothie with a go-girl calcium booster and slurped merrily away.

Then I started to think about ecofriendly alternatives to food packaging.

Is Booster Juice’s choice of Styrofoam cups really the best option they could have made? As luck would have it, I happened to know just the person who could tell me.

“Styrofoam cups don’t technically exist,” explains Katrina Ramdath as she sits me down at the Core Sales Inc. head office located in the manufacturing district at Dixie and Hwy 401. “It’s a common misconception. “Styrofoam cups” are actually made from polystyrene.

Styrofoam is just the brand name owned by the Dow Chemical Company - and they don't make cups, plates, or any other type of food packaging from it."

Katrina, a young woman of Trinidadian heritage, is a virtual encyclopaedia of the disposable food container industry. Her company, Core Sales Inc., specializes in 100% biodegradable food and beverage take-out containers for the North American market. The office is small and sparse. There’s a filing cabinet, a desk, and a display of disposable cups, plates, and utensils along the wall.

“My dad started Core Sales about ten years ago, and we distributed disposable take-out containers to mostly downtown restaurants.” Katrina says, “We didn’t go bio-degradable until 2001 when my dad found out about this manufacturer in Taiwan. We thought their products were amazing, so now we represent this company for all of North America. Keep in mind seven years ago people really didn’t care about eco-packaging. It’s only been in the past 3 to 4 years that sales have really exploded.”

Katrina grabs a plastic cup from the wall and hands it to me. “This is made from PLA, or poly lactide. It’s a type of biodegradable thermoplastic derived from the lactic acid of renewable resources, which in this case is corn. It’s 100% compostable material, and after three days in the compost it begins to break down. The only bi-product is carbon dioxide and water!”

She continues to show me her entire line of products which she describes in three categories: plastic, sugar cane, and ecotainers.

The plastic is made from the aforementioned corn-derived PLA, and is used to make plastic cups, salad bowls, and sushi containers. Katrina comments that the sushi containers haven’t caught on yet and she can’t figure out why.

Estimated time of decomposition: 48 days. Traditional plastics: 500 years.

The Sugar Cane products are made from bagasse – sugarcane fibre leftover after juice extraction. Bagasse is made into biodegradable and compostable tableware that has no plastic or wax lining applied to it and can be used for both hot and cold items. It’s a superior alternative to both petroleum-derived plastic and forest-destroying paper. Estimated time of decomposition: 60-90 days.

Ecotainers are the trade-marked compostable hot cups from the International Paper Company. It’s a paper cup lined with biodegradable PLA so the entire thing is recyclable, unlike the conventional coffee cup which uses wax or plastic to line the inside. The lids that go with it are 100% biodegradable as well.

Estimated time of decomposition: 180 days. Traditional paper and wax cup: 20 years.

Katrina also shows me utensils made from potato starch. These will take around 90-100 days to decompose. The spoon and fork are a soft beige colour with more texture and weighty-feel to them than typical plastic. These are very cool. It could be me, but they just feel more organic! Katrina lets me keep them as souvenirs and assures me as long as I keep them out of the compost they will still be good after the 100 day mark.

I comment that it’s pretty ironic that all this technology is coming out of China, a country not exactly known for its environmental progressiveness. “You would think that, but while they do have issues to contend with, China is doing amazing things. Or Taiwan at least, which is separate from China I’ll tell you now” she says with a telling nod. Having lived in China for a few months last winter, I give a nod in understanding.

“Taiwan banned Styrofoam 15 years ago. This technology is old to them,” she says, tapping the plastic cup between us.

“Their bio-degradable industry is far more advanced than ours. They’re making biodegradable school supplies, fabrics, even coffins!”

If anything, Taiwan has taught us progress takes time and sustained effort.

Taiwan’s environmental landmarks including a 2003 ban on free distribution of plastic bags, utensils and food containers - came after years of haggling among environmentalists, government officials, and industry on how to handle the nation's trash. Imagine a country twothirds the size of Nova Scotia, with 22.5 million inhabitants and a thriving consumer economy. In other words, lots of garbage in a small space.

Overflowing landfills is not a problem unique to small island nations, and

despite having wide open spaces, Canada too faces an impending crisis. Katrina contends that while it still takes energy to make bio-degradable products and transport them to North America, she stresses that “at least we’re diverting traffic from the landfills, which in 2010 is going to be a major issue.”

The issue being that in two years, Detroit landfills plan to close the doors on Canadian trash. In Ontario alone, over one-third of our trash is being sent into Michigan – that’s more than 370 tractor trailer loads, or 4000 tons, a day! With Ontario’s own landfill capacity predicted to drop by 50 per cent in 2010, the numbers are not adding up well. How are we going to fix this one? Katrina was giving me great answers, but leaving me with even bigger questions that even she couldn’t answer. But she did have some ideas on where to start.

“Public education” Katrina says, “is a huge problem. I go into grade 8 classes to talk about recycling. I’m always surprised at how many people don’t know the recycling symbols.” She turns over the plastic cup on the desk and points to the word “compostable” imprinted on the bottom. “All our products have BPI symbols, which stands for the Biodegradable Product Institute - the governing body in the U.S. for compostability certification.”

“If you ever look at a Tim Horton’s lid, you’ll see a triangle with a number 6 in it. This means it’s made from polystyrene, which is made from the carcinogenetic styrene. When heated these toxins can leech into our foods. And it’s notorious for being hard to recycle, so very little of it ever does.”

The City of Toronto released a report this month calling for a ban on the sale of hot drinks in cardboard cups with plastic lids, arguing that the lids make it impossible to recycle the cups. While the paper cup is recyclable, the City of Toronto doesn’t have the resources to separate the cup from the lids, meaning the entire package goes straight to the dumps.

While the pressure is on from Toronto city officials, one particular retailer is not budging on the lid issue. Katrina says, “Tim Horton’s has approached us, and we’ve presented to them at least three times. There are a few reasons why they haven’t made the switch, like pre-existing contracts with other suppliers. But the main reason - there’s just no public pressure to change” “It’s about consumer demand. I get a lot of restaurant owners in here, because one of their customers gave them one of my brochures and asked “why aren’t you using this instead?’”

“Before I got involved with my father’s business, I would never have considered myself environmental. Even now, I try not to push the label around. I don’t believe in forcing my views on other people. I’ve pushed my father into opening a retailing side of our business, so people off the street can come in to purchase our products. I just want to make small changes in people’s personal lives. It’s all about the small changes we can all make.”

In 2003, Taiwan’s Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) banned the distribution of free plastic bags, utensils, and Styrofoam and plastic food containers – with initial fines between $1,800 to $9,000 per offense.

Since then plastic shopping bags have been cut by 69 percent nationwide. Plastic tableware has nearly disappeared from the island, with usage dropping by 90 percent. Overall, estimates show that Taiwan has reduced its solid-waste output by roughly 25 percent since the policies came into effect.

In April 2008 Turner Valley became the first Canadian municipality to pass the motion to ban polystyrene. This small Albertan town of less than 2000 people is incidentally known as the birth place of Albertan gas and oil industry.

The un Winner - Poetry Shaista Khan

His name had been said, over and again.

There was no end, day in or out.

Sometimes said peacefully, Sometimes with a wailing shout.

Tears which had smeared her again face.

How many? Who knows.

But for who it was very clear.

Again and again til her eyes turned red as blood.

Beads, scarves, pilgrims, wars, All had been done for His cause.

She would not give herself to just any She was waiting for the end of it all.

Judgment day was quickly approaching, The sun set soon, quickly coaching The earth to spin fast, and faster still.

Alas! She was with Him. A lifetime of devotion.

Settled in Heaven's celestial rims, God Himself was her promotion.

10 THE MEDIUM

Roses “Spare change? Thanks.”

“No problem.”

The man in the overcoat looked into the can as the boy with the umbrella continued on his way.

The can now held four dollars and thirty cents, combined with the three fives in the man’s pocket. This week hadn’t been the best, but four dollars would be enough for tonight.

The man in the overcoat scooped the money out of the can and pocketed it.

It was raining; he’d go to the florist first.

Every week he could escape for just a while. He could already feel it, the sweet illusion that tugged at the edges of his being. How he loved the pull… how he loved the illusion… how sweet it would be to be swallowed by it. The grubby overcoat? It was a gift from his wife; she had bought it for him when they were first dating. The beard? He had been busy marking term papers, no time to shave. The smell? He didn’t right? His leg had gotten much better with the medication.

The fluorescent lights were beautiful.

They were the pure white of angel’s feathers.

The girl at the counter was cute; she was probably just slightly attracted to the older, more sophisticated gentleman, but he of course was married and loved his wife completely. The girl smiled when he put the rose down, “Hello. I thought you’d come in tomorrow as usual.”

Was he a day early? The man in the

Monday, December 1, 2008

WRITING CONTEST

Winner - Short Story (1500 words or less) Amir Ahmed overcoat smiled awkwardly.

“That’ll be three dollars and seventy five cents.”

The man in the overcoat, his name was David, was still warm-fuzzy-one-of-them as he tore open the garbage bags. The bread at this bakery kept very well, at least some of them. The airy kind was stale by now, and could even cut the mouth, but the moister, denser bread was only toughened by its tenure in the plastic. Buying roses was better than sex, or at least he assumed. It was better than alcohol, especially the kind that came in the big plastic bottles. Everyone in the store had looked at him, taking record of his purchase, and as he walked down the street with the rose cradled to his chest, everyone took note that he was certainly not a nobody.

He had money to spend on frivolous things like flowers. Look at the rose, look at the three fives in his pocket, the money that he would never spend as long as he lived. They were proof; they were amulets and ornaments that when put together made him one of them for a glorious little while.

she feels the same way. She gets off her shift in ten minutes.”

He paced around some more; it looked like the rain would get worse.

“She told me. We only held hands for a few minutes… Mhmm.”

“I do really like her.”

“Look I’ll think it over. Got to go.”

The girl at the counter looked at the clock on the wall; there were ten minutes left until her shift was over. Thank God it had been a slow day; her mind had been elsewhere the entire time.

“Was that the homeless guy who just came in?” asked a voice from the back.

“Yep,” replied the girl, “he’s early this week.”

“I wonder what he buys them for?”

David, gorged on bread and pride, twirling a rose on his fingertips, walked into an alley. If the rain got any worse he’d head towards the florist shop again.

The alleys there had overhangs and could shield him from the worst of the storm.

The bliss of roses was fading, but it was still worth it.

It was always worth it.

The boy with the umbrella continued onward. He bought a chocolate bar from a stand; his name was Eric.

He walked and ate and thought; his cell phone rang.

“Hello? Hi. I’m nervous. I might call the thing off. Sort of. She isn’t expecting me per se but I don’t think she’d be surprised if. No that’s too forward. No. Noooo. Meh. Well I’m still not sure that

Eric paced back and forth; there were seven minutes left. He kicked a can, gently, then viciously. He ground it against his heel, furious with impotence.

How could he do it?

Okay there was a plan, but it might be too much… would she be scared off?

He reached inside his pockets, damn.

Oh. God. Damn. He searched harder; there were about three dollars left. That

wasn’t even enough for a good cup of coffee… That’d be it wouldn’t it? She’d get to learn that no he didn’t have a job, didn’t have to have one, his parents paid his university fees and gave him handouts every week… That he was useless. That he didn’t work hard. That while she spent her evenings in a flower shop he was at home not even working not even thinking just watching mindless television.

There wasn’t even anything romantic about it. His wasted time wasn’t an opiate for a tortured soul. He just didn’t mind watching the same episode of family guy three times in a day.

A man in an overcoat – was it the same one from before? – entered the alley.

“Sir, do you have any change?” It was wrong, but so was not showing a girl a good time right? Lots of stuff was wrong. The homeless guy knew that first hand. He could make it right later.

“Oh? Uh, three fives. But I need it for later.”

“Can I see them?”

“So is that guy coming?” The voice from the back called.

“I hope so…” The girl at the counter murmured. She looked at the rain outside. Uncertainty was what you got for being too forward then… But Eric had been worth it. unless he didn’t feel the same way. When she had held hands with him he seemed nervous.

She poked a bundle of roses into a new position; she worked in a flower shop but

To Titannia

Winner - Novella (1500-3000 words) Peter Wolfraim

Welcome back to The Hour of Awesome, fantasti-fans, and now, back to my favourite heroes and yours: Admiral Awesome and the First Mate!

"Admiral Awesome, yay!"

We left our heroes as they entered the terrible lair of the evil Queen Sheeva, Queen of Titannia and sworn nemesis of The Admiral, the First Mate and the entire Fantasti-Fleet!

"Queen Sheeva, boo!"

"You had better not be watching what I think you're watching. That crap is for pathetic babies, and if you are a pathetic baby I will show you how babies need to be treated" Billy turns the volume knob down and returns his focus to his favourite show, and the ones who were called by the invisible man his favourite heroes.

Our heroes descend upon the mouth of the cave, just the entrance to the enormous Titanni-lair.

"Gee whiz Admiral, have you ever seen a cave so big?"

"Just once my friend, but I had to destroy it. Large caves are often the hiding place of evil and wrongdoing!"

"Boy Admiral, is I ever glad to be your first mate!"

"Hahaha, that you are my friend, that you are! But quiet for now, I think I hear the terrible footsteps of pure evil" "Queen Sheeva! Admiral, it's Queen-" "Silence super-fool! It's time fo-" She turns the TV off, the TV that Billy was watching. Admiral Awesome, The First Mate and even the terrible Queen, which Billy always hated to see, are gone.

Billy missed them, because whenever they are gone, he has to see Her, and he has to hear Her. And usually, when she gets sick of letting him hear her, she hurts Billy, and Billy hates that the most.

"Did you hear me? I know you're retarded, but you have ears don't you? I hate this crap, and I don't hate you, but I can." Billy knows this is a lie. Her does hate him. Her is Billy's mother, and she should love Billy, but she already hates him because she thinks he is retarded.

tasty."

"Well kids, looks like we have to leave you yet again for another week but remember, if you want to see us again, just close your eyes and shout 'To Titannia!'"

Thanks for joining us, and have a great week kids! Goodbye!

Billy hurt. All of Billy hurts, but Billy does not want to think about it, and Billy definitely does not want to talk about it.

Her tried to be nice to Billy because of the medicine she let Billy have, but Billy does not talk to her, instead Billy closes is eyes and shouts very loudly "To Titannia!"

"Ok, enough of that Titannia crap, you're going to your room."

But Billy was not in the apartment.

Billy was not in front of the TV and Billy certainly could not hear Her say anything about crap or rooms or medicine. Billy was in Titannia, and Billy was not Billy anymore. Billy was strong, Billy was in a disguise, and Billy was gone. Instead of Billy, stood the proud and glorious First Mate, sidekick to Admiral Awesome, and heir and co-commander of the Fantastifleet.

“Well Mate, shall we proceed?” boomed the hero.

Billy, now the First Mate, couldn’t believe where he was, who he had become and who exactly was standing next to him. “Y-yes” was all he could stammer out.

“Well, on then we shall go!”

“Not so fast Super-zeroes, there is no way you can proceed through my lair!”

Billy managed to hold back his usual anti-Queen Sheeva ‘boo’ as the great Queen stood before him for two reasons and two reasons alone. First, he desperately wanted his hero to approve of his First Mate, and secondly, well secondly was a great surprise to Billy. The woman before him was not Queen Sheeva, but a woman in Queen Sheeva’s clothes. It was Her. “Queen Sheeva, care to taste my fists of justice?”

“Care to taste my gun of pain?” Her replied, proceeding to fire at the heroes,

Billy knows he is not like Her but he does not know if he is retarded.

"I am going out now, you know the drill. It's time to lock you up again."

Billy knows the drill. He goes onto his bed and lies there, listening to the lock of his bedroom door first, and then the lock of the apartment door. Billy is all alone.

Billy goes to sleep, trying not to dream about his daily terrors he faces everyday, unknown of the new terror that waits for him when he wakes.

"Wakey, wakey Billy. Time to get your medication."

Billy sees nothing, his room is dark, he feels only the bed, and smells an awful, new kind of smell. It kind of smells like drinks Her has had before, but drinks Billy is never allowed to touch. Though the smell smells like Her drinks, the voice is not Her's. The voice Billy heard was low, messy and coming from a man for sure.

"Billy, what the crap, hiccup, what the crap did I just say to you, you little retarded twerp?"

Billy sees better now and sits up onto the edge of his bed. The man is holding his belt in one hand and a bottle in the other. Billy receives his medication from the stranger, and the belt hurts across his face. Billy is low on the ground and still receiving what the man calls medication.

The man is not hurting Billy anymore, so Billy looks up. The stranger's pants begin to slide down, which is normal to Billy since the belt is not around the man's waist. What Billy does not understand is why is the man pushing his pants down too, instead of pulling them back up like normal people do? Billy does not want to understand, Billy is afraid. Billy closes his eyes and waits in the dark. Billy is afraid.

"You know First Mate, we have had quite the day haven't we? We destroyed evil once again and left Queen Sheeva running for cover. Titannia is safe once again from her tyranny, and we can enjoy a nice drink from our Sun-drink Orange flavoured family fun juice boxes!"

"Gee whiz Admiral, that sure sounds

causing them to retreat immediately.

The heroes ran along the wall, searching, hoping to find a door, any door taking them away from what Admiral Awesome thought to be Queen Sheeva, and what Billy knew was Her. “In here Mate,” cried the Admiral “quickly.”

Billy was scared, he had never heard his hero cry out before, even if it was a command. The Admiral was always calm and strong and Billy was now scared.

“Something’s wrong Mate, something’s terribly wrong.” The hands that had folded across the stomach of Admiral Awesome slowly separated revealing a lot of red on his beautiful white suit of justice. The Admiral had been shot, shot

by Her. “There is but one thing you can do my friend. I know this lair better than anyone, except for the terrible Queen herself.

Beyond this door on my right” and he pointed to help Billy know where to go, “is a machine to call for help. Use it, dial this number,” the Admiral told Billy the number, “and tell them we need help.

HURRY!” And Billy did hurry. Billy ran faster than he had ever known he could, and he found the phone, and he dialed the number and began to cry out “Her is hurting us! We need your help friends! Her is hurting us!” and before anybody could answer, Billy dropped the phone and returned to the side of his hero.

“Billy, you did well, you did very well” “Admiral,” Billy finally managed to speak to his hero “don’t leave me, don’t leave me alone. Bad things happen when I am alone. Don’t leave me alone!”

“I will never leave you Billy,” the boy was surprised to hear his first name be used, but he allowed the hero to continue, “keep me with you all the time, and you will never be alone. If you are ever scared, if you are ever in danger, just summon up the courage you have found today, standing against evil by my side, and you will never, ever be alone.”

no one ever gave her any. She had mentioned that to Eric once off-handedly.

Thinking oh-but-he-couldn’t-wouldn’tpossibly-but-then-again-he-might.

“No… They’re my money. It’s mine.” David squirmed helplessly as Eric picked through the pockets of the overcoat. His hands probed the overcoat, patting pockets reaching grabbing he wasn’t a vending machine was he?

He wasn’t right?

“Look, I give you at least a dollar every time I see you. I’ll pay you back tomorrow. I promise.”

Hands probing, searching, finding, squeezing, David winced. Eric withdrew the crumpled banknotes. Honestly, the homeless guy couldn’t be doing that badly with fifteen dollars right?

“But it’s my money… I need it.”

“Look, I’ll give it back. Tomorrow, I’ve got to go.”

The girl was staring at the clock when someone placed a flower on the counter.

“Hello, what’ll it be?”

She turned to face the customer, smiled and blushed.

“Just this please, it’s for a girl that I… sort of have a crush on.”

The girl blushed a deeper shade, “Oh? What’s her name?”

“Lucy.”

Eric and Lucy left the shop together.

Somewhere, a man in an overcoat shivered in the rain. It would stop soon but he didn’t care anymore.

Billy managed to wipe away his tears, and with all of his might, he summoned up the words he had always wanted to say to his idol, his hero, his friend. “Admiral.”

“IN HERE” Billy heard a yell, but it was not Her’s. He had wondered who else in the cave could be after him, until Billy realized that the cave was gone, the Admiral was gone and Billy was alone in his room.

“He’s in here!” Billy found the source of the shouting, next to his open bedroom door. The shouter was a man in a suit, and Billy was scared again. However, Billy did not cry, Billy stood up and kept his ground, until he was lifted high into the air and was kept on the shoulders of the strange man.

“It’s OK son, can you tell me your name? I am here to help.” Billy want to answer the man, wanted to tell him Billy’s name, and wanted to be helped, but instead Billy stared and began to understand. Her was surrounded by other men and women, and Her’s arms were behind Her back, and linked somehow.

The same went for the man who smelled, who Billy had not seen since the bad night. They were leaving Billy, Her was gone.

“This boy managed to call the police while these two selfish bastards were distracted with each other. How he knew to do it, I’ll never understand. Turns out he’s been living in an abusive home all his life, but I am personally going to put an end to that, I know a good home he could go to.”

Before leaving the apartment forever, Billy noticed two things. He saw the telephone on the counter outside of Billy’s bedroom, off the hook, and Billy noticed the television, with Admiral Awesome.

“Admiral Awesome, yay!” Billy whispered.

“Remember kids, keep courage in your heart, and you will never be alone.” At least that’s what Billy convinced himself he heard, because ‘kids’ sounded fuzzy, ‘kids’ sounded like ‘Billy’.

And Billy smiled, he was never alone again.

THE MEDIUM 11

Monday, December 1, 2008

Christopher Sa’d, Editor | sports@mediumonline.ca

The Titans: underdogs?

SACHIN MOHAN The Tennessee Titans are 11-1 so far and r e m a i n o n e o f t h e o n l y National Football League team to hold an overly successful record going into the end of the 2008 campaign. T he T i t a n ’ s ha rd h i t t i n g defensive style and conservative offensive strategy has proven effective in keeping their perfect season going, especially with a surprise performa nce f r o m q u a r t er b a c k Kerry Collins.

Regardless of how they fair going into the rest of the season, the fact remains that the Titans have not received the same treatment and glory as the New England Patriots of last season, who eventually completed the first 16-0 regular season in league history (The last perfect season was by the 1972 dolphins who were 14-0). The NFL hype machine hasn’t churned out any “on the path to perfection” slogans. The media has also not been jumping all over this winning streak considering that only six games remain.

From the players to pre-season predictions, the Titans are certainly

a different team than that of the 2007-2008 New England Patriots.

The Titans are the victims of low expectations, with sports punters giving them 6:1 odds for a perfect season a few weeks ago. That has since failed but the Titans are still on the road to have a spectacular turnaround season.

“A lot of people still don't respect us and feel like we haven't played top-notch talent in the league yet,” says Tennessee Titan safety Chris Hope.

Unlike Tennessee, New England are perennial playoff contenders and are on the verge of being known as a dynasty with their three super bowl wins within the last decade.

The Titans on the other hand have not even made the playoffs since 2003.

We mustn’t forget to congratulate Collins for his efforts in getting 1755 passing yards with a pass completion of 60 per cent. Collins has supplanted Vince Young as the undisputed primary quarterback, and is set to take the spot for the rest of the season, but can he handle the pressure all the way to the finishing line?

Eventual Hall of Fame and former MVP quarterback Tom Brady was at the helm of New England’s perfect season. He shattered numerous NFL records including 50 touchdown passes and as a result, the Pats have dominated most of their games. The Titans have had a less spectacular path and have had to even squeak by the Green bay P ackers after being forced into overtime. It seems K.C has to step it up in Tennessee if he wants to disprove the media naysayers.

The key to the Titan’s success so far has undoubtedly been their defensive consistency. “They get turnovers. They play great defence.

They stop the other team from running the ball,” remarked Chicago Bears defensive back Nathan Vasher following Chicago’s 21-14 loss to the Titans.

The offense has also produced when called upon with Collins earning eight touchdowns with only four interceptions. His passing has complemented a dominating running game anchored by running backs Chris Johnson and LenDale White.

Their offensive attack has often thrown opponents off balance with

Coach Jeff Fisher opting to use the running game as a decoy to allow for Collins to throw the long passes.

The Titans have come a long way since last season, guaranteeing their

first playoff appearance since 2003.

However, the scepticism of whether they can remain a threat for a Super Bowl will continue when they play the Colts once again.

photo/tsn.ca

The Tennessee Titans need to get back to running the football after suffering a loss to the New York Jets last Sunday, ending their unbeaten run for the season.

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An assemblage of weekly photographs, photo + collaborate is your take on weekly life, seen through your eyes.

photo by laramm

12 THE MEDIUM

Monday, December 1, 2008

SPORTS

Troubleshooting goalies With unexpected injuries to two future hall-of-famers, the Vezina Trophy has opened up for new candidates

CHRISTOPHER SA’D SPORTS EDITOR

Who would expect the top two goalies in the NHL to fit into the injured reserves list simultaneously? I look at it as a hint for the near future.

Vancouver Canucks’ Roberto Luongo and New Jersey Devils Martin Brodeur aren’t two that would likely fall on the ice and miss most of the season, especially since they tend to gain the majority of the 30 general managers votes for Most Outstanding Goaltender (Vezina Trophy). They hit the lottery every time, but skill isn’t luck. Can these two severely hurt the NHL, not only in ratings, but quality since they aren’t going to be around much longer?

I’m sure everyone is aware of the dedication and prominence of Brodeur and to his team as a motivator and contributor, making the Devils a Stanley Cup contender for the last ten seasons.

He holds most minutes played in a season (4,697 in 2006-07), the most single wins in a season (48) and the most 40win seasons (7) in NHL history, and is now catching up to Patrick Roy with most wins of all time. We could

acknowledge him as the best in NHL history.

Luongo has a similar routine to Brodeur, except he has faced a few more shots. He was recently honoured with the captaincy for the Canucks after earning fantastic career stats and awards with most shots against in a season (2,475 in 2003-04), most saves in a season (2,303 in 2003-04) and most home games played in a season (41 in 2006-07) and fought for the Vezina the last five seasons. Who did he lose to? In chronological order: Brodeur, Brodeur, Miikka Kiprusoff, Brodeur and Brodeur.

These guys aren’t likely to face an injury dilemma – the reason why they are franchise players. Now it’s the first time to see two duelling goaltenders drop out of their own race. There have also always been career feuds between the top two goalies, perhaps the reason for their competitive accomplishments.

At the start of Brodeur’s career, there was the Brodeur-Patrick Roy feud which is still on. But before Brodeur’s reign, Dominik Hasek battled against Roy in a controversial and aggressive feud - think of the Colorado Avalanche and Detroit Red Wings playoff rivalry.

Brodeur is in his sixteenth season.

He is set to retire in the near, near future, but only after he finishes one more job. Luongo meanwhile, is playing in his ninth season. Both players couldn’t stay healthy for the rest of their careers without feeling some aftershocks from a long and strenuous

Any women interested in playing Ice Hockey for UTM for the Winter term please meet in Room 1118B at 1pm on Wednesday, January 7th, 2009 Pick up a copy of our Activity Guide today for more information regarding dance classes, instructional classes, swimming lessons and much, much more…

career. It could become the start of an injury-prone campaign - I’ll guarantee Luongo’s groin injury sidelines him a few more times during his tenure in the NHL. Who will feud with Luongo, or take lead in the netminder tango?

The first guess is Henrik Lundqvist, the great Swedish netminder for the New York Rangers. Last season, he was third in the Vezina voting and has already caught the eyes of NHL fans with ten shutouts last season.

Kiper is another choice, except after he won the Vezina in 2006, he suffered an increase in goals-against-average from 2.07 to 2.69 and his save-percentage dropped from 0.923 to 0.906.

Minnesota Wilds’ Niklas Backstrom is participating in his third season and has kept a consistent record with a 0.928 average save percentage.

Minnesota has always had a good goalie development system and it shows with Backstrom’s run for the Vezina this season. It also helps to play with a team that defensive specialist Jacques Lemaire coaches.

With Boston’s Tim Thomas and Pittsburgh’s Marc-Andre Fleury, there is a load of solid goalies in the NHL, but some still have to prove their consistency as a MVP or even just as a reliable contributor.

All eyes are on Montreal Canadiens’ supposed savoir Carey Price. A 21year-old with a butterfly style and patience - someone every team wants.

But remember there have also been

photo/cbc.ca

some malfunctions with early praise.

Andrew Raycroft, Jose Theodore, Jim Carey, Tommy Salo, Patrick Lalime and Kari Lehtonen have not made a lasting impression and continue to have subpar seasons.

Price is foreseen to challenge Lundqvist till the end of the season, and to possibly start a rivalry between the two teams. These two inspiring netminders are in the midst of an opportunity to make a mark in a weary NHL. After a spectacular first season, Price is already in the Habs’ spotlight after earning much praise from the fans and the media outlets. So far he’s keeping good to his early promise.

Lundqvist has been supporting the unorganized Rangers, helping the struggling team make the playoffs the last three seasons. He plays for another big hockey market, which is not always the best position, but Price faces the

Women’s Winter Sports Jan. 7 Jan. 12 Jan. 14

6:00-7:30pm Gym C 6:00-7:30pm Gym A/B 6:00-7:30pm Gym C

Ice Hockey (Div 1) Jan. 11 Jan. 18

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Basketball (Tri Campus, Div 1 and Div 2)

Jan. 8 Indoor Soccer (Tri Campus, Div 2) Jan. 13 Jan. 15 Lacrosse (Div 1) Jan. 8 Jan. 13 Jan. 8 Volleyball (Div 1 and Div 2) Jan. 14 Jan. 15

6:00-7:30pm 6:00-7:30pm 6:00-7:30pm 5:00-6:00pm 6:00-7:00pm 6:00-7:30pm 6:00-7:30pm 6:00-7:30pm

Gym A/B Gym A/B Gym A/B Gym C Gym C Gym C Gym A/B Gym C

Coed Winter Sports Ultimate Frisbee

Jan. 7 Jan. 12 Jan. 14

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Gym C Gym C Gym C

Men’s Winter Sports Jan. 7 Basketball (Div 2) Jan. 12 Jan. 14 Jan. 11 Ice Hockey (Div 1) Jan. 18 Jan. 13 Indoor Soccer (Tri Campus, Div 1 and Div 2) Jan. 15 Lacrosse (Div 1) Jan. 8 Jan. 13 Jan. 8 Volleyball (Div 1 and Div 2) Jan. 14 Jan. 15 Water Polo (Div 1) Jan. 7 Jan. 14

7:30-9:00pm Gym C 7:30-9:00pm Gym A/B 7:30-9:00pm Gym C 9:45-11:45pm Iceland 7:30-9:30pm Gym A/B 7:30-9:30pm Gym A/b 5:00-6:00pm 6:00-7:00pm

Gym C Gym C

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Pool

same situation.

If any of them have one underachieving season, they will face the consequences from demanding media and fans.

Get ready for a Lundqvist-Price feud in the next five-years and for them to be the two-new faces of the NHL. Price, at his age, has the opportunity to take a picture with the Vezina but only if he can lead his team to a Stanley Cup final, which is a very plausible.

My call is that Lundqvist will be recognized by the Vezina committee (all 30 GMs) and win the after-sought award. This season is a peak into the future and we should embrace the moment to see what will come out of it. ote: It’s sad to see a goalie like Mike Smith save over 40 shots every game but still lose in a low-margin game. He’s shown his potiential to becoming a premirer goaltender.

Ball Hockey (Men’s) Wednesday, January 7th @ 12:00pm Room 1118B Ball Hockey (Women’s) Monday, January 9th @ 12:00pm Room 1118B Indoor Soccer (Men’s) Tuesday, January 20th @ 12:00pm Room 1118B Basketball (Men’s) Monday, January 26th @ 12:00pm Room 1118B Indoor Soccer (Coed) Tuesday, January 27th @ 12:00pm Room 1118B Volleyball (Coed) Thursday, January 29th @ 12:00pm Room 1118B Basketball (Coed) Thursday, January 29th @ 1:00pm Room 1118B Cricket (Men’s) Monday, February 2nd @ 12:00pm Room 1118B Let’s keep up the winning tradition!! If you played in high school, you can play for UTM! Get out to a try-out!

If you are unable to make any of these tryouts, but would like to participate, please contact Jack Krist (905) 569-4607 j.krist@.utoronto.ca or Louise Vanderwees (905) 828-3712 louise.vanderwees@utoronto.ca