Vol 36 issue 6

Professor Dax Urbszat opens up about life and teaching in our new regular feature page 8 Monday, October 19, 2009

Volume 36, Issue 6

Students shave to save

Best bang for your buck

Supplied photo

The second fundraiser for the Canadian Cancer Society featured head shaving, henna tattoos, pie throwing and leg waxing.

STEFANIE MAROTTA

On October 15, students gathered at the Blind Duck Pub from 12 to 3 p.m. to raise funds for the Canadian Cancer Society. The fundraiser, dubbed the Fair for Hope, was led by fourth-year student Sunil Shah and kicked off at noon with performances by student Loral Decoy and the Music Club.

Students volunteered to have their heads shaved on stage as the audience bid on the volunteers.

The highest bid went to Shah, who had previously announced that he would cut more hair off for every $50 donated. (His bid soared to $200) All Shah has left to keep his head warm are two scraggly bangs and a mess of uneven hair at the back of his head.

The highlight of the event occurred when a first-year student volunteered to have her hair completely shaved off. Other

female students who donated their hair had it styled later in an impromptu appearance by Out@UTM’s Afi Browne.

Students volunteered to pose as targets for the event’s pie-throwing auction while other attendees bid to throw pies at their colleagues’ faces.

Bids ranged from $5 to $75. The sole $75 bid was placed when UTMSU President Joey Santiago volunteered to be a target. Because three students made the combined bid, three pies headed Santiago’s way. Asked how he felt afterwards, Santiago replied using the favoured frosh cheer, “Oh, I feel so good!”

The Fair for Hope received support from UTMSU as well as UTM academic societies and clubs. The Erindale Gaming Organization set up an Xbox and a Nintendo Wii on a television in the Student Centre presentation room and a donation to the Canadian Cancer Society allowed

students to play Halo and Brawl.

Draws for raffle prizes were held throughout the duration of the fair, which included tickets to Screamers and Halloween pub and Toronto Argonaut tickets. UTMSU, the Undergraduate Commerce Society and the Forensics Society provided the prizes.

“Everyone knows someone who has been affected by cancer. The Canadian Canter Society is such an important organization. We’re so thankful for everyone that came out; the response from UTM was amazing,” said Rand Abdulnour, a Fair for Hope organizer.

Last year, the CSS raised nearly $200 million for cancer research and support. It is estimated that about 150 thousand people are diagnosed with cancer each year, making the organization and the individuals and groups who contribute to it a necessity.

Matthew Filipowich/The Medium

Simran Dhaliwal and a sledgehammer get some air outside the Student Centre last Thursday. Article on page 2.

Students visit professional schools fair OVAIS SHAH

The Career Centre recently organized the Professional School’s Fair at the RAWC. The fair was attended by over a thousand students and 93 schools from across Canada, the US, Europe and Asia and covered academic disciplines such as business, law, health, teaching, graduate studies and college programs.

According to Clair Westgate, the centre’s external events and employer services coordinator, the purpose of the fair was to “connect admission representatives from professional schools with students who are inter-

ested in exploring options for further educational opportunities.”

Various school representatives echoed the success of the centre’s initiative to connect the students with schools. Elaine Brothwick, admissions director for the Faculty of Law at the University of British Columbia, said that “The student turn-out was great.

All of the students were asking the right questions and had done their home-work.” The MBET program representative from the University of Waterloo expressed a similarly positive experience.

Andrea Tulett, who tended the presentation booth for UTM’s Masters of Management in Innovation program

offered by the faculty of medicine, was satisfied with the fair. “Overall the fair was good. It provided us a great opportunity to answer questions and help the students make important decision about their future career goals.”

Although the fair was a success for most, some students believed that the fair should be held more than once, since the fair often conflicted with the students’ schedules. Westgate acknowledged the concern and replied that the timing for the Professional School’s Fair, like any other campus event, is challenging because students have classes every day of the week. “We do our best to

pick a time that we know students will be on campus and have a break.

We would love to organize the fair at other times but the attending organizations won’t attend on weekends due to their preference for regular business hours.”

The Professional School’s Fair was the second fair of the year organized by the Career Centre to help students plan their careers. Some of the upcoming events for the centre include the Career Expo on October 27, which will allow students to meet employers from major corporations such as the Royal Bank of Canada, Wells Fargo, Investor Groups and Reckitt Benckiser.

INSIDE The E Bike gets to UTM PAGE 2

Widows, reviewed PAGE 5 African Student Aid, PAGE 9 Ultimate Frisbee at UTM PAGE 11

2 THE MEDIUM

MONDAY, OCTOBER

19, 2009

NEWS TWO WHEELS, FOUR WHEELS

A buck goes a long way MAYA SHAHID

As students made their way to morning classes last Thursday, many paused to consider the commotion in front of the Student Centre. The area typically functions as a walkway for students but was transformed as students gathered to watch their comrades release their frustration by pounding on a black Ford. Cheers and screams filled the air at each swing of a sledgehammer and each blow of a steel bat. A stereo played Mariah Carey songs from under a large tent, where members of the UTM Meal Exchange received student donations in exchange for a go at the car, which was donated by Lyons Auto Body. Within the first hour, the Ford’s back lights were smashed, the bumper mashed, the windows dented and the muffler hung off the car. “Who else would like to take a shot? All proceeds will go to charity!” shouted a member of the UTM Meal Exchange.

Anthony Simone, an executive member of UTM Meal Exchange, explained the history of their nonprofit organization. “Meal Exchange is a national charity with 40 chapters across Canada. Our mission is to fight food security issues in local communities.” Statistics on the Meal Exchange website show that 753,458 people use a food bank per month, about 35% of food banks have diffi-

culty to meet demands and 41% of food bank clients are children.

UTM Meal Exchange was initially reluctant to implement the Bang for a Buck fundraiser. After asking UTMSU and Campus Police, they were directed to meet with Dean of Student Affairs Mark Overton. Dean Overton approved their idea, so they were able to move ahead. UTM Meal Exchange took safety measures such as providing goggles and gloves and even required participants to sign a waiver form.

Members of the UTM Meal Exchange expressed how happy they were to see the appreciation of students around campus for Bang for a Buck. “When you see the campus getting involved, you feel appreciated. Also, it’s a lot of fun,” said Simone. One student said, “This is one of the smartest fundraisers I’ve seen on campus.”

Meal Exchange promises more events this year that will raise funds and awareness for hunger. The next event is Trick of Eat: volunteers along with the UTM Meal Exchange will go door to door in various neighbourhoods dressed in costumes to collect food items for the Mississauga Food Bank. Last year, UTM Meal Exchange was able to fundraise 800 pounds of food in four hours, which were donated to the UTM Food Bank. If you would like to get involved, you can register for the event at www.trickoreat.ca.

Environmentally friendly E-bike now available at UTM E bikes can now share the road with cars, pedestrians and other traffic throughout Ontario GURPINDER GAHEER

UTM BikeShare, a student-run organization that loans bikes for personal use in collaboration with the UTM New Democratic Party club, introduced the e-bike on October 15. In conjunction with the launch, BikeShare allowed students to test drive the new motorequipped bikes. The E-bike should bring attention to problems such as the environment, sustainability and economic efficiency, said UTM NDP President Andrew Hamilton-Smith.

Sean King, a representative of CelticBikes.com, the company responsible for the manufacturing of these electric bikes, said that the E-bike is for “anybody who already rides a bike or who may not ride one because of age or other fitness issues.” The electric bike is equipped with a durable 250W motor and is powered by a removable lightweight 36V lithium ion battery that can be charged approximately 500 times,

averaging 40 to 50 kilometres per charge. The E-bike can also reach a top speed of approximately 30 kilometers per hour.

“The E bike is pretty great because it requires no pedaling.

Too bad they start in the spring.”

Salman Salat The E-bike comes equipped with three modes of functionality.

Users can choose to pedal and use the E-bike as a normal bike with the six speed Shamino gears or they can use the “pedal with assistance from the motor” mode to help them along your journey. The third mode of the E-bike allows for full use of the throttle without any pedaling.

Mark Vas, a coordinator for the BikeShare Program at UTM, said that the E-bike is “excellent for people who are new to bikes or for

those with no energy left at the end of a long day.”

Students took the E-bike for a test drive on Thursday in front of the Student Centre and most enjoyed the experience. “The Ebike is pretty great because it requires no pedaling. Too bad they start in the spring,” said Salman Salat, a first-year life sciences student.

Even though the E-bike is motorized, King pointed out that it is treated as a normal bicycle by the Transport Ministry of Ontario and thus requires no license or insurance.

The E-bike is up for $1,650 from regular dealers. UTM students can purchase it for $999.

Those who are interested in buying an E-bike or want to know more about it can contact Vas at the BikeShare office in front of the Student Centre.

For more information visit ebikes.ca

Campus police weekly summaries October 7, 2009 to October 14, 2009 October 7 Fire Campus Police and Mississauga Fire Department attended to a fire alarm in the CCIT Building. The area was checked and all was in order.

October 9 Vehicle Tow Campus Police and Mississauga Parking Enforcement towed a vehicle off campus due it being a habitual offender.

October 8 Trespass to Property Act A female student attempted to use another person’s identification to gain access into the RAWC. The female was banned from the RAWC until further notice.

October 9 Theft Under $5000 Report of a stolen iPod touch. The estimated value of the stolen property is $230.00.

October 9 Noise Complaint Campus Police responded to a noise complaint in a residence unit. The tenants were spoken to and advised to shut down the party and the tenants complied.

October 11 Theft Under $5,000 Report of stolen personal belongings inside a residence unit. The estimated value of the stolen property is $20.

October 12 Property Damage Report of property damage inside the

Are you ready? * Speak to reps from various fields! * Expand your network of contacts * Ask questions & get valuable information from industry insiders

October 13 Trespass to Property Act Campus Police investigated two females selling spa packages while on the UTM Campus. The females were verbally trespassed from the UTM Campus and they were escorted off the property.

October 13 Motor Vehicle Accident Report of vehicle damage in parking lot 8. Campus Police investigated the incident and the estimated value of damage to the vehicle is $600.00.

October 13 Noise Complaint

CARE

X Po

ER

More than 40 different organizations, ready to network with you.

North Building. The area was checked and repairs were completed. Estimated value of damage is $50.00.

E

October 27th, 2009 10:30-1:30PM The RAWC Valid T-Card required for entry

Participants include: TD Canada Trust, Ontario Public Service, Celestica, Loblaw Companies Ltd, and many more!

View the entire list at www.utm.utoronto.ca/careers/expo.html Prepare for the fair -- Attend a Success at Expo Prep Session!

Oct. 21 and 22 | Sign up online at www.utm.utoronto.ca/careers

Report of a noise complaint inside the CCT Building. Campus Police attended the area and spoke with several students and they were advised to turn the music off in the building. The students complied and left the area without incident.

October 13 Library Code of Conduct Campus Police investigated a male who refused to leave the Library as directed to do so. The male was escorted out of the Library by Campus Police.

October 13 Missing Person Campus Police investigated a possible missing student. Further investigation

by Campus Police found the student was safe and not considered a missing person.

October 14 Noise Complaint Report of a noise complaint from a residence. Campus Police attended the area and spoke with several males and they were advised to keep the noise down.

The males complied and went inside the residence.

October 13 Theft Under $5000.00 Theft of a wallet from the Library. The estimated value of the stolen property is $60.00.

October 14 Motor Vehicle Accident Report of damage to a vehicle parked in the CCT Garage. Estimated value of damage is $400.00.

Take a peek into the future...

Extern job shadowing program ‘10 ! b e F ition ed

Sign up for an orientation at www.utm.utoronto.ca/careers

and get started!

Orientation dates: Oct. 16th | Oct. 22nd | Oct. 28th

MONDAY, OCTOBER

19, 2009 THE MEDIUM 3

TURKEY AND FLIES NEWS

Environment week brings ‘a breath of fresh air’

A taste of turkey for international students OVAIS SHAH

Ministry of Environment members at the local food market last Monday.

EMIL JABBARLI

With the tagline “A breath of fresh air,” Environment Week was held from October 5 to October 8. The three-day long event was organized by the UT M S U M i n i s t r y o f Environment and started in the CCT Atrium with a display of information and brochures about the Ministry of Environment and the campaigns it runs.

Later in the day, a farmers market was set up in front of the Student Centre. There was also a corn roast barbeq u e , w hi ch w a s es p ec i a ll y popular among the students. In order to emphasize the local food campaign, all the food that was served was grown locally in Milton farms.

On Tuesday, the Ministry gave out free candy apples from Milton apple factories. The apples were organic, local grown fruits. The day finished with an anti-litter event, followed by cleaning up litter on campus.

A Lug-a-Mug event took place in the Student Centre on Wednesday.

Starbucks donated coffee that came with the mugs. Approximately 50 studen ts p articipated in a tre eplanting event that was followed by a nature-walking session and more litter cleaning. Impressed by the success of the Lug-a-Mug event, the Ministry plans to hold another one in the future.

On Thursday, volunteers promoted alternative transportation ideas, such as riding a bicycle, taking public transportation or carpooling.

St u d en t s w h o us ed one of su ch methods to commute to the campus rec e i v e d f r e e breakfast at the Spiegel Hall between 8:30 and 11 a.m. and about 50 students took advantage of this offer. Later in the day, UTM BikeShare gave three bike tours around Mississauga and organized nature trails.

Throughout the Environment Week, UTMSU showed daily presentations and films on environment related subjects to further educate the public on current issues The Ministry of Environment seeks to raise environmental awareness among the UTM community.

Their campaigns promote environ-

RAW presents ‘Live like a refugee’ STEFANIE MAROTTA

During September 28 through to October 2, the World University Service of Canada committee at UTM held Refugee Awareness Week.

UTMSU VP External Henry Ssali and other committee members set up a table in the CCT building to inform students about the program, encourage volunteerism and raise money.

On Wednesday, students were encouraged to “Eat like a Refugee” for 24 hours. At noon, participants were given a small meal of rice and salad, resembling the food that would be provided at a refugee camp.

Other fundraising initiatives included a bake sale at the Student Centre, where cupcakes were sold for 50 cents onwards and portraits drawn by fourth-year art history student Steve Khan were sold for $5.

Students also had the opportunity to sign up and camp out on campus to

support the cause. On Wednesday night, Ssali and a few supporters set up tents for the “Live like a Refugee” event. Seven students braved two chilly nights next to the Kaneff Building to raise awareness on the living conditions of refugees.

Some onlookers were sceptical about how camping out in a tent for a night benefited refugees. Others disagreed. “It seems like a small thing to sit in a tent for a night, but everything accumulates when many people come together. We achieve big results,” said first-year student Stephen Wright.

Refugee Awareness Week raised $850 during the week. Ssali was thrilled with the response from students. “The Refugee Awareness Week has been awesome as far as educating UTM students on the various issues that refugees face. Such actions of compassion from students are so humbling and they make me continue to serve my fellow students with passion,” Ssali said.

mentally friendly transportation and encourage students to switch to multiuse bottles rather than singleuse plastic water bottles. (A single bottle may take 20 years to decompose in nature and is not very suitable for recycling.) The Ministry of Environment is currently campaigning for the overall banning of plastic bottles throughout campus.

The Ministry also hopes to minimize trash on campus by means of sustainable and efficient waste management. It promotes locally grown food and raises awareness about the environment in order to decrease the human impact on nature and reduce further pollution. Public awareness of these issues, believe Ministry representatives, is the key to achieving the goal of environmental sustainability.

The Ministry of Environment considered the event a success.

Many students volunteered to become members and to take part in further events.

Donations collected throughout the event will be given to a charity chosen by the Ministry of Environment.

Although midterms and essays are around the corner for most university students, Thanksgiving is a time of the year when many get a day off from school to put their books aside and relax with loved ones.

While many UTM students enjoyed Thanksgiving with turkey and cranberry sauce at home, others usually those who come from abroad – are unable to make it home. This is why a group of student volunteers from the International Student Resource Centre organized a turkey dinner for international students.

“Thanksgiving is a fundamental part of Canadian culture; it is one of those secular festivals when people of all religions and cultures of Canada get together and give thanks for the close of the harvest season,” said organizer Veronica Vasquez.

In the spirit of the multicultural nature of the festival, a group of international students and their friends gathered to discuss the importance of Thanksgiving and its place in Canadian culture. The students also shared instances of similar festivals akin to Thanksgiving that are celebrated in their home country, such as Vaisakhi in India, Punjab in Pakistan and the Mid-Autumn Festival in China and other regions of Asia.

After the discussion, the students

indulged in a scrumptious dinner of turkey that was offered at a discounted rate, courtesy of Food Services.

In the past, the Thanksgiving gettogether was offered as a sponsor program whereby faculty, students and staff members at UTM sponsored international students and took them home for a Thanksgiving dinner. This year, the ISRC decided to take a new approach and make it a collective dinner where international students and local students can have a multicultural exchange of ideas in a big group.

Vasquez remarked that “it was an ideal opportunity to teach and learn about cultures. The students were excited and loved the event.” Charlie Mao, one of the attendees at the event, deemed it as a success and an ideal opportunity to interact with other students.

Let’s Talk Turkey is just one of the programs the centre has planned for the year. Aiming to connect international students and local Canadian students via activities, programs and event, it is but one of the many services offered by UTM Student Affairs for the student body.

Other upcoming events from the centre are the Global Café sessions and a buddy get-together that aims to provide international and local students with a support-system and an opportunity to learn about Canadian and international cultures.

Fly mating at U of T MICHAEL DI LEO Last Thursday, a UTM research team led by Professor Joel Levine revealed that by genetically tweaking pheromones emitted by fruit flies, they were able to produce bugs that were irresistible to each other.

The study, published in the science journal Nature, looked at how fruit flies recognized sex and species. By eliminating certain pheromones, the researchers were able to breed flies that did not have the capacity to distinguish and classify each other, thus rendering them

sexually irresistible to their species.

“Lacking these chemical signals eliminated barriers to mating,” Professor Levine said, referring to the fact that male flies attempted to mate with pheromone-free males, even though sometimes they were of a different species altogether, Professor Levine admitted that the findings are of little consequence to human attraction. “We may rely more on the visual system and we may have a more complex way of assessing other individuals, classifying them and determining how we’re going to relate to them than a fly does.”

4 THE MEDIUM

OPINION

MONDAY, OCTOBER

19, 2009

Letters to the Editor Double standard?

Dear Editor, ALAIN LATOUR EDITOR IN CHIEF

EDITORIAL This newspaper aims to inform us about UTM. It’s right there in the nameplate – “The Voice of University of Toronto Mississauga.” That, more than ever before, is our focus this year. We’ve concentrated on campus news as opposed to national and international news. We’ve written about the RAWC. We’ve published student prose, featured ECSPERT and the CCIT Council, and lent many students a space in these pages – just look at the amount of contributors in every week’s masthead.

We have, in other words, written plenty about students, for students. Unfortunately, that’s not all we have done. Forgetting that UTM is not just about students, we’ve treated UTM staff as if it were composed of faceless, robotic bureaucrats. They are most certainly not.

There’s Douglas Leeies at the Registrar’s office, who helps student after student with a patience and generosity that never fail to amaze me. There’s that polite grinning lady serving coffee in the CCT building, who once told me that I had something to do with horses in a previous life. There’s that gentleman of a shuttle bus driver – I won’t mention his name – whom I overheard last week on the cell phone. He was talking to someone, possibly a relative who was ill, and his voice was full of concern. Yet many students who climbed onto that bus ignored his greeting. And there’s Stephanie Sullivan with her charming accent out of a British movie, who accommodates professional writing students’ requests with ease, perfect manners and effectiveness.

Then, there are professors. Some, perhaps many, are boring. Others are just plain awful. (A certain Philosophy professor in the North Building was so rude and mean and produced such unfair tests that many of us dreaded that class, despite being seasoned third and fourth-year veterans.)

On the other hand, many UTM professors are excellent. Three of them changed my life. Others made me think, made me want to learn beyond what they offered in class. They all made me a better man.

I can’t be alone in this. I know there must be students out there who admire and respect some of their professors. Yet we have never interviewed any of them at The Medium. Or rather, we never had. Not until two weeks ago, when we sat down with one professor to discuss his likes and dislikes, about what he wants to instill in students, about Dexter and Nazi Germany and jiu jitsu and how to teach kids to love broccoli.

There are quite a few reasons why we never did it before. First, we never thought it’d be possible to persuade a professor to share personal beliefs. Second, professors seem reluctant to approach us, let alone write for us – I still remember how surprised we were last year when Philosophy Professor Paul Franks sent a letter to the then-editor. (By the way, Professor Franks, thank you).

I’ve often scratched my head, wondering what the reasons were behind this reluctance. A general bias against media? A mistrust toward a student (read, amateur) newspaper? A fear that students will take too many liberties with whichever professor decided to step forward into the spotlight?

Only one way to find out. This is why I sat at my desk two weeks ago and wrote Professor Dax Urbszat a lengthy email, one in which I tried to anticipate every possible reason why he might say no to an interview and countered it with assurances that we’d be professional and wouldn't compromise his private life and on and on.

His quick reply? A simple “Why not?”

I first met Professor Urbszat in my first year, when I took PSY100.

The course was fascinating, not just because the subject itself was fascinating, but because he made it alive and relevant and fun. So much fun, in fact, that I enrolled in a psychology as a major the next year.

My admiration and gratitude are not uncommon. Professor Urbszat is possibly the only professor ever to have a student-created Facebook group pronouncing him a superhero. (Seriously). Ask any psychology student about him and they will tell you they love him. They will tell you he’s great. They will tell you he teaches in a practical way (he likes the term “holistic”) and that he tries to make you see how you can apply it in your day-to-day life.

As for the interview itself, we decided to lay it out in a novel way, eliminating the questions themselves. Typical Q & A formats tend to bore readers. This way, I hope, will seem more interesting.

So, before you turn to page 8, let me ask you this: do you know any professor or cleaning person or UTM official or TA who, in your opinion, is doing an outstanding job? If you do, then let us know. We will do our best to profile him or her, much like we did with Professor Urbszat, so that we can all learn about staff and professors as human beings, about what drives them to come to work every day and make a difference.

Here’s hoping that this will be the first of a long series of professor profiles.

Alain Latour

Yours,

I am writing to you today after reading the article on the front page last week. I am glad that students stated what they liked about UTM and what needs improving (I didn't know it was happening) but that is beside the point. What I find interesting is that the student government – UTMSU – brought students in to complain about what they don't like on this campus and what they want to see in the next principal. Though I appreciate the efforts made by the student government to give students a chance to speak, I would like to ask why they don’t ask students what they want from the student union. I have personally never met or seen any of these people. Asking the Principal to come meet students in the meeting place when the president of the student union has never shown his face is

not reasonable.

What I am trying to say is that I don't want to be friends with the principal or my professors. I think the student government should host a town hall so that students can state what they want out of the UTMSU’s vice president and president.

I can appreciate the efforts the student government makes about the campaign to drop tuition fees, but like the University President asked, what services would you cut if you don't want to pay to keep services running?

If UTMSU thinks services can exist without students paying then why do we have pay to UTMSU? Why aren't their services free?

All I'm saying is I'd like to know our President and execs as much as they seem to want to know the principal.

Daniyal Beg

Is Mississauga Transit not keeping their end of the bargain?

Dear Editor, Over the month that we have been in session, I have noticed a disturbing trend on the Mississauga Transit buses serving this campus. Every day that I have boarded any route either leaving or coming to UTM, I have witnessed overcrowding to the point that students are being turned away, unable to board.

When the UPass was put into place, Mississauga Transit took on a responsibility to ensure adequate service was put into place to satisfy demand. In exchange for almost $1,000,000 in guaranteed yearly funding, we the students would receive the necessary reliable service needed to attend our classes. Instead, we are seeing students left waiting on the curb because Mississauga Transit hasn't held up their end of the deal, and I just can't help but feel that they'd be doing more to get those students on the bus if they didn't already have our money.

The UPass is a fantastic deal for students, but only if the service is brought up to match. Any student who is not boarding a UTM-bound route at its beginning has no way of knowing if they will actually be able to get on the bus that will take them to class, or if they will be turned away. The only change Mississauga transit made this

year is changing the frequency of the 110 from 20 minutes to 17 minutes during rush periods. Unfortunately, if all students are boarding to arrive on the hour because that is when we have classes, an extra bus every two hours isn't going to help anyone. The problem is capacity, not frequency.

There is a solution: Mississauga Transit needs to employ double-length buses to UTM routes during highcapacity periods. It would not be hard to determine what times those are: the drivers would certainly be able to inform their employers when they are being forced to constantly turn people away, despite their best efforts.

Unfortunately, it seems that Transit is not willing to take this step on their own. As our money is already in their pocket, why change?

And so, the task falls onto our student union to speak with them, and remind them that we had a deal. The contract for the UPass won't last forever, and our money is not guaranteed.

Before we resign for another three or more years, we need to tell our union that they need to play some hardball.

Paying for unlimited transit doesn't do us much good if we can't even get on the bus.

Jonathan M. Scott (Third year philosophy student)

UTM not a racetrack Dear Editor, Lately I have become irritated with how incredibly fast people have been driving on inner campus roads. It is extremely dangerous and it is coming to the point where people cross the road not when the signal commands them to, but rather when they feel safe in doing so.

Motorists should be taking precautions to drive safely because many of our roads curve and have trees that obstruct our view, which makes it difficult to see pedestrians and oncoming vehicles. This is also a major issue because this is

a campus shared not only among UTM students, but it’s also used by many young children and other community members, so drivers should be responsible enough to honor campus road signs and speed limits for the safety of everyone. Lastly, our campus is a home to many other beautiful animals including birds, squirrels, raccoons, and deer. These animals are constantly getting hit by cars and dying needlessly at the fault of reckless drivers.

Obviously we all have somewhere to get to, but nothing is so important that you cannot take the time to do it safely.

Sam Ouellette

www.mediumonline.ca MEDIUM II PUBLICATIONS 3359 Mississauga Road, Room 200, Student Centre, Mississauga, ON, L5L 1C6 Phone: 905.828.5260 Fax: 905.828.5402 Advertising: 905.828.5379 EDITOR IN CHIEF Alain Latour editor@mediumonline.ca NEWS EDITOR Saaliha Malik news@mediumonline.ca A&E EDITOR Michael Di Leo arts@mediumonline.ca ASSISTANT A&E Nives Hajdin FEATURES EDITOR Amir Ahmed features@mediumonline.ca SPORTS EDITOR Andrew Tysiak sports@mediumonline.ca COPY EDITOR Su Lyn Liew PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR Matthew Filipowich photos@mediumonline.ca COMPOSITE EDITOR Matthew Filipowich WEBMASTER Matthew Filipowich DISTRIBUTION MANAGER Heather Friesen BUSINESS MANAGER Romano Bergic BOARD OF DIRECTORS Marc Bressler, Chris Cauchi, Paul Donaghue, Ali Kasim, Kristian Jurlewicz, Aly Khan Madhavji, Paola Savasta.

COMPLAINTS Comments, concerns or com plaints about The Medium’s con tent should be directed to the Editor in Chief who can be locat ed at the email address above.

COPYRIGHT All content printed in The Medium is the sole property of its creators, and cannot be used with out written consent.

DISCLAIMER Opinions expressed in the pages of The Medium are exclusively of the author and do not neces sarily reflect those of The Medium. Additionally, the opin ions expressed in advertise ments appearing in The Medium are those of advertisers and not of The Medium.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letters to the editor will be edit ed for spelling, grammar, style and coherence. Letters will not exceed 1,0 00 words in print.

Letters that incite hatred, violece or letters that are racist, homo phobic, sexist or libelous will not be published. Anonymous let ters will not be published.

THIS ISSUE’S CONTRIBUTORS Stephanie Marotta, Ovais Shah, Emil Jabbarli, Maya Shahid, Gurpinder Gaheer, Anila Qasim, Nives Hajdin, Kjartan Hewitt, Adrian Klisz, Dave Esposto, Mary Dytyniak, William Robertson

MONDAY, OCTOBER

19, 2009 THE MEDIUM 5

Michael Di Leo, Editor | arts@mediumonline.ca

Bodies on the riverbank Theatre Erindale opens their 2009/10 season with Widows, a powerful tale of a group of women and their quest for the truth NIVES HAJDIN ASSISTANT A&E EDITOR

What would you do if your loved ones were suddenly taken from you without any explanation?

Who would you turn to for answers? How would you cope with the uncertainty of whether or not they are even alive?

This is the severe hardship experienced by the women in Ariel Dorfman’s Widows, a raw tale that examines these women’s quest for the truth and their undying defiance against the atrocities of human nature. Directed by Bill Lane, Widows made its Theatre Erindale debut at last Friday, and despite its lengthy running time of almost three hours, the adaptation was close to flawless.

The story takes place in a South American river village in the 20th century, where the women patiently await the return of their husbands, father, and sons, all of whom have mysteriously vanished. The arrival of the military sparks the hope of promising news, but when bodies start surfacing in the river, the widows’ situation becomes all the more grave.

The “Women of the Valley” begin blaming the elder widow Sofia Fuentes (Rachelle Migel), who has stopped working in the village to sit by the river and await the return of her men. The widows believe that Sofia is directly linked to the strange behaviour of the water, and that she should resume her role in providing for the village. When Sofia refuses, the Captain (Darren Turner) intervenes and pleas with her to leave her spot at the river, promis-

ing her that the men will return if the women behave.

While the Captain attempts to smooth over the tension that is forming, the Lieutenant (Kevin Owen) has other plans. Although the Captain is in command, the Lieutenant is the one who pulls the strings; he wreaks havoc on the lives of the widows, taunting them if they “misbehave,” and the naive Captain soon realizes that the new regime is corrupt and never going to change. Although he initially advocates positive change, he ends up falling victim to the underlying political agenda of the junta, abandoning his ideas and good intentions in order to retain his position. While Sofia’s stubborn nature gets her mixed up in dangerous situations with the military, she stands admirably by her beliefs and her strong will is a testament of the courage that the Captain lacks.

“The cast delivers a powerful and emotionally driven performance, depicting the real life trauma and suffering of a war affected community” The women stand together in their search for justice, and while their strength is highlighted at various points, few remain unaltered by the events that unfold.

Their desire to claim any corpse that washes up as their own stems from their longing to receive closure regarding the fate of their

men, and while the junta wish to conceal the truth by burning bodies without a proper inquest, the widows continue to “ask questions which cannot easily be ignored.”

Made up of the 2009/2010 Theatre and Drama Studies graduating class, the cast delivers a powerful and emotionally-driven performance, depicting the reallife trauma and suffering of a waraffected community. Rachelle Magil gives an utterly incredible performance as Sofia Fuentes, as her hunched walk, scraggly voice, elderly mannerisms and aged appearance only graze the surface of her deeply rooted talents.

Completely immersed in the character, one would actually believe that a 60-year-old was cast for the role instead of a fourth-year university student. Under the spotlight, the play’s detached moments between Sofia and her grandchildren Fidelia (Juel Hughes) and Alexis (Ramon Vitug) are extremely heartfelt and they authentically suggest their love for each other, despite Sofia’s tough exterior.

Hughes and Vitug give such strong and inspiring performances, bringing forth a childlike wonder to the plot and reminding the audience of their frailty as they try to understand the terror of a war-torn area. Kelsey Goldberg gives a convincing performance as the initially strong woman and, in the end, the broken mother of Fidelia and Alexis, and truly encapsulates the heartache only a mother could experience. Andrew Tribe plays a dual role as both the priest and Sofia’s returning son, Alonso; he gives a vulnerable portrayal of a fearful priest, forced by

Jim Smagata/Theatre Erindale

The ruling Kastoria family spies growing signs of resistance in the village (Kevin Owen, Philippe Jullian, Sophia Fabiilli, Michael Twyman, Mark Johnston).

Jim Smagata/Theatre Erindale

The matriarch Sofia is accused of endangering the village (seated Rachelle Magil with Sophia Fabiilli and ensemble). the military to act against his morals, as well as the shattered soul of a tortured man who will never be the same.

Mark Johnston and Melanie Hrymak play the lovers Emmanuel and Cecilia, who are plagued by the constant worry that Cecilia’s husband will return to the village.

The two have great chemistry, and despite his relationship with a married woman, Johnston ironically gives a charmingly innocent performance as the Orderly.

Furthermore, Hrymak subtly conveys the dilemma of a young woman who is torn between the prospect of a new life with her lover and the uncertain situation with her missing husband.

A particularly noteworthy scene between Teresa Salas (V i c t o r i a Halper) and the Captain depicts the two characters going head to head, with Teresa pleading for the body she believes to be her husband so that she may give it a proper burial and finally be at peace with herself. Halper conveys the urgency of a woman who hasn’t seen her husband in seven months and bring to light the Captain’s immorality in an enlightening and compelling way.

Turner captures the irresolute nature of the Captain as he is torn between doing good and saving his own skin, and ultimately the latter decision prevails.

Turner and Johnston portray the instantaneous sway of judgement a soldier may undergo when placed in extreme conditions well, and the ruthless nature of military behaviour emerges within them at the end. It is highly probable that such vile conduct takes form as a result of the Lieutenant’s actions and threats, as brilliantly portrayed by Kevin Owen. He portrays the despicable nature of many army officials perfectly; his arrogant speech, sinister grin and disturbing desires form a haunting

portrayal that is all too real. Owen brings something magical to the stage, and any scene in which he partakes is sure to make a lasting impression.

Though the play’s success is largely attributed to the phenomenal acting, it is enhanced even further through the frequent use of audio effects. During every scene, actors and actresses who were not on stage took turns beating drums, rattling symbols and screeching violins to a rhythmic beat that followed the pace of the characters’ speech and actions.

The impact was so profound that, when necessary, it created a truly alarming atmosphere within the theatre. Similarly, Hrymak and C lare Blackw ood ’s use of their soprano registers greatly enhanced moments of nostalgia within the play, and their singing evoked such a deep level of emotion that the effect was spine-tingling. The use of lighting to create the ripple effect of water was both enchanting and ominous, making it even more realistic by Adam Cresswell‘s writhing body across the floor, suggesting the floating of a corpse with the tide.

Theatre Erindale’s adaption of Widows is wonderfully astute in its attempt to shed light on the cruelty that still exists in the world, how people react when they are pushed to their limit and how some people will sacrifice anything in the name of their beliefs. Widows runs this entire week, with its closing night on Saturday, October 24.

For more information, contact the Theatre Erindale Box Office at 905 569 4369, or visit their website at www.theatreerindale.com.

6 THE MEDIUM

MONDAY, OCTOBER

19, 2009

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT MUSIC AND COMEDY. MOMEDY. BRING YOUR MOM.

Bold, brash and brazen Taking a look at one of the freshest faces in comedy, the inimitable Louis C.K. KJARTAN HEWITT

I was in New York three years ago and I tried to see a The Whitest Kids You Know show at Caroline’s comedy club. At that point TWKYK were developing a show for the Spike network and would not be seen that night. Instead, they were replaced by a headlining act I’d never heard of. His name was Louis C.K. On came this middle-aged bald guy, who described himself as “a fat faggot” and contemplated the tangibility of literally “sucking a bag of dicks.” I fell for him right away. My accidental patronage turned me into a longtime fanboy.

The only comedian I’ve seen control a room in the same way as Louis is Dave Chapelle. He’s the same sort of fearless storyteller.

C.K. offers his opinion without apology and audiences accept it without blame. It’s a discipline cultivated over decades of live performance, and the effect is

phenomenal. It is mind boggling to watch him get away with the most salacious, offensive, terrible shit while actively telling his audience to fuck off, and come out smelling like roses.

He despises anything that doesn’t immediately benefit him and he makes no illusion of it. He admits to fantasizing about punting his baby or wishing ill on strangers for no reason. He had a

Louis C.K. performs a standup routine involving body image.

wikimedia.org

bit that involved shouting “N****r baby!” more than once, while experimenting with the inflecting and thereby contemplating the meaning of the phrase.

Meanwhile, the entirety of the sold out Winter Garden Theatre giggled their asses off. He delivers his jokes with a self-deprecating Boston charm and, outside of it being hilarious, you’re really left with the feeling that he is, in fact, a good guy. I think C.K. is probably the best standup going right now.

Louis has been professionally writing comedy since the early nineties for the likes of David Letterman, SNL, Conan O’Brian and Chris Rock. He has since collaborated with Rock to bring forth comedy “classics” like “Pootie Tang” which he wrote and “I Think I Love my Wife” which he co-wrote with Rock. After two decades on the standup circuit and writing other people’s jokes, C.K. has just recently has he found himself in the prime time spotlight. He can be seen on

NBC’s Parks and Recreation and Ricky Gervais’ new comedy feature, The Invention of Lying. A recent appearance on Conan O’Brian where C.K. champions an age of incredible innovation while chastising a generation of lazy ingrates exploded on YouTube. If you haven’t seen it yet, I really recommend it. Just google it, you lazy ingrate.

This tour will give way to his third Tour DVD, Louis C.K.: Hilarious. The last two, Shameless and Chewed Up can be purchased on his website, louisck.net or stolen off the internet. I guarantee if you do youtube him, be prepared to spend at least a half hour going through his stuff. It’s good.

Go.

For more information about Louis C.K. and other articles visit our website at www.mediumonline.ca

Taking it slow Why vinyl is making a comeback in the digital age ADRIAN KLISZ

www.mediumonline.ca

Let’s face it – the CD is dead.

Okay, maybe it’s not exactly pushing daisies as a music medium just yet, but there is no disputing that it’s well beyond its prime. From 2006 to 2009, North American CD sales have fallen about 35%, while MP3 sales have more than doubled during that same period. Ever since the release of Napster in 1999 and the subsequent development of peer-to-peer file sharing technologies, MP3 player manufacturers like Apple Inc. have been reaping the rewards of the music distribution revolution.

Using downloadable audio files as a vehicle, Apple Inc. has become a top plunderer of this new market with its flagship MP3 player, the iPod, which allows you to seamlessly transfer downloaded or ripped-from-CD songs to the iPod hard drive and play them more intuitively on an sleek, complex, incomparably convenient device – why would anyone want to lug around a Walkman if they could practically pick up chicks with this thing?

“In the end, the dominant format is always the most convenient format,” said Greg Davis, owner of Soundscapes, a small, indie-friendly record store located on College Street. “What format someone chooses depends where they lie on the packaging/sound quality/convenience continuum. Downloads have the worst packaging (in my opinion), the worst sound quality, but by far the best convenience.”

The downloadable music industry had made profitable leaps and marketable bounds in the past decade because of its high accessibility and ease-of-use but surprisingly enough its not the only medium that has

experienced growth in the industry.

Over the years forms of audio media like the 8-Track or, more recently, the Cassette Tape have been rendered obsolete due to the release of newer, higher quality, and more convenient audio formats. However, in this dog-eat-dog word of audio hierarchy, one format has made a comeback – the relatively inconvenient 12’’ vinyl record.

“The [vinyl] LP is the ultimate manifestation of this physical product, due to its size and graphic impression.”

- Isabel Collie From 2006 to 2008, vinyl record sales have experienced a higher growth than any other form of music media. This is highly unusual; never has the industry seen the revival of such a primitive mass-media device, especially one that slows people down in a world where time is money. What could the reasoning to this be?

Audiophiles will tell you that the 12’’ vinyl has never left the scene and that it has been a popular, albeit almost unspoken favourite over the years. Though the rotation-perminute analog sound quality of vinyl records doesn’t meet contemporary digital kilobyte-per-second standards (even though most audio buffs prefer the sound quality of LPs), vinyl records are full of nuances that will never burn out or fade away.

For one, the difference of sound is immense – digital music offers a clean, sharp, produced sound while

vinyl offers warmer tones and a more earthy quality to the music. Aside from good-ol’-day sound quality, records come packaged in appealing covers, often containing lyrics and other bonus materials inside.

“We know from consumer research we’ve conducted, that when people like an artist, oftentimes they want to have the physical product from that artist, including packaging and lyrics,” says Isabel Collie, representative of HMV Group International.

“The [vinyl] LP is the ultimate manifestation of this physical product, due to its size and graphic impression.”

So fans don’t just buy vinyl records just for the music, they buy them to achieve a greater level of connectivity to the artist they admire. LPs offer a more tangible link to the original artistic direction which may have been lost in the process of digital remastery. But the nostalgic sound and scribbles on the inside of the album packaging cannot be the only reason that causes many people to forgo their valuable time and convenience to listen to the entire B-side of Bob Dylan’s Highway 61 Revisited, can it?

The answer to this is no. But it is somewhat more paradoxical than that. It turns out that most people find that listening to a record is an experience that, although somewhat inconvenient and time consuming, allows people to take a break from the hustle and bustle of their everyday lives to stop and smell the roses.

“You have to place the needle on the record, turn over the record, often listening to an entire side,” adds Davis. “In a world of immediate access, short attention spans, and unparalleled abundance, sometimes its nice to have a return to simplicity.”

MONDAY, OCTOBER

READ AND PREY

19, 2009 THE MEDIUM 7

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Them Crooked Vultures land in Toronto Rock supergroup visits Toronto in hopes of testing out their new material ADRIAN KLISZ

Dave Grohl was the first to move onstage. He walked to the edge of the platform at the Sound Academy and stared down at the crowd with a you-don’t-knowwhat-you’re-in-for look on his face. He was spot-on. Followed by Josh Homme and John Paul Jones, Grohl got into place as the others picked up their instruments. He played relentlessly the first few

beats and the other members joined in unison on the fourth count – the sold-out crowd was jarred by the sheer intensity and volume of this new sound.

Thus began this 80-minute ride.

Them Crooked Vultures pounded out their first song, “Elephants,” a moody metal-infused blues number driven by insanely hard drums, sturdy bass-lines, screeching guitar riffs and Homme’s eerie falsetto. It was like no other song I’ve heard before and I, along with the rest of the crowd, loved it. When it was over and while the audience was still in awe, Homme moved casually to the microphone to let the audience know that he was “havin’ a good time. Are you havin’ a good time? We should do this every week.”

Sixth of three Eoin Colfer’s new book wraps up the longest trilogy in the world AMIR AHMED FEATURES EDITOR

Douglas Adam’s The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy first charmed readers in 1997, when its quirky humour and approach to science fiction – then divided between hard science and space opera – postulated that the genre could be fun. The story followed an earthling named Arthur Dent and his alcoholic, hedonistic friend Ford Prefect (actually an alien researcher) as they travelled the galaxy after the Earth’s destruction. In Hitchhiker’s and the books that followed, Arthur and friends found the ultimate answer to life, the universe, and everything, saved the galaxy from an ultimate evil, experienced fine dining amidst the apocalypse, read the last message of God to his creation, and in general had a pretty froody time (froody, for those that don’t know, is defined by the Hitchhiker’s Guide as ‘being like a frood’). This froodiness ended when Arthur and Ford found themselves back on an alternate reality of Earth, which was in the midst of being detonated again.

Needless to say, the fifth book ended on a rather bleak note.

Douglas Adams attributed the gloominess of his fifth novel Mostly Harmless (released in 1992) to his own personal life, which had gone through a rough patch at the time. As he began to feel better, he planned to eventually write a sixth, jauntier book, ending on a slightly sweeter, less apocalyptic note. Unfortunately, a happy ending for Arthur Dent became unlikely as a happy ending for Adams. In 2001, Adams suffered a heart attack and died. The Hitchhiker’s series lay adored by fans but forgotten by publishers

for over a decade.

Eoin Colfer, an author most famous for his Artemis Fowl series, with the permission of Adam’s estate, has completed a sixth book of the trilogy And Another Thing. Colfer shares some superficial similarities with Adams: they’re both British and work with humour and the fantastic as a medium for their work.

And although diehard fans may doubt Colfer’s ability to carry on Adams’ writing, Colfer produces an incredibly accurate simulation.

And Another Thing takes off where Mostly Harmless ended: with the Earth’s second destruction. Colfer faces a difficult task of extricating the cha racters f rom what Adams originally intended to be certain doom, but he carries it off using the usual Hitchhiker’s technique of a deus ex machina, in this case, one in the form of an immortal alien who has made a mission of insulting all sentient life in Galaxy. While the earth may be gone – again – some hope remains for the small colony of humans dwelling on the planetoid Nano. Arthur, his friends, and their saviour spend the rest of the book trying to save this planet from the same demolition crew that destroyed the Earth.

Ironically, Colfer’s fidelity to Adam’s style causes one of the main faults of the book. And Another Thing represents the best and worst of Adams’ technique.

The humour is there, but so is the tenuous chain of cause and effect; the characters are there, but so are the flat descriptions of emotion.

That being said, the book comb i n e s a c c e s s i b i lity for fa ns a nd new readers, some genuinely funny moments, and a conclusion that ends like a symphony – tying in every loose end, wrapping every theme, and finishing with beautiful logic.

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They played a couple more highenergy numbers: “Scumbag Blues,” “New Fang,” “Gunman” and “Nobody Loves Me (And Neither Do I).” The drums shuddered with such force it was as if the camera set up behind the band was projecting earthquake footage. Each of these songs was haunted with Homme’s voice and insane guitar parts. Not surprisingly, the spirit of Zeppelin was undeniably present in the band’s music. There was a constant push-pull dynamic against Jones’ classic blues-rock influences and the others’ contemporary rock sounds. In fact, there was a moment where I thought I was listening to Zeppelin’s “Immigrant Song.” It was actually “Warsaw,” a love song, according to Homme.

There was only one questionable moment during the show: when Homme put down his guitar and Jones picked up a keytar. They ended up playing an interlude that seemed antithetical to the theme of the rest of the show. It was much calmer than the rest of their songs, almost like a 50s R&B/flamenco mutation.

After this anti-climax, Homme introduced the band, moving from Alain Johanne s (their live guitarist) to Grohl. When he got to the bass player, a man who needs no introduction, Homme just pointed to him and remained silent. The crowd broke into a chant. “John Paul Jones! John Paul Jones!” Once the fans settled down, Homme added half-jokingly, “Yeah, me and Dave did that too.”

At the end of the ride, the fans were left wanting more and with no encore, some left somewhat disgruntled. This is perhaps a good indicator of the band’s musical integrity. The beauty of Them Crooked Vultures’ music is that it’s not just a recycling of the roots of each member; it’s a completely new dynamic, a new invention with beats and riffs that jive together like bread and butter, an invention that gets your heart beating.

There are a few more North American tour leg dates and nothing planned for the band after that.

Online speculation says that their debut album will be out by the end of October, or the end of the year at the latest.

I’ll be waiting in line to pick up my copy.

8 THE MEDIUM

MONDAY, OCTOBER

19, 2009

Amir Ahmed, Editor | features@mediumonline.ca

A talk with Professor Dax Urbszat Psychology Professor Urbszat speaks about life and his approach to teaching

Matthey Fillipowich/The Medium

ALAIN LATOUR EDITOR IN CHIEF Dr. Dax Urbszat began his post-secondary education by attaining a Bachelor of Science from the University of Toronto with a Specialist in Psychology and a Major in Crime and Deviance. This undergraduate training led to a law degree from Osgoode Hall Law School followed by a Master's and Doctoral degree in Psychology from the University of Toronto. Professor Urbszat is currently a lecturer at the University of Toronto and can be found teaching the Introduction to Psychology course at both the downtown and Mississauga campuses. Other courses he teaaches are Social Psychology, Psychology and Law, and Forensic Psychology. Last year he was nominated to the Top 20 in the TVO's Best Lecturer Competition. (Adapted from utm.toronto.ca) ● Much of the information about my family was lost in World War II. My father, who was born and raised in Germany, was the youngest of seven siblings. His father, my grandfather who I never met, was a manager at a steel mill, and of course the mill was taken over to make ammunition for the war. And my grandma was Jehovah’s witness, which of course meant she was to be taken to the death camps. So they had to get rid of the most of the information. ● There is no cultural heritage to Dax. It was the name of a character in

a book – “The Adventurer,” I believe – that my mother read and really liked.

His name was Derek Alexander Xavier and they called him Dax. ● My dad lost most of his German.

He didn’t speak the language from the age of 18 until he was late in his 40s.

Obviously he had some issues with his country. ● I didn’t know about that Facebook group, “Dax is secretly a superhero,” for at least a couple of years. Then a student showed it to me. I will admit I was creeped out a little bit, just by not knowing about it while people talked about it. Of course, in the end I’m nothing but flattered. ● When I took Social Psych with Professor Pliner, who’s retiring now, I got hooked. I got hooked about understanding myself and people and why we do all these crazy things. ● I like what I do. And when people see that, it’s contagious, it’s infectious, to have someone talk about things they’re fascinated by. ● Common sense will take you about a third of the way when trying to understand people and why we do all the crazy things we do. The other third of the way, common sense isn’t going to help. And for the last third of the way, common sense will lead you down the wrong path. That was inspiring to me. ● I was for sure a daydreamer. ● I would like to see a removal of the adversarial system of learning. In the system of speed learning, or what they call mastery learning, every student works at that subject until they are at a

proficiency, so those who are really good get to the A level quickly. And then when they’re done, they help other students get to a higher level.

The benefit to the students who are faster is that teaching is the best way of learning and that they learn a new set of skills. The benefit to the students who aren’t as good is that they don’t have to go through life being C students. Right now, our system is based on competition. Now, I understand that if everyone has an A, who would you pick for the program? Well, we’d just have to come up with different and more effective ways to decide who goes where that aren’t just based on marks. ● My girlfriend, who I was living with at the time, now my wife, she could see that law wasn’t really what I wanted to do. She is a psychologist and she suggested that I see a friend of hers who does forensic psychology – psychology and law. I said okay. The next thing I knew, I was writing my GREs and got accepted in. ● Martial arts made me a calm person. When I was younger, I was certainly a little more hyper, a little more quick to say something, a little more quick to get a laugh at someone’s expense, which a lot of people find very funny and will make you very popular. But that isn’t the kind of humour I prefer anymore. Martial arts taught me respect. ● I practiced judo as a kid. And it really turned me on martial arts. In my early 20s, I began practicing kung fu, a traditional Shaolin kung fu, and I prac-

ticed that for about ten years.

Currently I train in muay thai, kick boxing and Brazilian jiu jitsu. ● I’d like to see things like meditation and focused breathing taught from kindergarten on. That should be part of five minutes in every class for every kid. I would like to see empathy training being done with children. I would like to see creativity training in schools. ● I always read the course evaluations from students. ● Jordan Peterson, who still teaches here at U of T, was a huge influence on me how you can impart knowledge in a practical way and how you can teach in a holistic way. ● I don’t follow any particular religion. I’m really eclectic in nature and try to take the best from any system. ● Just ‘cause they said it in the news doesn’t mean the newscaster knows about it. There’s a critical difference between what someone tells you in the news and what you read in a scientific journal. ● I do a lot of three-hour classes. I know that’s not the popular way of doing things. I like it much better this way and I believe the learning outcomes are much better. There are certainly studies that suggest this. ● Not everyone has a curiosity or thirst for knowledge – many people don’t. But you can instill it. ● Kindling passion in psychology – that’s my job. ● A former student once told me that the thing he got out of PSY100 was that people don’t know themselves

very well at all. I thought that was very astute. ● I had never thought about being a psychologist. That wasn’t even on my radar. I didn't want to be a teacher. I didn't want to be a professor. I wanted to get out of university. ● I was a student for most of my life.

Whether it’s for academics or for music or for martial arts, I’ve been in so many testing situations, on and on and on, so I understand it’s hard and it’s stressful and I understand that people are trying to do well and what barriers get in the way. So as a professor, most of the time I’m doing things that I wish others had done for me when I was in that situation. ● I want to instill in students a thirst for knowledge, a want to not just accept things easily, to not just take the cognitively easy way out, to not take the simple “A causes B” explanation. I want people to be critical thinkers, to be analytical thinkers – to be openminded, but cautiously open-minded. ● The bureaucracy of the educational system is astounding. Trying to effect any type of real change, especially in the face of budget restrictions, is a daunting task. ● I run a strict classroom. But I make it clear what I expect of everybody and I make it clear that the respect isn't something that I think I deserve automatically or demand from others. It’s the respect for other students that’s important. ● In Taoism there is an overarching principle that one should practice three main ideas as a way to find contentment. One of these ideas is compassion. The other is gratitude, to see that the cup is half full. And the last is to have humility – not to have to shout from the rooftops how good you are.

When I was younger, I was out to impress. Martial arts taught me that those who are out to impress don’t feel 100 per cent good about who they are.

They aren’t confident that people will accept them at face value, so they make an extra effort to impress others. ● I wasn’t much of a student. I wasn’t very keen, I didn’t sit at the front, I skipped lots of classes, I didn’t take many notes, I fell asleep in class quite a bit – I was such a night owl. I regret most of that. ● I had a dream at one point that I would start a record label. ● I read this article and they asked these four prominent lawyers what they do in their spare time for hobbies and all of them said, they don’t have any. Don’t have any spare time. Don’t have any hobbies. Law is all they do.

And if that’s your passion, then good for you. But Lord forbid, if you’re doing it because you thought it was prestigious or because it was a lot of money or because that’s what mom and dad wanted you to do, you’ll be very unhappy very quickly. ● It wasn’t until I started teaching that I said, “Wow. There’s something I really like about this.” ● You get a decent wage doing this job. If you’re in front of people educating them, you certainly owe them enough to at least be engaging for them.

MONDAY, OCTOBER

19, 2009 THE MEDIUM 9

MAKING THE MOST OF MONEY FEATURES

Educating students worldwide This year the African Student Aid Program hopes to send twenty Somali students to university AMIR AHMED FEATURES EDITOR

“All who have meditated on the art of governing mankind have been convinced that the fate of empires depends on the education of youth.”

The quotation comes from Aristotle, but applies to contemporary political theory as much as it did when he first uttered the words. In an era when information is commoditized, the educated mass keep countries stable and economically successful. The reverse is true for countries where the knowledge infrastructure is either developing or only accessible to the upper classes.

The African Student Aid Program have stepped in to promote grassroots change in Africa’s knowledge infrastructure. ASAP sent ten students in Somalia to Hargeisa University last year.

ASAP’s three executives, Ahmed Yonis, Jessiva Zita and Guled Abdullahi have already gathered sufficient funds to send ten more this year, but hope to gain enough money over the months to send twenty.

ASAP was founded by Yonis, an ethnic Somali UTM political science student who was born in West Africa. It began as a pilot project o f t he S o m a l i S t u de n t ’ s Association in 2007. The pilot project aimed to send three Somali students to university, and succeeded easily. From that point, the idea of making a greater impact with more resources seemed less like a possibility and more

an eventuality.

“So far we’ve had nothing but success,” said Zita, who credits reasonable goals and a strong, centralised management with ASAP’s successful fundraising. “And I think that we have a definite foundation to draw from at UTM. It’s important for UTM students to realise they can make a difference on campus. The student population here has a lot of drive but few outlets for it, especially politically.”

“[ASAP] hopes to eventually establish fundraising events both within and without the UTM campus.”

ASAP’s ethos doesn’t just focus on helping the individual students, but their entire community. Yonis stresses the importance of educating students in their native counties. “Everything changes over here. When people come here, they want to live here because of the increased opportunities. But we want people to benefit their nation as well as themselves.”

This attitude offers an unexpected advantage with an issue students worldwide suffer from: tuition fees. Education in Somalia is cheaper than the equivalent courses in developed nations such as Canada. The cost of a half-credit course in Somalia amounts to roughly C$150, as opposed to the government-subsidized C$700 that an average Canadian student would have to pay.

This gap in course fees allows ASAP to do more with the money available to them. The tuition fees

for international students are astronomically higher than native Canadians’ and ASAP is able to send roughly ten students to university in Somalia for every one they would be able to bring here.

“People need to understand how m u c h t h e y c a n h e lp w i t h j u s t a small amount of money,” said Yonis. “A dollar here – that will buy you a coffee. A dollar in Somalia – you can eat for a day.”

So far ASAP has worked by gathering donations from the Somali and UN community, but are now going through the paperwork to become a recognized nonprofit organization by the Ontario government. They plan to focus on what Zita refers to as the basics: establishing themselves in terms of organization, approachability and publicity. Although Yonis, Zita and Abdullahi are the only current members and executives, they hope to introduce volunteers and non-executives into the organization as soon as possible. The three hope to eventually establish fundraising events both within and without the UTM campus.

According to Yonis, ASAP began by funding university education in Somalia because “Somalia doesn’t get a lot of media attention aside from piracy, and a lot of people don’t know about the conflicts going on there.” In the future, ASAP hopes to cycle its funds around all of Africa annually. Yonis hopes that this investment in education will promote a chain of benefits for the African continent both economically and socially.

“A lot of the insurgents you see on television are twenty, twentyone, our age,” saidYonis. “Getting these people educated is key to stopping conflict.”

Das Kapital...ism MARY DYTYNIAK

Most academic societies operate within a narrow sphere, mainly by reaching out to students in their program and trying to benefit them.

The Undergraduate Economics Counc i l h a s a d i f f e r e n t p l a n : i t wants to push economics further into the everyday culture of UTM. Founded in 2006, the council did not so much emerge as re-emerge: although an academic society for economics students had existed before 2006, the group fell into obscurity for years. Three years ago, it was finally restructured, instigating an invigorated attempt to not only attend to the needs of the vast population of economics students, but to reach out to other academic disciplines.

The council’s primary objective is to create a strong connection between the economics faculty, administration and students at UTM. Due to the success of last year’s “meet the professors” night, the council hopes to organise a similar event for meeting professors and TAs on November 4. They also hope to host a meet-the-alumni night to inform students about what awaits them after graduation.

UEC president Lavan Puvaneswaran

hopes to go further. He imagines seminars held by the council – with the help of the UTM Career Centre – featuring professors and professionals as keynote speakers to cover topics such as research in the field, current events in the economic community and investment banking sessions. Lavan noted that the faculty’s support and encouragement of student-faculty interaction have been very helpful.

UEC hopes to take advantage of campus resources such as the Lee Koon Chun Financial Centre to prepare students for the workplace.

“I think that the centre will be a lot of help in the future. We want to run a currency trading workshop, perhaps a stock trading workshop,” said Lavan. The financial centre is well-equipped with sophisticated financial analysis and stimulation software, live data feeds from the financial community and more than thirty work stations.

The UEC faces its share of problems, such as the task of accommodating the needs of students with various backgrounds. Economics specialists, for example, obtain a degree in science while economics majors get a degree in arts. This makes it difficult to accommodate each student’s career goals.

The UEC wants to reach out to

all students outside of the economics field. “Everyone needs a bit of economics information. Everyone needs to know about concepts like supply and demand, they’re everywhere. It’s just part of everyday life,” said Lavan, who envisions seminars in which students studying both environment science or economics can exchange opinions and inform themselves of each other’s perspective.

Some may say that economic growth and environmental stability is a dream shared by people who don’t know enough about either field. Lavan disagrees. “I saw David Suzuki speak last year and what he had to say makes a lot of sense. He said that we have to support our economy, but in a sustainable way.

We need to have both if we want to succeed in the future. There’s no other option.”

The UEC encourages new members or volunteers. Check out their website at http://www.uecutm.ca or drop by their office in 1146B in the South Building.

CORRECTION NOTICE: In UTM Debates, printed in the previous issue, Suvrat Barar is mistakenly referred to as ‘her.’

Top:Jessica Zita/The Medium. Bottom: Picasaweb.com

Top: Yonis, Zita, and Abdullahi discuss ASAP. Bottom: Students graduating from Hargeisa University.

POSTGRADUATE CERTIFICGACTAERESERS FOR REWARDIN

FINANCIAL PLANNING GLOBAL BUSINESS MANAGEMENT HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT INTERNATIONAL MARKETING MARKETING MANAGEMENT PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

business.humber.ca

10 THE MEDIUM MONDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2009

FEATURES POETRY AND PROSE

Creative Corner

Cancer

The highway out SU LYN LIEW COPY EDITOR Favorview Garden, a housing estate on the edge of Guangzhou, China, catered to expatriates and the rich. There was a guardhouse and a gate. Buses, private cars and taxis crossed to enter the estate grounds. The guard wore a stiff, crisp blue uniform. His polished black shoes clacked on the sidewalk as he left to call a taxi for us.

Stephanie and I stood at opposite ends of our group. The four of us went to Charlene’s house to get ready for the winter dance our school, the American International School of Guangzhou, held. Two months ago, Stephanie, Charlene, Monthinee and I were inseparable. Now, four months into 10th grade, Steph and I were no longer friends and there were two meters and a world between us.

“Where’s the taxi?” Charlene asked.

She checked her small silver watch and shivered. The wind blew the asymmetrical edge of her black skirt. “We’re going to be late.”

“We’re forty minutes early,” Monthinee said in her calm, quiet voice.

“Don’t worry.”

Stephanie lived two apartment blocks away from Charlene. She took the taxi with us because her parents didn’t want her traveling alone. Taxi drivers liked to cheat foreigners. Our fancy western dresses made it obvious we weren’t local Chinese girls.

The steady rrr-rrr-grrrrr of an engine and the glare of headlights told us our ride had arrived. We were four princesses attending a ball and our carriage was a battered red taxi, its hood grimy with dust and its windows half rolled down.

Monthinee climbed into the front seat. She drew the seat belt across her blue Thai silk dress. With a glance at Steph and me, Charlene clambered into the backseat and left the taxi door gapping. Stephanie crossed her arms and stared at the block one apartment obscuring the sunset. Her red dress swayed in the wind. She wore her hair gathered in a complicated knot at the back of her head: a bun with spiraling shoots. The hairdo resembled a black flower.

“Get in the taxi, Steph,” I said.

Steph swept past me. I climbed in after her and slammed the taxi door.

“Steph, can you tell the taxi driver where we’re going? I don’t know the name of the restaurant,” Charlene said into the silence.

“Backstreet Restaurant, Er Sha Island,” Stephanie said in Cantonese.

The driver glanced at us through the rearview mirror, let in the clutch and stepped on the gas.

Tall concrete buildings framed the roads we sped along. Large round columns sprouted upward, supporting the highway. Guangzhou’s road system is a maze of flyovers, tunnels and bridges. Express highways, long and unbroken, snake throughout the city, running parallel to the older roads twenty-five meters below them.

Twenty minutes into the taxi ride, Monthinee said, “Guys?” Her voice startled me after the engine’s constant hum and the crackle of gravel under the taxi wheels.

“Do you guys know where we are?”

Monthinee said. She gazed ahead, head tilted. “Because this driver’s route is a little strange. Er Sha’s in the middle of Guangzhou.”

We passed under a street lamp and orange light flooded the taxi. Just before we flashed back into darkness, I read the taxi meter. Thirty-two renminbi, the meter said in a steady red glow. In most

ALESSANDRA BATTISTELLA

His sympathy was as wasted away as his ambition, other countries, thirty-two renminbi was a paltry sum. In Guangzhou, it was pricey.

Charlene pressed her face close to the window, her hair flying around her face in the gritty air. “Monthinee’s right. I don’t recognize any of these buildings.

Don’t you think it’s a bit dark out there?

There’s hardly anyone around.”

“We’re at thirty-two RMB right now,” I said. “How much does it usually cost to get to Er Sha from your place?”

“About thirty-five. We should be there by now. We took a different route because of traffic, that’s what the driver said,” Stephanie replied. “Do you guys see anything familiar?”

Monthinee leaned to her right.

Charlene and I hunted for street signs or the neon company names many large buildings had tacked onto their sides.

Orange light flashed over our faces, our jackets and our fancy dresses. The taxi meter beeped and ticked up another renminbi.

A signboard towered over the roads as the taxi swerved into a fork, one road leading straight ahead, another up to a flyover and a highway. I couldn’t make out the white Chinese characters. “Wait.

I don’t think that sign said anything about Guangzhou Da Dou or Er Sha.” “I don’t think so either,” Charlene said.

“I think we’re heading for the express highway out of Guangzhou,” Steph said in a strangled voice.

Charlene stared at us, her eyes wide.

Monthinee pulled forward and struggled against her seat belt. The stiff black material swished as it wove in and out of the buckle. I gripped the plastic covered seat. My dress felt two sizes too small, my jacket stifling.

The taxi zoomed up a turn that led to the flyover highway. The four of us screamed in a mix of Mandarin and Cantonese.

Monthinee stayed calm, but her steady stream of perfectly pronounced Mandarin rang like bells. “Where are you taking us?” she said to the driver.

“Don’t try to trick us.”

“This is nowhere near Er Sha Island!”

Charlene said.

“Stop the car right now!” Steph and I screeched, she in Cantonese, I in Mandarin. The taxi skidded to a halt at the point where the road meet the highway. The tenth floor of a building loomed over the roadside barriers.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

Steph demanded. She clutched at the metal bars that separated the front seat from the backseat. The bars prevented passengers from robbing the drivers of their hard-earned money. The metal barrier looked like prison bars to me. “I told you Er Sha Island!”

The taxi driver looked at the rearview mirror. His dark, narrow eyes met mine, then flashed away. “Er Sha Island? You need to be clearer next time,” he said.

“Turn back right now,” I said. My parents often told me tales of young girls who were kidnapped and driven off in taxis to be sold in the countryside.

“You’re a young girl and this isn’t your home country. In a country this large, the police will never find you,” Dad would say, shaking his head. “If they even bothered searching,” Mom would add.

The taxi driver turned his head and addressed us through the bars. “Little miss, there’s no way I can turn back.

We’re on the main highway.”

“How far along this highway would we have to travel before we hit the next exit?” I muttered softly in English. I didn’t want an answer.

“I don’t care,” Steph said. “Reverse.

There’re no cars coming up from

behind. You reverse the car, and you take us to Er Sha Island. That’s in the heart of Guangzhou, do you hear me?”

The taxi driver and Steph waged a war of stares. The taxi meter chimed and jumped up another renmenbi. I shifted in my seat so the taxi driver could see me and added my stare. My shoulder brushed against Steph’s. We didn’t move and we didn’t say a word.

The driver shifted into reverse. He peered around and muttered. The taxi driver spoke a sharp-toned Chinese dialect. I couldn’t understand a word he said. The taxi shot backwards.

“Guangzhou Da Dou,” I said to the taxi driver as we rolled back down the ramp with the engine shrieking. The taxi curved into a sharp U-turn below the flyover. “We’re heading towards Er Sha Island,” I said.

“Which is smack in the middle of the Pearl River. Got it?” Steph said. Her eyes followed the driver’s every move. The locals listened when someone spoke in Cantonese. Cantonese speakers were likely to be city folk or from Hong Kong. Mandarin speakers, on the other hand, were often from the countryside. I leaned back and left Stephanie to her job. She spoke perfect Cantonese – the rest of us didn’t.

“Are you guys okay? Monthinee? Are you okay?” I asked.

“I’m fine,” Monthinee replied. “Ask that question again when we reach the restaurant.”

“I’m okay, too,” Charlene said.

Something glowed in her hand. I peered closer and recognized the sleek black sides of her cell phone. I touched my fingers to my purse, reassured by the hard edge of my phone.

“There’s no way we’re going to pay him,” I said. I gritted my teeth at the taxi driver. I knew he couldn’t understand our English conversation. “Even if he wasn’t trying to drive us off to Shenzhen or something, it’s still a bloody rip off.”

Charlene leaned back against the car seat so she could see me behind Steph’s back. “I don’t care how much we have to pay him as long as we get to Er Sha in one piece,” Charlene said.

“I’m going to make sure he gets us there,” Steph said with teeth in her words.

“Yeah,” I said. “I know you will.”

Twenty-five minutes later, the taxi rumbled onto Er Sha Island. The arc of the Xing Hai Concert Hall and the lights shining on the island’s edge were reassuring sights.

We jerked to a halt in front of the Backstreet Restaurant’s sleek, chic entrance. Through the glass windows we saw our school mates, dancing, eating, chatting.

The numbers 64:00 glowed at the taxi meter. I shoved a fifty renminbi bill through the bars. Charlene donated a crumpled ten renminbi note. We’d worry about splitting the fee properly later.

“We’re only paying you sixty renminbi,” I told the taxi driver. I kicked the taxi door open and scrambled out.

The four of us huddled outside the Backstreet Restaurant’s glass and metal entrance. Charlene shoved at the car door and slammed it shut. We watched the taxi speed off. The white light atop the car blinked on. Stephanie glanced at Charlene and at Monthinee. She looked at me and then away. “I’ll talk to you guys later,” she said, and strode off.

Music blasted as Steph pushed the doors opened.

I stared at Steph’s back.

“Come on,” Charlene said. She took our arms and the three of us passed though the doors and joined the crowd within.

He seemed to have no mission.

He had words he wanted to say; but gave them no voice, He made this his own personal choice.

He felt he had the liberty to take a life that did not belong to him, . . . The light of his world began to dim. . .

He could ruin the life of another with force, Felt hate, but no remorse.

But the journey of life led him elsewhere.

A place where emotions meant power – not shame.

A place where he learned to control his temper, And his character was not determined by his name.

He learned to respect, not to intimidate.

He learned it just wasn’t the answer.

His tears did not mean that he failed.

He learned how to defeat this moral cancer.

Face of Life ANAM ALI

The Silent Face, The Active Life, The Lack of Grace, The Lack of Light, The Endless Phase, Of a Turbulent Flight Hard to Phrase, But Simple to Cite...

Frustrations as Base, Aggressions at Fright...

Running low on Will, But High in Might...

Life seems a Blur, Everything seems White, Lost in each Direction, Can't tell wrong from Right...

Seem lost during the Day, And in the darkness of the Night...

My virtues now Low, Used to be at their Height...

I begin to feel Numb, As I bear every Bite...

Within my own self now, I start to pick a Fight...

I feel I can't breathe, The walls seem so Tight...

I think I just Fainted, Lost every ray of Light...

Then I wake up each morning, Hopin' the day will be Bright...

Dissapointed yet Again, I stare as far as my Sight...

Then I say to myself, One day it'll all be awriiiite...

MONDAY, OCTOBER

19, 2009 THE MEDIUM 11

Andrew Tysiak , Editor | sports@mediumonline.ca

Ultimate Frisbee club establishes presence at UTM Club President Grace Yuen hopes that UTM students will embrace the underappreciated sport ANDREW TYSIAK SPORTS EDITOR

The general public tends to favor traditional sports such as soccer and hockey, so other sports are often set aside despite the entertainment and excitement they offer. To share their passion and help promote the underappreciated sport to UTM students, students Grace Yuen, Katrina Lum and Kenny Xiao established a new ultimate Frisbee club in combination with their already successful intramural team.

The Ultimate Frisbee Club is a unique experience that no other athletic and recreation-based club at UTM can recreate. It offers plenty of variety to all participants: Not only do students play the game itself, but they also partake in many fun-filled events and develop a healthy lifestyle. Xiao

believes that the club’s unique ability to combine elements of fun, competition and exercise is what separates the club from others at UTM, many of which tend to hold few events throughout the year.

“Students should expect to be very active throughout the year, once or twice a week. Both Katrina and I are out there on the field rain or shine,” said Xiao. “As long as you’re interested in coming out, we will be there.

Participants should expect not only a club but a competitive league that plays weekly against other teams at U of T.” Since the club’s induction, the intramural team has become dedicated to incorporating fun activities into their weekly regime to encourage new students to join.

This also gives newcomers a chance to meet others and make new friends.

On October 19, the club hopes to host the first ever glow-in-thedark ultimate Frisbee game specifically for students within the club.

And on October 31, the team will play a Halloween match at 11:30 a.m., where both players and fans alike will dress up in Halloween costumes. UFC organizers also hope to organize a Christmas party to show their appreciation to those who have helped solidify the club’s existence at UTM. Club President Grace Yuen specifically wants to reach out to students who have no experience, previous knowledge or initial appreciation for the sport so students do not feel discouraged or embarrassed to join the club.

Yuen admits that she has not been in the sport for very long.

“A lot of people don’t really know what ultimate Frisbee is,” said Yuen. The sport is not shown on TV, so “we wanted to promote the sport here at our school. It’s actually really fun and you don’t have to be really good to play with us. In fact, I never played ultimate Frisbee until I joined the team this year.”

The team has been very successful despite the club’s relaxed

Drenched Eagles reign supreme ANILA QASIM

As sheets of rain drowned the North Field on October 4, the UTM division 1 women’s soccer team faced off against Victoria College. The Eagles secured a 4 – 0 victory after two halves of action-packed soccer.

The game started at 1:15 p.m. with Victoria College winning the toss.

Although the weather made the game daunting, the Eagles managed to press the opposition, working the goalie in the very infancy of the game. As the halfway mark approached, the rain began to ease up and Victoria College’s activities in the Eagles’ zone increased.

Their optimism, however, was unmatched by the Eagles’, especially with Nadia Piotto, one of UTM’s raging forwards, on the field. Piotto’s desire to put the net in the ball was fulfilled when she headed the ball cleanly into the net. The remainder of the first half continued with the Eagles’ hot on Victoria College’s heel. The whistle blew in the latter team’s zone and the first half ended with UTM leading 1 – 0.

The second half of the game started on a positive note, with the sun reemerging. UTM gained possession of the ball. Just moments after an Eagle was roughed in Victoria’s zone, Diane Fric, number 3, knocked the ball in just beyond the goalie’s reach, making the score 2 – 0 to UTM. Victoria retali-

ated by pressing in on the home team’s zone and taking yet another fruitless shot on goal.

The final quarter of the game transpired in whirlwind fashion. After taking what appeared to be the third corner kick in the game, the Eagles gave their devotees a run for their money.

Narrowing in on the net, the Eagles sweated the opposition’s goalkeeper until Nicole Dinardo nudged the ball into the net beyond the frazzled goalie.

UTM maintained their lead, 3 – 0.

The final 15 minutes of play kept the opposition on their toes as the Eagles maintained the ball in Victoria College’s end of the field. After a throw in, the Eagles flaunted their exquisite offensive skills as Piotto once again tapped the ball into the net, with

the assistance of number 16, Ariana Lloyd. UTM lead 4 – 0.

After the fourth goal of the game, following a dispute with the referee about an offside call, the team’s coach, Robert Brown, was asked to leave the field. Although he was forced to watch the end of the girls’ game from afar, Brown was proud of his team.

“I thought they played very well,” said Brown. “They were very solid in their defence and their ball movement was exceptional. I am especially proud of how well they came out in the second half. I challenged them to put the game out of reach and they did it beautifully.”

For upcoming home and away games, check the UTM Department of Physical Education website.

Sarah Malagerio Bruno/The Medium

UTM Eagles (white) push the ball up the field amidst wet and muddy conditions in a 4 0 victory against Victoria College.

approach to the game. In the winter term of the 2008/2009 academic school year, the team won the division 2 championship. This year, the team continued their successful ways, winning both of their games thus far with the score of 15-5 in game 1 and 15-13 in game 2. Its next game is against the skilled School of Graduate Studies team—likely a very tight match.

Although many students may not know the premise of the game, coach Katrina Kim insists that the game is simple and easy to pick up.

“There are seven people on each team (four men and three women). The goal is to score points by passing the disc to a teammate in the opposing end zone. You can’t run with the disc,” said Kim. The game begins with one team tossing the Frisbee to the other side, similar to the kick off in football. Once someone catches the disc, the player must come to a stop and plant one foot as a

pivot until they throw the disc to another player. The player has ten seconds to pass the disc and this “stall” count must be announced and counted down by a defensive player within ten feet of the offensive player in possession of the disc. If the ten seconds expire without passing the disc, possession transfers to the other team.

The same occurs when the disc is thrown out-of-bounds, dropped on reception or during possession, or if the pass is either blocked, intercepted or not caught.

Many feel the best part of ultimate Frisbee is that the game is self-governed. No referees or officials are required and the players are able to compete freely.

For more information on the club and intramural team, contact Grace Yuen at grayce@utmsu.ca.

If you’re interested on following the team’s progress, scores and schedules can be found at uoftintramurals.ca/sports.

Meeting times for the club are on Mondays and Thursdays from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. at the South Field.

UFC 104: Machida vs Shogun DAVE ESPOSTO

For the mixed martial arts fan, UFC 104 on October 24 will be the dawn of a new era, as Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida puts his undefeated record and UFC Light Heavyweight title on the line against former Pride Grand Prix champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua. With the Staples Centre in Los Angeles playing host to the October showcase of the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s best and brightest talents, this card promises to be an exciting and entertaining round of fights. But for a fan of both MMA and UFC, it is the main event which is the most anticipated.

With fighting styles such Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, kickboxing and boxing reigning supreme amongst the sports elite, it is the unorthodox and unfamiliar technique of karate which will finally garner the spotlight it has coveted for years. And for Machida, putting his belt and record on the line will not only be added inspiration for his personal fulfillment, but also serve as the inspiration of a traditional martial arts style often criticized by fans around the world.

Seen as the base of his unrelenting style, the advantages in practicing the traditional techniques of karate have helped the Brazilian native frustrate his opponents with his precision, speed and timing, This makes it nearly impossible to

find a sparing partner to emulate the Dragon’s style, which is a cause for concern for his opponent that night in Los Angeles.

“I think people call Lyoto Machida a puzzle because he’s a very different kind of fighter – he fights in a different style than most people,” Rua said. “It’s very difficult to find sparring partners and train with sparring partners who will emulate his style so you can get used to it.”

The co-main event features two heavyweights who will collide as newcomer and former International Fight League standout “Big” Ben Rothwell takes on up and coming star Cain Velasquez. Seen as one the most dangerous fighters in the heavyweight division, Velasquez will have his hands full with the very experienced, explosive and exuberant Rothwell who will be making his UFC debut that night.

While the fans will be anticipating these two fights with a vested interest, the under card at these UFC showcases provides a glimpse at the talent being developed and nurtured in the sport.

For fans of the UFC reality show, The Ultimate Fighter, the under card will provide them with a chance to get another look at season eight winner, Ryan “Darth” Bader, who looks to

UFC Continued on Page 12

12 THE MEDIUM MONDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2009

SPORTS HOCKEY AND MMA

NHL Western Conference predictions Machida’s success WILLIAM ROBERTSON

The ever-exciting Western Conference will be no different this year with stronger teams vying for a playoff berth.

Stanley Cup finalist Detroit Red Wings should finish first in the West as their offence, lead by Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk, is always exceptional. The powerplay will be outstanding, with Tomas Holmstrom expected to score numerous powerplay goals. The Red Wing’s defence is solid every year and this year is no exception. Only minimal shots will make it through the defence to reach the goaltender.

The only unknown this season is the Red Wings’ back up goalie situation.

Chris Osgood can’t play every game and Jimmy Howard has yet to prove himself as a quality backup.

The San Jose Sharks made major changes in the off-season. They acquired Dany Heatley, who adds a boost of offence with new line mate Joe Thornton. Together, the two will have one-hundred point seasons. The Sharks have a potent offence and an outstanding defensive core with veteran Rob Blake leading the way on the back end.

Evgeni Nabokov, one of the league’s top goalies, will be the goaltender for the Sharks again this year and he should lead the league in GAA. With their well-rounded team, the Sharks should finish second right behind Detroit.

Another close race will occur in the Northwest division. The Calgary Flames will fend off the Vancouver Canucks for the division win and third seed in the West. In the off-season, they acquired highly sought-after defenseman Jay Bouwmeester, who will be joined on the blue line by Dion Phaneuf, an all-star defenseman.With Miikka Kiprusoff backstopping the Flames and a great defence, they should rarely allow more than two goals in a game. The team should encounter no problems with Jarome Iginla and Olli Jokinen on offence. These two will be

one of the best duos in the league this season and will lead the Flames to the third seed.

Another great duo will be the young guns of the Chicago Blackhawks.

Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane should provide offensive boosts throughout the season and be supported by Dustin Byfuglien on the powerplay. Newly acquired offensive superstar Marian Hossa will be another offensive threat. On the back end, the defence proved to critics that they are one of the best in the league last season as Brian Campbell and Brent Seabrook will try to help Antti Niemi and Cristobal Huet keep the puck out of the net. Expect Niemi to take over the number one goalie spot by mid-season and lead the Blackhawks to the fourth seed.

The ever-reliable Roberto Luongo will be outstanding in goal for the Vancouver Canucks and bail out the mediocre defence. The offence is headed by the Sedin brothers, who are expected to have at least seventy-point seasons again and will evenly distribute offence so everyone can score on the team. With a solid offence and Roberto Luongo on board, the Canucks will finish in fifth.

The Anaheim Ducks are a team that has young talent and veteran knowhow to guide them into the playoffs. In the off-season, they obtained Saku Koivu, who not only brings clutch scoring but also a veteran presence to aid the younger players such as Bobby Ryan and Corey Perry. They have already established themselves as offensive stars, but Koivu will make them better. Another veteran who brings playoff experience is Scott Niedermayer. He and Nick Boynton will lead the Ducks defence and win the team the sixth spot in the playoffs.

The St. Louis Blues is another team with veteran leadership. The veterans add much needed leadership to their young defensive core, which consists of nineteen year-old Alex Pietrangelo and twenty-one year-old Erik Johnson.

They will soon be one of the best defensive pairings in the game as they are composed and hard-hitting which will help goaltender Chris Mason. The veterans and the young stars of St. Louis should make the playoffs this year as the seventh seed.

The race for eighth seed will be a close one and will come down to the final week of the season. The Dallas Stars have solid goaltending in Marty Turco but a weak defence with only Stephane Robidas leading the way on the blue line. Offense veterans Mike Modano and Brad Richards are expected to lead in points on the team.

However, they will allow more goals through than they score and will ultimately falter down the stretch.

This will leave the door wide open for the Edmonton Oilers who narrowly missed the post-season last year. New goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin is sure to add a boost to the team’s confidence.

Their defence also looks better than last year with Sheldon Souray anticipated to tally the most minutes along with Steve Staios. On offence, the Oilers have more depth this season with the addition of Patrick O’Sullivan and a settled Sam Gagner. The Oilers are a wellrounded team and have no goalie controversy this season, which will help them secure the eighth spot in the West.

Out of the playoffs are the Phoenix Coyotes. The off-ice team politics will be a distraction and hindrance to their performance. The Minnesota Wild lost sniper Marian Gaborik and the Blue Jackets’ lack of offensive threat will cause both teams to miss the playoffs.

Further, the Los Angeles Kings are still in a rebuilding stage and will not come close to the eighth spot in the West.

In the off-season, Joe Sakic’s retirement resulted in the Colorado Avalanche losing clutch scoring and leadership, causing them to miss the post-season. Finally, the Nashville Predators have a mediocre defence and very little scoring prowess and will miss the playoffs again this year.

due to unorthodox fighting style UFC Continued from Page 11

continue his impressive winning streak against Eric “Red” Schafer.

Also featuring on the main card that night is another Ultimate Fighter alum in welterweight, Joe “Daddy” Stevenson, the winner of season two. Noted for his effective use of the Guillotine and Rear Naked Choke, Stevenson is expected to utilize mix of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and collegiate wrestling to his advantage as he looks for the victory against tough, hardhitting southpaw Spencer “The King” Fisher.

While no fight will attract the attention of fans more than Machida and Rua, the bout between Anthony “Rumble” Johnson and Yoshiyuki “Zenko” Yoshida should prove entertaining. Explosive and quick, Johnson will be riding a two-fight win streak as he prepares to face 35-year-old Yoshida, who is coming off a successful firstround submission victory over Brandon Wolff at UFC 98. To check out the preliminary bouts, tune in to SpikeTV as they will air them live before the

Pay-Per-View event.

UFC 104 promises to be one of the most exciting mixed martial arts events of the year. But as many await the title bout between Machida and Shogun, it will be the celebration of a less-than celebrated style of fighting which will finally be recognized. If Machida can successfully defend his title, karate will truly and officially become the fighting style of the future for many UFC and MMA practitioners.

transphusionenergy.blogspot.com

Lyoto Machida looks to continue his dominance of the light heavy weight division on October 24.

Brodeur one shutout shy of tying Sawchuk Martin Brodeur made 26 saves and moved within one shutout of tying Terry Sawchuk's NHL career record in leading the New Jersey Devils to a 2 0 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday night.

(The Associated Press)

NBA fines another coach for criticizing officials The NBA fined Orlando Magic head coach Stan Van Gundy $35,000 on Friday for publicly criticizing referees this week.

(TSN)

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