Vol 35 issue 5 by The Medium

The Voice of the University of Toronto at Mississauga

MEDIUM THE

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2008

VOLUME 35, ISSUE 5

www.mediumonline.ca

Concert review: My Blood Valentine

A student’s life changing experience

A new era for the Leafs

Page 11

Page 7

Page 16

UTM student faces deportation MEREDITH LILLY NEWS EDITOR

Saad Alam, a Bangladeshi UTM student, is facing deportation on October 3 along with his family. The third year life sciences and psychology student hopes to continue his education in Canada, but a strict deportation order prevents him from applying for a temporary study permit. The Alams moved to Canada five years ago. In 2004, the family lost their bid for refugee status. Since then, two subsequent appeals have been rejected.

The Ontario Public Interest Research Group at the University of Toronto, along with the No One is Illegal Toronto student network are organizing a march and rally on September 30 to support Alam’s bid to continue his education in Canada. The two organizations are currently circulating a petition requesting that the minister of immigration, Diane Finley, stop the deportation. In the petition they request a suspension of the removal order and that the Alam family be granted permanent status in Canada. They appeal for the entire family, and make a special plea for Saad. According to the No One is Illegal website, Alam is a deserving student

From movement to marketing

who worked his way through university paying international tuition fees. He earned a scholarship to attend UTM, and was actively involved on campus serving as vice-president of the Bangladeshi Students’ Federation. The government is not the only institution concerned, students are lobbying; they are calling upon the University as well. Last March, York University student Sarah Leonty was granted a two- year stay in Canada to continue her studies following a student demonstration. The successful demonstration fueled an Ontario Coalition Against Poverty movement called “Don’t Ask

Photo/Matthew Filipowich

“The revenue being generated from advertisement is going towards funding campaigns and event projects to enhance the student experience at UTM,” said a student union council member. The ads are coordinated through Rouge Campus who specialize in providing access to the post-secondary market.

towards becoming a sanctuary. Broader reforms to immigration policy are forefront in the campaign. Chowdhury identifies a neo-colonial aspect of the current policy: “We exert unjust control over other societies, essentially forcing countries to displace their citizens. The highest number of immigrants come from the countries that we occupy. We destroy their resources, control their economics, and then treat them as second-class citizens.” The march and rally to support the Alams begins Tuesday, September 30 at 12 p.m. near Sidney Smith Hall. Those interested can sign the petition online at www .ipetitions.com /petition/Stop_Student_Deportations

The Honorable Bill Davis addresses UTM MEREDITH LILLY NEWS EDITOR

Students starting the school year were greeted with new advertisements in the UTMSU-owned student centre.

Don’t Tell,” referring to citizenship status. The policy changes called for by Don’t Ask Don’t Tell are intended to make essential services, such as healthcare and policing, accessible to everyone regardless of status. “As critical students, we should think about the production of illegality. Why are we criminalizing people displaced by war and poverty?” challenged Fariah Chowdhury, “The system is cracked. It doesn’t serve people. It is in the government’s interests to maintain unjust immigration policies to preserve a cheap, exploitable pool of labour.” The activists would like to see the U of T administration take steps

On Wednesday, the Honorable Bill Davis presented on the state of postsecondary education in Ontario. The presentation is part of the University of Toronto Mississauga’s Breakfast Speakers’ Series. As the Peel Region Member of Provincial Parliament, Davis served the John Robarts cabinet as the education minister beginning in 1962. Davis made many innovations to education in Ontario and was instrumental in the founding of UTM in 1967. He has been involved in the evolution of UTM since its inception. Davis began by addressing the changing vision of UTM: “The greatest thing that UTM has contributed to the U of T system, is an emphasis on the relevance of the student experience. The downtown campus is now paying more attention to the quality of life for their students.” An emphasis on partnerships with the outside community and options for increased student involvement were cited as ways that student life has been enriched on the Mississauga campus. “If you don’t have a good undergraduate program, you won’t have a good graduate program,” s aid Davis.

Athletics were emphasized as a vital part of the student experience, integral to promoting school spirit and maintaining the loyalty of alumni. D avis urged the audience to reconsider the importance of athletic scholarships: “If you are under the impression that athletic scholarships are crass and unsuitable, you should have a closer look at the s cholarsh ips offered in the Ivy leagues.” U of T has experienced difficulties in appealing across campus boundaries. Davis explained that U of T is underfunded by alumni in comparison with other universities. He attributes the underfunding partially to a lack of athletic events. “Part of the problem here is that funding has been primarily from the government. We have not received the historic support of the Alumni,” observed Davis. Davis pointed out other shortcomings in the education funding system, calling on the federal government to offer more support and make it a part of the election dialogue. “On a per capita basis, post-secondary education is underfunded. It should be made part of the federal mandate. Universities are national institutions. They should not be effected by provincial boundaries,” Davis advocated. According to the Canadian constitution, post- secondary education

is under provincial jurisdiction. A change in the funding scheme would be a significant shift in policy. “Federal leaders have to bring education into the debate. The public is not seeking it. I have great respect for our constitution, but I also feel that the federal government should take interest in postsecondary education,” said Davis. Davis cited a poll where there were significant inconsistencies in student and non-student satisfaction with the Canadian post-secondary system. Institutions reliant upon funding from outside sources face a unique challenge in communicating their needs. “I do not mean to be critical,” said Davis, “but a large part of the reputation of a university is built upon the word-of-mouth accounts of students. That is why the student experience is so important. The University of Toronto has the tendency to mark harder than other universities. Students consider this if they want to go on to graduate studies. It’s not all bad, but it needs to be understood.” Around fifty people, many alumni, attended the presentation and breakfast. “Bill Davis is one of the most important people in the history of education in Ontario,” said UTM political science professor Graham White. “It is an honour that he addressed us today.”

2 THE MEDIUM

Monday, September 29, 2008

NEWS

Josey Vogels talks sex at UTM PATRICK NAVAL

Photo// UTM Sexual Education & Peer Counseling Centre

Josey Vogels shows students how it’s done.

Last Tuesday, the UTM Sexual Education & Peer Counseling Centre (SEC) hosted its first annual “Sex Talk with Josey Vogels.” An acclaimed journalist, Josey Vogels is also a specialist in the field of sexuality and relationships. Her expertise is featured in three other newspaper columns and can be heard weekly on the radio station, The Edge 102.1. She is the author of five books, including the recently released “Bedside Manners: Sex Etiquette Made Easy.” Throughout the event, Josey’s approach was refreshing and honest and students in attendance had the opportunity to learn and discuss sex in a very casual manner. Josey often used humor and personal experience in order to break the ice and raise awareness on topics that are normally considered taboo. As Josey maintains, “it’s sex people. We all do it. Why not talk about it?” The issues tackled included sexual fetishes and masturbation.

Tara, a UTM student, was impressed on how open and encouraging Josey was. “The sex toys and the Midwest Teen Sex Show were great. I thought she was really funny and very open. Plus, she was very informative especially about health,” commented Tara. The highlight of the evening was when Josey asked four students to come up on stage and participate in The Great Canadian Sex Show. The students were asked questions such as: “How long does it take before the morning pill loses its effectiveness?” and “what percentage of Canadians under the age of 25 will contract a sexually transmitted infection?” (72 hours and 25%, in case you’re wondering). When asked about the difference in student attitudes today towards sexuality, in comparison to what they were during her college days, Vogels noted a positive change: “I remember back then there was a lot of attention towards HIV. As a result, the topic of sex became more politicized and people avoided discussing issues which related to sex. Now, I find that the tolerance with

being open with sexuality has improved drastically. You know, it’s good to see that people are asking more questions, they’re more curious and want to explore their sexuality in a deeper level.” Vogels also noted that students today bombarded with information can be more vulnerable to misinformation. “I find that people tend not to question things and are very volatile. They usually hate to admit that they don’t understand certain things about sex which often leads to vague and generic ideas. I guess the most common misconception for men involves sexual performance while girls are most unclear when it comes to the “big O” and birth control.” “The whole evening was very interactive. Overall, Josey’s lighthearted personality and her ability to engage the crowd on so many levels made the night a success,” said Sulmaz Ghoraishi, S.E.C head coordinator. For more information about Josey, visit www.joseyvogels.com. For sex information closer to home, visit your local UTM SEC office located in the Student Centre.

Campus Police Weekly Summaries September 19 - September 23, 2008 September 19, 2008 2:15 a.m Causing a disturbance Campus Police investigated two males involved in a heated argument on campus. Peel Regional Police were contacted after one of the parties left the campus in his vehicle. September 19, 2008 9:05 a.m. Mischief under $ 5000 A University pay & display machine was vandalized in a parking lot. The repair costs estimated at $200. September 21, 2008 4:30 p.m. Transport to hospital A student living on residence was

transported to Credit Valley Hospital for illness. September 21, 2008 12:19 a.m. Domestic dispute Campus Police attended an apartment complex on campus in r e g a r d s t o a r e lationship issue. Campus Police barred one of the parties, a non-community member, from campus. September 21, 2008 2:00 a.m. oise complaint Campus Police attended a townhouse unit on campus in regards to a noise complaint. The host of the party was instructed to shut down the music and clear out the guests.

September 21, 2008 10:23 a.m. Transport to hospital A student was transported to Credit Valley Hospital for injuries sustained on campus earlier that day.

into the Recreational Athletics & Wellness Centre with another UTM student’s identification card. Both males were cautioned by Campus Police.

September 21, 2008 3:10 p.m. oise complaint Campus Police attended a parking lot adjacent to an apartment complex in response to a noise complaint. Occupants inside a parked motor vehicle were instructed to turn down their car stereo.

September 22, 2008 1:56 a.m. Transport to hospital A student living on residence was transported to Credit Valley Hospital for illness.

September 21, 2008 4:50 p.m. Trespassing A male not affiliated with the University attempted to gain entry

because once you start, you can never stop learning! Come to this fair to learn about admission requirements, types of programs, application deadlines and more! You’ll be able to speak with representatives from: Education/Teaching Graduate Schools/Programs Health Care & Medicine

Ontario Colleges/Post-Degree Programs Law MBA/Business & Management Dentistry Social Work and more!

For full details & a complete participant list, please visit www.utm.utoronto.ca/careers

September 22, 2008 2:41 p.m. Transport to hospital A student that fainted on campus was transported to Credit Valley Hospital.

September 23, 2008 12:58 a.m. Suspicious male A male not affiliated with the University was investigated for trespassing. The male was identified and left the University property without incident. September 23, 2008 1:19 p.m. Causing a disturbance Campus Police investigated a student involved in a heated argument inside the Student Centre with attendants at the information desk. The student was cautioned for his behaviour.

UTM CAREER CENTRE

ALSO, DON’T FORGET ABOUT: The Road to Grad School Workshop Tuesday, September 30 | 11 am - 12 pm OISE/UT Initial Teacher Education Info Session Wednesday, October 1 | 12 pm - 1 pm Register @ www.utm.utoronto.ca/careers

Monday, September 29, 2008

THE MEDIUM 3

NEWS

Students get experience KIRSTEN HILL

The Career Centre hosted the Get Experience Fair last Wednesday in the Recreation, Athletic and Wellness Centre (RAWC). At the fair, a variety of exhibitors presented the various ways students can get involved on campus, within the community and around the world. According to Kristen Stolze, the employer events and services coordinator at the Career Centre, this year’s Get Experience Fair was a success: “The fair is a great way to educate students on the importance of gaining experience outside the classroom. Employers are interested in students who have gained skills and experiences not only through academics but also through part-time jobs, volunteering and extra-curricular activities.” There were over 700 students who attended the fair and 48 organizations that participated. “Me to We,” an organization based on the idea of responsible style clothing, was new to the fair this year. All the clothing that they manufacture is organic and one hundred per cent cotton or bamboo. The clothing is also sweatshop-free and fifty per cent of the profits go the organization, Free the Children. Students were presented with an opportunity to get involved in the upcoming federal election at the Elections Canada booth. Elections Canada hopes that as students become a part of the inner workings of the country’s electoral process, they will gain an understanding of the system and the role they play.

Photo/Matthew Filipowich

Students scan the booths at the Get Experience Fair. According to Tom Moy, an assistant returning officer who was recruiting students at the booth, students should get involved with the elections, “as the easiest way to change a process is from within.” Youth Challenge International offered students an opportunity to participate in hands-on projects in developing countries around the

world. The durations of the projects range from five to ten weeks. Acclaim Health was offering a unique, but rewarding opportunity to volunteer with seniors in the community. Abeer Faruqui, the coordinator of volunteer recruitment, expressed that as a volunteer visiting with the seniors, “you brighten their life”. Students were present at the fair

searching for an array of opportunities. Marcedes Andrews-Overell, a second-year student, was looking to get involved abroad while Jin Xiaoyun and Sito Yesi, also second year students, were seeking volunteer and internship opportunities. Students overall were aware of the fact that employers want community

involvement. Others, like first-year student Natasha Terzievski, were attempting to find part-time work. The substantial variety of organizations represented, and the large number of students who participated, helped make the Get Experience Fair an enjoyable and productive event for all.

Canadian Kennel Club educates dog owners SHELLEY BAHORIE

Photo/Shelley Bahorie

Responsible dog owners have a look at all Toronto Animal Services has to offer.

The Canadian Kennel Club (CKC) hosted their first Responsible Dog Ownership Day (RDOG) on Saturday at their head office in Toronto to conclude the National Responsible Dog Ownership Week. The American Kennel Club also held a similar event this week making it a North American-wide affair. The purpose of this event was to inform dog owners of their responsibility and obligations as a pet owner. “All owners must be responsible, regardless of the breed, because they are on the other end of the leash,” explains manager of communications and marketing, Sonny Allinson. The CKC is a non-profit national organization that centres on providing registration services for 175 recognized purebred canines and is responsible for furthering ownership of dogs in Canada. To create awareness between attendees, the day involved interacting with others on a dog walk. Advocates, along with their best friends, toured the local neighbourhoods advertising their cause by wearing the neon green RDOG arm band. When the participants returned, a press conference was held where Dr. Tim Zaharchuk spoke on behalf the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association.

“Responsible dog ownership benefits the owner, the dog, and the community,” emphasized Zaharchuk. Zaharchuk went on to make the point that while dogs make wonderful companionship for all ages, potential aggressive behaviour resides in all breeds. A representative from Canada Post also spoke out about the seriousness of proper regulations for dogs and their owners, citing several incidents of dog attacks on mail carriers. A brief run-through on the precautions to take when such instances occur was also provided at the end. The CKC “Responsible Dog Ownership” committee created an informative package for members which included literature on “Children and Safety Around Dogs”, “Bite Prevention” and “Your Responsibilities in Case of a Bite Incident” to further their attempt in educating dog owners. Information booths for sponsors such as PetLynx, Iams, Toronto Animal Services, Probone, Canada Post and Pet Secure were on hand. Some of the booths also sold T-shirts and raffle tickets. The CKC plans to make this an annual event and is already arranging for RDOG 2009. For more information, or to view a list of 2008 RDOG events held across Canada this week, please visit www.ckc.ca.

4 THE MEDIUM

Monday, September 29, 2008

EDITORIAL

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

EDITORIAL My first defence was that it was written in a size two font. “It didn’t matter,” they said – “it was still a published word.” And they are right – it still is. I wonder how many times The Medium – and by this I don’t just mean myself and my current team but the teams of years past as well – would get in trouble if every word written in the blurb came under such close introspection. I can’t even begin to count the number of times we’ve said the four-letter “F” word in there. But it was always the four-letter one. This time it was the three-letter one, and it provoked a very different type of reaction. For those of you who don’t already know, the blurb I’m referring to is the mass chunk of text in tiny-sized font located right under the editorial. This “section” of the paper, which many have misinterpreted to be a disclaimer of sorts, has been a tradition of The Medium long before I even enrolled in this institution. It is our outlet for bitching, whining, hollering, and poking fun at whomsoever. Usually, the target, if there is one, is someone on the team who’s either privy to it or at least understanding of our innocent intentions. Hence, the whole thing is really an inside joke. Nothing more. And so it was just that – an inside joke – which got me in trouble last week. In the blurb printed in Issue 3, I wrote the word “fag” in reference to someone I knew. For the record, this person isn’t gay. And if he was, I would never have written such a thing, for that would mean outright discrimination. No, I meant “fag” just as much as I would have meant “dick” had I written that. But therein lies my faux pas, because none of that matters. I used a word akin to the “N” word. And I should have known better. There is a big difference between the word “fag” and a word like “dick.” My second defence was that I didn’t know the severity of the word and that it weighed as much in taboo as say, the “N” word. Hard to believe for some considering I’m the editor-in-chief. And this is where I will apologize – that I wasn’t informed as well as I should have been, and that my actions offended a good deal of people in this community, both gay and straight, as a result. It doesn’t matter how or if I meant it – context counts for nothing in circumstances like these – it only matters that I wrote it, and I let it publish. For that, once again, to all whom I’ve offended, you have my sincere apology. I shan’t go into how I think it is important that this campus strives towards qualifying as a “Positive Space.” Rather, I would prefer to let my actions and the actions of the rest of my editors express our stance. To be stated and clear, The Medium does not, in any way, condone any form of homophobia, or any other form of discrimination for that matter, on or off campus. It is in the near-future plans of The Medium to participate and vocally advocate the anti-homophobia campaign that UTMSU is launching with OUT@UTM. And as I have mentioned during my talks with representatives from both those groups, we plan to lend our voice and our outreach in whatever way possible for this cause. Yours,

Ali Kasim

I’m busy writing my editorial. 16 pages. What was I thinking. It’s 3.a.m. Here’s Shelley. I’ll let her entertain you. Late last night the articles began to trickle into my inbox. This week we decided to do 16 pages instead of 13. What were we thinking? It is nearing 3:30 a.m. and we’re almost done! I am beginning to get used to this lack of sleep. Not really. I think I fell asleep at one point and my contacts are very dry n I would really like to take them out but I can’t because then I would be blind. Someone suggested I write a list of my turn-ons so: tattoos, but too many, the ability to speak another language, someone who is sensitive and can endure my drama, and shallow but yes, a nice car helps. The appreciation for the simple things, someone who knows the value of a dollar but is not a miser and a good sense of humour. My dislikes include: rudeness, people who play games, drama queens, tough guys who aren’t in fact tough, arrogance and jerkiness. I am very glad I don’t have to go to work tomorrow. I do not wear a watch because I am time obsessed so you can see why this job would drive me a little crazy not that I have anything better to be doing. Earlier, Mathew was showing me how to photo shop –I think his job is interesting. There is an origami bird made of yellow paper on Meredith’s desk – yes, this is also a turn-on. I have always wondered why there is a poster of The Breakfast club hanging in the darkroom – this disturbs me quite a bit. I have to go for an allergy test on Tuesday – I hope I am not allergic to seafood. I am wondering when I will be able to finish school as it is very hard to take courses during the day and work a full-time job. I do not appreciate UTM holding high standards by refusing to offer a wide selection of evening and/or courses and no on-line courses, how prestigious of them. I cannot wait to go home and climb into my bed. I love my bed – I miss it. Thanksgiving is coming up and I cannot wait to indulge in a massive turkey feast with all the trimmings. Why is Thanksgiving so popular in the states? It is almost as important as Christmas over there. I really enjoy every Thanksgiving episode of Friends. I cannot believe how many reruns of Friends air a day. Back to Ali, who’s done with his editorial/apology. Finally. He wants me to say that i look great with my hair down. 21 issues left................

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, Bhagyashi Bhandakkar, Julie Tyios

Letters to the Editor UTMSU President calls for apology Dear Editor, I am writing this letter to voice my concern about the language used in the last two issues of the Medium. It was very disappointing to see discriminatory and offensive language in our campus newspaper. It is quite evident that students of UTM are not willing to tolerate discrimination. Considering the fact that The Medium collects a levy from UTM students, it is the responsibility of the editor-in-chief to ensure that the text published anywhere within the newspaper does not promote any form of racism, discrimination or hate towards anyone. The reason why this issue is a huge concern to me is because students have made it a priority for UTMSU to organize campaigns to help educate students to understand that comments with the three-letter

‘f word’ is very offensive. The individuals working at the Medium are also student leaders and have a responsibility to help create more awareness about the various educational campaigns through their media outreach. The last edition also made a hate comment using another four-letter ‘f word’ which is again of huge concern. I feel that it is absolutely inappropriate to call out specific students by using offensive language. The defense I have heard is that the specified section – the blurb – is an outlet for the writers of The Medium to let their feelings out. However, I cannot accept that reason, as every writer including the editor-in-chief has a responsibility to ensure that hate is not promoted whether it is through the means of publishing articles or through a “personal feelings” section in the newspaper.

It is fair for students, who are paying members of the newspaper, to complain about this matter and they have a legitimate reason to ask the Medium for an apology. I sincerely hope that The Medium will not repeat such actions in the future if it wants to secure a reputable image. I encourage all students to voice their opinions and concerns if they ever encounter hate related crimes. The UTMSU Office is always open for students so please feel free to speak to me about your issues.

Sincerely, Wasah Malik President UTMSU

EDITORIAL Please write to:editor@mediumonline.ca Letters to the editor will be edited for spelling, grammar, style, and coherence. Letters will not exceed 500 words in print. Letters that incite hatred, violence or letters that are racist, homophobic, sexist, or libelous will not be published. Anonymous letters will not be published. Letters and and other editorial materials reflect opinions of the authors, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, staff, volunteers, or Board of Directors of The Medium. In other words, just because we print it doesn’t necessarily mean we agree with it. Submission does not guarantee publication. Submission of materials to The Medium presumes the writer has read, and agrees with, this policy.

Editor-in-Chief Ali Kasim

Composite Editor Matthew Filipowich

News Editor Meredith Lilly

Copy Editor Shelley 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 TBA

Photography Editor Matthew Filipowich

The Medium is looking for Assistant Editors for all four sections - News, Features, Arts, Sports. If you have been writing for us the past year or so, and want to be part of the team, let us know. Email your section editors or the Editor-in-chief with your cover letter, resume, and some writing samples.

Monday, September 29, 2008

THE MEDIUM 5

OPINION

LETTERS VP Equity speaks out against homophobia on campus Dear Editor, This letter is to address the homophobic language that I have seen in the Medium and on this campus in the last weeks. These first few weeks of September have opened my eyes which each week bringing forth a new incident, another person feeling targeted, another comment going unnoticed and another intimidating cheer at orientation week. It’s time to realize that homophobia is not just a thing of the past. During the first weeks of September, students’ homes in Oscar Peterson Hall were vandalized with the word “faggot” written on it, simply for having “Positive Space” stickers on their door. At Orientation Week, some of the leaders and firstyear students yelled derogatory cheers which included the word “dyke.” And finally, two weeks ago, The Medium, the very newspaper I am writing to, printed the word “fag” without considering who it would offend. I am not an expert when it comes to homophobia, hetero-sexism or any other form of discrimination. I am a student who is learning and the only thing I can control is whether I want to educate myself on these issues and whether I want to help others understand by launching something like an anti-homophobia campaign. An important point that I wish to touch upon is that, as a member of UTMSU and as the VP Equity, I am here because I want to see changes and I want to educate myself and oth-

This is response to Andrew HamiltonSmith's “Humans versus Earth” article printed in the September 8 issue of The Medium. To get to the heart of what’s wrong, the article “Humanity vs. Earth” needs to be rephrased as “Civilization vs. Earth”. This is not a game of semantics but a profound difference in seeing the world. The ongoing ecological collapse we are witnessing all around us has nothing to do with the will of the gods and isn’t an inevitable part of “human nature.” This has everything to do with one culture, one destructive 10,000 year old sinking ship known as civilization. Civilization is marked by the complexity of social and political institutions, or rather, hierarchies that are innately based on and require the constant application and deifying of violence and coercion. This complexity is part of the urban nature of civilization because cities cannot sustain themselves. There cannot be a city, and therefore civilization, without the exploitation of the periphery as much as there cannot be a CEO without the sweatshop worker or a profitable lumber industry without wholesale deforestation and dispossession. And what are we to do about this? Humbly petition International Paper, Weyerhaeuser or even Exxon to halt economic expansion? Or daresay; write a letter to a Member of Parliament or Congress? Or perhaps resist the gnawing sameness, alienation and powerlessness that define not just this global civilization but every civilization? So to say as the article does, that humans “are killing the earth,” is disingenuous when only some (very wealthy) humans are killing the earth, whether in the name of the historical gods of the past or the gods of the present (named profit, growth, globalization, the economy, making a living). This culture is at fault for prioritizing

ers about homophobia and discrimination. Essentially, I want our campus to be for everyone. I am not going to pretend that UTMSU will have the answers to every problem, but we will surely help guide you and provide you with resources. It is really unfortunate that during orientation week, there was a bus full of orientation leaders and first-year students who shouted a cheer with the term “fucking dyke.” UTMSU provided orientation leaders with mandatory equity training. Leaders were not allowed to make up cheers about race, gender or sexual orientation. We put trust in our leaders to be mentors to first-year students. The behaviour of those individuals is completely unacceptable and there is currently an investigation in place. I wholeheartedly apologize on behalf of those leaders and first-year students who took part in that as it was a UTMSU event. However, by apologizing on the behalf of those who participated in that act I do not shift the blame on the UTMSU executive or the orientation committee who worked diligently to create an equitable orientation week. This campus, as a whole, needs education on homophobia. UTMSU is offering education as a tool to address homophobia on our campus through launching an antihomophobia educational campaign with OUT@UTM to help the UTM community understand that the terms that we are so used to, such as “that’s so gay,” are rooted from homophobia,

and that calling someone a “fag” is a homophobic statement. No individual can control the actions of others. UTMSU cannot control when people make a choice to be hateful at our event. We cannot control those who vandalize student housing or edit the campus newspaper. We can only help educate students on these issues. I hope that students come together in this fight against homophobia. As your VP Equity I cannot win this fight on my own. I need the help of my fellow students to be open minded and accepting of other individuals’ personal choices. UTMSU is committed to being a positive space on campus for all students and we invite everyone into our office where you will find a positive space symbol permanently painted on our office walls. Please come out on October 6 for the anti-homophobia training session in the student centre presentation room as part of our educational campaign. If you have been a victim of homophobia please contact Jude Tate, LGBTQ Resources & Programs coordinator at j.tate@utoronto.ca or at 416-946-5624.

economic interest – the interests of the rich and powerful – over the health and well being of human and nonhuman communities. It sets out to kill the planet each day if there is the notion that corporations are legally persons but trees (also animals, women, the poor) are things. The very purpose that drives corporations is money, and making as much money as efficiently as possible, period. To deny this very real death-urge is to be naïve about postmodern industrial capitalism. A Green civilization isn’t sustainable or compatible with the needs of the natural world because the industrial infrastructure required to build it hinges on oil, which means drilling out of places with people and ecologies already on top of it. Hence, there is the need for invasion, armies, states, hierarchy and dominance to get this oil, or at the very least introducing greed, corruption and poverty. The final assumption in the article that refers to recycling and voting as “our salvation” is also misguided. For what is the role of the state now but not the armed buddy of corporate domination? The article’s propositions may be sticks jammed in a river intended to impede the flow, but these “solutions” will not work if they simply do not challenge the system of maximum harm. Recycling may make us feel that we are making a difference, but it doesn’t change the fact that there is big money for strip-miners, developers and factory owners that, amongst other things, leech mercury daily into rivers, fish populations and human breast milk. Recycling may reduce the harm of this culture, but what is the point of raping nature using an eco-friendly, biodegradable condom? Recycling does not address the fact that industrial civilization is responsible for the murder of two hundred species a day, or for making it impossible for half of all species to live in a 100 years if it is permitted to

continue, or even for contributing to a third of today’s civilized (domesticated) people’s mental illnesses. Because the push for what’s green does not begin to confront the corporate and governmental culprits of today’s environmental crisis, symbolically shouldering the responsibility for saving the planet as individuals is irresponsible and immoral. And if anything, voting does little more than empower ineffective politicians that implicitly or explicitly legitimatize distant, undemocratic corporatism. The problem is not over which reformer must be steering the ship, but about the essence of voting itself: If it is humiliating to be ruled, how much more degrading is it to choose our masters?

The why’s of politics Dear UTM, Why do I k now mor e about American politics than I do about Canadian politics? Why does the charisma of Barack Obama not emanate from any of the leaders of our major political parties? Why am I never hearing about issues? Why does the focus of our campaigns lie heavily on badmouthing the other team? These are just some of the many “why’s” that have come to my attention as a result of the upcoming election on October 14. Every commercial, every flyer and every phone call from a campaign office carries the same problem – superficiality. Is one televised debate that garners low ratings enough to satiate these demanding questions? The answer is no. There is clearly something wrong with modern day politics, and low voter turnout coupled with a disconnection of our generation and t he government proves this. But why should we stand for it? The time of stalemate is over, and changing the ways poli-

Dear Editor, Sincerely, Saaliha Malik Vice President Equity UTMSU saaliha@utmsu.ca

Sincerely, Michael Juzepczuk (3rd year political specialist)

Correction notice Re: “Humans vs Earth” article (September 8) The article incorrectly states that planetary CO2 levels will soon reach 700ppm. In fact, today's carbon dioxide concentrations are around 380ppm, and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change projects that atmospheric carbon dioxide levels could reach 450-550 ppm by 2050.

The incidents of this September have given a lot of us a chance to reflect on the climate of this campus. Perhaps the most troubling aspects of these incidents are the length of time it took to come to our attention, and the number of students who simply didn't know it happened. While I do commend the bravery of those individuals who did come forward with their stories, but it should have not been their burden to bear. If the frosh leaders had started a round of antisemitic slurs on a bus, they would have been confronted almost immediately, and the punishment would have been severe. If the editor-in-chief had printed 'the N word' in 2-point font in the newspaper, the story would have been on everyone's lips by the next afternoon, and his letter of resignation would probably be written that evening. Why should it make any difference that these hateful epithets were homophobic in nature? The sad fact of the matter is that it does make a difference. Homophobic slurs have become largely accepted by our society (and by extension, our student body) to such a degree that bigots act with impunity. They know their words and actions will go largely unchallenged. Some people aren't even bigoted, and simply don't realize the weight of their words. They think calling someone a “faggot” in jest, or referring to something annoying as being “so gay” are harmless. They don't realize their words have teeth, and may even offend people they know. Perhaps it is naïve to think that the frosh leaders had no idea their hateful words would deeply harm some of the students under their supervision and give out the impression that homophobia is tolerated on our campus. Likewise, to give the editor-in-chief the benefit of a doubt and think he didn't realize that his words would be an attack upon any individual who had recently written him a letter. Fortunately, it is not upon me to judge. I only hope that if such is the

tics are run lies in one tool: the ballot. Your ballot acts as your voice and your vehicle for change. The truth in politics is that change is a slow process. And if we want to see change, it’s going to have to start now. Volunteering with your candidates or approaching them and asking them questions about where they stand on the issues are key. Delving into media and looking past the taunts to determine the character of your candidate is essential. If you see what I see, if you see problems in our government, then get involved in the political process. Standing by will not eradicate these changes, and we need to stop waiting for someone else to fix it. The time is now. October 14 – Get out there and vote!

Sincerely, Vincent Kumar Outreach Chair of the BramptonSpringdale Federal Young Liberals

case, they are sincere in their apologies and will think twice before using such powerful words again. The queer community on campus is continuing to improve our visibility and combat ignorance, but it is importance to affirm the fact that we are not alone. Both the university administration and the student union are strong advocates of equity. Even the countless students who simply hold an idea of openness and tolerance in their minds make a noticeable difference. I firmly believe that we will eventually overcome bigotry and indifference The Positive Space campaign is possibly the most visible action against homophobia. Almost everyone has seen the rainbow stickers around campus, but not everyone knows what they mean. It does not mean the individual who lives or works there is homosexual – many of the participants in positive space are heterosexual. It signifies that the persons within are open and accepting of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered or Queer (LGBTQ) students, and suggests these individuals are more likely to challenge discriminatory language. For more information on this campaign, you can visit www . positivespace. utoronto.ca. There are also many resources available to LGBT s tudents. OUT@UTM (Student Centre rm. 241) is a social club on campus, hosting social events for closeted, out, and straight students alike as well as promoting queer visibility on campus. The Sexual Education Centre (Student Centre rm 140) is a queer-positive peer counselling centre and resource centre. Students who feel or have felt discriminated against are urged to contact Campus Police, Student Affairs, or make an anonymous report at www. lgbtq. utoronto.ca.

Sincerely, OUT@UTM

6 THE MEDIUM

Monday, September 29, 2008

Features ANDREW HAMILTON-SMITH, EDITOR | features@mediumonline.ca

India: For better or for worse? My friend recently got out of a longterm relationship and confessed to me that he thinks heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s gay, which came as a bit of a surprise. However, I still accept my friend for who he is. Unfortunately, not everyone else does. At least, thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what he thinks. Lately he has been very depressed because he feels like no one, especially his family, will accept him if they find out his secret. I have tried encouraging him to try talking to friends first, but he wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t listen. What am I supposed to do? How can I help him? Imagine that throughout your whole life you wanted to be a doctor, but then you got to university and you decided that you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really like biology and you want to be an english major instead. Any kind of change involves inward reflection and exploration â&#x20AC;&#x201C; sexuality is no different. For the most part, it is assumed that we are going to turn out heterosexual. (This is not to say that the people who make those assumptions are not goodintentioned â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the queer community is one that is still very marginalized). It sounds like your friend still might be questioning his sexuality. Someone in that position might not be comfortable divulging that information to friends and family. The best thing you can do for your friend is to be there for him and offer your support and listening ear whenever he asks for it. Keep in mind that he is still the same person. Just because he has come out to you doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t mean that that is all he is going to want to talk about. Trust his instincts; if he doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think that he can come out to his family, then

that might be true. Coming out is actually an underrated process. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s akin to having an existential crisis because itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s likely that your friend is questioning who he is and where he belongs. The good news is that by telling you about the way that he is feeling, he is one step closer to gaining a much better understanding of himself and who he is. If the relationship that he has just ended was with someone of the opposite sex, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s possible that there is still some residual attraction there and that it might be leading to feelings of confusion. A lot of the time, sexual orientation is not the binary that we have been taught to believe. Sexuality is very fluid and it is possible that your friend isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t completely sure what heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s feeling and it might take them some more time to fully understand what he wants. That being said, you should keep in mind that sexuality is very personal and that your friend might choose not to tell friends and family even after he has decided what he wants. Respect that decision and be there for him when he needs you to be. It sounds like youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re already doing a pretty good job.

Good luck, SEC If you have questions that you want answered in our sex column, send them to us at sex.column@utmsec.ca. Please note that this column is intended for entertainment purposes.

KAREN AKHTAR

It hits me everywhere I go. I am reminded of Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new-found cosmopolitanismâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;the Westâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sudden obsession with Indian apparel, cuisine, the hype over Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s glitzy entertainment industry, and everybodyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fascination with elite, fairskinned Indian women suddenly dominating the global beauty pageant stage. With all the positive voices praising a new and modernized India, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tempting to glamourize Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s good fortunes. As I investigate Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s history a little closer, and the implications that it has for today, I find myself becoming increasingly critical of just how much corporate-led globalization is actually helping Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most disenfranchised citizens. Many people wh o defend the effects of globalization tend to focus only on Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new-found economic growth, overlooking issues such as increasing poverty and inequality. Many economic organizations, such as the World Bank, are more than happy to praise India for having average growth rates of eight per cent over the past three years, becoming one of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fastest growing economies, according to the World Bankâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2007 Country Overview of India. Howev er, there is a growing amount of evidence showing that corporate globalization in India is not the miracle that the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s business community makes it out to be. According to Kumar Malhotra, a reporter for BBC News, 2.1 million

Photo AntĂ´nio Milena/ABr

Due to a lack of access to basic necessities like clean water, this family in Mumbai must wash their clothing in a ditch next to a highway, Indian children died before the age of five in 2006. This statistic by itself should make you wonder how well Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s newfound wealth is actually being distributed, especially to the most vulnerable citizens. But thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not all â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Bharat Dogra, writing for the Inter Press Service News Agency, an alternative online news organization, reports that there is also a growing problem of landless farmers who have been forced off their land by the government and multinational corporations in recent years.

The issue of landless farmers also raises serious questions about who corporate globalization is really supposed to benefit: why is it that the most vulnerable citizens of India have been deprived of a basic resource that rightfully belongs to them - land. %9 WXYHIRX /EXI MR /MRKWXSR 3RXEVMS 'EREHE

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The International Fund for Agricultural Development, an organization that is working to eliminate rural poverty worldwide, provides the following statistics: â&#x20AC;&#x153;About two thirds of Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s more than 1 billion people live in rural areas and almost 170 million of them are poor. Although many rural people are migrating to cities, three out of four of Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s poor people live in the vast rural parts of the country. For more than 21 per cent of them, poverty is a chronic condition.â&#x20AC;? These staggering figures make one thing very clear: Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new wealth is not finding its way into everyoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pockets - it is simply

further enriching Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s elite, increasing the economic gap between Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rich and poor. It is interesting to note that, despite all the moderni za ti on taking place within India, the majority of Indians still live in rural areas - and are therefore cut off from the opportunities that are supposed to be offered by corporate globalization. This issue also illustrates that there is a strong rural and urban divide in India that politicians need to contend with. If globalization in India is to be truly beneficial, the wealth should be properly distributed to the needy, not hoarded by Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s elites. The issue of landless farmers also raises serious questions about who corporate globalization is really supposed to benefit: Why is it that the most vulnerable citizens of India have been deprived of a basic resource that rightfully belongs to themâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; landâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;meanwhile, the government and multinational corporations can take land for their own purposes, without any regard for respecting human rights? A truly stable economy cannot exist in India when there are such vast inequities of wealth. Clearly, corporate globalization has not done wonders for India, as the mainstream media would suggest. Unless politicians and elites around the world are willing to admit that poverty in India is a problem, and are actually willing to do something about it, poverty is an issue that will continue to plague India. If poverty is allowed to continue in India in the years to come, things definitely look to get worse before they get better. The dreamscape of Bollywood continues to dazzle and bombard audiences around the world, but in reality, desperation and hopelessness continue almost unabated in India.

Monday, September 29, 2008

THE MEDIUM

FEATURES

The experience of a lifetime M ICHAEL B ANNON

Are you interested in making a real difference in the world? Are you willing to step outside of your safety net to discover how the world truly is? If so, then you should consider taking a trip to the Dominican Republic to help out in some of the poorest communities in the world. There is a group of students traveling during reading week to help build homes and work with those in need. It is hard to think about sometimes, but over thirty per cent of people living in the Dominican live below the poverty line, and this problem is compounded by the large number of people leaving the border country of Haiti. Many of these illegal Haitian immigrants work in the sugar cane fields for next to nothing, and they are forced to live in shanty towns near the fields. These are the people that this trip is going to help, by bringing food and building homes for families in need. The trip is run through Power Trips Inc, a group with an established base in the Dominican and a history of helping out the poor all over the country. Imagine for a second what life must be like for those in need. When I was there last year, I was shocked when I sauntered into one of the squatter villages near the sugar cane fields, where Haitian immigrants work for pennies a day. There is a disgusting smell emanating from the side of the road that also functions as a bathroom for the village. No running water. No functioning bathroom

facilities. Chickens and stray dogs are all around, and there’s no telling what diseases they must carry. There are half naked children everywhere. In a village where the average woman is a single mother and unable to work or provide for her children, clothing is a luxury few can afford. Those that have clothing wear the type of clothes you can instantly recognize as welfare donations, especially shirts celebrating the 1995 Vermont state fair. As the homes built were from scrap sheet metal, with few windows or doors for ventilation, the heat is unbearable. There are flies and mosquitoes everywhere, and you slap yourself constantly and pray that none of the mosquitoes have malaria. The house is very small and it takes just two steps to cross the entire room. There is no kitchen, bathroom or bedroom, just a blanket on the floor where a mother and her three kids sleep. However, the part that really hits

In a village where the average woman is a single mother and unable to work or provide for her children, clothing is a luxury few can afford. you is seeing the mother’s baby lying on the floor. The girl is no more than two years old, completely naked, with flies buzzing everywhere around her. You can see that her stomach is bloated, a sign of malnutrition. Her

photo/Belsaita/Virtual tourist.com

belly button sticks out more than it should, which only happens to these children when they are in a significant amount of pain for a long period of time. You ask why nobody is with this child or trying to help her, but then you realize it is because there is nobody to help. On another day, we head to the city dump to feed the people that live there. Arriving, we see raggedydressed people all over the place, searching through garbage for anything they can use or sell. As a garbage truck pulls up and dumps its load, the people rush over and dig through the garbage with their bare hands in the hopes of finding something valuable. When we finally hand out rice and water, you can tell by the way they eat that this will probably be the only food they’ll get all day.

This is not a story out of a book or a movie, but something that I have witnessed for myself and something that has had a profound affect on my life ever since. This is why we are

As we pull up, we see people all over the place, dressed in rags and searching through garbage for anything they can use or sell. planning this trip, to help these children who have nobody else to help them, and to provide the adults with the at least, the bare necessities of life. In a world where life changing experiences are few and far between,

where we all want to make a difference but don’t quite know how, this trip is the opportunity of a lifetime. It will enrich your knowledge of the world and show you how millions of people live on a daily basis. It will make you appreciate the little things like running water and knowing where your next meal is going to come from. Most of all, it will inspire you to work for those in need, changing your outlook on life profoundly. Remember watching those commercials asking for donations to help a third-world child, and thinking, “maybe next time.” Well, now that time has come. If you are interested in participating in this service trip, please email michael.bannon@utoronto.ca and I will help get you started on the experience of a lifetime.

ATTENTION FULL-TIME UNDERGRADS

IMPORTANT INFORMATION about your Health and Dental Plans.

you are a full-time undergraduate student at the Mississauga campus, you are automatically enrolled in the U.T.S.U. Health and Dental Plans. If you have alternate coverage (other than OHIP or UHIP) you may apply for a refund of these fees.

TO OPT-OUT: Go to www.heath.ca/students (HEATH not health).

DEADLINE: October 10, 2008

If you have questions please contact: dan@utsu.ca

8 THE MEDIUM

Monday, September 29, 2008

FEATURES

Club profile: Sexual education centre ALAIN LATOUR

Every day, hundreds of UTM students flock to the Hazel McCallion Academic Centre to browse its large academic collection, which covers everything from astronomy to chemistry to economics. However, those in the mood for something a bit more suggestive or exciting should march to the Student Centre instead, specifically to Room 150 where amid a display of shiny sexual toys, they can peruse books such as Different Loving: The World of Sexual Dominance and Submissions and The Bald-Headed Hermit and The Artichoke: An Erotic Thesaurus. Tucked away in a secluded corner is UTM’s Sexual Education & Peer Counseling Centre (S.E.C), a studentrun organization whose tongue-in-cheek slogan is “Get to Know Your Student Body”. As the motto implies, S.E.C.’s selfstated goal is to provide University of Toronto students of “all backgrounds and sexualities with education and resources about healthy sexuality,” including confidential peer counseling and referral services, In addition, the centre annually hosts various educational workshops and events like “Sex Talk with Josey Vogels.” As for the book and DVD collection, students can sign out an unlimited amount of items, provided they bring them back within two weeks. “Most books are actually returned before they’re due,” says Sulmaz Ghoraishi, UTM S.E.C.’s enthusiastic

head coordinator for the past two years. “But I’m sure some haven’t been returned at all.” Despite such worthy objectives, many don’t seem to be aware of the club’s existence. Ghoraishi readily admits this much: “Our club is levyfunded and as such appears on students’ regular fees,” she says, “so I find it a bit surprising that more people don’t know about us.”

But is it simply the students’ ignorance of the club’s presence or their apprehension toward associating with a sex education centre? The prospect of being seen scurrying in the club’s office might embarrass some, while others might simply feel uncomfortable discussing highlycharged subjects such as fellatio with someone of the opposite sex (or, for that matter, of the same sex). But Ghoraishi offers a possible alternative. “We offer phone counseling,” she explains, “and if they have more of a technical question they can just email us. We’re also open late on Thursdays, between 6 to 9 p.m., so if someone doesn’t want to be seen

walking in here [during the early hours], they can come in then when less people are around on campus.” Moreover, the club’s coordinators take care in scheduling volunteers so that two persons of the same sex are never put together. This ensures that visitors to the club always have an option and always feel comfortable. Whatever the reason for students’ unawareness of S.E.C., Ghoraishi is intent on ending it. In addition to this profile, The Medium has recently launched a weekly sex column called Sex & SEC-xuality, to which readers are welcome to submit stories or questions of sexual nature. And in its newly revamped website, UTM SEC’s coordinators have posted a “Donate” link below the “Events” tab.

Ensuring that all of the club’s services are free should also help increase its popularity, although attendees to pub events must pay a minor entrance fee. The proceeds from these pub events go to covering costs related to that event and any remainder is donated to charity. The original S.E.C. was founded at

beiko + lorilee.e + cfreradio + matthew + tywchen + lorilee.e

the downtown St. George campus in the 1970s; UTM S.E.C. followed about ten years ago. According to Ghoraishi, it has a membership of around sixty volunteers, all of them students, who receive an intensive three-day training seminar on issues related to sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), abortions and pregnancy, sexual orientation, contraception and abstinence, as well as on listening and counseling skills.

Veteran volunteers perform most of the training, although sometimes outside experts are brought in. Once trained, new volunteers join the regular roster of peer counselors and are available to students by phone, email, appointment, or drop-in visits. And if a student’s situation is severe, such as in rape or abuse cases, counselors can make referrals to more appropriate services, such as the police. Although she declines to mention anyone by name, Ghoraishi admits to having had some issues with a few students, while simultaneously emphasizing she has never had a problem with UTM staff. For example, she brought a

classmate into the S.E.C. office once to work on a project and the person froze upon seeing the sex toys display on one of the shelves. “About a week later he sent me an offensive email accusing me of promoting promiscuity,” recounts Ghoraishi. “But I’m always willing to talk to people who feel that not having sex is cool or that it’s a good birth control method, which it is. We just want to make sure that people who are having sex have the appropriate information.” As well as information, S.E.C. also provides tools like free condoms and lube. Those with more particular needs should definitely make a beeline into the club, where they can obtain specialty condoms, extra-large condoms and condoms for people allergic to latex.

It’s not just the inexperienced that could benefit from a visit to the S.E.C., but also those who see themselves as highly experienced. As Ghoraishi points out, “no one can know everything about sex. There is always new stuff coming up, and everyone is different.” Of course, when it comes to this subject, learning the material is half the fun.

photo + collaborate p h o to + co l l a b o ra te i s a n e w weekly section curated by T h e M e d i u m ’s P h o t o g r a p h y Editor Matthew Filipowich. An assemblage of weekly photographs, photo + collaborate is your take on campus life, seen through your eyes.

comments: photos@mediumonline.ca submissions: www.flickr.com/groups/photopop

THE MEDIUM 9

Monday, September 29, 2008

PICKERING Pickering Town Centre 1355 Kingston Rd. (905) 420-0744 611 Kingston Rd. (905) 831-9557 1899 Brock Rd. (905) 686-6558 RICHMOND HILL Hillcrest Mall 9350 Yonge St., Unit Z2 (905) 770-4433 10 West Pearce St., Bldg. B (905) 731-7318 Times Square Mall 550 Hwy. 7 E., Unit A1 (905) 882-8668 1480 Major Mackenzie Dr. E., Unit C3-3 (905) 737-8737 9196 Yonge St. (905) 764-0310 9737 Yonge St., Unit 211 (905) 770-1010 10720 Yonge St., Unit 102 (905) 884-9558 10755 Leslie St., Unit 5 (416) 221-8111 x2 SCARBOROUGH 1448 Lawrence Ave. E. (416) 757-1666 2555 Victoria Park Ave. (647) 258-0267 2650 Lawrence Ave. E., Unit 2B (416) 755-8977 411 Kennedy Rd. (416) 266-7727 x1 4438 Sheppard Ave. E., Unit 107 (416) 642-8888 1291 Kennedy Rd. (416) 752-9655 3300 Midland Ave., Unit 40 (416) 332-8383 19 Milliken Blvd., Unit U (416) 299-6006 5095 Sheppard Ave. E. (416) 646-2146 Woodside Square 1571 Sandhurst Circle, Unit 502K (416) 609-3200 5661 Steeles Ave. E., Unit 5 (416) 298-8821 1900 Eglinton Ave. East, Unit E5A (416) 266-7727 x3 665 Markham Road, Unit 5 (416) 266-7727 x4 THORNHILL Shops on Steeles 2900 Steeles Ave. E., Unit 38 (905) 482-3866 Promenade Mall 1 Promenade Circle, Unit 180 (905) 482-2733 31 Disera Drive, Unit 140 (905) 882-9777 TORONTO 1854 Danforth Ave. (416) 425-9000 471 Eglinton Ave. W. (416) 485-2757 2400 Bloor St. W. (416) 760-7450 919 Bay St. (416) 657-4400 2266 Eglinton Ave. W. (416) 784-4151 2397 Yonge St. (416) 489-2255 604 Bloor St. W. (416) 533-1656 548 Church St. (416) 644-9094 Dufferin Mall 900 Dufferin St. (416) 588-6668 421 Dundas St. W., Unit G8 (416) 351-0888 1451 Dundas St. W. (416) 588-8989 Dragon City Mall 280 Spadina Ave. (416) 979-8350 939 Eglinton Ave. E., Unit 106 (416) 467-9800 Gerrard Square 1000 Gerrard St. E. (416) 466-8200 662 King Street W. (416) 628-4000 228 Queens Quay W., Unit 3 (416) 971-9700 1821 Queen St. E. (416) 406-2355 2 St. Clair Ave. E. (416) 934-1313 1268 St. Clair Ave. W. (416) 652-2288 1350 St. Clair Ave. W. (416) 651-2000 2200 Yonge St., Unit 104 (416) 322-9079 154 University Ave., Suite 101 (416) 506-0809 9A Yorkville Ave. (416) 921-7559 386 Sheppard Ave. E. (416) 512-0012 525 University Ave. (416) 640-5998 55 Chauncey Ave. (416) 231-5310 272 Danforth Ave. W. (416) 461-1010 UXBRIDGE 11 Brock St. West (905) 862-2100 VAUGHAN 1600 Steeles Ave. W., Unit 30 (905) 695-1061 WHITBY 25 Thickson Rd. N. (905) 433-0701 WILLOWDALE Centerpoint Mall 6236 Yonge St. (416) 512-8800 WOODBRIDGE 5317 Hwy. 7, Unit 2 (905) 266-0003 200 Whitmore Rd., Unit 9 (905) 850-8505

ETOBICOKE Cloverdale Mall (416) 231-5973 Woodbine Centre (416) 798-0229 MARKHAM Markville Mall (905) 940-6510 NEWMARKET Upper Canada Mall (905) 853-1462 OAKVILLE 240 Leighland Ave., Unit 208B (905) 815-8871 OSHAWA Oshawa Centre (905) 571-6663 SCARBOROUGH Scarborough Town Centre (416) 296-9160 TORONTO Toronto Eaton Centre Kiosk (416) 977-7555 Bloor West (647) 426-4737 The Exchange Tower (416) 603-7979 Toronto Eaton Centre (416) 351-1522 Yorkdale Shopping Centre (416) 783-0675 1 Yorkdale Rd., Unit 180 (416) 785-6216 Vaughan Mills 8960 Jane St., Unit 108 (905) 760-8157

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Offer ends November 3, 2008. 1 Offer available exclusively for high-school or post-secondary school students; valid student identification required. Unlimited local calls, text, picture and video messages applicable to the 10 phone numbers designated on the MY10 list. Long distance, text to landline and roaming charges are extra where applicable. MY10 terms of service: Only 10-digit Canadian-based phone numbers are eligible for the MY10 service. Customers’ own Rogers Wireless phone number, voice mail retrieval number and special numbers such as 1-800/1-900 are not accepted. One MY10 update per calendar month is allowed via rogers.com or Rogers Customer Care or on select phones. No credit applied for numbers entered incorrectly. Excludes premium messages (roaming, international, MSN alerts and promotions). 2 A $6.95 monthly System Access Fee (non-government fee), a monthly 50¢ 911 Emergency Access Fee and a one-time $35 Activation Fee apply in addition to the monthly service fee. Local airtime over the allotted monthly minutes in the plan, long distance and roaming charges and any additional service options selected and applicable taxes are extra and are also billed monthly. Pricing is based on subscription to a 3-year term service agreement. Early cancellation fees apply. † Most reliable network claim refers to call clarity and dropped calls test results as conducted by Rogers and a recognized third-party research company in the majority of urban Canadian centres within the Rogers Wireless GSM footprint, comparing voice services of major wireless providers. TMTrademarks of Rogers Communications Inc. used under license, or of Rogers Wireless. All other brand names and logos are trademarks of their respective owners. © 2008 Rogers Wireless.

10 THE MEDIUM

Monday, September 29, 2008

FEATURES

Creative Corner: Trevor Abes Trevor: is wondering why some people say sex is better with the lights on, simultaneously reflecting on how Seth Rogen's new film about making a porno got such a bad reception at TIFF.

Emilyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s business Reconcile first verses with boxing Undressing Shifting

A porno for pyros

In a Smoke a cigarette. Bomb chicka wow wow Repeat as needed. Clothing: Optional Rule of thumb: The more it costs The more there is. Turn the lights off. Light a cigarette. Guide yourself with the light.

pressurized

rays

Satan to

Natas

wor(l)d

where

The dis(ease)d

roam believing

That their

love for poetry

Differs

not from their Love of memory

Romanticism got Blake some tail It wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get you any though So turn the depraved meter up a notch. Heat makes trust rise. Spank lick talk dirty

pull bite finger

Smoke a cigarette. Trevor: is listening to a song called "We are Broken" by Paramore. He is gaga for their lead singer. You know what they say: If your a hopeless romantic, why not envision what it would be like to sweep her off her feet using a pick-up line with the word " azi" in it.That one is for Hayley Sail Away. It's exactly what was goin through my mind sir, can't get closer than that.

photo source/Trevor Abes

Trevor Abes, a second year English student , has published a book of poems called â&#x20AC;&#x153;Levitationsâ&#x20AC;? I was motivated to write "A Porno for Pyros" because, for quite a while now, I've had the name Porno for Pyros dancing around in my head. It has nothing to do with the band of the same name, besides the fact that that's where

Hayley sail away

I got the name from in the first place. The poem expands upon the name. It's more of an exercise than anything else.

I offer warm towers Unlimited Eskimo Nose-caressing-smiles

Emily's Business is a personal intepretation of Emily Dickinson's famous response to the question of what do you do? Her answer: My business is circumference.

And spontaneous enunciations like: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Look, over there, that girl. She is so Aryan! That is not a bad thing, You can be Aryan and not a Naziâ&#x20AC;?

Hayley Sail Away is a poem on love lost, or more precisely, love that couldn't be had even if I tried. The Nazi part I "borrowed" from my friend Lisa, whom is aware of

Trevor: is immortalizing a floating particle of Emily Dickinson's cosmic energy, stored in a time capsule he dug up from the lawn behind his building.

the fact that I did. Sail is actually a play on Lisa. Hayley is Hayley Williams. I won't say anymore about her, so as to not ruin the mystery of it all. Google the name I guess, if anyone is curious enough.

THE MEDIUM 11

Monday, September 29, 2008

Arts & Entertainment MICHAEL DI LEO, EDITOR | arts@mediumonline.ca

Concert review: My Bloody Valentine My Bloody Valentine visited Toronto on their reunion tour after a twelve year hiatus. Arts editor Michael Di Leo checks out the scene. MICHAEL DI LEO A&E EDITOR

My ears still hurt from the My Bloody Valentine concert last Thursday night. I think I should see a doctor. A year ago I would have never dreamt this possible. To most, there was no chance for an MBV reunion after splitting, due to “creative differences,” more than a decade ago. Listening to Loveless – My Bloody Valentine’s quintessential album – was the closest anyone would ever get to experience the infamous live power of the group. Luckily for us, the group did manage to reunite, due mostly to the global support and their decision to curate this year’s ATP Festival in New York City (not to mention as well, the colossal amount of money they must be making from this tour). While the show was smaller than originally planned – poor ticket sales led to the venue change from the Ricoh Coliseum (big) to the Kool Haus (moderately-sized) – the music, as expected, was without a doubt the largest collective sound I have ever experienced. The show started promptly at 8:30 p.m. with a set from London-based Flowers Of Hell whose swirling, atmospheric presence set the tone for the rest of the evening. In a surprise appearance, they were joined by local violinist Owen Pallett - known best for his work with the Arcade Fire and solo career under the name Final Fantasy. Although sonically similar to the headliners of the night, the group placed much more emphasis on the “chill” nature of the music, focusing less on the sonic exhilaration and more on the jazzier, warming aspects of the shoegaze sound. This set was immediately followed by a shorter one from MBV-friend Gemma Hayes. Hayes has been touring solo as well as an opener for the band, but although her semi-acoustic songs are a pleasure to listen to, it was clear that for the most part, the audience was more interested in seeing Kevin Shields perform his magic. And then the moment arrived. My Bloody Valentine took to the stage rather casually and delved right into their material – no pleasantries, no dicking around, just straight into the riff and music. From the instant the music began, it was clear that this was no ordinary concert. Though the group only has four members, it seemed as if an entire crew of guitarists were taking the stage – the guitar feedback was crushing, the drums were massive, and the lightshow was blinding, all of which contributed to an intense and beautiful attack on all of your senses. Though MBV played almost the entirety of Loveless (as was expected), they did save space for a few other tracks, mainly from their You Made Me Realise EP. “Slow” was clearly a crowd

pleaser with its steady beat and catchy chorus, and “Thorn” had a huge impact on the crowd with Shields working the guitar into a lofty rage of noise. It was clear though that everyone had come mainly for the finale. Shields took a step back and let us know that the show was about to come to a close – knowing full well that everyone knew what was coming next: “You Made Me Realise.” When it is played live, you get a completely different sensation. To put things in perspective, the recorded version contains a fifteen second section (known as the “Holocaust” section) where the band dives into a flurry of escalating noise. In concert, the band does just that, but extends the section to

last over fifteen minutes. The experience was defining. It felt as if you were next to a space shuttle launch or an atomic bomb had dropped right on top of you. The band slowly went through different stages of noise, some with electronic programming and some with random guitar notes intermingled, all of which slowly spiralled into a final impact on your body. Hair was waving and bodies were shaking from the power the speakers displaced. At the end of it, no one could possibly take any more feeling, and everyone was in a state of near unconsciousness. And the band quietly exited the stage. No long ovation, no encore. They did their job and gave us all an experience to remember for the rest of our lives.

photo/Pitchfork Media

Kevin Shields emitting huge blasts of hazy noise from his guitar.

A federal general election is taking place on October 14, 2008.

New identification rules to vote! WHEN YOU VOTE, YOU MUST PROVE YOUR IDENTITY AND ADDRESS.

YOU HAVE THREE OPTIONS: Provide one original piece of identification issued by a government or government agency containing your photo, name and address. e.g.: driver’s licence

Provide two original pieces of identification authorized by the Chief Electoral Officer of Canada. Both pieces must contain your name and one must also contain your address. e.g.: health card and hydro bill

Swear an oath and be vouched for by an elector who is on the list of electors in the same polling division and who has an acceptable piece or pieces of identification. e.g.: a neighbour, your roommate

PIECES OF IDENTIFICATION AUTHORIZED BY THE CHIEF ELECTORAL OFFICER OF CANADA IDENTITY CARDS

ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS (containing name and address)

— Health Card — Hospital Card — Social Insurance Number Card — Birth Certificate — Driver’s Licence — Provincial/Territorial Identification Card — Canadian Passport — Certificate of Indian Status — Certificate of Canadian Citizenship or Citizenship Card — Credit/Debit Card with elector name — Canadian Forces Identity Card — Veterans Affairs Canada Health Card — Employee Card issued by employer — Old Age Security Identification Card — Public Transportation Card — Student ID Card — Library Card — Liquor Identification Card — Canadian Blood Services/Héma-Québec Card — Fishing Licence — Wildlife Identification Card — Hunting Licence — Firearm Acquisition Card/Firearm Possession Card — Outdoors Card and Licences — Local Community Service Centre Card (CLSC)

— Credit Card Statement — Bank Statement — Utility Bill (residential telephone, cable TV, public utilities commission, hydro, gas or water) — Attestation of Residence issued by the responsible authority of an Indian band or reserve — Local Property Tax Assessment — School, College or University Report Card or Transcript — Residential Lease, Residential Mortgage Statement or Agreement — Canada Child Tax Benefit Statement — Income Tax Assessment Notice — Insurance Policy — Government Cheque or Government Cheque Stub with elector name — Statement of Employment Insurance Benefits Paid (T4E) — Canada Pension Plan Statement of Contributions/Quebec Pension Plan Statement of Participation — Statement of Old Age Security (T4A) or Statement of Canada Pension Plan Benefits (T4AP) — Statement of Benefits from provincial workplace safety or insurance board — Statement of Direct Deposit for provincial works or provincial disability support program — Vehicle Ownership — Vehicle Insurance — Attestation of Residence issued by the responsible authorities (shelters, soup kitchens, student/senior residences, long-term care facilities) — Letter from public curator

Note: The pieces of identification required under the Canada Elections Act are not the same as those for provincial or municipal elections. The above information is also available in a number of heritage and Aboriginal languages on the Elections Canada Web site at www.elections.ca.

www.elections.ca

1-800-INFO-VOTE

TTY 1-800-361-8935

1-800-463-6868

for people who are deaf or hard of hearing

12 THE MEDIUM

Monday, September 29, 2008

ARTS

Theatre Erindale’s Before the Fringe

The style sartorialist: Fall for women CORBAN CONSALES

photos/Jim Smagata

Theatre Erindale’s new season begins with the “Before the Fringe” festival, which features two student-written plays: Therac 25 and Stolen Sneakers. Above: Sophia Fabiili and Andrew Tribe perform as two cancer patients in love in Therac 25. Below: Mark Johnston and Kathryn Alexandre in Stolen Sneakers.

After a week’s hiatus, the UofT Style Sartorialist is back with more important news from the fashion world and more style advice for your wardrobe. As you may recall, the last article was dedicated to the boys (because even though I hate to admit it, they are the ones who need the most help). This week however, is all about the ladies. Autumn has officially begun and there is no longer any excuse for you to be wearing those summer tees and shorts.Don't worry though, because the trends for Fall 2008 will keep you looking smart, sexy and more importantly, warm on those blustery fall days. It is harder to organize the specific trends for women’s seasonal fashion into specific themes like the ones we have for men. Simply put, women tend to have a better grasp of putting outfits together than men do. By this I mean that most of you are not at a complete loss when you open up your closet. As a result, women have a little more creative licence when deciding what to wear with what. That said, sometimes this creativity needs a bit of guidance. This week’s article will give you an overview of the “romantic”

focus this season. For this trend, think French style with ruffled collars and floral patterns, coupled with cute hats and thin, eclectic scarves that will make the transition from summer to fall a little easier to swallow. We will start with a look at how Haute Couture helped put this trend on the fashonista's map.

the likes of Vera Wang and Valentino. Continued on next page

Haute Couture On the runways for Fall 2008, there seemed to be a general consensus among designers regarding the comeback of the ruffle. Oscar de la Renta made good use of it in the designs for this season, having a delicate ruffled collar acting as a visual substitute to the scarf. Other designers following an almost similar trend include

photo/fashion.about.com

A model decked in the new Vera Wang collection.

Monday, September 29, 2008

THE MEDIUM 13

ARTS

New fashions for fall Continued from previous page

Bottoms: Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a little bit more freedom when it comes to what to wear below. A dark skinny jean is definitely my pick for casual days. To dress it up, trouser-cut dress pants or even a skirt are perfect. The floral pattern can also be incorporated; just as long as itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s subtle. I cannot stress this enough. Outerwear: Coats and jackets must be light for this look. As mentioned above, a velvet blazer is perfect.

As seen in the picture from Vera Wangâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s show, she has used a ruffle on the outfit near the collar in an attempt to display its evolution into a more contemporary stylistic device. Valentinoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s use of it in his couturier dresses also demonstrates a similar evolution in design. This use of the ruffled collar is a major influence in the comeback of the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Romanticâ&#x20AC;? look this season. Other contributors are the floral patterns that many designers have incorporated into their designs along with accessories such as eclectic necklaces and hats. For this trend, the important thing is not to go overboard. The French â&#x20AC;&#x153;romanticâ&#x20AC;? style is something that is hard to define and people have the tendency to overdo the ruffled collars and the floral prints. It is meant to be cute and subtle and not over-the-top and imposing; there is certainly nothing romantic about that. photo/fashion.about.com Here is an outl i n e o f h o w y o u Oscar De La Rentaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new line showcases many of the hot c a n i n c o r p o r a t e new styles, including plaid skirts and the classic ruffled certain elements of collar. one of the hottest trends this season without looking For those colder days, go with a like a tribute to 1970s fashion. thin wool pea coat. Hats are also an important aspect of this trend. A The Look fedora is the choice to keep your look fresh and up to date. Tops: The right type of blouse is e s s e n t i a l f o r p u l l i n g o f f t h i s Shoes: The â&#x20AC;&#x153;romanticâ&#x20AC;? look is supâ&#x20AC;&#x153;romanticâ&#x20AC;? look. Button-up tops posed to be very French and the with a slight ruffle to it are perfect, route for footwear is the Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s but try to â&#x20AC;&#x153;understateâ&#x20AC;? it. A blazer oxford shoe (here, do not think of with a ruffle incorporated into the the Doc Martins worn by British collar can also do the trick; just schoolboys). These high heel lacekeep in mind that the blazer be ups have a bit of an edgy and flirty constructed with a velvety material look to them which act as a perfect ( d a r k p u r p l e , g r e e n o r b r o w n ) . contrast to the cute tops and botFloral pattern shirts with subdued toms you will be wearing â&#x20AC;&#x201C; after all colors also work well. However, do romance is all about conflict. If not combine a ruffle with it unless these shoes are a little too much for you intend to look like a wedding you, a short heel will suffice. cake. Accessories: This is where you can go wild. The jewellery can be anything you want, and the more eclectic the better. Pearls â&#x20AC;&#x201C; real or faux â&#x20AC;&#x201C; are an excellent choice especially if itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a long strand (think Carrie Bradshaw). For belts, go narrow, and you can even do multiples if theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re thin enough. Scarves are also in, but make sure that they arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t too heavy because they will completely weigh down your look. photo/shoes.com

An example of a womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s oxford pump , this one designed by LAMB, Gwen Stefaniâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fashion label.

with Michael Di Leo

This week is an important week for Canadian music â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the culmination of this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Polaris Music Prize voting. For those of you who are unaware, the Polaris Music Prize is an annual prize for a full-length Canadian album, judged solely on artistic merit. As you might expect, it takes a while to narrow down the contestants to a reasonablysized list (a few months actually), and on Monday, the shortlist will be judged by a grand jury of 11 industry professionals. In addition to the glory, the artists also win a $20,000 prize. Nominated for this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s shortlist are: Black Mountain â&#x20AC;&#x201C; In The Future Basia Bulat â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Oh, My Darling Caribou â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Andorra Kathleen Edwards â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Asking for Flowers Holy Fuck â&#x20AC;&#x201C; LP Plants and Animals â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Parc Avenue Stars â&#x20AC;&#x201C; In Our Bedroom After the War Shad â&#x20AC;&#x201C; The Old Prince Two Hours Traffic â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Little Jabs The Weakerthans â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Reunion Tour

CD RELEASES THIS WEEK Ben Folds - Way To ormal

Tom Morello - The Fabled City T-Pain - Thr33 Ringz

James Taylor â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Covers T.I. - Paper Trail

Now I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t say Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve listened to every single one of these albums but for those that I have, they are deserving of the award. Some notable exclusions from the list: Veda Hilleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s This Riot Life, Sandro Perryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Tiny Mirrors, and Destroyerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Trouble In Dreams. At least Black Mountain and Caribou made it. After reading Carl Wilsonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s blog, I was made aware of the overarching bias of the Polaris judges. One of the 180 judges himself, it seems interesting to me that Wilson would bring up such a point. He agrees with Robert Everett-Green of the Globe and Mail on the issue of the Polaris bias against pop-chart music and non-rock genres. Wilson also goes on to further explain how â&#x20AC;&#x153;it's partly Canadian demographics. No matter how much the country's changing, there are still many more musicians here who make rock and singer-songwriter albums, and so, both by volume and through cultural reinforcement, odds are there will be

more good ones in those genres.â&#x20AC;? Also, by including all these judges, there is more likelihood that those critics who prefer urban, R&B, or jazz music will be overshadowed by those who prefer the good olâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; mainstream rock (which does include indie). It comes to the point where in choosing such a broad range of critics, the Polaris Prize becomes, to some extent, restricted musically â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the very thing which it aims to act against. We shall see on Monday whether we continue down this path, or if we have a contender from a new genre. Shad perhaps? In addition, I would like to give an extended round of applause for a certain Mrs. Bette Midler. Thank you Bette for putting an end to your touring and saving the world from unnecessary harmful carbon emissions. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m sure that your $13 million-dollar Las Vegas deal had nothing to do with your decision. Until next week...

UPCOMI G CO CERTS

Monday September 29 - Common, .E.R.D. @ Kool Haus ($49.50) Monday September 29 - Polaris Music Prize @ Phoenix (Invite only) Tuesday September 30 - Drumheller @ Tranzac (pwyc) Tuesday September 30 - o Shame Pop Montreal preview featuring The Rural Alberta Advantage, ovillero, Hooded Fang, Mount Royal @ Rancho Relaxo ($7) Tuesday September 30 - Hot Chip @ Kool Haus ($25) Tuesday September 30 - Weezer, Angels & Airwaves, Tokyo Police Club @ Air Canada Centre ($27.75-$52.75) Wednesday October 1 - ick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Black Mountain @ Kool Haus ($35) Friday October 3 - The Roches (featuring Lucy Wainwright Roche) @ Hugh's Room ($42.50) [Oct 3-4] Friday October 3 - The Sadies @ Horseshoe ($15) [Oct 3-4] Friday October 3 - The Creeping obodies, DD/MM/YYYY, These Are Powers @ Sneaky Dee's ($8) Saturday October 4 - Ratatat @ Phoenix ($15) Sunday October 5 - Beck, MGMT @ Sound Academy ($50) Sunday October 5 - The Evaporators, The Weirdies, others @ Trash Palace ($4) Sunday October 5 - Sultans of String @ Tranzac ($20)

University of Ottawa

Study Law in the National Capital Obtain a uOttawa LL.B. degree in either English or French with concentrations in t t

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14 THE MEDIUM

Monday, September 29, 2008

Sports CHRISTOPHER SAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;D, EDITOR | sports@mediumonline.ca

NHL Preview: Who to look for in the 2008-09 season KYLE WHITNEY

pick, this team should not be taken lightly. Stanley Cup runners-up, the Pittsburgh Penguins are still a very dangerous team, though they didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t make any notable moves. They did however lock up their core of youngsters to long-term deals â&#x20AC;&#x201C; both MarcAndre Fleury and Evgeni Malkin signing on the dotted line to assure that they will be around with Sidney Crosby for years to come. Nonetheless, losing Ryan Malone and Marion Hossa might make their quest for a consecutive Stanley Cup final appearance a difficult one. The San Jose Sharks have always fallen just short of making a Stanley Cup final, with their Achilles heel always being their defense. Adding the likes of Dan Boyle and Rob Blake to their blue line, the Sharks will have a solid backend that will relieve some pressure off RW Jonathan Cheechoo and C Joe Thornton who can then focus on scoring without worrying about their defense blowing their leads. Speaking of Stanley Cup contenders we canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t forget to mention the Anaheim Ducks. Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re still young and fast with three of the top young forwards in the game â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Corey Perry, Ryan Getzlaf, and Bobby Ryan. The Ducks will have no problem scoring

After a summer of many memorable sports moments, the most anticipated time is approaching with the 2008/2009 National Hockey League (NHL) season, starting this week. After Nicklas Lidstrom hoisted the Stanley Cup at the end of last season, a new, huge target has been placed on the Detroit Red Wings jersey. Favorites going into the upcoming season, the Red Wings have added some firepower to let the rest of the NHL know that they plan to be even more dangerous than last year. The Red Wings will look to new addition RW Marion Hossa to add to an already potent offence which features the likes of Henrik Zetterberg, Pavel Datsyuk and playoff superhero Johan Franzen. The Tampa Bay Lightning are a team on the rise, with first-overall pick LW Steven Stamkos joining a newlook Lightning team that is seeking to get out of the bottom of the standings. Other acquisitions include LW Ryan Malone, LW Gary Roberts, RW Mark Recchi, D Matt Carle, Andrej Meszaros, and G Olaf Kolzig. With the mixture of veteran leadership, solid defenders and a proven goaltender to go with their blue-chipper number one

and with Chris Pronger and Scott Niedermayer patrolling the backend, the Ducks look promising for their second Stanley Cup in franchise history. The new NHL is all about speed and youth and the Philadelphia Flyers have a great combination of both. Daniel Briere is entering his second season with the Flyers and the expectations on him, Jeff Carter and Mike Richards are high. If the Flyers are to get anywhere this season, much will rely on the latter duo to have sensational breakout years. Another team on the rise is the Chicago Blackhawks with key players C Jonathan Toews and RW Patrick Kane entering their second full season. After adding Brian Campbell to their defensive core to accommodate Brent Seabrook and Cam Barker, this team should be fast, tough, and hungry to prove to the league how good they are. Chicago will also be hosting the Winter Classic this year at Wrigley Field against the Detroit Red Wings. The spotlight will be on the Blackhawks to get into the playoffs and end their slump of always falling short of a playoff birth. The Dallas Stars have a legitimate shot at making the Stanley Cup final if C Brad Richards stays fit enough for 82 games this year. Adding instigator RW Sean Avery to their roster will boost their already strong offence., but

photo/Matthew Filipowich

Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins. their defense will have to step up and protect G Marty Turco for this team to get to that next level. The Columbus Blue Jackets and Washington Capitals both have all star forwards in LW Rick Nash and LW Alexander Ovechkin respectively. Both teams are nothing short of firepower up front and in goal. Their defense however, is another matter altogether. When previewing an upcoming NHL season you canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t forget about Canadaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s six NHL teams. The Ottawa Senators are always a threat for the playoffs. This year, theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve made additions to their defense and have finally gotten rid of locker-

On Tuesday, October 14, vote.

A federal general election is taking place on October 14, 2008. Did you receive this card?

Where and when to vote? Advance voting You can vote before election day. Advance voting will be held Friday, October 3, Saturday, October 4 and Monday, October 6, from noon to 8:00 p.m. Locations of advance polling stations appear on the back of the voter information card.

Keep the voter information card you received by mail from Elections Canada. It tells you where and when to vote. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll get through the voting process more quickly if you have it with you. If you havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t received it, or if you found an error in your name or address, please phone your local Elections Canada office. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll find the number at www.elections.ca by clicking on â&#x20AC;&#x153;Voter Information Serviceâ&#x20AC;?.

You can vote by mail or at your local Elections Canada office using the special ballot if you make the request by 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, October 7. To download the registration form, go to www.elections.ca and click on â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m Mailing My Vote!â&#x20AC;?, or call Elections Canada to obtain the form and information.

Do you know the new identification rules to vote? When you vote, you must prove your identity and address. For the list of acceptable pieces of identification authorized by the Chief Electoral Officer of Canada, please see the pamphlet you received by mail from Elections Canada or visit www.elections.ca and click on â&#x20AC;&#x153;Voter Identification at the Pollsâ&#x20AC;?. To vote, you must: ; "% ! !-!$)!- #)3)9%; "% !3 +%!23 8%!12 .+$ .- %+%#3).- $!8 ; prove your identity and address

Vote. Shape your world. www.elections.ca

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room problem G Ray Emery. With the past behind them, the Sens have a new outlook in RW Dany Heatley and C Jason Spezza, who may just lead them to another Stanley Cup final. The Edmonton Oilers got a lot faster adding RW Erik Cole with D Sheldon Souray healthy for the start of the season, theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re a team that could surprise many. The Vancouver Canucks have a world-class goaltender in Roberto Luongo but are average on all other fronts. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a team that has yet to prove that they can grind it out with the best of them and last the toil of an 82-game season. Unfortunately for the Toronto Maple Leaf fans, this season will be one for rebuilding. With expectations at an all time low, the Leafs have some talented forwards that could take turns to impress. But theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re still lacking that star player who can score on a regular basis and worry whichever opposition the Leafs face. Defense and goaltending wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be the problem for the Leafs this season, but putting the puck in the net will be. Expect the Leafs to be in lottery contention. Fans are expecting them to grab young sensation, John Tavares at seasonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s end. The Montreal Canadiens were the best team last season but with a young and unproven goalie between the pipes, they couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t quite reach the next step. What a difference a year of experience will make with the growth of G Carey Price. Adding sniper RW Alex Tanguay and veteran C Robert Lang, the Canadiens will be a serious threat this season and probably finish first in the Eastern Conference again. For added pressure, the Canadiens are entering their 100th NHL season. As a result, Montreal will be hosting this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s All-Star game, as well as retiring and raising to the rafters Patrick Royâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, number 33. This season will be a memorable one for â&#x20AC;&#x153;Les habitantsâ&#x20AC;? and it might just culminate in a run to the Stanley Cup final. The other Canadian team to contend for a title will be the Calgary Flames. Already having a great offence, defense and goaltending, they added more to their forward line with the addition of speedy C Mike Cammalleri and grinder RW Todd Bertuzzi. This gives the flames a second scoring threat beside Jarome Iginla, and with a tough presence in Bertuzzi, opponents will always teams think twice before trying to instigate a fight with the Flames. Expect another exciting season with most of the 32 teams dangerous enough â&#x20AC;&#x201C; at least on paper â&#x20AC;&#x201C; to make a serious run into the playoffs. With many teams also having something to prove this year, this should be one of the best runs in recent years for the NHL.

Monday, September 29, 2008

THE MEDIUM 15

SPORTS

Instant replay: Don’t misjudge the off-season CHRISTOPHER SA’D SPORTS EDITOR

“What do you mean the off-season is boring? Do you know what you are missing?” It doesn’t matter what sport you watch or what team you follow, it’s the off-season that fans anticipate the most. Or at least we should. Every minute of the day we anticipate all the news from any sport source, be it TSN, Sportsnet or AM radio, just as long as it tells us what our favourite teams are doing. And for some of us, every piece of news possible is relevant. Some people even have a sport news ticker feature on their blackberry so they can receive every update from every sport as soon as it’s announced – yours truly falls in that category. I just don’t know why people ask, “Why should I care about the offseason?” The problem with some sport fanatics is that they only care about the play of the day or TSN’s honour role reel. The wannabe sports fan only cares about how Sidney Crosby scored the gamewinning goal or how Tom Brady hurt his knee. It is only about the highly publicized news spun across CBC or Entertainment tonight. But it is the real fans that bother with questions like where or how Crosby came from to begin with or even how Brady will console himself with his season-ending injury.

You see, the off-season is where the sports business world flourishes. This is the time when you’re blackberry rings off the hook with update after update of the day’s biggest trades, signings, firings and rumour. This is sports business – arguably the most exciting component of professional sports. One of the most memorable off-season goings-on over the past years has to be during the 1999 NBA preseason – the year of the lockout. Every owner had mishaps and disagreements; it took over ten months to organize a substantial collective bargaining agreement (CBA). The outcome: no basketball for several months. A few years later, the NHL encountered a similar scenario. The NHL did however manage to resolve the CBA, but in the process, created an uneven, see-saw syndrome to the existing salary cap. Think Rick Di Pietro’s fifteen-year deal (the longest contract in sports history) and Vincent Lecavalier’s eleven-year $85 million dollar agreement. Then there’s draft day. Few can take precedence over the NFL draft every May. Lasting more than three hours long and sponsored by millions of dollars of commercial revenue, the draft every year is almost as hyped up as the Super bowl. This argument extends to every other sport as well. And let us not forget the manic football pools right after the draft, spurring one of the biggest gambling rings in North America.

This time around, most hockey fans are tracking the NHL’s plans of expanding across Europe. Almost every day, I listen into callers on FAN 590 with their opinions on this: “why expand to another continent when you have U.S cities that can barely finance their own team?” Or “forget Europe; how about Quebec City, Winnipeg or Halifax if you’re looking to expand?” Sometimes this type of controversy generates the hype for the upcoming season. Just this past summer, Bengals’ WR

Chad Johnson stirred up the league by adding his jersey number to his name – “Ocho Cinco,” meaning “85.” It never fails to entertain. Going back to the trades and dealmakings, each league has their own regulations as to what clubs can and cannot do during the season with contract offers and agreements. It’s not just about skill in professional sport, it’s about sport logistics, and it’s almost always full of surprises. This is probably an easy and obvious

argument for some of you, but for those who don’t appreciate sports business – the other half of sports, perhaps it’s time you do. It’s what gets us excited for the same long season every year. ote: I think Tom Brady will be okay, but the problem seems to be that Bill Belichick can’t get a grip on Matt Cassel and Randy Moss. Brady is vital to the Patriots, not only for what he does on the field, but for his positive effect to his players (Moss) as well.

Blues Take Gold at Head of the Welland On Saturday September 27, 2008 the UTM rowing team sent a small contingent of athletes to compete at the first fall regatta of the season, the Head of the Welland. This 4.8 km course, spanning five bridges, is held annually on the Welland International Flatwater Course, and draws clubs and universities from all over Ontario and New York. All the mileage on the water over the last month paid off, with gold medals being awarded to Tessa Mandrapilias in the Women's Novice Single event, Michelle Bradbury in the Women's Open Single event, and James Walker in the Men's Open Single event. The rowing team travels next weekend to Peterborough to compete at the "Head of the Trent" regatta.

- James Joesph Walker, Member of the UofT Rowing Team

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16 THE MEDIUM

Monday, September 29, 2008

SPORTS

New GM, new coach and a new plan GM Cliff Fletcher is awaiting for what is to come in the Leafs’ first transition era, especially with the absence of 10-year captain Mats Sundin SACHIN MOHAN

The Toronto Maple Leafs opened the 2008-2009 pre-season with a convincing 7-4 win over the Buffalo Sabres on September 22. The Leafs displayed lots of speed and offensive pressure. Then two days later, they lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2 demonstrating very little offensive prowess, scoring their only other goal seconds before the game was over. You know the expectations are low for this Leafs team when its

own general manger comes out and says that “rocky days lie ahead.” This year’s team is caught in a rebuilding transition phase initiated by interim GM Cliff Fletcher. With the impending arrival of a new general manager, who many speculate to be Brian Burke of the Anaheim Ducks, more changes are surely on the horizon. The Leafs have undergone the most drastic roster shuffle in recent memory. Fletcher has rejuvenated the team with youth and a group of new faces. “The face of the Maple Leaf hockey team come opening game in October will be different than it is now,” Fletcher promised

back in February following the trade deadline. So far, Fletcher has kept to his word by removing all high-priced contract players out of Toronto, obtaining several draft picks in return. Familiar faces such as Darcy Tucker, Andrew Raycroft, John Pohl, Kyle Wellwood, Bryan McCabe and captain Mats Sundin were pushed out and sent around the league. With half the current team roster filled with unfamiliar talent, Fletcher is hoping to get something out of the new guys; hopefully something better than he expects.

The Pittsburgh Penguins were in a similar rebuilding phase several years ago which allowed them to draft the likes of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.

photo/reuters

Leafs’ GM Cliff Fletcher at a press conference in Air Canada Centre.

The new era of the Toronto Maple Leafs sees newcomers like Jeff Finger, Mike Van Ryan and Jonas Frogren re-shaping the Leafs defensive core. Jamal Mayers, Niklas Hagman, Ryan Hollweg, Nikolai Kulemin, and speedy forward Mikhail Grabovski will form the core of newcomers on offense. It’s also expected that several Toronto Marlies will be called up

photo/CanWest

Head coach Ron Wilson pointing to the ice as he watches his team. to the big club on a permanent basis. Veteran goalie Curtis Joseph returns to the Leafs as a mentor and backup to Vesa Toskala. In addition, this season’s fifth overall draft pick, Luke Schenn, remains the odd man out on this season’s roster unless he can impress management during preseason. Throughout several of their preseason games so far, the Leafs continued to show glimpses of last year’s glaring weaknesses. The Leafs continue to display poor discipline by giving their opponents numerous power play opportunities. However with new coach Ron

Wilson, who is known for his defensive style of coaching, it is expected that the Leafs will improve around their net. The outlook appears bleak for this season, making it a likely fourth consecutive year that the Toronto Maple Leafs won’t see the playoffs. However, the Pittsburgh Penguins were in a similar rebuilding phase several years ago which allowed them to draft the likes of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. The Penguins eventually made it to the Stanley Cup finals last season, so can the Leafs do the same? I hope.

Sending out an S.O.S with Sam Lane Terrible Home Cooking If I had to explain how terrible the Argos played against the Calgary Stampeders, it could classify as cruel and unusual punishment. Let’s leave it at that. Three games played and the Argos have been outscored for a total of 117-29. "To appreciate the good you’ve gotta taste the bad,” said head coach Don Matthews. “I'm tasting some stuff that isn't pleasant right now.” He must be eating at Spiegel Hall. Guess Who's Back? Back Again.

photo/Varsity Blues

The University of Toronto Varsity Blues golf team - Mark Bania, Adrian Cord, Nick Clark, Daly Kim, Adam Riddell, Scott Samuel, Niilo Schonfeld and head coach Dave Woods - took first place on Monday September 22 at Queen’s University. They shot a 297 and won by a total of three shots ahead of Queen’s. Mark Bania shot a 73 and tied for the bronze medal. Adrian Cord finished with a 74 and stood in a three-way tie for fifth place. On Thursday September 25, the Blues finished in second place at the annual Western Invitational at St. Thomas Golf and Country Club. Mark Bania and Adrian Cord finished the day with a 71 to be placed along with Queen’s in a triple threat tie.

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Nice to see Cito back. Its' been too long. With him returns JP, the man with the plan. For almost ten years, the first black manager to win the World Series never had a coaching job in baseball. The results are evident with Gaston back at the helm – a plus .500 ball club in the second half of the season. With JP back, management recognizes his long-term intentions and is

That’s right! There’s not one better thing in this world.

contact Chris at sports@mediumonline.ca

staying the course with his five-year plan. Makes you wonder though, if Roy Halladay wins that 11th straight game, where the Jays would be now. Money, Money, Money Rod Barajas spoke after AJ Burnett’s last start at home against the Yankees about the pitcher’s should-i-should-i-not opt out option at the end of this season. Scheduled to make $24 million if he stays for two years, Barajas defended Burnett’s hesitation to sign: “He needs to take care of his family.” $24 Million isn't enough to take care of your family? This reminds me of Latrell Sprewell. While with the T-Wolves, he was due to make $14.6 million. Instead he wanted a new, more lucrative contract extension or to be traded before the start of the 2004 season. He turned down a reported offer of $27-30 million, 3-year contract extension. Outraged, he went to public and declared, “I have a family to feed.”