Vol 35 issue 19

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page10 Monday, February 9, 2009

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Volume 35, Issue 19

www.mediumonline.ca

New Democrats at UTM GURPINDER SINGH GAHEER WITH NOTES FROM ANDREW HAMILTON SMITH Howard Hampton has initiated a leadership race in the provincial New Democratic Party (NDP) by announcing that he will step down from the position he has held since 1996 when he took over from former Premier Bob Rae. As a result, candidates for the soon-to-be-empty leadership chair of the Ontario New Democrats – Peter Tabuns, Michael Prue, Andrea Horwath, and Gilles Bisson – have been touring the province trying to build support. As part of that campaign, a leadership debate was held at UTM on February 5 in the Kaneff Centre. Organized by the UTM NDP club, three out of four candidates presented their viewpoints on some of the key issues confronting our society today. Tabuns, Horwath, and late-comer Bisson each offered their perspective of where the problems lie and how – should they win the leadership – they would tackle those problems. UTM NDP executive member Steven Zhou, who is the group’s event coordinator, was pleased with the turnout of thirty students and staff, and added that after hearing all the different points of view he is having a hard time deciding who he is going to support. When asked to address Ontario’s current economic crisis and how they would create jobs in the future, Tabuns laid out an all-in-one package which he

Photo/Matthew Filipowich

Three out of four Ontario NDP leadership candidates attended the UTM NDP debate on Thursday, which was moder ated by Sociology professor Dr. Barry Green. Approximately thirty students turned out to hear the candidates’ posi tions on tuition fees, job creation,the York University strike and faith based schools. referred to as the Green Energy Economy. “We’re not dealing with easy times in Ontario today,” Tabuns acknowledged, before adding that creating new employment or manufacturing opportunities that also reduce carbon emissions is a big part of the solution. On the other hand, Tabuns notes that

there isn’t an economic strategy in place at the moment. “Currently over $40 billion is spent on energy in Ontario each year, and to create more jobs here in Ontario, we need to spend some of that money here,” said Tabuns. Andrea Horwath went further and predicted a ”painful recession.” She maintained that, “Although big things

like energy manufacturing are good, we also can’t be losing our good old jobs. Since one out of seven jobs in Ontario depends on auto manufacturing, if we don’t have an auto sector, we don’t have an economy anymore.” She referred to her plan as a Legacy Investment in Public Transportation, noting the long list of communities that

are clamouring for light rail, for example. Many manufacturers in Sudbury want their goods transported by train instead of truck, citing growing fuel costs and environmental concerns. Horwath also anticipated that more public transit will also get people out of cars, and thereby reduce green house gas emissions. The next question was about the York University strike and the back-towork legislation introduced by Dalton McGuinty’s Liberal government last week, and all three candidates noted that they did – and would again, if given the chance – block the legislation from quickly passing. Rather than apologizing for delaying the return of 50,000 students, the candidates turned instead to principle, with Tabuns noting that it was the Liberal government that abandoned the students and chose to side with York, which interferes with the “good faith” aspect of the collective bargaining process. “The only thing workers have is the ability to withdraw their labour,” added Horwath. “Graduate students and TA’s are educational workers, so why shouldn’t they get a decent pay?” Horwath also pointed out that the university had no incentive to bargain with the union (CUPE 3902) because they had already struck a deal with the government to end the strike and therefore could reject whatever CUPE offered.

See Leadership page 3

IAW: Islam in an Age of Reason ANDREW HAMILTON SMITH NEWS EDITOR

In a broad attempt to reach out to UTM students, the Muslim Students Association (MSA) explored the idea of faith and God within a secular and scientific society, holding events for three days all around campus last week. Beginning on February 3, the theme of “Islam in an Age of Reason” featured prominently in Islam Awareness Week (IAW), particularly in the choice of topics for each evening’s lecture: Why God? Why faith? Why

Islam? The Student Centre was transformed into a celebration of Islamic culture and religion, with volunteers handing out thousands of flyers and hundreds of Korans. “Each year, the MSA selects a theme for IAW that is appropriate both to the context of our campus and what we predict to be the interest of our students,” explained MSA president Mohammed Ashour. “We have found that a growing number of students and academicians tend to frown upon the concept of organized religion, believing that religions are either deluding or outright maladaptive – our objective was to address this misconstrued judgment.” This is not an attempt to rationalize religion, Ashour insists, because religion is already rational in itself. Ashour praised his volunteers and coordinators for working towards

making IAW a success, as well as the speakers, Dr. Munir El-Kassem, Imam Shabir Ally, and Dr. Katherine Bullock. “There were many healthy debates with numerous students during the events, as well as during and after the evening lectures that were held on all three days,” Ashour added. “Our goal was to educate the general student population about the complementary nature of religion in general, and Islam in particular with science and reason, and we do feel that we’ve accomplished that.” When asked why he was volunteering for IAW, Ridwan Wadhera, a fourth-year English specialist, said he was offering his time because he believes in Islam and in Islam Awareness Week. See Awareness page 2

Photo/Matthew Filipowich

Imam Shabir Ally discusses the fallacies of Richard Dawkins’ book, The God Delusion, arguing that faith can be a rational way to live one’s life.

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NEWS

MONDAY, FEBRUARY

9, 2009

CULTURAL CELEBRATION

Islam in a post-9/11 world Continued from front page

Photo/Matthew Filipowich

A display in the Student Centre offers UTM students insight into the Islamic faith, culture, and philosophy, and was a crucial part of educating students during Islamic Awareness Week.

“I try to take advantage of any opportunity which allows me to show my love to the creator of the heavens and earth, and Islamic Awareness Week is one of those opportunities.� After a brief but lively debate about the nature of existence with The Medium - it was agreed to disagree – Wadhera returned to handing out leaflets to passersby. The idea of being Muslim post9/11 was a recurring point among some attendees, such as Murrium Zaheer, a first-year English student, who welcomed the opportunity to discuss this. “In the modern 9/11 world many people have stereotypes about Islam which are false [and] it is important for people to know about the different cultures that exist,� Zaheer remarked. “It is also important for people to respect other religions as independent beliefs of faith.

It was nice seeing many people come together to learn about Islam.� Third-year anthropology student Steven Zhou agreed with some of those sentiments: “We here in the West have experienced this post9/11, so it helps to know about Islam, its pluralistic characteristics, its contribution to the renaissance, its influence on European thought, and the effects that Western colonialism has had on it.� Both Zhou and Zaheer point out that building awareness is an important part of showing a positive and peaceful side of Islam, especially considering the kind of discourse the religion is often exposed to in the mainstream media, such as Fox News. In Imam Ally’s “Why faith?� discussion on Wednesday evening, he suggests that the idea of secularism attacking religion is shown in Richard Dawkins’ “The God Delusion,� which attempts to discredit faith as a rational means of

existing in an uncertain universe. “Faith is something that cannot be proven, which we accept nonetheless,� Ally points out. “Faith should not contradict evidence though, but rather should build upon it, following the same direction.� Essentially the suggestion here is that one should hold a belief until it is disproven, and this tends to conflict with traditional Western philosophy, which assumes that no belief is valid without empirical evidence to support it. The role of morality in an increasingly secular society is certainly a contentious one, even in Canada, where laws and traditions that are based upon Judeo-Christian values are now being questioned and sometimes repealed – rules regarding abortion is one example. IAW is playing an important part in educating UTM students in an effort to minimize ignorance and increase awareness of Islamic culture.

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The Hindu Student Council (HSC) hosted its first semi-formal dinner on February 6 at the Blind Duck Pub. It was organized to celebrate Jashan-ebahar, a traditional South Asian festival that celebrates the oncoming of spring. Due to the hard work of over twenty volunteers and organizers, such as Maryam Masood, Meenal Tayal and Neetipriya Pandey (who was also Master of Ceremonies), the event, called “Basant,� was a success, attracting over 150 UTM students. “HSC organized this to mark the arrival of the spring season [and] Basant is a festival celebrated throughout South Asia, but has an important cultural aspect in Pakistan,� explained HSC president Rohit Dubey. “Thus, at HSC we felt the dire need to unite everyone in a bond that is not limited to religion, cast, creed, race or sex.� Furthermore, as part of efforts to reach out to all communities on campus, performances were chosen in such a way in which everyone could relate to. In the process of preparations, the HSC also made sure to promote recycling and eco-friendly material by using recycled material for all their decorations. When asked about the emphasis on unity, Maryam Masood revealed that much of the decision to celebrate “Basant,� (celebrated widely in both

Photo source/ HSC

The South Asian festival of Basant was celebrated by the Hindu Student Council and South Asian Alliance on Friday, and drew over 150 students. India and Pakistan) was in light of the recent Mumbai attacks and increasing tension between Pakistan and India. “Holding this event at UTM promotes the message that we are one. We should not put ourselves behind unnecessary boundaries which can one day create unwanted hostility.� The event began with a traditional Indian dance performance by Rohit Dubey and Nikitha Paluri and a musical performance by Saad T., Ahsan A., Ashar, Anum R., Utsab D., Rohit Dubey, and Arqam P., who performed a combination of modern guitar-based pop and traditional Indian music. Shortly after that, a customary

Indian dinner was served, accompanied by another traditional Indian dance performance by South Asian Alliance members Mayukh Mitra, Rupi Mangat, Rajmeet Chohan, Azima Ihsan, and Karun Pathak. Towards the end of the evening a raffle was held before the floor was opened for dancing to a unique fusion of modern and traditional Indian music. The event wrapped up around one in the morning. The South Asian Alliance is looking for dancers to participate in an upcoming dance competition in March. If you are interested, please contact Mayukh at utmdanceteam@gmail.com.

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MONDAY, FEBRUARY

9, 2009 THE MEDIUM 3

CAMPUS CROSS SECTION

NEWS

Leadership contest for NDP Continued from front page

With post-secondary students in mind, the leadership hopefuls were asked about another controversial topic: tuition fees. Arriving late due to a schedule conflict, Gilles Bission captured the audience’s interest when he took a strong stand against tuition fees, insisting that we have to move towards the total elimination of tuition fees. Contrary to the traditional system, Mr. Bission mentioned that post-secondary entrance should be based solely on academic performance, and not on whether one can afford to pay or pay back tuition. To finance the repayment of university tuition fees, he came up with an alternative strategy: instead of giving out OSAP and charging huge amounts of interest on it, which is also increasing overall student debt, he proposed a one and one-half per cent surcharge on income tax. That way, students will not be graduating with huge financial burdens, but rather pay off their tuition as they pursue their careers. For his part, Tabuns offered an alternative strategy to lower tuitions fees by rolling them back to 2003 levels and freezing them there. His answer, or rather a question, was quite simple: “Do you want to have an educated population in Ontario?” Tabuns mentioned that in the last provincial election, the NDP pro-

posed to raise more funds for postsecondary education by eliminating corporate tax breaks and increasing the taxes of people who are making more than $140,000 a year, which would allow the government to increase grants and decrease loans. Perhaps the most contentious question was about separate, religious school boards created within the public system, similar to the ill-fated musing of Ontario Conservative leader John Tory in the 2007 election. Every candidate suggested that there may be far more pressing issues in Ontario right now – jobs, the environment, or tuition fees – which are more pressing than separate schools, and this had such a divisive effect in the last provincial election. As Tabuns put it, “If we care about the future of this province, we have to think about what we want to debate. We have to focus on other principal questions that dominate the life of this province and try to work through those issues, rather than dealing with the issues we find dear to our heart.” Horwath boldly added that “education is not the most important issue.” She pointed out that we need to first deal with the under-funding of public schools in general. “We need to look at schools that do not have enough resources to provide education for kids whose second language is English,” she explained. “Even children with special needs do not receive enough funding…and some

Photo/Lara Matiisen

In an effort to reach out to students, three leadership hopefuls from the Ontario NDP came to debate at UTM. schools are physically falling apart.” Horwath suggested that Ontarians need to find a common ground and build upon that instead of having separate religious schools, since this “erodes money away from the public system.” In the end, political debates are all about the candidates’ performance – whoever it is that can look, sound,

and act the most sincere, spontaneous, and smart under intense pressure. From that perspective, each candidate performed well, though many students in attendance were particularly impressed with Bisson, who one attendee described as having the “aura of a leader.” Professor Brent Wood commented that Bisson was a “captivating speaker” and that

his “interactive rhetoric was fascinating to behold - 19 years as a constituency politician have left him a master of a kind of dialogue that would work with the blue-collar crew as well as intellectuals, country folk and city folk.” The real test, however, will come at the NDP Convention in Hamilton, when the leader is chosen.

No timeline Fiji Pub turns up heat for Child Care JOEL FERNANDES

FIONA BUCHANAN ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

As of January 23 the University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM) received clearance from the City of Mississauga to proceed with construction of the Early Learning Centre on campus. The child care centre was expected to open this February but according to Francesca Dobbin, director of Family Programs and Services at the University of Toronto, construction was delayed during the process of obtaining an operating license, zoning permits, building permits and other approvals. The centre is to be built beside Leacock Lane residences and will have twenty-six spots for children of students, staff and faculty at UTM. The UTM Students’ Union (UTMSU) currently operates an interim child minding service, established in January 2006. Although the service at the Student Centre is able to provide care for some children, it is at the moment limited in capacity to only five. At this time an updated opening date for the Early Learning Centre has not been released. “We can’t commit to an opening date yet, but are working with the project’s architects, engineers and contractors, along with the operator, to finalize one,” said Dobbin. “[The opening date] will be shared widely as soon as it is available,” she added. Dean of UTM Student Affairs Mark Overton and Dobbin recently sent a letter apologizing to student-

parents because the centre would not open in February 2009 as announced in November 2008. They added that the University of Toronto’s Family Care Office will assist families who need to make interim child care plans. The child minding service at the Student Centre will continue operating until the new centre opens. UTM is one of few universities in Ontario without a permanent child care service. The University of Toronto St. George and Scarborough campuses both have child care centres currently in operation. York, Ryerson, Waterloo, Guelph, Brock, and many other universities also have similar centres for their students. The Day Care Centre at the University of Western Ontario recently celebrated thirty years in operation. “In the last three years, we’ve seen Oscar Peterson Hall and the RAWC (Athletic Centre) built. Why is it so hard to get the child care centre opened?” commented Saaliha Malik, vice-president Equity at UTMSU. “We know that the University has influence over the city council...[but] because they won’t make a profit from [the child care centre] it seems like it is a lower priority.” Regardless of an undefined timeline for construction, both Dobbin and Overton reaffirmed that they are committed to providing a licensed child care facility at UTM.

Should parents be mad? Tell us what you think. www.mediumonline.ca

On February 5, the Blind Duck Pub was transformed into an island paradise by the Philanthropy Jigamarie Club, with the mission to raise money for the Red Cross. Peter Buczkowski, president of the club, declared, “we're trying to start a night life at UTM, something that will attract students into coming out and having some fun while informing the public about new opportunities that people don't know about.” Last year, the Fiji Pub Night event managed to collect almost $5,000

for the Alzheimer's Society. Organized in conjuncture with the Phi Gamma Delta, a fraternity operating out of the St. George campus, Fiji Night brought out a large crowd of revelers who danced the night away. Providing the music was Oh DJ Oh and DJ Rytaxys, who spun a crazy mix of house, euro, rap, R&B, and a few selections from the top 40s. Robert Martin, chapter president of Phi Gamma Delta explained that Fiji night was intended to focus on the promotion of the core values of the fraternity, friendship and charity. “Friendship is the sweetest influ-

ence, it’s one of our mottos, and it’s the atmosphere we're creating here. Tonight, our focus is on philanthropy, charity and having a good time.” Fiji night was also a celebration for the new president of the chapter, William Stefanic, who remarked that he was really pleased the event went beyond expectations. “It was a vibrant, good time that was apparently enjoyed by everyone in attendance.” Lucy Wu, a third-year forensic science student in attendance backed up that claim: “It’s awesome. It only happens once a year and it’s always a good party.”

Unity Through Diversity feeds UTM JOEL FERNANDES

Recalling that the path to one’s heart often lies through the stomach, the food festival held on February 3 in the UTM Student Centre was a huge success. As the opening event which kicked off Unity through Diversity Week, various associations and clubs participated to raise awareness about the cultures and societies they represent. “This was our first event on campus where we received an opportunity to become recognized by the UTM community as a proper organization, and

we were hoping to recruit a few new members,” said Patryk Laszczuk, prime minister of the newly formed UTM Polish Club. It was obvious that friends were made all around as a multitude of students flowed through the tables and crowds to sample the fare provided by each of the various clubs, which included the the Afghan Student Association, the Italian Club of Erindale, the Sikh Student Association, and many others. From pasta to fortune cookies, perogies to samosas, there was something for everyone to enjoy, including diverse items such as Korean sushi, Cantonese noodles, Paczki, and Kabanosy.

“The food cleared out pretty quickly. As soon as we unpacked our catered dishes, a line had already started in front of our booth,” said Lisa Yao from the Chinese Undergrad Association. “We didn't even have the plates and forks out yet!” Students were apparently hungry enough for more than just one culture. “It was amazing for all the clubs to provide us with free delicious food. And the fact that it was free was even better,” said Sana Iqbal, an English specialist at UTM. The sentiment seemed to be shared by all who attended, especially when they came back for seconds, thirds and fourths.

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MONDAY, FEBRUARY

9, 2009 THE MEDIUM 5

OPINION

Letter to the Editor Feb 14 doesn’t sit well with all Dear UTM students, ALI KASIM EDITOR IN CHIEF editor@mediumonline.ca

EDITORIAL Working in the newspaper business, I am often confronted with the problem of bias in the media. When The Medium runs a story we try to show all points of view but it is practically impossible to provide all relevant information related to any given story. Within the context of a campus newspaper especially, it is hard to fit a number of stories within a fixed number of pages, and as such, journalists often have to pick and choose. This discretion to select one version of the truth over another is a powerful one, and provides the journalist – intentionally or not – with a great deal of influence over the impression a reader takes away from any given article. When covering political issues (and every issue has some political component) this is particularly true. All facts, regardless of their relationship to truth, contain secondary meanings and carry implied ideas or feelings. True objectivity can never be obtained because well, to put it one way, language does not have the capacity to do so. That being said, any journalist worth his or her salt tries to be as objective as is possible if for nothing else, credibility. That is why I was struck by the media coverage on the UTM NDP leadership debate last week, which was harsh to the point of almost vindictive. In their account, The Mississauga News ran the headline “NDP hopefuls all sound the same,” ignoring the fact that a debate within a party is likely to be less divergent than one between opposing parties. To be fair, there were differences between the plans put forth by the candidates – Peter Tabuns embraces investment in manufacturing “green” technology, whereas Andrea Horwath proposes to build a “Legacy Investment in Transportation,” for example. Even more critical was a blog entry by one “Tyler” on Blables.com, who complained that he felt as if he was “sitting through a horrible movie, and wishing God would reimburse the time [spent at the debate] that was forever gone.” Granted, bloggers are given more leeway to be opinionated, but still...ouch. I guess the question should be whether or not the NDP somehow deserves this sort of scorn from the media? An associate of mine tells me that when Bob Rae lead Ontario’s only NDP government in the early 1990’s, which was by all accounts a disaster and devastated the province, a popular saying arose that if Bob Rae’s dog miraculously walked across Lake Ontario, the headline would read “Bob Rae’s dog can’t swim.” Apparently many people would agree that the NDP deserves to be mocked and ridiculed after all. This brings us back to the question of bias in media. Not everyone would agree that the NDP should be scoffed at by the mainstream media, however, and by deliberately attaching a negative opinion to a fact, is this not doing the reader a disservice? Should a reader not be trusted to form his or her own opinion? How far can a journalist stray from objectivity – which is admittedly impossible to achieve – before it becomes outright bias, or even slander? Some might argue that writing to a certain bias is necessary in order to reach a specific audience, and some major media organizations today do this very well, Fox News being the foremost example. By providing “Action News” that is full of opinions – especially those underrepresented by other media outlets – Fox was able to attract huge numbers of viewers who did not previously watch any news at all. If one has to be a “little bit biased,” is it wise and pragmatic to pick a bias that reflects your audience? I’m afraid I don’t know the answer to that myself, but I invite you to join the discussion at www.mediumonline.ca.

I am very annoyed that every year people are made to feel bad if they’re single on Valentine’s Day or have not found a date by then. For those who have found that special someone, it is the pressure to do something special, buy that romantic gift, or, now that Family Day falls on the same weekend, plan the perfect romantic long-weekend. And for UTM students, thanks to the timeliness of reading week – the perfect week getaway. Who does this commercial money making holiday serve? The boyfriend who forgot? The girlfriend who can’t afford a unique gift? Or the group of girls who are forced to bitterly stay home in their pyjamas?

Ali Kasim

- Shelley Bahorie

EDITOR IN CHIEF Ali Kasim editor@mediumonline.ca

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as a bitter female, but I assure you that I am not. And yes this is a very cliché and typical statement but I really just don’t understand why people must parade around in red and pink clad and purchase expensive flowers, chocolates or jewellery for February 14. Is this not what anniversaries are for – to celebrate being with your sweetheart? Fortunately, for the card and confectionary people and the florists, this holiday is celebrated almost worldwide. Well, to those of whose who celebrate or have been roped into celebrating – Happy Valentine’s Day.

EDITORIAL

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NEWS EDITOR Andrew Hamilton Smith news@mediumonline.ca A&E EDITOR Michael Di Leo arts@mediumonline.ca

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FEATURES EDITOR Alain Latour features@mediumonline.ca ASSISTANT FEATURES EDITOR Karen Akhtar SPORTS EDITOR Christoper Sa’d sports@mediumonline.ca COPY EDITOR Shelley Bahorie

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PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR Matthew Filipowich photos@mediumonline.ca COMPOSITE EDITOR Matthew Filipowich WEBMATSER Verisha Khanam DISTRIBUTION MANAGER Ali Kasim

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BUSINESS MANAGER Romano Bergic

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ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR Fiona Buchanan

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ASSISTANT A&E EDITOR Ayman Saab

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Christine Capewell, Isa Cunanan, Raji Aujla, Laura Gaspini, Umeimah Bastaki, Bhagyashri Bhandakkar, Julie Tyios

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ASSISTANT FEATURES EDITOR Karen Akhtar

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Yours,

How did Valentine’s even become a holiday? Originally it stemmed from a martyred saint and a priest in ancient Rome who aided and married Christians. However, since there were several saints by this name, and his identity was unclear, some implied this holiday was created to overpower Lupercalia – a Roman holiday intended to cleanse the city and its citizens. Another theory comes from the story of Saint Valentine. This is a story of one man so heartbroken from being rejected he cut out and sent his beating heart to his love interest as symbol of his eternal love for her. In the latter Middle Ages, the holiday became romanticized by a group associated with Geoffrey Chaucer. It may seem that I am writing

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AJAX Westney Heights Plaza 1 Rossland Rd. W 957 Westney Rd. S AURORA 91 First Commerce Dr., Unit 5 Hunters Gate Plaza BRAMPTON 16 Lisa St. 9980 Airport Rd., Unit 11 10025 Hurontario St., Unit 118 131 Kennedy Rd. N 10088 McLaughlin Rd., Unit 2 CONCORD Vaughan Mills COURTICE 1420 King St. E, Unit 7 ETOBICOKE 3015 Bloor St. W 4242 Dundas St. W Cloverdale Mall Woodbine Centre Westway Plaza GEORGETOWN 5 Mountainview Rd. MAPLE Maple Plaza MARKHAM Markham Plaza Armadale Square Markville Mall MISSISSAUGA Roseborough Centre 4141 Dixie Rd. 920 Southdown Rd. Bldg. H, Unit 7 2116 Burnhamthorpe Rd. W Sandalwood Square King Square Shopping Centre 6085 Creditview Rd. 5636 Glen Erin Dr., Unit 10 NEWMARKET Upper Canada Mall 1065 Davis Dr. 18075 Yonge St. OAKVILLE Oakville Place 1011 Upper Middle Rd. Unit C17 1500 Upper Middle Rd., Unit 2 1461 Rebecca St. 511 Maple Grove Dr. OSHAWA Oshawa Centre 285 Taunton Rd. PICKERING 1550 Kingston Rd. 1822 Whites Rd. SCARBOROUGH 2900 Warden Ave., Unit 220 Scarborough Towne Centre 2490 Gerrard St. E 38 Ellesmere Rd. THORNHILL Rutherford Village TORONTO 2248 Bloor St. W 333 Bloor St. E Exchange Tower 6758 Kingston Rd., Unit 12 1530 Albion Rd. Toronto Eaton Centre 10 Dundas St. E, Unit 112 Rogers Centre 808 York Mills Rd., Unit 15-17 3151 Yonge St. 330 Bay St. 618 Sheppard Ave. W 730 Danforth Ave. 1080 Yonge St. 2120 Queen St. E 8 Wellesley St. E 1965-1971 Yonge St., Unit A 120 Front St. E Sunnybrook Plaza 2400 Eglinton Ave. W Yorkdale Shopping Centre VAUGHAN 1054 Centre St. WHITBY 1549 Dundas St. E 3940 N Brock St. Whitby Town Square WOODBRIDGE 9200 Weston Rd.

9, 2009

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AJAX 85 Kingston Rd., Unit 7 105 Bayley Dr., Unit 19B AURORA 15483 Yonge St., Unit 2B BOLTON 12612 Hwy. 50, Unit 15 BRAMPTON 253 Queen St. E, Unit 3 4520 Ebenezer Rd., Unit 6 Bramalea City Centre Shopper’s World BROOKLIN 5969 Baldwin St. S, Unit 7 COBOURG 975 Elgin St. W, Unit B DOWNSVIEW 1118 Finch Ave. W, Unit 1 ETOBICOKE 850 The Queensway 1234 The Queensway 22 Dixon Rd. 6620 Finch Ave. W, Unit 4 Sherway Gardens GEORGETOWN 265 Guelph St., Unit 3 MAPLE 2943 Major Mackenzie Dr., Unit 4 MARKHAM 300 Steelcase Rd. W, Unit 20 Metro Square Mall Pacific Mall First Markham Place 7780 Woodbine Ave., Unit 3 9570 McCowan Rd., Unit 4 Pacific Mall 505 Hood Rd., Unit 12 MISSISSAUGA 7955 Financial Dr., Unit B 6465 Airport Rd., Unit 102 1100 Burnhamthorpe Rd. W, Unit 13 Dixie Value Mall 888 Dundas St. E, Unit K8 3105 Dundas St. W, Unit 102 Erin Mills Town Centre 153 Lakeshore Rd. E 808 Britannia Rd. W, Unit 2 Meadowvale Town Centre 6295 Mississauga Rd., Unit 102 Square One (2 locations) 100 City Centre Dr. 25 Watline Ave., Unit 10 102-3021 Argentia Rd. NEWMARKET 17415 Yonge St., Unit 2 NORTH YORK 3111 Dufferin St. 3040 Don Mills Rd., Unit 17B 4905 Yonge St. 1905 Avenue Rd. Sheridan Mall Fairview Mall 149C Ravel Rd. 4367 Steeles Ave. W 5815 Yonge St. OAKVILLE 1027 Speers Rd., Unit 22 478 Dundas St. W, Unit 7 OSHAWA Taunton Harmony Plaza 1053 Simcoe St. N, Unit 4B PICKERING Pickering Town Centre 611 Kingston Rd. 1899 Brock Rd. RICHMOND HILL Hillcrest Mall 10 West Pearce St., Bldg. B Times Square Mall 9196 Yonge St. 9737 Yonge St., Unit 211 10720 Yonge St., Unit 102 10755 Leslie St., Unit 5 SCARBOROUGH 1448 Lawrence Ave. E 2555 Victoria Park Ave. 2650 Lawrence Ave. E, Unit 2B 411 Kennedy Rd. Oriental Palace 1291 Kennedy Rd. 3300 Midland Ave., Unit 40 19 Milliken Blvd., Unit U 5095 Sheppard Ave. E Woodside Square 5661 Steeles Ave. E, Unit 5 1900 Eglinton Ave. E, Unit E5A 665 Markham Rd., Unit 5 THORNHILL Shops on Steeles Promenade Mall 31 Disera Dr., Unit 140 TORONTO 1854 Danforth Ave. 471 Eglinton Ave. W 2400 Bloor St. W 921 Bay St. 2266 Eglinton Ave. W 2397 Yonge St. 604 Bloor St. W 548 Church St. Dufferin Mall 421 Dundas St. W, Unit G8 1451 Dundas St. W Dragon City Mall 939 Eglinton Ave. E, Unit 106 Gerrard Square 662 King St. W, Unit 2 228 Queens Quay W, Unit 3 1821 Queen St. E 2 St. Clair Ave. E 1268 St. Clair Ave. W 1350 St. Clair Ave. W 2200 Yonge St., Unit 104 154 University Ave., Suite 101 9A Yorkville Ave. 386 Sheppard Ave. E 525 University Ave. 55 Chauncey Ave. 272 Danforth Ave. W UXBRIDGE 11 Brock St. W VAUGHAN 1600 Steeles Ave. W, Unit 30 WHITBY 25 Thickson Rd. N WILLOWDALE Centerpoint Mall WOODBRIDGE 5317 Hwy. 7 200 Whitmore Rd., Unit 9

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MONDAY, FEBRUARY

9, 2009 THE MEDIUM 7

Style sartorialist: spring fashions CORBAN CONSALES

During the past month or so, most of the major designers have been busy releasing their lines for fall 2009. As interesting and creative some of these collections may be, the trends for a season more than eight months away is the last thing on the minds of the general public. However, the designers focusing on fall means that the trends for spring 2009 have been set and pieces will be hitting stores near you very soon. Over the next few weeks the Style Sartorialist will outline some of the must-have pieces and colours for this upcoming spring while providing tips on potential bargains that can be found at major retailers for clearance winter goods. HAUTE COUTURE This week our discussion will start with men’s fashion for spring 2009. Although spring seems like a distant reality during these long winter months, many designers took a very different approach in developing their lines which may make it easier for you to start thinking about updating your wardrobe sooner rather than later. A unifying theme for all of the different trends is a focus on colours normally reserved for fall and winter. Browns, grays and black have been used for base pieces in many collections, with splashes of colour and white to add a spring-like flair to the ensembles. One particular trend is the decidedly 80s twist on this general pattern. Seen in the use of bold primary colours and polyfiber windbreakers coupled with high top sneakers, many designers have been inspired by the 80s in developing their collections for this season. The lineup that best exemplifies this style is perhaps Kris Van Assche’s line for Dior Homme. In his show in Paris last summer, models were clad in dark outfits paired with one or two highlight

pieces, often in bold primary colours, neons, or metallics, which were used to provide an extra pop of colour needed to make the outfits suitable for spring wear. However, it can be argued that Assche may have taken his inspiration from the days of New Wave a little too far by having his models sport comical interpretations of futuristic eyewear and more extreme pieces such as gold denim trousers encrusted with faux jewels. On a more subdued level, Michael Kors’ line up includes more simple designs with outfits that were more tastefully paired with a few bold yet understated pieces such as a cobalt blue rain coat (made of neoprene) or a yellow turtleneck worn with a black blazer. Yves Saint Laurent in typical minimalist fashion also managed to incorporate certain outfits that lead us to believe their designers took a glance into the past, showcasing blazers matched with turtlenecks and light-coloured pants. STYLE TIPS

THE LOOK: This trend is very easy to follow and you will most likely find yourself re-using items you already own for highlight pieces. But beware, 80s doesn’t mean Miami Vice or your father’s 25-year-old neon sweater. SHIRTS: Dark colours. The colour of the shirt is more important than style for this look, so stick with black, browns and grays. T-shirts, both V-neck and round neck, are great for casual wear. If you are dressing it up, a dark dress shirt with the same coloured tie or turtle neck paired with a similarly coloured blazer works best. Remember that base layer clothing is supposed to be more subdued, with bright colours used only for highlight pieces. PA TS: For pants you have two options, dark or white. If you want you want to wear denim, pick something with a very dark wash or go with a completely white pair (and I mean white and not just a very light wash). For dressing up, keep it sim-

ple with a pair of black trousers. OUTERWEAR: This is where colour can seriously come in. Be creative and make your jacket your highlight piece. Stick with strong primary colours (red, blue or yellow) if you want something that will last a couple of seasons. If you want to be bolder, go for metallic or neon. Many of the jackets used in the lineups of the major designers were windbreakers or raincoats made of polyfibers, and if you pick something that is waterproof you will have something that is both trendy and practical. SHOES: Footwear is a very important aspect of this trend. I recommend high top sneakers, but you must be careful how you choose them – avoid the bulky ones. If you spend a little extra you can get a dressier pair, allowing you to dress everything up a little more. Both up-andcoming trendy shoe companies, as well as higher end brands, offer their own take on this type of shoe and they will be better constructed – you might also treat

Because of the colour scheme used by many of the designers this season, certain pieces will be easy to incorporate into your wardrobe before the snow melts. The hidden blessing is that many of the things that you already own from last fall may still be trendy.

photos/trendhunter.com

Dior’s bejewelled pants for men.

STYLE ON CAMPUS KIRA STANFORD

First year crime, law and deviance JACKET CASA BLANCA BOOTS EMU JEANS SIRENS

FAZA MOHAMMED

Fourth year economics JACKET BUFFALO PANTS TOP MAN (UK) SHOES NIKE BAG DIESEL

crazy busy. Managing Jean-Philippe isn’t just busy. He’s HIV vaccine. Never ceasing to

an his biochemistry courses. Working on ed, you’re a great candidate explore new ideas. If you’re equally obsess a schola rship worth up to It’s . Award lence for the Millen nium Excel students who are not only for s unitie opport ng $10,00 0 plus unique learni innovators in their communities. academic achievers, but also leaders and It’s about attitude. Show us yours. Because it’s about more than grades.

them better knowing you spent a little more. ACCESSORIES: If you chose to accessorize, exercise lots of freedom. Your accessories should also be your highlight pieces, so don’t be scared to use some colour. Stick with cloth or rubber wristbands for watches (just replace your leather one or put it in storage) - you can thank GQ for that one.

Michael Kors’ Blue Windbreaker.

8 THE MEDIUM

MONDAY,FEBRUARY

9, 2009

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Th is isn ’t easy fo r me. Fo ur years ag o w he n I t o o k m y f i rs t s ta b a t “ p re dicting Oscar, ” I never thought th is would bec om e an a nnua l tr end. O f c ou r s e , mu c h o f t h a t had to do with the fact t h a t I go t s o g o o d a t i t . My r e c or d ? 1 8 f or 2 4 ov er t h e l ast three Academy Aw ar ds – o nly t he majo r categories r emember; I ne ver w ast e ti me w it h st u f f like B e st L ive A ct io n S h or t Fi l m. B u t se e, n o w t h er e ’ s t ha t l ev el of ex p e c t at io n h o ve r ing ov er me . I h a v e t o hi t s i x ou t o f ei g h t aga in. At leas t. And y ou t ho ug ht p i ckin g a pr esi d en t w a s h a r d . On Sunday, February 22, 2009 the 81st Academy Awards ceremony will take place at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood. Oscar-watchers can finally see whether all those bellwether awards – the Golden Globes, SAG, D i r e c t o r s ’ G u i l d , F i l m Critics, etc – really do influence the 5,000 or so Academy voting members (many of whom are so old, they still think Whoopi Goldberg’s hosting). All we know at this point is that cloud of dust over the horizon is supposed to have been kicked up by the runaway critical darling Slumdog Millionaire. What the fuck happened to Batman man? Herewith, my barely informed roundup of this year’s winners:

Best Supporting Actor Jos h B rolin – Milk Ro b e rt D o w n e y Jr. – Tropic Thunder Ph i l i p S e y m o u r H o f f m a n – Doubt Heath Ledger – The Dark Knight M i cha el S hannon – Revolutionary Road

Those who know me well will tell you that I think Seymour Hoffman is greatest method actor that ever graced the silver screen. Remember the hype after Capote? Well, forget that. I was enraged that nobody lis-

tened to me two years before that after I saw Love Liza. In Doubt, he was stellar. As usual. Alas, Hollywood loves two things – a good comeback story and hono u r i n g a n a c t o r after his tragic death. Downey Jr., whose promising career was derailed almost a decade ago by drugs, receives his second nomination sixteen years after play-

Best Actor R ichar d J enkins – The Visitor Fra nk Langel l a – Frost/Nixon Sea n P enn – Milk

Mer yl St reep – Doubt K ate Wins let – The Reader Ok no, seriously, who the hell watched Changeling? I didn’t. So I’m not even going there. I will tell you though, w hen I watched Mr and Mrs Smith (on free cable mind you), I was hoping Brad wou ld kill off Angelina and win the war. Hathaway’s chances are “romantic” at best. Still, it is acknowledgement that Rachel Getting Married (which I thought would be this year’s Juno) was her best

ing Charlie Chaplin. Heath Ledger, well, I don’t need to tell you what happened to him. I also don’t need to tell you that he’s going to pick this one up easy. Oh, but wouldn’t i t b e s o s w e e t i f everyone was proven wrong. I just love the underdog. Josh Brolin anyone?

Prediction: Heath “boo hoo – he’s dead” Ledger

Best Supporting Actress A my Adams – Doubt P enelope C ruz – Vicky Christina Barcelona Viola Da vis – Doubt Tar aji P. Henson – The Curious Case of Benjamin Button M ar isa Tomei – The Wrestler There’s something about Penelope Cruz in a Hollywood production that I just can’t stand. Maybe it’s that scene in Vanilla Sky when she s a y s “ o pe n y our eyes” in that annoying whisper. God, I hate Tom Cruise. On the other hand, Cruz is remarkably convincing in Spanish filmfare. I’m still wondering how she lost for Volver two years ago. For Woody Allen’s Vicky Christian Barcelona, she was a hoot. Henson is an interesting pick, especially when you consider how well nominated Benjamin Button is a n d t h e fa c t t h at it’s somehow threatening to sweep almost every statuette in sight. But no, I can’t say t h a t i t w i l l . B e cause days after watching Doubt, I was still wondering how Amy Adams managed to s t ea l t h a t m o vie from Meryl Streep.

Prediction: Amy Adams

Br ad Pit t – The Curious Case of Benjamin Button M ick ey Rourk e – The Wrestler One thing that seemed consistent with the reviews for Milk was the fabulous acting throughout. Critics even went as far as to say that Josh Brolin and Emile Hirsch “gave the performances of their career.” Penn of course didn’t need any praising. After I am Sam and Mystic River, people just expect him to be that good. I’m just wondering how he’s able to get better and better. But forget all that. What was I saying earlier about Hollywood and a good comeback story? Mickey Rourke spent fifteen years in the acting wilderness. Sin City launched his comeback. The Wrestler confirmed his arrival. Though I must say….Langella in Frost/ ixon was thrilling to watch.

Prediction: M i c k e y Rourke

Be st Ac tre s s An n e H a thaw ay – Rachel Getting Married An g e l i n a Jo l i e Changeling M el i ssa Leo – Frozen River

work to date. Streep has been nominated (and lost) for way better performances and Winslet is nominated for the wrong movie here (Revolutionary Road…How could they not?) So that crosses out all except for Leo in Frozen River. I don’t understand how Benjamin Button gets 13 nominations and yet no Best A ctress nod for Cate Blanchett.

Prediction: Kate Winslet

MONDAY, FEBRUARY

2, 2009 THE MEDIUM 9

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Sean Penn portrays Harvey Milk in the film about the politician’s life.

Anne Hathaway performs in Rachel Getting Married, for which she received an Oscar nod.

Best Adapted Screenplay Eric Roth and Robin Swicord – The Curious Case of Benjamin Button John Patrick Shanley – Doubt Peter Morgan – Frost/Nixon David Hare – The Reader Simon Beaufoy – Slumdog Millionaire Not too much to say here. But before we ship this one off to India, I just want to say that Roth (Forrest Gump, Munich) and Swicord’s adaptation of Fitzgerald’s piece of literature was astounding. Come to think of it, so was Shanley’s film version of his own play and David Hare’s work on The Reader. It’s a pity they released Slumdog in the same year.

Prediction : Simon Beaufoy – Slumdog Millionaire

Best Original Screenplay Courtney Hunt – Frozen River Mike Leigh – Happy Go

Lucky Martin McDonagh – In Bruges Dustin Lance Black – Milk Andrew Stanton, Jim Reardon, Pete Docter – WALL E Remember when WALL-E was released and in a week, managed to get into the top 5 of IMDB’s highest ranked films of all time? I’m serious, it almost toppled Shawshank. Fucking people aye? Anyone watched In Bruges? Delightful. Chances? Nadda. Unless this was Sundance or Cannes. No the academy is more susceptible to the middleupper production type films. But then again, Milk was SO uninspiring. Jenny Lumet’s Rachel Getting Married is an official absentee here. Very questionable‌

Prediction : Courtney Hunt – Frozen River

Best Director David Fincher – The Curious Case of Benjamin Button Ron Howard – Frost/Nixon Gus Van Sant – Milk

Frozen River is up for a Best Original Screenplay award at this year’s Oscars.

Brad Pitt travels through life in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, which is nominated for thirteen academy awards this year.

Stephen Daldry – The Reader Danny Boyle – Slumdog Millionaire First and foremost, omitting Darren Aronofsky (The Wrestler) is downright despicable. When Quentin Tarantino revived John Travolta in Pulp Fiction, he received an Oscar nod for recognition of the fact. Who the hell do you think Rourke is going to thank when he picks up the Best Actor? I have this lousy feeling that The Reader would come so close with all its nominations and not walk away with anything. We’re talking about what’s arguably the most riveting and rewarding film of the year here. And I say this as someone who’s sick of “Holocaust movies� already. Unfortunately, it doesn’t entertain the same way that Slumdog does. And love it or scratch your head, Danny Boyle must’ve worked magic on the set. However, because we all know what’s going to happen with the last and most coveted award of the night, the academy might just nudge this one over to Fincher.

Prediction: David Fincher – The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Best Picture

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button Frost/Nixon Milk The Reader Slumdog Millionaire Amazing isn’t it? The number two film of all time (box office earnings) shut out

of this one. This year’s awards would draw so much more hype if The Dark Knight were pitted against Slumdog. Now it’s almost a foregone conclusion. Benjamin Button, for all its 13 nominations, is really just a smokescreen for the inevitable. Let’s face it – Slumdog was simply too enjoyable. The only thing I can’t quite seem to digest is the film’s poster right alongside o Country for Old Men. It just‌isn’t‌right.

Prediction – Slumdog Millionaire

photos/outnow.ch

Slumdog Millionaire, which features a young telemarketer vying for ten million rupees on a game show, is odds on favourite to bag top honours.

10 THE MEDIUM MONDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2009

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

FRUSCIANTE REVELS

ALBUM IN REVIEW: THE EMPYREAN BY JOHN FRUSCIANTE MICHAEL DI LEO A&E EDITOR Thought and language are, to the artist, instruments of art. There is something to be said when a musical artist, rather than limiting themselves to the recollections of their standards (funk/junkie or otherwise), reflects within themselves in order reveal a deeper connection. The rut to which we have all been habituated: almost four years has passed since John Frusciante’s last release of a new record and little has changed in the way of our recent memories. Immense talent plus layered guitars plus occasional eclecticisms equals nice yet insubstantial Froosh record. The man’s got soul, but he ain’t got no bones. Think of The Empyrean as a graveyard. Unlike

its predecessors which were rushed (and as a result poorly mixed), this release off Record Collection features Frusciante at the top of his game both lyrically and production-wise. It also features help from some of his famous friends including Josh Klinghoffer, Flea, Johnny Marr, and The Sonus Quartet (of Gnarls Barkley touring fame). With a firm hand and a taste for the theatrics, Frusciante pulls you along an undulating current, from extreme highs to tranquil lows and back again – admittedly the concept part of this concept record. As described by John himself, “The main character [of the album] is a creative person who experiences the full spectrum of life’s ups and downs,” where “the musical dynamics work in tandem with these inner rises and falls he experiences.” This same dynamic is distilled and presented in the album’s opening track, “Before the Beginning.” Vocal-less and chock full of Eddie Hazel nostalgia, Frusciante plays his guitar like his momma just died, à la “Maggot Brain.” A soft, perpetual riff underlies the delayed drums and the soaring and screeching lead guitar. In true John fashion, solos come and go through both sides of the speakers, and despite the minimalist instrumentation, the sound covers wide sonic ground.

Not to be outdone, “Song to the Siren,” the second track on the album and a Tim Buckley cover, proves to be the yin to Before the Beginning’s yang. The lyrics are instantly recognizable, but the production work provides a different spin on the classic. Waving synths and organs mutate the already emotional lyrics into something that can be felt and not just heard. Though it may come as a surprise to some, it should be noted that there is very little on The Empyrean that is indicative of Frusciante’s work with the Chili Peppers – and certainly not of their latest record. Songs like “God” and “Heaven” have a tinge of rhythms past, but is mainly due to Flea’s bouncing and bopping lines. That being said, there is a clear amalgamation of concepts and tricks from his earlier solo records. The hazing synthesizers of A Sphere in the Heart of Silence, the fuzzed riffage of Inside of Emptiness, and the complex melodies of The Will to Death are all represented in The Empyrean in one way or another and provide a more complete view of Frusciante than ever heard. While his sixalbumsin-six-months attempted a stab at each of his individual musical qualities, The Empyrean provides all within one focused record. “Central,” arguably the record’s centrepiece, stands just over seven minutes long

and manages to combine all of Frusciante’s strengths. The rhythm guitar is relatively simple, but is strengthened with all the added layers. The piano, though dissonant, adds a quirky hook to the chorus to go along with the classic Klinghoffer beat. Amid tempo and time changes, string arrangements, and overdriven solos, Frusciante’s knack for creating strong melodies stands out. The vocals are unusually strong for the guitarist and add a certain power to the already robust arrangement. Similar estimations can be made about many of the other songs, each of which possess their own flair. In addition to its standout solo, “Enough of Me” features a jangly-pop chorus – no doubt the influence of a certain Johnny Marr. The vocal delivery and harmonies in “One More of Me” are enough for impact without any added instrumentation, and “Unreachable” is a foray into psychedelica. The Empyrean is an album of limits. High and low points are visited and explored and the music expands from narrow to wide. This quality, along with Frusciante’s trademark hooks, make for a captivating record – surely one of his strongest to date.

MMMMM

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MONDAY, FEBRUARY

9, 2009 THE MEDIUM 11

Making the most of the summer ALAIN LATOUR FEATURES EDITOR

Many students will tell you that university is about more than just going to class. To the casual observer strolling past Starbucks in the CCIT building, where fashionable students gather for hours to chat and sip lattes, or past the glass panes of the Blind Duck Pub, where others gulp down beer while perfecting their billiard skills, that would indeed seem to be the case. But aside from such casual activities, there are also more practical and rewarding extracurriculars. The Summer Generator program is one such activity. Born only two years ago, it constitutes part of the Media Generator, an organization that loans out video and electronic equipment to students and hosts workshops, collaborative projects, and media events. It’s composed of students, faculty, librarians and other staff members, and has the noble goal of fostering student production and distribution of digital media. The Media Generator is supported by the Provost’s Student Experience Fund and has initially targeted CCIT students but now seeks to address the entire UTM student community. The Summer Generator is a funding opportunity that takes place through the Media Generator during the summer. Any student can participate. All they have to do is submit a proposal and a budget for a project involving new media. It need not relate to UTM. The format can vary from video (short or long) to a website to a podcast. If their project is

Screen Capture from “Watched�

A movie still from “Watched,� one of the recipients of the Summer Generator grant. chosen, students receive roughly half of the grant money at the beginning of the summer and they can begin using Media Generator equipment with assistance from a trained facilitator. The second half of the grant is delivered in August upon submission of the final work. “We want students to branch out into new directions and expand the curriculum,� says Professor Marc Dryer, faculty chair of the Media Generator executive committee. “Traditionally, there have always been student-run newspapers and student-run radio stations. We wanted to set up something so that students could do the same through new

media. In other words, it’s about students producing new media for other students. Plus, they can make some money in the summer without having to take a job unrelated to their studies.� So far, it has proved a popular idea. Seven projects were granted

funding in the first year; they include the ambitious Vivid Campus, sort of a Twitter-like University of Torontowide micro-blogging service, and a digital topography site. As for the latest Summer Generator in 2008, a total of six projects were funded, three of which were led by student

members of Media Generator. The remaining three were open-call projects: one documentary, one mockumentary, and a trailer for a fulllength horror film that eventually became an actual full-length feature film. All three videos premiered on January 14. “I’m very excited,� says Cathy Chen, fourth-year VCC student and writer/director of “Dystrophyn,� a documentary about a 13-year-old boy named Michael who suffers from muscular dystrophy. “Michael is my teammate’s cousin,� explains Cathy, referring to Andrew Hilts, fellow student, producer and camera operator. “We wanted to tell his story.� The second film, “Becoming...a Yaoi Fan� by Anielyn Banasa and Ann Liao, explores the process of becoming a fan of Yaoi, a Japanese manga genre that focuses on homosexual male relationships even though it’s generally created by and for females. Mark Quintos, Melissa Goncalves, and Andrew Belram meanwhile are very enthusiastic about their project, “Watched.� It was supposed to be a trailer for a horror movie, but they have since shot enough material to make a feature-length film. “I’m a Biology student,� says Andrew, “but I really loved the experience of making a movie. It’s incredible.� An enhanced portfolio, cash, public recognition, and free equipment rentals. What’s not to like about the Summer Generator?

LINKS Media Generator Website: http://www.mediagenerator.ca/ Mediagenerator info: http://www.utm.utoronto.ca/icc/events.html

“Watched� trailer: http://www.youtube.com/ (use keywords “watched,� “trailer,� and “utm.�) Previous SummerGenerator award recipients: Digital Topography Site: http://www.dmitrisanimation.com/

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12 THE MEDIUM MONDAY,FEBRUARY 9, 2009

FEATURES

WHEELS FOR HIRE

A Bicycle built for you St. George’s Bikechain intiative: eco friendly and cheap AMIR AHMED

While the U-Pass takes some of the strain off commuter wallets, it also renders students dependent on the sometimes irregular, always cumbersome Mississauga transit service. A healthier, greener alternative to the morning drive or bus ride is the bicycle. And at the St. George campus, Bikechain strives to make this approach accessible. Supported by student levies, donations, and enthusiastic volunteers, Bikechain is a non-profit organization based in the basement of the International Student Centre downtown. It began during the 2004-2005 school year under the initiative to further develop the sustainable transportation of the downtown campus. Bikechain’s mission is to increase awareness on campus biking, assist bicyclists in mechanical maintenance, and lobby for improving cyclist-friendly infrastructure around the St. George campus. This January, the city of Toronto awarded Bikechain the “Best Overall Bicycle Friendly Business Award.” The award is given to businesses that demonstrate leadership in encouraging biking throughout their workplace. Sustainable transportation inside and outside of campus is the goal of the organization and others like it.

By offering rental bikes, Allyson, Amster ,coordinator of Bikechain, hopes that the organization will show students the ease of alternative transportation, and cause them to carry

This January, the city of Toronto awarded Bikechain the “Best Overall Bicycle Friendly Business Award.” The award is given to busi nesses that demon strate leadership in encouraging biking throughout their workplace. this lesson outside of University grounds and into the future. Students who use the excuseof not having themoney to buy a bicycle are out of luck. Bikechain now loans bikes for free to UofT students for two business days. Only a twentyfive dollar cash deposit is required, and the T-card must be shown along with another form of identification. The bikes are one speed, bright yellow, and come with a basket for carrying books. They are easily visible outside the IRC. Helmets and other safety equipment are not provided, although there are plans underway to change this in the near

future. For student cyclists whose bike needs repair, Bikechain once again provides the answer: free repair service. Also for the future, Bikechain aims to increase its fleet of rental bikes, and equip the bikes with lights for safer night travel The staff at Bikechain is a mix of volunteers and mechanics who use professional-grade tools to bring bikes up to speed – pun not intended. A shop also provides inexpensive small bike parts such as brake pads and chains. Bikechain also hosts a series of free seminars aimed at informing students of bike mechanics and simple repairs. A wheel-building lecture was held on January 28, and starting March 11, a seminar series will cover brake and gear repair, accident prevention, and basic maintenance. On February 5 at St. George, students will be able to enjoy the Bikechain movie night, which features free popcorn and two bicycle-related films. Students interested in volunteering at Bikechain may apply for positions in public relations, mechanics, advocacy, and more. Amster describes the current volunteers’ enthusiasm as “fantastic” and adds that many people who use the service become volunteers. More details can be found at bikechain.utoronto.ca, or at the downtown office. Just don’t take a car to get there.

There is always time to C.H.A.T. MAYA SHAHID

Students munched and crunched on samosas, spring rolls and dipped their dumplings in various sauces. Laughter and music bounced from various stalls set up at the UTM Student Centre. Although the temperature outside had dropped to minus seven degrees, a vibrant sun shined through the windows, complimenting the joyous atmosphere. It was February 2, and many groups had united for Unity through Diversity week in order to bond through sharing food. One group, however, not only served pizza but also spoke out to connect with the youth. As students gathered around the booth, Anu Bhatia, external executive of the club C.H.A.T., used a projector and microphone to outline the reasons why you may want to join the club. C.H.A.T. stands for Creating Healthy Attitudes Today. It was founded by Farheen Mohammad who was greatly affected by the Virginia Tech shootings on April 16, 2007. After finding several like-minded U of T students, she created C.H.A.T., whose goal is to create campus unity and awareness about healthy living. It also seeks to understand the factors that lead to incidents like the Columbine

massacre. Last year, C.H.A.T. held many events around campus such as a Virginia Tech memorial service, a valentine for the homeless, and a shelter run. This year, C.H.A.T. ran a workshop with grade seven and eight students at Lord Lansdowne Public School, downtown Toronto. The workshop’s goal was to allow students to understand the different types and symptoms of bullying. The students also participated in various activities to decode different forms of stereotypes and later on learned about different ways of healthy living. On that sunny February day at the Student Centre, C.H.A.T. succeeded in recruiting a couple of new members. It is, however, still looking for students interested in creating and fostering healthier attitudes. Those who are interested in joining, or want to learn more, can contact Ahmed Faress at a.faress @utoronto.ca.

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MONDAY, FEBRUARY

9, 2009 THE MEDIUM 13

FICTION

FEATURES

Creative Corner

WARNING: This story might make you cry MARY DYTYNIAK

“I really don’t know how my Dad is going to take this. You never really know with him. He acts so tough and never shows his emotions,â€? Mom says. Mom leads my father and I through the long, escalading corridor linking the parking lot and the ER wing of St. Joseph’s Hospital in Toronto. I trail behind Mom as she approaches the nurse seated at a large service desk at the front of the room. “Hiii. Uhh, my mother just passed away. I was wondering if you could tell me where she is? My dad should be here already,â€? Mom asks the nurse. Bold, black letters spell out the name “SUSANâ€? on her nametag. “What’s the name?â€? asks Susan. “Juszkiewicz. Jay, you, es, kay,â€? Mom fidgets with her purse, struggling to keep it on her shoulder. “Oh, yes. Right this way,â€? Susan replies. Susan slowly rises from the swivelling office chair and walks towards the automatic glass doors. They slide open immediately. A large, brightly lit hallway stretches before us. Mom looks at me and frowns, her eyes shining with restrained tears. Mom enters the hallway first. Dad gently presses his palm against my back, ushering me onwards. I swallow loudly, the wet sound resonating through my ears. Breathe, just breathe. “How you holding up, Mary?â€? Dad asks me. “Aheem,â€? I let out a grunting cough. “Fine,â€? I mutter. A tense, strong sensation seizes the back of my throat. I shake it off. I will not cry in public. My parents and I tread behind Susan in her pale blue scrubs. The fluorescent light from the ceiling pours over the yellow drywall dividing each room filled with patients, appartus’, and bad food. The hallway snakes and slithers left and right until we are brought to a segregated waiting room. “You can wait here until we locate the room for you,â€? says Susan. Susan smiles and turns to leave. Dad catches her by the arm before she takes off. “Can you tell me where the bathroom is?â€? Dad whispers. “Yes, of course. Right this way.â€? Susan and Dad disappear beyond the doorway. Mom sits on the burgundy cushioned wooden chair. I remain standing. Mom’s voice is quiet as she speaks, “You know, I always knew this was gonna happen. I just didn’t think it’d be this soon. It’s really hard losing a parent for the first time.â€? “Yeah. I just hope Grandpa is okay. I have no idea how he’ll deal with it,â€? I respond. I make my way towards a printed painting of a sailboat. It hangs on the wall across from Mom. I gaze into the scene and lose myself within the curling white waves, the sharp linear outline of the boat, the‌ “Mary,â€? Mom asks, “How are you doing? I know this must be hard for you.â€? The question strikes me to the

core. The onset of tears is difficult to control. My voices cracks, “I’m‌,â€? I clear my throat and shut my eyes tight. I turn to face Mom. “It’s just so‌ so hard to believe.â€?

“I know, sweety. It’s hard. We all thought she had a few more months. We all thought she’d make it through the winter. She won’t even be around for Christmas this year.� I push my clenched fists against seams of my TNA jacket pockets. My body has never felt so tense and stiff. I bite down on my lower lip. The pain distracts me. Mom stands up and puts her arm around my shoulders. “I know, sweety. It’s hard. We all thought she had a few more months. We all thought she’d make it through the winter. She won’t even be around for Christmas this year.� Mom’s eyes are glassy. I look away, my eyes burning into the painting. I try not to think of watching Irving Berlin’s White Christmas with her on Christmas Eve, the wet kisses she smacked on our cheeks upon entering her house on Gardener Avenue. The heavy wooden door sighs open. A new nurse enters. Diane will escort us to our deceased Babcia. Babcia is the polish word for Grandmother. Diane’s scrubs are salmon coloured. They make me cringe. We make our way through another set of winding hallways. I spot Uncle Pete standing outside Room 331. Pete’s hands are neatly folded across his stomach. “I’m sorry for your loss,� he says. Pete’s formality and sombre tone are foreign. Where is his smile? His bright, brown eyes? His outstretched arms waiting for my embrace? “Thank-you, Peter,� Mom responds to her brother-in-law. Mom strides forward, searching for Grandpa within the room. I hang back. “Uhh, I’m just gonna wait for my Dad. Make sure he gets here on his own,� I tell Pete. I cross my arms and stand a few feet away from the open doors of Babcia’s room. I catch a glimpse of plastic yellow curtains, some kind of heart machine, and Grandpa’s face. Grandpa’s large, plastic-framed glasses are drenched in tears. His sun-splotched hands tremble within Mom’s grasp. I jump. Dad just grabbed my shoulders. “Let’s go over to Grandpa,� he whispers. Dad’s strong arms guide me forward. My sneakers tap along the cold, linoleum floor. I can’t do this. I can’t cry. I bite my lower lip harder. The room reveals itself to me, the door frame disappearing. It reeks of strange, unfamiliar chemicals. Grandpa is talking to Mom, sputtering about Cloverdale Mall, her heart stopping, and how he was in the bathroom when it happened. Babcia lies on a metal hospital bed behind

Grandpa. The skin on her face is a shade of pale I’ve never seen before. Her skin is wrinkled and her eyes are shut. A tube hangs out the right side of her mouth. That’s not Babcia. That’s a corpse. I avert my eyes. I rest my hand on Grandpa’s left shoulder. He immediately turns to hug me. He cradles me from left to right before letting go. I can’t handle this. I look up at Mom. She’s crying. My head begins ringing, my jaw starts to tremble and my vision blurs. Next thing I know, Dad is hugging me and I’m soaking his black Parka with tears. My arms are wrapped around him like I’m five years old again. I’ve never felt this safe. My older sister Natalie arrives. Her face is beet red and tears are streaming down her pale face. Natalie bawled her eyes out on the subway line she took from the University of Toronto to St. Joseph’s. She didn’t care that people

were staring at her. My brother Michael was having coffee with acquaintances at York University when Dad announced over his cell phone speaker, “Babcia’s dead.� Michael wept his way across campus to his apartment, where he was left alone to deal with the loss. A catholic priest arrives about an hour later to pray over Babcia. All of us present clasp hands during the prayers. We wait another hour for Grandpa to collect himself. Natalie and I are designated to take Grandpa home while Mom and Dad make the arrangements. Grandpa continually repeats how Babcia’s heart just stopped working, right there in the middle of Cloverdale Mall. He’s still in shock. “I don’t know what I’m going to do. She’s gone. Just like dat,� he tells me. Grandpa gazes at me, tears still in his eyes. Tears he had been crying for past three to four hours. I do all I can to contain myself. “I know, Grandpa. It’s going to be

really hard without her.� Natalie and I put out arms around Grandpa, one shoulder each. “Come on, Grandpa. Me and Natalie are going to take you home,� I tell him. Grandpa sighs heavily, his chest heaving. “Okay. I guess it’s time to go,� he mumbles. The three of us start down the long, winding hallway of St. Joseph’s hospital, one step at a time.

Volunteer for The Medium and write for the Features section. To find out how, email Alain at features@ mediumonline.ca or drop by the The Medium office.

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14 THE MEDIUM MONDAY,FEBRUARY 9, 2009

The Majors’ new pink jerseys? CHRISTOPHER SA’D SPORTS EDITOR

Many would say it’s a little unmasculine to play on an ice surface that is completely blotched in pink. However, the Mississauga St. Michael Majors feel that there’s nothing feminine or wrong about supporting a growing cause that can only benefit those in dire need of help. On February 13, the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) and the Majors will tie up their skates and tape their sticks to aid in the struggle with breast cancer that many in Mississauga have faced over the past decade. The Majors are rolling out their second year with the “Paint the Rink Pink” event at the Hershey Centre, hoping for yet another successful turnout to witness them against rivals Barrie Colts. Imagine a packed house and an

exhilarating game on pink ice. That’s exactly what took place last year when Majors fans found out about this very event. This year, the Majors are hoping for an even better turnout and bigger spectacle. To achieve this, they have even invited Mississauga Mayor Hazel McCallion and OHL Commissioner David Branch to participate in the opening ceremonies. All proceeds from ticket sales last year’s game were handed to the Canadian Breast Cancer Federation (CBCF) and the same form of charity is planned this year as well. Tickets are priced at $1 for all group sales and $2 for all individual tickets sold. The Majors could potentially raise over $10,000 that would go toward CBCF research. “It’s an exciting event that the whole team supports. I think it’s a great cause that shouldn’t be left out,” commented Majors center and UTM student Jared Gomes. Not only will the rink be painted pink on Friday, but the Majors team is set to wear pink jerseys along with their head coach and GM Dave Cameron who will, supposedly, sport a pink tie.

As well, the referees are voluntarily donning pink and black uniforms. Clearly, it’s set to be a gala of pink for a memorable time in the rink. As an added bonus, all pinks jerseys and specially-made pink sticks will be auctioned online right after the festivities on Friday. All proceeds from these sales will go to CBCF as well. “Wearing the pink jerseys is a great way for hockey fans to be aware of breast cancer, and it should be something to support,” added Gomes. “It’s definitely going to be a change playing on pink ice.” This is Gomes’ first time at the event after joining the Majors from the Sarnia Sting in August. Ever since, he has become a leader and point gobbler for the Majors, tallying 44 points in 52 games played. But the game means a little more than just a genuine and heartening cause. The Majors have recently skyrocketed back into fourth place in the Eastern conference and are striving to climb even higher in the rankings. A win against the Colts would mean pulling further away from the fifth place

Niagara Ice Dogs. The Colts meanwhile are aiming to surpass the Majors, and after their recent win against the London Knights, the Colts’ World Junior gold medalist Stefan Della Rouvere and his teammates are heading to the Hershey Centre with fire in their eyes. The Colts are seventh in the Eastern Conference and a win can push them pass the Oshawa Generals for sixth. This is a game set to be full of action, hits, fits and a whole lot of goals. More significantly, it’s an important game that will help either team advance to the playoffs. Come show your support and help raise awareness with “Paint the Rink Pink 2” at the Hershey Centre at 7:30 p.m. this Friday. photo/Matthew Filipowich

Jared Gomes showcasing the Majors pink jersey.

EXCELLENCE AWARDS photo: Melissa Heide

2008 Recipients

Nominations are now open for the 2009 U of T Mississauga Excellence Awards. Student-led nominations are encouraged. Nomination deadline: May 22. Research Excellence Award (faculty) Staff Service Award (staff) Teaching Excellence Award (course instructors & TAs) Nomination details are available online:

www.utm.utoronto.ca/excellence.0.html

MONDAY, FEBRUARY

9, 2009 THE MEDIUM 15

INTRAMURALS: TABLES AND SCORES

SPORTS

The hasty Senators Ottawa have been far from Sensational in their 2008 09 campaign, especially with no one carrying the load of a bad season MATTHEW SABUCCO

Hockey fans in Ottawa have been left frustrated lately as the lacklustre Senators have been subject to yet another coaching change and possibly another disappointment at the helms. In a questionable move, Senators head coach Craig Hartsburg was relieved of his duties after only 48 games and a 17-24-7 record. Though the senators have struggled this season, their troubles trace back to before Hartsburg’s term as coach, and in fact go back as far as November 2008. Leading up to the 2005-06 season, the Ottawa Senators were not known for their playoff success. Losing to the Toronto Maple Leafs time and time again, they were widely considered playoff duds. After a successful regular season in 2005-06 however, expectations for the Sens shot up, and they delivered on all fronts. The team brushed off their bad playoff reputation and advanced to the conference finals in the 2006-07 playoffs before losing to the Anaheim Ducks in five games. Senator fans stood disappointed at the loss, but their first appearance in the Stanley Cup final was a breath of fresh air from their previous failures

and a promise for the future. Then the unexpected happened. Instead of rewarding a team that made it to the finals, Senator’s owner Eugene Melnyk fired GM Brian Muckler and promoted head coach Brian Wilson. The move was deemed questionable to say the least, considering that it meant the splitting up of the general manager and coach combination which brought the team success. Presumably, the message posted was that the only acceptable result was to win the Stanley Cup. Perhaps this was lost in translation. After a good start to the 2007-08 season the Senators began to plummet, failing to advance past the first round of the playoffs after getting swept by the Pittsburgh Penguins. It seemed that the message sent after the Senators’ remarkable cup drive the season prior did not imprint in the players’ heads, and perpetuated the “culture of losing” instead of motivating the team. What was seen as a success in the hockey world was treated as a failure in Ottawa, and they stumbled over the process of mimicking the magic from the 2006-07 campaign.

Senators must begin to take some responsi bility for the mess and stop dragging different coaches through the mud. Ottawa have only tinkered with their line-up, but have ran the gauntlet with coaches John Paddock, Brian Murray, and Craig Hartsburg all acting as the bench boss at some time or another. Each experiment resulted in the same conclusion, begging the question: When will the general manager or owner take responsibility for the poor performance of this team? If

the problem is on the ice, the player holds the responsibility of making it better, but it is also the general manager’s job to put a competitive roster in place. Wilson seems to follow the same tactic as when he was with the Los Angeles Kings, pushing the blame

on others for the purpose of saving his own behind. The situation in Ottawa is definitely a head scratcher, as it seems there is a rapidly revolving door for coaches, but no one else is taking responsibility. Even if the coaches were a problem,

who is it that keeps hiring these individuals who do not seem to make a difference? The general manager and owner of the Ottawa Senators must begin to take some responsibility for the mess and stop dragging different coaches through the mud.

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Players Stats

Division 1

Division 1

Eastern Block 4 v Bundesliga 3 Internazionale 4 v Bernardinho's 3 Spartans 2 v FC Ballkickers 4

Name Team M. Bialy Bundes. F. Vaccaro FCB B. Serdar FCI J. Smits Bemar. J. Ssennyonjo Spartans

Division 2 FC Legacy 1 v T he Trojan s 3 FC Ballkicke rs Default win v PLC Fiji 2 v Th e UN 8 Bangladesh 2 v Supe r Strikers 3 You ng Stunn a Gunn az 9 v MASA 2 Saint Kitts & Nevis 3 v Viking s 4

Standings Division 1 Team Eastern Block FC Ballkickers FC Internazionale Spartans Bundesliga Bernardinho's

W 2 1 1 1 0 0

D 0 1 0 0 1 0

L 0 0 1 1 1 2

TP 6 5 4 4 3 2

GP 2 2 2 2 2

TP 5 4 4 4 3

2 2 2 2 2

6 6 5 5 5

Division 2 P ool A A. Jammeh U.N. D. Dahonick YSG S. Scandiffio U.N. O. Unchar YSG S. Abol Naja MASA

Next Game...Week 3 Division 1 Feb. 10 FC Internazionale v E. Block @ 10am Bemardinho’s v FC Ball. @11am.

Division 2

Feb. 12

Pool A Young Stunna Gun. BangladeshFK MASA Vikings Super Strikers Saint Kitts and Nev.

Spartans v Bundesliga @ 12pm 2 1 1 1 1 0

0 0 0 0 0 0

0 1 1 1 1 2

6 4 4 4 4 2

Pool B The Trojans The U.N. Figi FC Ballkickers FC Legacy PLC

2 2 1 1 0 0

0 0 0 0 0 0

0 0 1 1 2 2

6 6 4 4 2 2

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Feb. 12 Pool B Super Strikers v YSG @ 9am Saint Kitts v Bangla. @ 10am Vikings v MASA @ 11am

To qualify for student pricing, student must present either (i) a T2202a documenting 4 or more months of full-time attendance at a college or university during 2008 or (ii) a valid high school identification card. Expires July 31, 2009. Must also qualify for Instant Cash Back and Cash Back products. See office for details. Valid only at participating H&R Block locations in Canada. SPC Card offers valid from 08/01/08 to 07/31/09 at participating locations in Canada only. For Cardholder only. Offers may vary, restrictions may apply. Usage may be restricted when used in conjunction with any other offer or retailer loyalty card discounts. Cannot be used towards the purchase of gift cards or certificates.

16 THE MEDIUM MONDAY,FEBRUARY 9, 2009

SPORTS

BASEBALL CLASSIC

World Baseball Classic may lead to successful MLB season It has become a trend, after every WBC tournament the MLB finds that their stars produce a little more than expected, and the Blue Jays are one team to notice this time around. ANDREW TYSIAK

Unfortunately for Canadian baseball fans, all of the excitement surrounding this year’s World Baseball Classic (WBC) will not measure into success. Even though first round games for Pool C will be held at the Rogers centre in Toronto for the first time ever, Canada will most likely not be able to field a team that will match the hype of such an event. Canada’s pitching rotation was expected to display the nation’s strength heading into the competition, but is now a cause of serious concern after three key pitchers recently pulled out. All expectations have since plummeted down to the bottom of the scale. Jeff Francis, who helped lead the Colorado Rockies into a 2007 World Series appearance, has declared himself unavailable due to nagging shoulder problems. Chicago Cubs pitchers Ryan Dempster and Rich Harden have also pulled out because of pressures from their club. The Cubs are reportedly concerned that both pitchers would risk injury while playing for Team Canada and are also reluctant to have two of their pitchers missing a portion of spring training while participating in the

baseball classic. Despite the bleak outlook for Team Canada, if you’re a Toronto Blue Jays fan, you can look upon this baseball classic with excitement. There are six members from the Blue Jays participating in the WBC for their respective countries, providing these players with an advantage going into the Major League season. BJ Ryan and Vernon Wells are starting for the USA, while Alex Rios and Marco Scutaro are off to Puerto Rico and Venezuela respectively. Rod Barajas rounds off the list as he travels south of the border to Mexico. Setting aside the risk of injury, you can look at the WBC as prespring training. The tournament basically serves as an extra month of conditioning for players to work themselves into game shape and work out all the kinks before the major league season starts. This specifically provides an advantage for the hitters, who have historically been known to have slower starts to the season in comparison to their pitching counterparts. The Statistics prove it all; let’s look at a couple of Blue Jays players and their performances after participating in the 2006 World

photos/redsox.mlb.com & metsfever.blogspot

Boston Red Sox Jason Bay (left) playing for Canada and Blue Jays’ Alex Rios (right) for Puerto Rico. Baseball Classic. Toronto center fielder Vernon Wells went on to hit .303 with 32 homers and 106 RBIs that season. Not only did that earn him a spot in the All Star game, but it also convinced the Blue Jays to sign him to a seven-year, $126 million contract extension. Now Wells did not exactly live up to that contract during the 2 007 and 20 08 MLB seasons, but it should be pointed out that the World Baseball Classic was not held during those two years. Right fielder Alex Rios also had success after the 2006 World Baseball Classic. Subsequently, he went on to hit .330 with 15 homers and 53 RBIs heading into the AllStar break, earning him a spot in

the All Star game as well. Since then, he too has signed a high-profile contract with the Jays. Despite the low expectations for the Blue Jays heading into this year’s MLB season, you can at

Morrison to Lakers, Radmanovic to Charlotte CHARLOTTE, N.C. (CP) The Charlotte Bobcats traded managing partner Michael Jordan's first draft pick on Saturday, sending struggling forward Adam Morrison and reserve guard Shannon Brown to the Los Angeles Lakers for forward Vladimir Radmanovic.

Jussi Jokinen joins the Hurricanes Toronto (TSN) – The Carolina Hurricanes have acquired for ward Jussi Jokinen from the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for forward Wade Brookbank, defenceman Josef Melichar and a fourth round draft pick in the 2009 Entry Draft. “Jussi is a skilled, two positional player that can be used in all situations,” Hurricanes President and General Manager Jim Rutherford said in a press release. “He will add depth to our team at an important time of the season.”

Argo’s Dominique Dorsey hitting the NFL schedule Mississauga – Toronto Argonauts RB/KR Dominique Dorsey has signed a contract with the Washington Redskins of the NFL. Dorsey was named CFL Outstanding Special Teams Player in 2008, and was named a unanimous choice for Team Most Outstanding Player and Outstanding Special Teams Player.

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least expect an improvement in the team’s offensive abilities, this, despite an almost identical lineup to last year’s dismal hitting team. For this, you may well be thanking the World Baseball Classic.

“I don't go out there for the numbers, I just play my game.” - Lebron James after his game at Madison Square Garden, where he notched 52 points, 11 assists and 9 rebounds against the Knicks, becoming the only player to have multiple 50-point games since Michael Jordan. AP, wickedlocal.com

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