Monday, November 22nd, 2010
Volume 37, Issue 11
Fashion in the business world
Professor Greene granted award of $25 000 immense creativity of Canadian writers, illustrators, and translators. I would like to offer my sincerest congratulations to these artists, people who— through their passion—ignite our love of reading with every new book,” said David Johnston, Governor General of
Edward Cai/The Medium
Students discuss appropriate business attire. SANA HAQ
Last Thursday the Undergraduate Commerce Society prided itself in hosting the second annual Business Banquet, with this year’s theme being business dress etiquette. The event was held in Le Treport Convention Centre in Mississauga and catered to commerce and management students. With over 200 guests attending—mainly students, but also representatives from
prominent business sponsors and members of the University of Toronto faculty—the event proved to be an exciting networking opportunity. “I love how this event is open to all students, professors of different departments, and key sponsors where one is able to actually network!” said Rajiv Dhawan, the president of the Undergraduate Commerce Society. “I am very grateful to the students, the faculty, and the sponsors who had a great role in making this event possible. This was a complete team effort
and I owe it all to them.” Dhawan and his team organized an event which was sponsored by key business firms, including KPMG, Ernst & Young, and Deloit. “It is not about the suit, but rather how you feel when you put on the suit,” said Bill Thomas, an executive from KPMG, who was the guest speaker for the evening. His speech, which was rather witty at times, was inspirational for many who dream of becoming successful business executives.
Business continued on page 2
Professor Richard Greene of UTM’s English department was chosen out of 171 applicants as the winner of the 2010 Governor General’s Literary Award for Poetry for his book, Boxing the Compass. Along with the award comes a $25,000 cash prize. Greene, who teaches 20th-century British literature and creative writing, was notified of his win during a break in his 18th-century literature class. “The award gives me great encouragement—a sense that after many years of working in relative isolation, my work has been received and admired,” Greene said in a press release to the University of Toronto. “I could not ask for more. It allows me to approach my work with a greater hope of being read and understood.” In a press release to the University of Toronto, Greene joked that winning the award felt like being let into a prestigious club. “You write poetry and few people read it. This makes me think of standing outside a club. The bouncer starts pointing, “YOU, YOU, and YOU! GO IN!” And so now I can have my beer and listen to the band!” The Governor General’s Literary Award is the oldest and most prestigious award for English and French literature. Categories include illustrators and translators in the categories of fiction, poetry, drama, non-fiction, children's literature, and translation. “This year’s recipients are excellent representatives of the talent and
“The award gives me great encouragement —a sense that after many years of working in relative isolation, my work has been received and admired.” —Richard Greene Canada. A ceremony will be held on November 25 at Rideau Hall in Ottawa, honouring the 14 recipients of the Governor General’s Literary Award. Johnston will present the awards to the winners where they will also receive bound copies of their work. “Richard Greene’s Boxing the Compass leaves us feeling unmoored, adrift across time and voice. The matchless long poem at its heart pulls us back to our always-moving selves, on an always-moving earth. We follow him in his offbeat but strangely familiar travels,” said the jury in a press release to the University of Toronto. Greene has published two books of poetry before Boxing the Compass and is the editor of Graham Greene: A Life in Letters. His next book, Hide and Seek: The Life of Edith Sitwell, is in the process of being published.
31 percent increase proposed for U-Pass KATHERINE LUCZYNSKI NEWS EDITOR
With the U-Pass vote beginning Tuesday, UTMSU has been campaigning for the last two weeks in an effort to encourage students to vote yes for a new summer UPass. and continue the current eight month U-Pass. With all the UTMSU representatives sporting yellow “I HEART U-Pass” tshirts, students could not avoid being handed a flyer or interrupted during class. A Facebook group started by UTMSU was also used to campaign and sought support. UTMSU members and representatives changed their profile pictures to yel-
low “I HEART U-Pass” posters and encouraged others to do the same. With over 9,000 students picking up their U-Pass last year, the service is being proposed to extend into the 2011/2012 school year, but only if the referendum passes. Last year’s U-Pass price, and the price for the last four years, was $99.14 and was automatically added to every full-time student’s tuition. The referendum is lobbying for an increase of 31% for the eight-month U-Pass, to a new price of $130 for every full-time student and there is no opt-out option. Mississauga Transit stated that regular tickets and weekly and monthly passes are already an opt-in/out-out option for
those travelling by public transportation. A new summer U-Pass is being proposed $85. If passed, the price will be added to the tuition of all students enrolled in summer classes, whether part-time or fulltime. The U-Pass Facebook page states that the original proposed cost for a summer U-Pass was $200. Part-time students are still not included in the eight-month U-Pass for the 2011/2012 school year because Mississauga Transit believes they will use the U-Pass for leisurely activities, rather than travelling to and from campus. UTMSU is also working on a petition to decrease parking pass costs by 10% in the coming year.
“Commuters and drivers need to stand together and support each other, so that both groups have the ability to travel in an affordable manner. Students deserve an eight-month and summer U-Pass AND a reduction in parking fees, and by working together, we can achieve it!” states the UPass Facebook page. Voting will take place from November 23 to 25, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the Davis Building, CCIT, and the North Building. Students are asked to bring their T-Cards to voting stations. For more information about the U-Pass students can access their Facebook page by searching “Heart Your U-Pass? Vote YES!”
Winner of Iphone & Ipad
PAGE 3 Potter’s Plight PAGE 5 Kanye’s Fantasy
PAGE 7 Plagiarism on the rise? PAGE 9 Lebron, Person ofYear? PAGE 11
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2 THE MEDIUM
NEWS
MONDAY, NOVEMBER
22, 2010
Fashion at the Banquet Student wins bookstore contest Business continued from cover
“Why can’t we have both?” said Dhawan in response to whether or not one should place more importance on the product of one’s work or the use of fancy suits. He responded with an emphasis on hard work, but he also believes that it is equally important to maintain a professional appearance. Although the president of the UCS encourages a balance between a business look and hard work, he maintains that one cannot wear casual or comfortable clothes in an office setting. “Comfortable clothes in an office setting, where one has to deal with clients, indicates an unprepared employee.” “Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Facebook, wears flip-flops even in his executive meetings most probably because of the environment of his business that is mainly a social business,” Dhawan further
remarked, emphasizing that Zuckerberg does not have to worry much about his appearance because of the kind of place and business he works at. “It depends on the environment, though when you are dealing with clients it is important to maintain professionalism.” “The role of fashion in the economy is always present, no matter the demographic,” said Dhawan. Though he had no comment in response to the current economic crisis in certain parts of the world, he maintained that appearance matters, irrespective of the economic conditions of the society. “UCS is the largest society at UTM and I am grateful for being a member of its executive council,” commented Tina Karamchandani, a second-year commerce student and the professional development director of UCS. UCS encourages all students to become members and enjoy the opportunities the club offers.
CTV journalist Karlene Nation speaks to students An hour and a half with a journalism giant LUCY ZEMLJIC
Karlene Nation, famed CTV Toronto news reporter, sat down with UTM students last Friday to talk about her experiences as a journalist, and to offer advice to eager journalism enthusiasts. “I knew with everything that I did, that I would be taking the path I am now,” said Nation, about her early beginnings in journalism. Through hard work and persistence, Nation became a one-woman powerhouse, establishing her reputation along the way and securing herself the position of highly respected broadcast journalists. But this strong, determined reporter came from humble beginnings. In 1976, as a pregnant teenager, she came to Canada from Kingston, Jamaica, with her two younger sisters, to join her mother. After having her baby, Nation worked persistently at odd jobs to help her family and take care of her son. After finishing high school, Nation came to UTM, where she majored in political science. She worked at U of T, then at the Toronto Stock Exchange, but went back to school to complete a two-year journalism program at Humber. She became a reporter for The Globe and Mail and The Toronto Star, and subsequently worked at CBC, Canada AM, CTV National, and CTV Toronto. Because of her connections with various cultural communities across the GTA, she was given the job of diversity producer, where she still works today. She is the first person to hold this position in Canada, and because of her ties with numerous community leaders across the GTA, is well-known in various cultural groups. Despite her accomplishments, Karlene remembered her humble beginnings; “I had a rough time in the beginning,” said Nation. “They bashed my first assignment; they were brutal!” Persistence is key, explained Nation. “I kept bugging and calling the head of broadcasting at CFTO (now CTV Toronto). When I got him on the phone, he said, ‘Who the hell are you?’ ” Nation answered, “ ‘Sir, when you meet me, you’ll hire me on the spot.’ ” To this day, her confidence and charisma is evident, and it’s no question
that Karlene Nation has plenty of advice to give. “As a news reporter, you’re going to be thrown into all kinds of situations; you have to keep your wits about you through it all. You have to learn to deal with all kinds of news—hard news, touchy stories—and you have to learn to generate your own story ideas,” said Nation. “You have to show that you’ve done some work in journalism, you can’t be shy and tentative with people.” After hearing her stories and her words of advice, the budding journalists were eager to ask their own questions. “Is Facebook a legitimate resource for today’s news reporter?” asked Rasheed Clarke, a fourth-year CCIT and PWC major.
“I had a rough time in the beginning. They bashed my first assignment; they were brutal!” — Karlene Nation
“Facebook is a public entity, it’s out there, and we’re using it,” answered Nation. “If we find pictures on the site, we can use them without having to ask the family. But it’s still necessary to go to the family for the interview,” she added. Adam Erb, a fourth-year English and PWC major, asked about technology: “Is it important to be versed in today’s technology to get ahead?” Nation answered enthusiastically, “It’s very important! If you know how to work with this new web of technology, you’ll have that much more advantage of getting yourself out there. If you can shoot, report, and edit, all by yourself, then your marketability really jumps,” explained Nation. Karlene Nation spoke for an hour and a half, but had to get back to her busy life and the story she was working on. “Be well-read!” she said, as a last piece of advice. “Have a working knowledge of everything. If you prove your worth, you can make it in this competitive field.”
UTM Bookstore
Anna Maria Draganova wins an iPad and iPhone in a raffle. LARISSA HO ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR
Anna-Maria Draganova, a first-year UTM student in life sciences, won the U of T Bookstore’s back-to-school contest for a free iPhone and iPad. The contest, which was open to all U of T faculty, students, and staff, drew approximately 10, 000 participants across all three campuses. “I filled one out [a ballot] in the CCT building going to my chemistry lecture,” said Draganova, who was all smiles when she came into the bookstore on the morning of November 16 to collect her prize. She filled out a ballot, thinking it would be just like any other contest. She had no idea that she would actually win. “When they called me, I was still at home. So it was quite the awakening, I must say.” That morning, Christine Peart, UTM’s bookstore manager, and Chad Saunders, the VP Retail for U of T Press, awarded Draganova with the prize. Draganova was required to answer a skill-testing question before qualifying for the prize. In early September, U of T hosted the
contest to promote the newly-renovated computer shop at the St. George campus’ bookstore. Participants had to fill out a ballot completely, with a limit of only one ballot per person, to be eligible for the prize. The contest ran from early September to the end of October. All the ballots were collected from each campus. The lucky ballot was then drawn from the bunch. “The focus is the computer shop and raising awareness on what we carry that people are not really aware of,” said Peart, who has been trying to expand the clothing shop at the UTM bookstore ever since she became the manager. “The bookstore is not usually the place they go to for technology, but we want to be that place. We want people to know we offer these great deals here at UTM rather than make that trip to Best Buy.” Saunders said, “The idea was to raise awareness that the bookstore does have a lot more than books. We have a lot more available. We had the iPhone 4 available on launch day in Canada. We have everything students need. The landscape has changed so much for students now. For us to have that technology for students is really important.”
Saunders revealed “one of the best-kept secrets” of the UTM bookstore, which is that the bookstore actually has better bargains on the latest technology than the stores most people go to first when they are searching for computers, cell phones, MP3 players, printers, etc. Saunders believes students should come to the bookstore first for their gadgets and supplies, rather than elsewhere which sells what they need for much higher prices. “Our computers are somewhere between $100 to $200 cheaper than the computers at Best Buy, depending on the model,” said Saunders. “Why go to Best Buy if we’re cheaper? It’s really in the students’ best interest to come here.” Jim Voz runs the computer shop at UTM. He encourages students to come in and take a look at what UTM’s bookstore has to offer besides textbooks and course material. “Students can actually physically come here and look at the computers on display. What you see here is actually the tip of the iceberg,” said Voz. “We actually have access to much more technology than you see here. I’d be happy to help you with any questions. Just come in and ask.”
Campus Police weekly summaries November 11 to November 17, 2010 November 11, 8:45 p.m. Theft Under $5,000 An iPhone was stolen from the third floor of the Hazel McCallion Academic Learning Centre. Investigation continues. November 12, 7:55 a.m. Info General —Suspicious Circumstances Campus Police investigated a suspicious male near lot 5. The male turned out to be a student involved in a campus game. November 12, 1:00 p.m. Fraud Campus Police investigated a fraudulent parking permit that was displayed in a vehicle. November 13, 2:30 a.m. Noise Complaint Campus Police investigated a noise complaint outside Oscar Peterson Hall. Parties had left the area prior to Campus Police arrival. November 13, 2:20 p.m. Medical Call Campus Police transported a male student to the hospital. November 14, 1:07 a.m. Trespass to Property Act Campus Police investigated a female inside the CCT Building. The female had been trespassed from the university property. The female was given a Provincial Offences Ticket under the Trespass to Property Act. November 14, 1:18 a.m. Noise Complaint
Campus Police investigated a noise complaint in the residence area. Campus Police shut down a party due to loud gathering. November 14, 9:20 a.m. Info General —Personal Safety Concern Campus Police investigated a call from an off-campus resident regarding a suspicious male by the Nature Trail near Principal Road. The complainant was walking her dog when she noticed a male leaning against a tree. The Peel Regional Police is currently investigating the incident. November 14, 4:30 a.m. Fire Call Campus Police investigated a fire call at the Oscar Peterson Hall. Further investigation revealed that the fire alarm was caused due to a short circuit from water damage caused by a resident student. November 15, 12:23 a.m. Parking Related Campus Police investigated an illegally parked vehicle behind a unit at Magrath Valley residence. The driver was cautioned and asked to relocate his vehicle. The driver complied. November 15, 10:12 a.m. Trespass to Property Act – Soliciting Campus Police investigated unauthorized soliciting inside the CCT Garage. The responsible parties were contacted and cautioned. November 15, 10:12 a.m. Theft Under $5,000 Campus Police investigated theft of two
signs from the CCT Garage P3 level. The signs had University of Toronto at Mississauga logo on them and read “Parking Level P3”. The signs were valued at $200. November 17, 5:57 a.m. Medical Call Campus Police responded to a medical call in the residence area. The female refused transport to the hospital. November 17, 9:00 a.m. Controlled Drugs & Substances Act Campus Police investigated a complaint in regards to a male student smoking marijuana inside his unit. Campus Police attended and confiscated the drug paraphernalia. November 17, 6:48 p.m. Mischief Campus Police investigated damage to a urinal divider on the first floor male washroom in the North Building. November 17, 6:45 p.m. Info General —Personal Safety Concern Campus Police investigated a lost cat in the residence area. Campus Police contacted the cat’s owner and left a message, but the owner has not returned any phone calls. November 17, 8:48 p.m. Medical Call Campus Police responded to a medical call at the Recreation, Athletics, and Wellness Centre. A male student had received an injury during a basketball game. The male was transported to the hospital.
MONDAY, NOVEMBER
22, 2010 THE MEDIUM 3
NEWS
Activist Tom Rand addresses CRA raises funds environmental crisis issues and awareness KATHERINE LUCZYNSKI NEWS EDITOR
STEFANIE MAROTTA ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR
On Wednesday night, Tom Rand, a venture capitalist and environmentalist, gave a public lecture at UTM. The University of Toronto doctorate alumnus discussed alternative energy sources to fossil fuel and the immediacy with which they should be implemented. In his lecture, “Kicking the Fossil Fuel Habit—Possibilities & Opportunities: a Convergence of Capital, Science, and Technology”, Rand presented the necessary steps toward, and economic benefits of developping, the “10 Clean Technologies” that he examines in his book. Rand began his lecture by comparing Canada’s environmental status with that of the global stage. He emphasized the detrimental direction for which Canada is headed, while other developed countries like China and Europe lead the way in environmental technology development. “We have a prime minister who is the only state leader that has never given a major policy talk on climate change,” said Rand. “He has, I think, landed Canada squarely on the wrong side of the most fundamental challenge that we face.” According to Rand, Canada is missing out on the largest economic opportunity of modern times. He argues that upgrading technology to reduce the carbon footprint would entail the biggest infrastructure build in human history. Rand insisted that the widespread misconception that environmentally friendly energy alternatives would lead to bankruptcy or inefficiency is inaccurate. “Climate change is still talked about like a future threat, but it is already here,” Rand said. “Like an unruly guest at a party, it’s in the kitchen drinking beers, breaking furniture, and crashing through windows.” Rand said that the countries that take the first steps in advancing energy technologies will reap great economic benefits. Two years ago, Rand co-developed and converted an abandoned building in Toronto into a low-carbon hotel. The “Planet Traveler” uses geo-exchange heating and cooling, solar thermal, and other environmental energy technologies. “We could have easily met Kyoto by being more efficient and we’d be richer for it!” Rand said. “In my hotel, I’ve lowered the energy use by 75%. I’m saving money
Edward Cai/ The Medium
Rand talks about various alternatives to fossil fuel. every month in energy costs. I’m making the moment. To his credit, Mr. Rand was money cutting carbon! Buildings account willing to debate the idea.” for 40% of greenhouse gases. So when “I want to get into the psychology, poliHarper says we can’t meet Kyoto because tics, and economics of why we’re not wakit’s a drag on the system, he’s wrong.” ing up to this problem,” Rand said about Rand talked about various alternatives his future plans. “If we can understand the to fossil fuel, including geothermal, bio- reasons as to why we’re not engaging in mass hydro, wind, and solar. He said that environmental actions, we might be able other developed countries are investing in to better address the issue.” geothermal technology. Before the lecture, leaders of the UTM “In Canada, we’re spending a whole lot Environmental Alliance enjoyed a dinner of money trying to minimize the amount and talked to Rand. of energy it takes to melt tar,” said Rand. “People don’t want to change their “There are hundreds of billions of dollars lifestyle. Tom says that while lifestyle in this country; why not do an experi- changes are important, he also stresses ment? They’re doing it in France, that the government needs to impose regAustralia, Germany, the United States, but ulations so that people will live lead greenwe’re not doing it here. We have the er lives,” said Rohit Mehta, a leader of the capacity.” UTM Environmental Alliance. Attendees had the opportunity to ask The UTM Environmental Alliance questions after the lecture. Geography coordinates various environmental proprofessor Pierre Desrochers mediated jects on campus between the Green Team the discussion. (UTM’s environmental affairs depart“As could be expected, Mr. Rand ment), the UTMSU Ministry of proved to be a passionate and entertaining Environment, Campus Roots, Bike Share, speaker,” said Desrochers. “As for the con- the Urban Agriculture Society, and the tent of his talk, in my opinion it depends Student Association of Geography and on whether or not you buy into his Environment. Students can join the UTM premise that climate change is the greatest Environmental Alliance group on immediate threat facing mankind. I per- Blackboard to receive weekly newsletters sonally believe that problems such as with information about events and enviinfectious diseases and malnutritition are ronmental initiatives. more pressing issues, and that this is More information on Rand’s work can where our scarce resources should go at be found on his website at tomrand.net.
Students take action against poverty SIDDIQA DALAL
It may have been a rainy Tuesday evening on November 16, but several UTM students gathered for a discussion on poverty in Peel. The Women and Gender Studies Action Group hosted a café conversation to discuss issues of poverty and homelessness in Peel with light snacks and refreshments provided. The WGS AG is a student-run group focussed on raising awareness about the WGS program and issues pertaining to feminism, gender, race, sexuality, politics, etc., just to name a few. Every year the WGS AG supports a local charity group with money raised from various events. The café conversation was an attempt to wipe away negative stereotypes of poverty and homelessness. It aimed to share strategies to help with this issue. After taking small donations and giving a brief introduction of the WGS AG, students delved into issues of poverty and homelessness. A short quiz was presented illustrating some of the facts surrounding poverty that many do not know. For
example, in 2006, 15% of Peel residents were living in poverty. There were many activities to help students become engaged with the seriousness of poverty. One activity included students receiving Monopoly money adding up to $585; this sum is the maximum amount of social assistance an adult can receive from the government on a monthly basis. After distributing the money, various scenarios were provided to represent the various allocation of money and to acknowledge the divergent range of people involved in poverty. For example, an unemployed single mother of one has to pay rent (which in Peel starts north of $500), buy food, clothing, and medicine, pay for transportation, pay other bills, and take care of both her and her child’s necessities—all with just $585 a month. Another scenario observed a disabled senior man without family and sufficient pension with less than $585. Very quickly students found themselves with no money and realizing the adversities. The aim of this activity was to observe the various types of people who are subjected to poverty. There are many miscon-
ceptions that people in poverty and/or who are currently homeless are drug addicts or suffer from mental illnesses. However, this is not necessarily true. There are many factors that could lead to poverty, such as gender, race, age, class, disabilities, language barriers, newcomer status, and more. For many of these, it seems like a simple solution to just find some job for them; however, sometimes that’s not enough, since one can be employed and still homeless. During the 2010/11 school year WGS AG are supporting the Peel Poverty Action Group, a non-profit organization functioning in Peel whose aim is to combat and raise awareness about poverty and homelessness in areas of Mississauga, Brampton, and Caledon. PPAG provides resources and services to people who are affected by poverty and the community at large. Students wishing to find more information about the WGS AG are welcome to attend general meetings every Monday at 12 to 1 p.m. in NB 143, or they can find the WGS-Action Group on Facebook. For more information on PPAG, students are asked to visit its blog at ppag.wordpress.com.
Continental Rescue Africa, a Canadian non-profit organization, aims to empower youth and women to take charge and become leaders of the future. The organization began its work at UTM this year and hopes to raise money for the many programs and sponsorships offered to women and children in Africa and Ontario through events. The idea for the organization began in 2003 when Shakira Abubakar, then in grade 10 in Brampton, began a program called “Project Darfur” in order to educate her peers in genocide and creating a platform for change. After a year of running Project Darfur, Abubakar saw the need to expand her cause and began Continental Rescue Africa in 2004.
“We want women and children to become confi dent individuals and provide them with resources which will able them to create a positive impact in their com munities.” Mariana Comito
The non-profit organization’s mission is to work towards eradicating poverty, gender-based violence, and discrimination. CRA also works promote interests of women in all aspects of life and raises awareness about culture and non-violence. CRA now has many sectors around the world, including Ottawa, Ghana,
and Uganda, and works alongside Africa Change International, a nonprofit organization that aims to educate and equip children living in extreme poverty with sports skills. CRA’s UTM sector is run by Mariana Comito, CRA’s Canadian director and president of the CRA club on campus. UTM’s sector began two years ago and is looking for members interested in working to empower women and youth living in poverty. “We want women and children to become confident individuals and provide them with resources which will able them to create a positive impact in their communities,” said Comito. “We have overseas programs like the Zuarungu Community Orphan Educational Support (ZCOESU) whereby we give support for orphans, educational development, entrepreneurship skill training, and our sisters of substance program.” Comito is a double major in biology and English literature and has worked as a leadership mentor in previous years. She hopes that her work with CRA will help to create a platform for women and youth to create change. Last year CRA’s UTM sector sponsored a student from Africa to come to UTM for a university education. Through events and fundraising, CRA donated school supplies to students in Ghana and raised money to keep an orphanage open. UTM’s CRA sector will be holding a potluck on November 25 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Student Centre. All are welcome to participate and donate to the cause. All proceeds collected will go to programs and sponsorships of the organization. For more information about Continental Rescue Africa, students are urged to visit their website at continentalrescueafrica.com. For volunteer opportunities on campus, or to become a member of CRA’s UTM sector, students can contact Comito at cra@utmsu.ca.
4 THE MEDIUM
OPINION
MONDAY,
NOVEMBER 22, 2010
EDITORIAL Last week’s editorial, “calculating U-Pass costs” garnered five Letters to the Editor. These five letters come from involved students. The UTMSU president, Vickita Bhatt claims if the U-Pass referendum fails the U-Pass will be in jeopardy and she attempts to dispel “myths” about the U-Pass campaign. A number of club executives submitted a joint letter of endorsement, outlining reasons they think you should vote yes. Then we have letters from James Boutilier, Peter Buczkowski and Mariana Comito who have roles within clubs and societies that question the aggressive campaigning tactics and lack of facts presented to the student body. Last week I stated I was disappointed in the lack of transparency with this “I heart U-Pass” campaign even though I do support the U-Pass as a driver. Since my editorial was published, the UTMSU has revised their notice and preamble to include the vital information that I thought was missing from their campaign. The preamble now states that the cost of the eight month pass is proposed to increase from $99.14 to $130 beginning September 2011. With this information clearly presented on the preamble when you arrive at polling stations I hope you make an informed vote and consider both the pros and cons that the five students who wrote in have discussed. As this is the last issue of The Medium for this term, I wanted to wish you all good luck on your final exams and thank you for continuing to support The Medium. We have made some very important changes to our operations and hope to continue to provide you with informative stories and engaging topics of discussion. The opinion section is my favourite section of The Medium and I always look forward to reading what other students have to say or responses to questions that I pose. I encourage anyone who has something to say to write letters when The Medium comes out again in the new year and until then you can check our website for updated articles at mediumonline.ca and follow us on twitter @TheMediumUTM. Yours,
Saaliha Malik
Dear Editor, Like many students, I am not a fan of election season. I am not a fan of being stopped in the halls and being actively told to vote for this or that, or seeing our once-pristine halls strewn with yes–or-no propaganda. This year has been particularly disappointing for me, as we have seen two referenda run under Schedule A, which allows UTMSU to run questions without first requiring proven student support for the question (in the form of petitions from students), and also partially subverts requirements for identifying in advance members of the yes committee and campaign materials. It also allows referenda to be run at any time of the year, drastically increasing their costs to students due to the requirement of additional poll clerks and other staff. What really frustrates me is the that the union is not impartial on these referenda, and in fact cannot be due to the nature of the Referenda Charter, which requires them to take a supportive stance on referenda run under Schedule A. In my mind, this is a serious prob-
lem. Who is running the referenda? UTMSU. Who is running the yes campaign? UTMSU. Who is the yes campaign accountable to? UTMSU. Don’t get me wrong; I support the UPass, but not a U-Pass referendum run by and accountable to UTMSU, when their opinion is clearly one-sided. And where members of the Elections and Referenda committee (EaRC) voted to endorse and are still publicly endorsing and campaigning, despite holding seats that require impartiality. After the controversy surrounding the EaRC committee during last year’s executive bielection I would have hoped that UTMSU would know better by now, but this strikes me as on par with making 67 demerit points disappear. Next Monday, November 29, is the Annual General Meeting for UTMSU and one of the few opportunities given to students to hold the union’s policy accountable. If any part of my letter stoked your interest I hope to see you there. Yours, James Boutilier
Dear Editor, In the past two weeks UTMSU has been out in force. I appreciate seeing my compatriots speaking to students. I also like seeing them campaigning so hard, but many students have asked me one simple question. Who are they fighting? Aggressive campaigning seems to become more and more the norm on this campus. But why is this campaign being fought so aggressively? There is no “no campaign”, and as a good friend of mine put it, “The UPass is something everyone wants; why are they spending so much money and pushing it down our throats?” (Well, it’s a bit of a paraphrase, I can’t write in his accent.) All those yellow posters, t-shirts, and stickers have cost students up to $3,000 in the dues that we pay to the UTMSU. There are also some hidden costs associated with the U-Pass referendum. These costs include wages for poll clerks, CRO and DRO wages, the salaries of the executive committee that will be spending two weeks (one paycheque each) campaigning, coordinators producing materials,...etc. While the U-Pass is essential to student life at UTM, I believe that it should be up to students to support, not for UTMSU to force it upon students. UTMSU received a lot of backlash from the $14,000 Drop Fees Campaign last year. By my estimation (through the numbers I have and some educated guessing), the overall cost of this “I Heart My U-Pass” campaign is roughly $10,000. I don’t claim that as fact, because as a member of
the board of directors I am not allowed to see human resources issues, or so I’ve been told. I also am not a doctor or accountant or commerce student or management student, though I’ve all of those on TV. So why is UTMSU fighting so hard to get us to vote yes? Well, it is a great service, and we’ve invested a lot of time and money into it. So it would suck to not have people vote in favour of it—I mean, UTMSU needs something to say during the next election. (I am a cynic, I know.) But the more people that vote in favour of the U-Pass, the more the students are united. This could be one of the greatest victories for the student movement at UTM. Especially considering that we haven’t won more food diversity, lowered tuition, lowered parking fees, an expanded Student Centre, reformed OSAP, or generally increased accountability or transparency. So please, vote in favour of the UPass if you think it is a great deal; don’t cave to aggressive campaign tactics. And I would ask that you think over the increases logically, and vote in favour or against based on your need. I also suggest that you come to the UTMSU AGM, at 6 p.m. on November 29 in Spigel Hall, and have your voice heard. Please email me at peter@utmsu.ca for any comments. I would love to discuss everything from the U-Pass to the library, from student media to academia, with you. Yours, Peter Buczkowski
Dear Editor, By now, most of you have heard about the U-Pass referendum. There are two separate questions being proposed this week: 1) To keep the eight-month U-Pass at a cost of $130 (it currently costs $99.14). 2) A new summer U-Pass, at a fee of $85 for full- and part-time students, applicable only to summer students. The U-Pass contract ends in April 2011. We started negotiating with Mississauga Transit in May 2010; however, MT has continuously told us that the current U-Pass program is not sustainable because of higher gas costs, labour cost increases, reduction of subsidies from the government, and increase in ridership from UTM students. In summary, the U-Pass was successful for UTM students but unaffordable for MT. They proposed $160 for the eight-month U-Pass, increasing to $200 by 2013, and $225 for the summer one. Obviously, students felt this was too high. We lobbied MT and the City Council, and insisted that we deserve a fair deal. We created lobby documents and conducted a survey that saw over 2,000 respondents. Through our efforts, we ensured that the program continued and got the prices reduced from $160 with fixed increases to $130 with no fixed increases for the fall/winter, and from $225 for only full-time students to $85 for full- and part-time students for the summer. The U-Pass is undeniably a costsaving service used by more than 8,000 students. The fact remains: UTM Students still have the cheapest U-Pass in Ontario for a transit system of our size! This program saves each student $997 over 12 months
However, we would like to clarify the following “myths” mentioned by The Medium: #1: The Medium said I was mistaken when I asked all students to vote “yes” to continue the U-Pass program for $130. Fact: If this referendum fails, the entire U-Pass program is in jeopardy since the contractual agreement between MT and UTMSU expires in April 2011. #2: The Medium claimed that the eight-month U-Pass will be subsidizing the costs of the summer U-Pass. Fact: There is no correlation between the two fees. The summer UPass is applicable only to students enrolled in the summer session. #3: The Medium implied that the U-Pass will become a 12-month program. Fact: Once again, we are running two separate referendums for two separate fees, not one fee. #4: The Medium claimed that the “U-Pass fee would be subject to increases by 9% annually without notice or vote”.Fact: The UTMSU cannot increase students’ fees without a vote at our board. With the maximum 9% increases, the onus falls on MT to justify an increase. Initially, MT wanted a fixed increase of $20 every year. To further clarify, we have included the original price of the U-Pass in the preamble of our referendum question. So this Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday at North, South, and CCIT from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., be a part of history. Heart your U-Pass and vote YES.
Dear Editor, This summer U-Pass is not such a great deal. On a daily basis, UTMSU executives and volunteers bombard the halls, screaming out, “I heart summer U-Pass, Vote Yes”. With their bright yellow shirts, they make announcements in lectures and persuade you with price numbers they have chosen to reveal. Students can’t even go to the bathroom without looking at a sticker that reads “vote yes for summer U-Pass”. Now some might say that my opinion is biased (since I am the assistant Features editor), but I don’t get paid for the work I do here, nor do I get any bribes from any of the editors. In fact, I was a UTMSU volunteer for Orientation Week, and I get along with the many of the UTMSU execs and volunteers, so my opinion is not biased, just informed. Just because I get along with UTMSU does not mean I have to support every campaign; on the contrary, I am allowed to have my own thoughts. After all, my tuition fees pay their salaries. For some odd reason, I had many text messages from presidents and vice-presidents of important and high-standing clubs at UTM, saying
that they disagreed with the summer U-Pass and that UTMSU is not giving full details during their presentations or even on their posters. One president told me that people were telling her that she could opt out of the regular and summer U-Pass, as she is a permit-holder! This is a lie! I have a parking pass, and I take summer school, and I am tired of paying for things that I don’t use. This same president told me that when the UTMSU speaks they don’t say correct facts and don’t respect people’s right to vote without being harassed. Why can’t I tell you who these people are? Well, they are afraid. They are scared that UTMSU will cut their club funding and give them a hard time. But I write this letter as a club president. A small club, yes. But does my opinion still matter? Of course. All I am saying is that before you vote yes, make sure you have all the details. Here’s an idea: maybe if we didn’t spend $9,000+ on t-shirts and ridiculous posters, or reduced UTMSU’s salary of $20,000+, the U-Pass might be free. Don’t we want student fees to decrease—or is that just in theory? Yours, Mariana Comito
Dear Editor, We are writing today, as individuals as well as representatives of clubs on campus, to endorse the current UPass referendum. First, we would like to talk about the U-Pass program itself. Over the last three years, the U-Pass program has provided an invaluable service to students on campus. There are many benefits associated with the U-Pass, the foremost being that it allows students to access Mississauga Transit at an affordable rate. It also provides a sustainable alternative for students who do not drive. This year, over 9,000 students picked up their UPasses, which shows that this is one of the most popular services on campus. The contract for the eight-month U-Pass expires in April 2011, and so it fell on the current executive of the UTMSU to renegotiate a new contract for us. Not only did they manage to do that, but they also managed to convince Mississauga Transit to offer a summer U-Pass to students. The referendum is currently underway, and we would like to congratulate UTMSU on doing a good job on raising awareness about this issue. There have, unfortunately, been some facts that have been misrepresented, and we would like to take this opportunity to talk about them. 1.Students will only pay for the summer U-Pass if they are enrolled in summer classes. It will be completely separate from the eight-month U-Pass in that the fees for the two will be charged separately, and students will only be charged for the sessions they are registered in. 2.Though the two U-Passes are separate from each other, the referendum
deals with both. That is, students are required to vote on whether they want to establish a new summer U-Pass, but also on whether they want to continue to keep their eight-month U-Pass. Some of you reading this are members of our clubs, and may have received a message expressing our support for the U-Pass. We would like to reiterate that message of support, and encourage all of you to vote in favour of the U-Pass. Also, for students that drive, UTMSU has been running the Reduce Parking Fees campaign to call on Erindale College Council to reduce parking fees by 10%, and we would encourage everybody, both drivers and students who take the bus, to sign the petition and get involved with the campaign. Students in commerce pay fees that build the chemistry labs, and students who take the bus pay fees that build the parking lots. We are all in this together, and it is up to us to come together and ensure that all students have access to affordable transit and cheap parking rates. So from November 23 to 25, please come out and vote yes to ensure that next year, we have access to our eightmonth U-Pass and get a summer U-Pass. Sincerely, Paulette Adriana Smith, Cliff Lee Jun Wei Jonathan Wahab Olukoye Aladesuru Sunny Bahia, Meenal Tayal Ruqayyah Ahdab, Bobby Diaz Cheyenne Thannikkotu,
In solidarity, Vickita Bhatt President of UTMSU
www.mediumonline.ca 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 Saaliha Malik editor@mediumonline.ca NEWS EDITOR Katherine Luczynski news@mediumonline.ca ASSISTANT NEWS Stefanie Marotta A&E EDITOR Nives Hajdin arts@mediumonline.ca ASSISTANT A&E Colleen Munro FEATURES EDITOR Amir Ahmed features@mediumonline.ca ASSISTANT FEATURES Mariana Comito SPORTS EDITOR William Robertson sports@mediumonline.ca ASSISTANT SPORTS Michelle Duklas Chris Callahan COPY EDITOR Luke Sawczak PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR Edward Cai photos@mediumonline.ca DESIGN EDITOR Brent Hartford WEBMASTER Gary Li DISTRIBUTION Sandes Samararatne Waleed Malik BUSINESS MANAGER TBA ADVERTISING MANAGER TBA BOARD OF DIRECTORS Marc Bressler, Paul Donoghue, Yasmeen Husain, , Michael Di Leo, Sarsour Mansour, Mariana Comito, Matthew Filipowich COMPLAINTS Comments, concerns or com plaints about The Medium ’s content should be directed to the Editor in Chief who can be located 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 necessarily reflect those of The Medium. Additionally, the opinions expressed in advertisements appearing in The Medium are those of advertisers and not of The Medium. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letters to the editor will be edited for spelling, grammar, style, and coherence. Letters will not exceed 500 words in print. Letters that incite hatred or violence, and letters that are racist, homophobic, sexist or libelous, will not be pub lished. Anonymous letters will not be published. Letters must be e mailed to the Editor by Friday at 5 p.m.
MONDAY, NOVEMER
22, 2010 THE MEDIUM 5
Nives Hajdin, Editor | arts@mediumonline.ca
Deathly Hallows kills the box office Part 1 of the seventh Harry Potter instalment cashed in over $61 million on its opening night HEATHER MARTIN
At 9:45 p.m. on Thursday, November 18 at Coliseum Mississauga, the longawaited Harry Potter finale was just hours away. But until then, mobs of teens, young adults, and the odd parent or two waited in muddled lines outside the closed doors of the auditoriums. Some sat on the carpet clutching their care-worn copies of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, as they tried to refresh their memory before the movie; others stood and compared their choice of costume— Hogwarts uniforms versus Quidditch robes. The conversations hummed as friends held places in line and texted latecomers about their whereabouts, while overwhelmed staff members attempted to herd everyone in an organized, linear fashion. Finally, with an hour and a half until midnight, the doors opened and it was a chaotic race into the theatre. Even the Hufflepuffs knew this was not the time to be nice, as grabbing a good seat in the fast-
filling theatre was about as difficult as capturing the Golden Snitch! Eventually the eager fans all found seats, grateful to be waiting out the clock in comfort. Nevertheless, sitting in a teeming theatre for over an hour with a blank screen taunting you is not a task any witch or wizard would gladly undertake. Time was largely spent chatting about expectations of the movie: Will it live up to the book? What parts will they cut out? How will part one end? While we would all find out the answers quite soon, it was evident that the excitement was growing. Snacking was a popular distraction as Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Beans were passed along one row, and a Gryffindor and two Slytherins shared a small mountain of nachos with another—clearly this is a rare occasion in which house rivalry was not in effect. In fact, despite the agonizing wait and surprising lack of fans dressed in costume, spirits seemed rather high. Perhaps this is because most of the fans have grown up with “The Boy Who Lived”, matur-
Will the real Harry Potter please stand up?
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ing along with the characters and content of the books. “Reading or watching Harry and his pals is like catching up with old friends,” remarked one UTM student dressed in Gryffindor garb. As we neared the reunion with our wizard friends at midnight, a general restlessness spread throughout the theatre. Finally, at precisely one minute after 12, the lights dimmed, the audience cheered, and then... previews! But soon after that, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part One officially began, and the room vibrated with anticipation. The camera began its traditional flight through the clouds in the same fashion as all six previous films. Applause and cheers soon died away and the entire auditorium fell into an eerie silence to watch the beginning of the end. As the Harry Potter films have progressed, it is fairly obvious that the danger and tension have as well. Part one of the seventh movie in the series continues on this dark and treacherous path. The film opens with farewells, as the three main characters have accepted that no place is safe anymore. Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) must embark on the overwhelming quest of finding and destroying the remaining Horcruxes so that “He-Who-MustNot-Be-Named” can finally be killed. Helped by his two BFFs, Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) and Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint), “The Boy Who Lived” undertakes his most difficult and dangerous challenge yet. What director David Yates is attempting to portray is a wizarding world without the innocence and whimsy of past movies. He has gradually achieved this with The Order of the Phoenix and The HalfBlood Prince, but it is in Deathly
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Death Eaters descend on Xenophilius Lovegood’s home. Hallows that the real threat is fully revealed. There is no more Hogwarts for Harry, Ron, and Hermione. No parents. No Dumbledore. The three heroes are completely on their own, a concept which allows us to see how their friendship has truly grown over the past 10 years. We see how everything has changed for them; their feuds become more intense, their goals more important, and their maturity more evident. The three young actors have certainly matured along with their characters and are very impressive in the movie’s many intense, dramatic scenes. Radcliffe, Grint, and Watson are now so familiar with the characters and what is at stake that they vividly convey their characters’ inner turmoil while being hunted by the Ministry, Death Eaters, and the Dark Lord himself. Scenes involving the villains are nothing short of sinister as Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) sends shivers down everyone’s spine with every threatening hiss. Deathly Hallows is certainly the darkest instalment yet and, due to some
shockingly graphic scenes, is definitely not recommended for children. That being said, don’t think that HP7 is a total drama or downer. The audience is never too short of laughs thanks to Ron, the Weasley twins, and some unsuspecting Ministry of Magic employees. This movie also marks the triumphant return of Dobby, the plucky little house elf who was greeted with major applause at his first appearance. There are a number of other old acquaintances who make nostalgic appearances; some are happy reunions, while others are difficult to speak of without getting slightly misty-eyed. There was no shortage of laughter or tears throughout the quick-paced movie, and even if you haven’t grown up with the books and films, it’s easy to see why loyal fans tough out the long wait. If you still haven’t seen Deathly Hallows yet—Merlin’s beard!, what are you waiting for? Let your inner wizard out and go see the beginning of the end of this epic, decadespanning saga!
Harry Potter movie mistakes
JENNIFER EWEN
Harry Potter has been capturing the attention of audiences everywhere since 2001, when the first movie was released. The movies aren’t always completely on par with the novels, due to the fact that the screenwriter is trying to cram hundreds of pages of plot into a two-hour (give or take) movie. So here is a quick explanation of key elements left out of the movies that could affect the latest movie, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows: Part 1. CAUTION: spoilers ahead! Let’s start with Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. The movie features the entire Triwizard Tournament, but it is missing Hermione’s house elf support group, S.P.E.W., and really anything about house elves in general. The movie ends with a showdown between Harry and Lord Voldemort, the
death of Cedric Diggory (the first of many deaths in books/movies to come), and the threat of more trouble from Lord Voldemort and the Death Eaters. The next in the series, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, is the longest novel but the shortest film. Delores Umbridge’s regime and Dumbledore’s Army make the cut; however, a key missing element is Quidditch. Readers may remember that Ron Weasley makes the team and there is an important scene when Harry, Fred, and George get banned from Quidditch for fighting with Draco Malfoy. The movie ends with the death of Sirius Black during an intense fight between the Death Eaters and a few members from Dumbledore’s Army, including Harry. Bellatrix Lestrange kills Sirius Black, and so this fuels Harry’s desire to seek revenge on Bellatrix. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood
Prince is missing a lot of key elements. In the book, Dumbledore shows Harry many of his memories in order to inform him what Horcruxes are so that he can defeat Lord Voldemort. The movie only shows two memories: Dumbledore meeting Tom Riddle, and Horace Slughorn’s experience with Tom Riddle. Therefore, Harry doesn’t yet know as much about Horcruxes as he did in the book. Another major mistake is at the end of the film after Snape kills Dumbledore. Harry finds himself in Dumbledore’s office and Dumbledore’s wand (the Elder Wand) is sitting on the desk, when it should be inside Dumbledore’s grave so that a certain someone can steal it in the seventh movie. How will all of these mistakes make the seventh movie work? Well, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows: Part 1 does in fact stay fairly true to the book. Of course, there are mistakes, so I’ll repeat this—
CAUTION: spoilers ahead! One crucial mistake is that Harry barely uses his invisibility cloak. It is used a lot in the book (because it’s important to the Deathly Hallows themselves), but it is completely left out in the movie. A number of scenes are altered, including the initial escape from the wedding, Harry and Hermione’s time in Godric’s Hollow, and when the three escape from Xenofilius Lovegood’s home. Another mistake: at Bill and Fleur’s wedding, Harry is supposed to be disguised as a Weasley cousin, but instead remains himself during the scene. Here is one final slip-up in the film, so as to not reveal too much: in the novel, the word “Voldemort” is tracked so that the Death Eaters are able to find anyone who says it. After Harry accidentally says the word, the snatchers appear to take him, Ron, and Hermione. Yet in the film, the snatchers just appear out of nowhere (and there are also some missing
characters in the scene with the snatchers). Those are all the mistakes for now, so you’ll just have to see the movie if you’re interested in finding more. Oh, and one quick piece of advice: if you haven’t read the books, watch the sixth movie again before seeing this one. There are a lot of characters and terms that can get confusing. The first part of the seventh movie is definitely worth seeing, and could be the best yet in the series. With everything that happened in part one, the second part should be just as good, providing it includes scenes at Hogwarts with the Death Eaters and Voldemort, as well as complete explanations as to what the rest of the Horcruxes are. It was a very good choice to split this book into two movies so that nearly everything is covered, with some dialogue straight from the book itself. So watch, enjoy, and surround yourself with the magic!
6 THE MEDIUM
MONDAY, NOVEMBER
22, 2010
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Kids and television: not so bad after all? COLLEEN MUNRO ASSISTANT ARTS EDITOR
Little did our parents know that when they plunked us down in front of the television as children, they were doing us a great service. While we soaked in the TV’s bluish glow, we were also gradually building an index of indispensible knowledge. For better or worse, television brings kids together. You talked about your favourite shows at school, and you changed your viewing habits to suit those of your friends. Also, that early exposure to pop culture gave everyone something to reminisce about 15 years after the fact. Cartoons are a medium that seems to translate across generations of kids. But far
from the crisp, sunny images of shows like The Flinstones and Looney Tunes, I remember the cartoons of our childhood being a bit rougher around the edges. Shows like Hey Arnold!, Dexter’s Laboratory, and even Rugrats had cruder animation, and more bite than a lot of the classic television cartoons. But during elementary school, it seemed like the two most ubiquitous television shows were imported from Japan. Sailor Moon and Pokémon both earned huge followings thanks to their seemingly endless merchandising opportunities. And the latter has managed to maintain popularity even now, with new episodes of Pokémon still airing worldwide. And no discussion of ’90s cartoons would be complete without discussing
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Who could forget a football head like that?
The Simpsons. Aimed at an older audience, it was the show that you originally snuck past your parents to watch before it later became a staple of your after-school routine. The mid-to-late ’90s was arguably the best era for the show, giving audiences classic episodes such as “Who Shot Mr. Burns?”, “The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show”, and “Mr. Plow”. At a certain age, though, cartoons just don’t cut it anymore. Kids want realism (or at least, they think they do), and luckily, there were plenty of television shows that offered a peek into the mysterious teenage world that awaited us. A whole legion of preteen girls fell in love with Sabrina the Teenage Witch’s boyfriend, Harvey, and it seemed like everyone wished that they were part of the ragtag Tanner family from Full House. Boy Meets World has also endured as a favourite amongst ’90s children. And despite the show’s questionable realism (no school principal is that involved in their students’ lives!), the fondness makes sense in hindsight. The show was on for seven years, and unlike a lot of shows whose characters seem to be perpetually trapped in high school, here audiences saw main character Corey Matthews go from middle school to marriage. No other medium allows for that unique character arc, and it’s a shame that most current shows don’t stick around long enough to see their viewers grow up with the cast. And there were some ’90s shows that you didn’t even need to watch to understand the importance of. Despite the fact that I didn’t watch The Fresh Prince of BelAir or Dawson’s Creek while they was on the air, I know the theme songs, I know the character names, and I know the Carlton dance. Perhaps it’s because vari-
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No one really knows why Mr. Feeney is in the Matthews family portrait. ous cast members have gone on to successful adult careers, but it seems like both shows have held up surprisingly well in our popular culture’s collective memory. I can’t think of many current shows aimed at teenagers that seem like they’ll have the same kind of staying power, except maybe The O.C. It’s amazing how vividly I remember
these shows, right down to specific episode plotlines. Maybe it’s because of the necessary investment. Television forces you to sit down every week in order to follow your favourite shows (or at least it did, pre-DVD and Internet streaming). And as kids who are prone to getting swept up in fantasy, it leaves an undeniably lasting impact.
been great every week thus far. One downside to Chromewaves is that it doesn’t have much else to offer outside the realm of indiealternative music. Nevertheless, it is a solid site to find a great new
and emerging indie artist you’ll end up loving. Genres: indie-alternative Artists you’ll be sure to see: Mystery Jets, Tame Impala, Sufjan Stevens, Two Door Cinema Club
All blogged down? ELIZABETH LUONG DO
In the world of music blogs, there are thousands of sites one could stumble upon. As difficult as it is to find a good tune, it’s easily as difficult to find a good blog that can offer great recommendations time and time again. I spend countless hours on the Internet looking for a great new gem of a song that will brighten up my day. It’s a pleasure to be able to go on a site, read a tiny blurb, and be able to check out a few songs right then and the r e . H e r e a r e t h r e e g r e a t sites that have consistently pointed me toward great music. UNKITSCH.COM (@ unkitsch.com) UNKITSCH.COM is a site created for four friends to share “Music, Dreams, Ideas, and Thoughts”. These guys have a solid website. It’s sexy, sleek, and easy to navigate, and the writers have got talent. If you go to their “About” page, you can find some hilarious introductions to the four contributors, including a description of one as his “own panty-remover”. The great thing about Unkitsch is that you get a global view from the four writers since they reside in four different countries. We get points of view and recommendations from Hamburg, Hong Kong (although we have yet to see the likes of Canto-pop hitting UNKITSCH.COM), Toronto, and London. UNKITSCH.COM offers up recommendations from various indie, alternative, and electro-dance artists. No two recommendations are the same. Now, you might
notice a theme of artists on the site. These guys definitely have a list of favourites, but they manage to find songs and remixes you’ve never even heard of, and bring them to your attention. I dare you to go onto this site and not find at least one hip-shaking, foot-tapping tune that you will end up loving. Music isn’t all they have to offer. Not only do you get solid music recommendations, along with an easy-to-use download link, but you get great info and advice into the worlds of art and technology. Not to mention you get hilarious photos of one of the guys eating cookies. Genres: indie, alternative, electro, dance Artists you’ll be sure to see: The Twelves, Miami Horror, Breakbot, Aeroplane, Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. Earmilk (@ earmilk.com) Earmilk is possibly one of the most musically diverse websites out there. These guys offer their insights into seven of the main categories of music: electro, hip hop, indie, experimental, rap, reggae, and house. Earmilk is straightforward and really holds true to their website’s name. Everything they post is milk to the ears! (Okay, I know it’s really “music to the ears”.) It’s easy to find a great tune here; just pop over to the site, choose a section, and browse through some of their posts. You’ll find artists that you already know of, and artists that after reading the post, you’ll be glad to know about. What’s great about Earmilk is not that they offer a different array of music genres, but the amount of artists that you can be exposed to
after just a few minutes of browsing their site. They include a segment called “The Cream of…” which is a listing of the five most popular songs on their site from the last few days. This is great for the average reader who wants to know the happenings in the world of a particular genre of music. Best part of Earmilk? Their extensive rap and hip hop selection. I have yet to find another site that includes as many artists as they do in these two genres. What’s great is that not only do they introduce you to new tunes by artists like Kanye and Cudi, but they also offer you insight into new and emerging hip hop and rap artists like Hoodie Allen. Genres : e l e c t r o p op , h i p h op , indie, experimental, rap, reggae, and house Artists you’ll be sure to see: Kanye West, Kid Cudi, The Knocks, Hoodie Allen, Mice Parade Chromewaves (@ chromewaves.net) Why should you love Chromewaves? Well, as residents of Toronto and the GTA, they will keep you up to date on the haps of the city musically. Chromewaves offers information on music, films, books, and art in the city. It’s a great place to go to if you want to find something to do over the weekend without having to read about a lot of other crap. Chromewaves’ authors have a way of writing great concert and CD reviews that make you want to get the artist’s CD and see them live the next time they’re in town. They offer up easily accessible listening links and an MP3 of the week, which in my opinion has
MONDAY, NOVEMBER
22, 2010 THE MEDIUM 7
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Album in review: Kanye West’s Fantasy ANDREA AMBROGI Sometimes it’s really hard to like Kanye West, but his musical abilities should be respected whether you like him or not. Aside from being a musician, Kanye has been at the heart of many of this year’s greatest controversies, and his new album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, is no exception. The cover art for this album caused quite a stir, and as a result it was banned from virtually every store, online or otherwise. Kanye was adamant in his defence of the picture, but it was still frowned upon and denied sale, even after he came out with five other, more tame cover arts. Regardless of the cover, though, the album itself was hyped to shocking levels. After receiving a coveted fivestar rating from Rolling Stone, everyone was up in arms over My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. Some slammed it as a piece of satanic garbage while others were praising it as one of the best albums in a long time. The album opens with “Dark Fantasy”, in which Nicki Minaj’s powerful voice is the first thing to grace our ears, as her narration
melts into a great choir intro. This track is a good testament to Kanye’s production skills; not only does it flow like honey, but it has a great swagger to it. “Gorgeous” and “Power” are the next two tracks, both of which keep the album’s momentum going strong. Kid Cudi’s contribution on “Gorgeous” makes the song what it is, while “Power” was one of his G.O.O.D Friday tracks, though it doesn’t live to the album version. The two have a similar feel, but the final version is far more refined and it has a new level of depth to it. “All the Lights (Interlude)” feels completely unexpected, but is still welcomed with open arms. It is a simple and painfully beautiful piano/violin combo that works so well as a break between the previous song and the next track, “All the Lights”. The interlude is contrasted by its melodic construction, but they just work so well together and the flow from one to the other is spot-on. “Monster” and “So Appalled” mark the point where the album starts to falter a bit. Since the tracks on My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy are, for the most part, over four minutes long, they either get good or they get boring.
Album in review: Hellogoodbye’s Would It Kill You?
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most songs. In “You Sleep Alone”, Kline’s voice even becomes a little rough and edgy as he builds into the chorus. Most of the songs have fast beats that will have you tapping your foot without even realizing it. The overall purity is skewed by the loud electric guitar and drum beats that range from rock to a somewhat techno, allowing this music to transition from day to night for listening. The quality of the music itself is similar to previous songs by Hellogoodbye. The genre has lost a bit of its emo edginess and may now appeal to an age group that’s slightly older. If you’re a person who loved the electric aspect of Hellogoodbye, this album probably isn’t for you. However, if you can look past this and were actually a fan of their other clean-cut songs, you’ll probably enjoy the new album. Some songs are more memorable if you listen to them a few times, such as “I Never Can Relax”, which also features some effects to Kline’s voice around the chorus. This album won’t disappoint if you give it a chance, and if you’re new to Hellogoodbye but like easygoing yet upbeat music, you should definitely give Would It Kill You? a try.
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The album was nearly pulled from Wal Mart shelves for its racy cover. words, and at the end of this album it is the perfect close. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is a must-have album, so even if you don’t like Kanye West, buy the album anyways. Obnoxious
rapper or musical godsend, you still have to give him his props because he’s earned them with this latest effort. It’s not quite perfect from start to finish, but it’s pretty damn close.
Your holiday party clothing solution LYSAN SEQUEIRA
JENNIFER EWEN
One word that describes Hellogoodbye’s new album: pure. All right, so it’s not like the band’s singer/guitarist Forrest Kline joined a Bible study and is now singing “Kumbaya”, but the band’s new album, Would It Kill You?, lacks the electric/techno feel some of their older work had. “Here (In Your Arms)” was one of Hellogoodbye’s most popular songs, and features auto-tuning on Kline’s voice along with a good dose of electric keyboard. This new album keeps right up with the easygoing, upbeat nature of Hellogoodbye’s older music, but it’s without all the special effects. Instead of being the soundtrack for a teenage pseudo-rave party like some of their older efforts, Would It Kill You? should be played on a sunny day on the way to the beach. The songs remain happygo-lucky in the new album, and this time Kline is responsible for nearly everything on the album, from instrumentals to vocals. It’s a far cry from his original electric mixes he made on his computer as a teenager. This is not to say the album isn’t good—“When We First Kissed” is a playful song with a fast drumbeat and a speedy guitar riff. There’s a little bit of an effect on Kline’s voice, bringing back memories of songs from their Zombies! Aliens! Vampires! Dinosaurs! album. The majority of the songs on this new album, however, feature Kline’s voice free of any auto-tuning and making it sound…what was that word again? Oh yeah, “pure”. His voice is real on this album, with very few effects on
These two got boring. Jay Z and Nicki Minaj do bring some relief through their vocal work and lyrics, but the songs are skippable. “Devil in a New Dress” shows a pleasant upswing. The intro really sets the tone for the track and the melody is great. “Runaway”, at an impressive nine minutes eight seconds, is another heavy-hitter on the album. The vacant piano builds into a solid rhythm and it just keeps getting better. The bridge merges into the outro and though it doesn’t really change, you can’t bring yourself to skip it. It’s another number on the album that just works, plain and simple. “Hell of a Life” is repetitive and boring, but “Blame Game” saves the day. John Legend’s contribution to this song paired with the Aphex Twin sample brings the tune to a whole new level. “Lost in the World”, the unlikely contender, begins with a droning auto-tune that actually sounds better in real life than it does on paper. It’s another instance where something so unlikely just works. “Who Will Survive in America” is a throwback to the 1950s with its startling but somewhat refreshing quality. It’s a preacher speaking some incredibly thought-provoking
Outfit 1: Edgy Holiday Party Look
In late November, the season of dinner parties for various holidays begins, lasting from the end of classes to New Year’s Eve. Every year, we look at our closets and say, “Oh no, I have nothing to wear to this party!” But what if you had one dress you could wear, styled differently to at least three parties? To me, there is no fashion faux pas in wearing a dress more than once, so long as you style it differently and the parties are spaced out. After all, who can afford to buy a different dress for every event during the winter season? It’s all about styling. I’ll show you three ways to wear a single holiday party dress—no one will ever know you’re repeating the same dress! Moonlight Square Dress, $88. www.modcloth.com
Lysan Sequeira
Outfit 3: Meeting the Parents
For a holiday party with your friends, this would be a great edgy outfit. I love the black leather jacket paired with the black dress and the opaque black tights. It creates a nice steady flow that pops with the Leopard booties. The skull clutch adds a little bit of fun drama to the outfit and really takes it to the next level. I love mixing materials together in the same tone. The girly lace contrasts well with the hard-edged leather jacket and Leopard booties. This is a formula that I swear by: when in doubt, wear black and add cool accessories that add character and individuality! Outfit 2: Dinner with Family
Lysan Sequeira
I picked this dress for two reasons: first, I love the bustier top because it’s very flattering on many body types, and second, I love the details—the cutouts are adorable and the sweetheart neckline draws attention to your face. This dress is perfect for parties, but could also be dressed down if need be!
Dressing up for a family holiday dinner can sometimes be difficult! For this outfit, I decided to pair a classic black cardigan with this party dress, to dress it down a little bit. However, I still chose some stylish accents to liven up this look, such as bold red lips (which are best paired with simple makeup) and a sparkly headband to draw some attention to your face. Paired with cute black bow flats, and sheer black tights, this outfit will have you looking pretty yet relaxed at your family’s holiday gettogether!
Lysan Sequeira
Lysan Sequeira
The holiday season also means the possibility of being invited to a holiday party with your significant other’s parents—yikes! I put this outfit together with that in mind. I love red with this dress and I think black accents look great against it as well. Red is a wonderful holiday colour, and it looks great on so many different skin tones. Pearls are such a classic piece of jewellery. They make any outfit look chic and polished, which will definitely impress those parents!
MONDAY, NOVEMBER
22, 2010 THE MEDIUM 8
Amir Ahmed, Editor | features@mediumonline.ca
Who not to sit next to on the bus KATHERINE LUCYNSKI NEWS EDITOR
You’re rushing to get to class, you hop on the bus, but there are no two empty seats side by side. Do you just stand at the front and hold on to the cold yellow railing for dear life while the bus speeds down the street or do you look for an empty seat? But who do you sit beside? Not the crazy bag lady. She just went grocery shopping and has seven reusable bags strategically placed in the aisle, on her lap, under her seat, and on the seat next to her. This should signal danger. Hypothetical situation: You sit on the empty seat and soon enough you’re being attacked by an avalanche of apples that tumble out of the woman’s grocery bag sitting snugly in between you and woman. Not the guy drinking from a brown paper bag. It’s 10 a.m. so obviously he can’t be drinking alcohol, right? Wrong! You’d be surprised by how many people start drinking early. Hypothetical situation: Mr. Brown Paper Bag is sitting in the aisle seat and refuses to move over; instead he allows you to squeeze by and sit by
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over-crowded as usual, and no one wants to sit near Mr. Smelly, but you’re being pushed from both sides so you decide to man up and take the seat next to him. He scratches his beard and you notice what looks like a cockroach crawl out through the thick tangled strands of hair. You scream and request the next stop. Not the guy on his way to a job interview. Sure, he’s wearing a suit so he looks spiffy, but he’s also holding cue cards in his jittery hands. Every so often he yells out “Why yes! I love working hard!” and throws his hands in the air. Hypothetical situation: You sit beside him and find that he only looks spiffy from afar. Up close, he’s sweating enough to hydrate the Sahara Desert. He spits when he talks and every so often you’ll feel a light drizzle on your cheek.
Not the guy who looks like he hasn’t showered in a week. He wears layers upon layers of raggedy clothing and you suspect he’s what you would call a bum. He sits in a seat closest to the window, somewhere in the middle of the bus. He twitches and talks to himself. Hypothetical situation: The bus is
Now that you’re educated on who not to sit beside when you’re on that crowded bus heading to school, you’ll be able to avoid being mauled by a grocery bag, groped by a drunk, having your ear licked, screaming at a cockroach, and being spit on. Of course, you’ll have far less interesting stories to tell about your adventures on the bus.
It’s a good idea to avoid bus uncle too. the window. This is his plan, to corner you so you can’t leave. You smell the stench of stale alcohol on his breath as he leans over and tries to cop a feel. Not the creepy guy who’s been staring at you since you got on the bus. He sits hunched over in the last row of seats and gives you the eleva-
tor look. He licks his lips and taps the empty seat beside him. Hypothetical situation: Your bag is really heavy and there’s nowhere to stand so you trek to the back of the bus and take a seat beside Mr. Elevator only to get your ear licked and hear “Hey, baby. You want some of this?” whispered in your ear.
Health and aging School and socializing LARISSA HO ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR
Many people do not want to look older than their age, but researchers have discovered that looking older may not necessarily be a bad thing. Looking old is usually thought to indicate poor health. This may not be the case, at least to a point, says a new study by Dr. Stephen Hwang, a research scientist at St. Michael’s Hospital and an associate professor at the University of Toronto. The study found that physicians’ ratings of individuals as looking up to five years older than their actual age had little accuracy in reflecting a person’s health. If a physician judged that a person looked older by a decade or more than their actual age, 99% of these individuals had poor physical or mental health. For years, physicians have assumed that looking older is a sign of poor health, and includes this information in reports when referring patients to other physicians, said Hwang. “We were really surprised to find that people have to look a decade older than their actual age before it’s a reliable sign that they’re in poor health. It was also very interesting to discover that many people who look their age are in poor health,” said Hwang. “Doctors need to remember that even if patients look their age, we shouldn’t assume that their health is fine.” The common practice of assessing whether or not a patient looks older than his or her actual age has
certain limitations, states the study published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine. “Physicians may wish to focus on patients who look 10 or more years older than their actual age,” the researchers wrote. “When physicians encounter such patients, a detailed inquiry into the patient’s physical and mental health status is justified.” The researchers asked 126 people between the ages of 30 to 70 to complete a survey that accurately determined whether they had poor physical or mental health. Each person was photographed, and the photographs were shown to 58 physicians who were told each person’s actual age and asked to rate how old the person looked. Findings may not apply to people outside the age range studied or to acutely ill or hospitalized patients, who were not included in the study. The study suggests that a younglooking person is not necessarily healthy, and an older-looking person may not be in bad health. Researchers urge physicians to investigate further when evaluating their patients and not judge patients’ health based on how they look. Premature aging depends on many different factors, including sun damage, stress, high cholesterol, drinking, smoking, drug use, caffeine, and genetic factors. These factors usually produce wrinkles, grey hairs, “age spots”, receding hairlines, and diseases such as high blood pressure, all of which make a person look older.
It’s actually pretty easy to get a life and get good grades if you follow the right advice JENNIFER EWEN
“I can’t go out tonight… I have to study.” The sentence is common in university, usually right after your friend asks if you want to go out to that new club downtown. You’ve got the right intentions with that excuse—the essay for philosophy is due tomorrow at 8 a.m. sharp. Then your friend uses those persuasive words, like “come on!” and “we’ll only stay for an hour!” Later, you find yourself staring at a blank Word document at six in the morning, still slightly drunk, and completely out of time. University is obviously about school: working hard to get good grades in order to graduate with a good GPA and go on to grad school or land a decent job. But part of university is having a life. Why else would there be so many clubs and opportunities to attend events? So that’s where the balance comes in. This may blow your mind, but you don’t have to study constantly. Of course, I’m not saying you shouldn’t do this—go right ahead. If you can handle all that work, you deserve some kudos. But if you’re like most of the students around here, you need to have time for fun too. Before you end up in the unfortunate situation explained earlier, you should come up with a plan. Most
profs assign essays with plenty of time to write it and do some revising to stretch the paper to that word limit. So you get the assignment due in three weeks’ time. Start it that same week! I know—you’ve got three weeks, 21 days, 504 hours… “So much time! It’ll get done eventually.” But the truth is, that due date will come sooner than you can do the math to figure out how many minutes are in those three weeks.
Your brain needs time to soak up the information before you’re sitting in class, staring down at a test that has suddenly gone from English to some foreign dialect you don’t even recognize. You don’t have to write the whole paper in that first week, but just start an outline. Get an idea of what you want to write and gather all your sources. Read the material so when it comes down to the night before it’s due, at least you just have to make all your notes fit together in a coherent essay. Or if you’re feeling especially scholarly, write the entire essay early and then edit it to perfection. That way, you can go out to the club the night before it’s due with no worries.
(Although really… a club on a school night? What would your mother say!) Obviously, university isn’t just about essays. Exams are a major portion too. Don’t even get me started on finals. I’m going to repeat the phrase I’m sure you’ve already heard a million times: don’t procrastinate. This goes for writing papers and required assignments, but it’s especially important for exams. Your brain needs time to soak up the information before you’re sitting in class, staring down at a test that has suddenly gone from English to some foreign dialect you don’t even recognize. Putting information in your long-term memory, which makes it easily accessible, requires repetition. Starting to study for an exam the night before will not give your brain enough time to memorize all the information. Start early— at least a week ahead of time—and make yourself notes based on lectures and readings to review as much as you can before the exam. Now instead of spending entire days and nights doing last-minute schoolwork with no social interaction, you can have time to see friends every day. Try and do all your homework between classes and leave evenings for time with friends. Come up with a good schedule. Just don’t end up stressed and freaking out the night before an exam or a paper is due. After all, that won’t get you any friends. Happy balancing!
MONDAY, NOVEMBER
22, 2010 THE MEDIUM 9
FEATURES
Ringing in the New Year MARIANA COMITO ASSISTANT FEATURES EDITOR
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This is not plagiarism, since Shinji Aramaki got permission first.
Is plagiarism increasing at UTM? EMILY ACHESON
The number of reports of plagiarism continues to increase at the University of Toronto Mississauga. But is the act of plagiarism itself increasing, or are professors and teaching assistants getting better at catching it? Lucy Gaspini, Academic Affairs Officer at the Office of the Dean at UTM, collects statistics on plagiarism reports every year and acts as facilitator for the process. Though the official numbers for the 20092010 year are not yet available, Gaspini knows the trends. “I’ve been working with academic integrity and discipline for a number of years,” Gaspini says. “I can tell you honestly that the cases have been going up every single year. We level off sometimes, but generally, in the last few years it’s been going up dramatically. It makes me worry.” However, she adds that the statistics show reports all types of academic code violations, not just plagiarism itself. It is difficult to say whether there are more acts of plagiarism each year or whether the number of acts of plagiarism remains constant and more are being reported. Cleo Boyd, the senior lecturer and director of the Robert Gillespie Academic Skills Centre, works as coinvestigator with Dr. Tyler EvansTokaryk, a lecturer and writing specialist at UTM, to research plagiarism. Their ongoing project, which is titled “Globalization, Higher Education, Plagiarism: What are the Connections?”, aims to increase understanding of plagiarism. Like Gaspini, their findings indicate that plagiarism is extremely complex. “In some cases, people genuinely don’t know that they’re plagiarizing,” says Boyd. “So it’s not black and white. Education really is the key.” The UTM library website states that plagiarism occurs “when a person uses someone else’s work or ideas, presents the work as their own, and fails to formally acknowledge the original author’s work”. This academic offence includes copying any part of another student’s work, buying essays, giving incorrect information about the source, or “borrowing” passages from other sources without citing them. Plagiarism also includes self-plagiarism. Self-plagiarism occurs when a student copies his or her own work from a previous paper and submits this material for credit in another assignment. Students can avoid self-plagiarism by asking both instructors’ permission before handing the assignment in. The new assignment must also be different enough from the previous one to deserve credit.
If the person copied from played an active role in the offence, he or she can also be penalized. Both are considered participants in the act of plagiarism and so both are considered violators of the academic code. “Whether it’s worth one percent or 50 percent, it’s still an academic offence,” says Gaspini. “It’s not easy for students that are charged with academic code violations because it’s always stressful, but it’s not easy for instructors either. It’s not something we enjoy doing, because it is stressful for everyone involved in the process.” Dr. Guy Allen, a professor and the director of UTM’s professional writing program, teaches small class sizes with one-on-one appointments to read each student’s essays. Allen rarely finds plagiarism in this program, where students want to write and where the instructors have closer contact with each student’s style. But when he does find plagiarism, Allen must do his job and report it. “The university has a regulation that as a professor, once you have seen plagiarism, you are obliged to report it or you are yourself in violation,” says Allen. “It actually takes a lot of time and trouble to build a plagiarism case because you have to build it airtight. You really have to have your evidence. You have to find the source. Sometimes it might take a whole day or two to build a solid plagiarism case.” If a University of Toronto instructor suspects that a student plagiarized, the student must undergo the following process as outlined by the Governing Council of the University of Toronto: 1) The instructor will email the student and ask for a private appointment. During the appointment, the instructor will determine if plagiarism may have occurred. 2) If the instructor still suspects plagiarism, he or she will present the evidence in separate reports to the department chair or through the department chair to the dean. 3) An interview with the dean and instructor will follow. If the dean finds the student innocent, the dean will inform the student in writing. No further actions will be taken, and the student will be graded as normal. If the student pleads guilty at this stage, minimal penalties will be laid. These include a mark of zero on the assignment. 4) If the student still pleads innocent, the university will hold a formal judicial inquiry. If the court finds the student guilty, the punishments may include one or more years of suspension. Different levels of punishment exist depending on the offence. If a student pleads guilty at lower levels of inquiry, such as at the dean’s level,
the student may receive a zero on the assignment and a reduction of the final grade. If the student denies plagiarism until higher levels of inquiry are made, punishments may include a failing grade in the course, denial of use of the library and other university facilities, or suspension of one or more years from a course, an academic division, or the whole university. The dean also decides how long to leave the accusation of plagiarism on the student’s records and transcript. For instance, if a student receives a grade of zero on an assignment, this record of misconduct remains on the student’s records for up to five years. A plagiarism label on student records kills any chances the student may have had to get into medical school, law school, graduate school, or any sort of professional faculty. It also limits chances of landing good employment. A record of plagiarism labels the student as untrustworthy. Many UTM disciplines now use Turnitin.com to check for possible plagiarism. Turnitin.com receives a student’s submitted paper, compares the paper to over 4.5 billion Internet pages and previously submitted papers (including paper mill essays), and highlights all sections where possible overlap occurs. Along the side of the paper, Turnitin.com documents all the sources with identical phrasing. Turnitin.com does not detect plagiarism. It presents the total overlapped material as a percentage of the entire assignment. The professor or TA then judges what percentage they find acceptable. After 30 years of working for the University of Toronto, Cleo Boyd remains confident that the rise in plagiarism reports indicates positive changes. “I don’t think plagiarism is getting worse,” Boyd commented. “I think that we’re becoming more aware of it.” “The more information that comes out, the more people are aware, and hopefully our numbers will change for the better,” says Gaspini. “Because at the end of the day, when you’re graduating and you’re standing beside all your peers, you want to know that each of them received credit and their degree based on their own work, not on the back of another student. If you have doubts that the University of Toronto is bestowing a degree on a student who didn’t actually do their own work, what does that do to your own degree?” Students who want to learn more about plagiarism can make an appointment with a learning strategist at the Robert Gillespie Academic Skills Centre. For more information, visit the RGASC website at www.utm.utoronto.ca/asc.
I know it’s a little early to talk about the New Year; after all, we still have to go through the excruciating pain of writing exams and final assignments. However, I thought I would bring a little bit of the holiday cheer into your gloomy, stressful lives, and tell you some great ideas on how to celebrate the New Year with a bang. They say how you spend your night on New Year’s Eve is how you will spend the rest of the year. You might ask: is that actually true? I don’t think so, or else my friend should have had her head in the toilet all year round... but I will leave it to the superstitious people to make the call. The first thing you need to do is plan ahead. If you aren’t leaving for vacation, don’t be sad, because you can still have an awesome time right here in the city as long as you don’t leave everything to the last minute. This is very important, because everything gets booked quickly and you don’t want to be the one left out in the bitter cold. Some ideas on how to spend this special day can range from restaurants, clubs, and bars to banquet halls, or even just a friend’s place. If you go to a friend’s place, a great idea is to have a potluck. Some people can bring food, others can bring dessert, and most importantly, some friends can bring the booze. What’s a New Year without some of the bubbly? If you want to go out, try to reserve a table ahead of time, just to ensure that you will get a reservation. Clubs
also have special packages to reserve booths or purchase tickets for cheap. The best part, is you can ring in the New Year dancing the night away. Banquet hall tickets also range from $80 to $130, depending on the food and the type of alcohol served. Now, I know that sometimes the New Year can get a bit lonely if you don’t have a significant other. But don’t worry—I got your back. If you are single, choose the right group of people to celebrate with. What does this mean? Don’t go out with pure couples who are showing too much PDA. Tell them you love them and wish them a happy New Year over the phone. Bottom line: you don’t want to be the only single person in the group! If you want to party hard, then get your single friends (I’m sure you have at least one) and attend more than one bash. It will be exciting to know that you won’t be stuck in one place for the whole night and you get to mingle with a lot of different people, especially if the first party is full of couples. Before the clock turns midnight, decide ahead of time what you will do when everyone starts kissing. Call your best friend, sister, brother, or whoever else is not already partying with you. If those around you are single, then it won’t be as awkward, but if you get stuck in predicament just open a bottle of champagne and start pouring drinks! So make sure you have a great time this New Year’s Eve. After all, it’s the beginning of a new year, which means new opportunities, new chances for love, and new hope for new beginnings. Happy Holidays!
POSTGRADUATE CERTIFICAT ES Financial Planning Global Business Management Human Resources Management International Development International Marketing Marketing Management Public Administration
business.humber.ca
10 THE MEDIUM MONDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2010
FEATURES
Automatic doors and Club profile: DECA at UTM energy use at UTM ADAM ERB
The automatic door openers from Besam Entrance Solutions (UTM’s automatic door distributor) were designed to open doors by an electric motor for the handicapped. When the button is pushed, the motor powers a small metal arm that pushes the door open for UTM students who are physically disabled. In the corridor across the hall from the Accessibility Centre in the South Building, 135 students pushed the button to engage the automatic door opener between 2:20 p.m. and 3:20 p.m. on Tuesday, November 9. The school uses all three types of Besam automatic door openers: the low-voltage “SW100” model, the “Powerswing”, and the “Swingmaster 900”. The Powerswings are typically used on bathroom doors, while the others are in use elsewhere throughout the school. “I don’t like touching the dirty door handles,” remarks one UTM student. The amount of time it takes the motor to power the automatic doors is about 10 seconds. “I press it because I’m lazy,” comments another. The SW100, which is the lowestvoltage, most conservative door opener, uses 75 watts per door opening, according to Besam’s specification charts. With 135 opens in an hour, that ends up using about 10,125 watts. If you multiply that number by a typical nine-hour busy school day, you end up using around 91,125 watts for the entire day. The medium-powered Powerswing model uses 222 watts
per open. 135 opens will use up around 29,970 watts, which is about 269,730 used watts for the entire school day. The highest-powered Swingmaster 900 model uses 1,200 watts per open, which ends up using approximately 162,000 for 135 opens. A typical school day will use around 1,458,000 watts. There are 117 active school days within the UTM school year, so the calculations for the amount of power used during the entire year are as follows (approximate): SW100: 10,661,625 watts Powerswing: 31,558,410 watts Swingmaster 900: 170,586,000 watts To put it into familiar terms, the amount of energy used per year for the SW100 model is equal to powering a typical 40-watt household incandescent lightbulb for around 11,106 days straight. The Powerswing model’s wattage could power the same lightbulb for about 32,873 days straight, and the Swingmaster 900 could power one for approximately 177,694 days straight. Note that 135 students is only an average and it was during a peak time of the day when density was at its highest. But it was also only one door of several hundred throughout the UTM campus. Campus Maintenance didn’t comment on how many doors have these push buttons, but one can make an educated guess through their daily travels around campus. The Accessibility Centre wouldn’t disclose information on how many physically handicapped students and workers there are on campus. Out of the 135 students that day, only two of them were physically disabled.
URJA MEHTA
Founded last year, DECA’s UTM chapter participates in business simulations, educative conferences, and networking with business professionals. In 2010, the UTM chapter was declared Best New DECA. Members of the club receive training to solve business-related problems, and they participate in events such as the Queen’s Invitational Conference, New York Leadership Conference, and the Provincials Competition and the International Career Development Conference. In January 2011, DECA UTM will participate in the Provincials Conference, where members will
learn about different business strategies, business skills, and networking. In preparation for conferences, DECA UTM conducts “Singularis Seminars” to equip members with knowledge to give them a competitive edge at conferences. The first Singularis Seminar was held on October 28 with Rotman MBA professor Jasvir Parhar, who lectured on applications of marketing topics learned in classes, such as the marketing mix, SWOT analyses, and branding. In the Singularis Seminars, DECA members hope to perfect skills they’ll need to solve case simulations in upcoming competitions, such as the first annual Inter-U of T competition, hosted
by the chapter at U of T Scarborough (DECA U of T). This will be a small-scale competition in which DECA UTM and DECA U of T will compete for the Inter-U of T championship title. Members will complete business simulations that assesses their marketing campaign and busin ess planning skills. A total of four finalists, two each from the Junior and Senior levels at both campuses, will then be chosen to compete at the final round on November 26. Finalists will be tested on problem-solving, creativity, and presentation skills. This competition will serve as a simulation of other major competitions held throughout the year and it will prepare students with opportunities to hone their skills.
Creative Corner
Prophet Jesus, son of Mary ARIANA WARDARK
When friends became strangers in no time He became my friend in need When songs were meaningless and didn't rhyme He became the rhythm and beauty of my poems indeed When promises were broken and lovers betrayed He healed the wounds of my broken heart When my soul was tired and went astray He showed me the road to a new start
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When the world disowned me He gave me refuge in his home—my paradise When the world looked down upon me He thought of me as the light of his eyes
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2010 THE MEDIUM 11
William Robertson , Editor | sports@mediumonline.ca
Leafs’ midseason woes continue MICHELLE DUKLAS ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
The Leafs, who had a superb start to the season, started crashing after four and lost eight games in a row before finally shaking out of their slump to beat Nashville 5-4 last Tuesday in what proved to be a nail-biter. Throughout the Leafs’ 7-9-3 start to the season, coach Ron Wilson has been thrown into a media whirlwind, with fans first calling him an excellent coach and then calling for his head when the Leafs’ losing streak kept increasing and increasing. Granted, those fans seem to forget that Wilson is limited in what he can do from the bench. The players are the ones that control the game. What Wilson has done is some major line shuffling. Luca Caputi, Christian Hanson, Keith Aulie, and Nazem Kadri have been brought up from the Marlies to replace injured players, after which Wilson scrambled the lines—sometimes multiple times during games—to try and get something to click. Practice makes
perfect and Wilson seems to have gotten it right at last, because the Leafs have started producing. After their eight-game losing streak, which saw them score a total of 12 goals—less than two per game—the Leafs have bounced back to win their last two games with an average of four goals per game and a total of eight goals. The Leafs’ offence has been a sore subject all season, but finally players like Mikhail Grabovski, Phil Kessel, Nikolai Kulemin, and Kristopher Versteeg are scoring. Mikhail Grabovski has been redhot, scoring four goals and getting two assists in the past four games. And who can forget Clarke MacArthur, who after racking up 17 points in 18 games definitely looks like a steal—Brian Burke signed him for $1.1 million in a one-year contract. Phil Kessel also seems to be heating up in his past few games; he is on pace for 40 goals this season. And Versteeg has loosened up and has gotten more comfortable in his game; he’s on pace for 22 goals this season, if his confidence continues. These wins—which they desper-
ately need—came after the Leafs lost both Colby Armstrong and Dion Phaneuf to injuries earlier this season. Armstrong, injured on October 26 against Florida, is out for four to six weeks with a finger tendon injury which he sustained from a slash in the first period. The Leafs’ captain, Dion Phaneuf, is out for four to six weeks after a deep leg laceration in a collision with Ottawa’s Peter Regin on November 2. In addition, J.S. Giguère was injured in Tuesday’s game against Nashville, which saw backup goaltender Jonas Gustavsson make six saves at the end of the third period. Giguère, who left the game with about 13 minutes remaining in the third period, is expected to be out for two weeks. The Leafs have recalled AHL Marlies goalie James Reimer, but Gustavsson will be the starting netminder while Giguère recuperates from his groin strain injury. The young Leafs are showing promise and should tally some wins very soon. If they maintain a .500 winning percentage for the rest of the season, they could be in the mix for a low seed in the playoffs.
leafshq.com
Nikolai Kulemin (left) and Mikhail Grabovoski (right) have been red hot recently.
UTM Division 1 defeated Lebron nominated for Sex before by St. George Phys Ed “Person of the Year” the game? RASHMI SRIRANGAN The UTM Men’s Division 1 basketball team revved up to a blazing start against the St. George Phys Ed team on Wednesday, November 17 at the Recreation, Athletic, and Wellness Centre from 8 to 9:45 p.m. Division 1 cruised through the gym floor, averaging three successful baskets every five minutes, and they landed in the lead with a score o f 1 2 - 5 i n t h e f i r s t 2 0 m i n u t es . Around 30 guests showed up to s u p p o r t t h e ir h o m e t e a m a n d cheered as they squatted on the bleachers. A combination of dunks and free throws helped keep the score at the top until Phys Ed managed to overtake Division 1 by the second half with a series of consecutive baskets. “Later on, our offence picked up as we got used to the gym and the rims and there was no looking back from there,” said Sasha Malic, who scored the majority of the baskets for the Phys Ed team. Malic claimed that the reason his team was slow at first may have been because they were more used to the Athletic Centre at the St. George campus. The half-time siren blared through the gym as players from both teams rested, huddled, and prepared themselves on the benches a c r o s s f r o m t h e b l ea c h e r s . T h e score board above read 29 under Division 1 and 36 under Phys Ed before the second half. The second half started slow, with fewer baskets from both teams and stronger defence from Phys E d ’ s s i d e . F o u l s c o m m i t t ed b y Division 1 favoured Phys Ed as they had several “and 1” attempts and
were successful in over 75% percent of their free throws from the line. “Our defence was pretty stagnant and we should have applied more pressure in order to get more shots,” said Elias Sbiet of Division 1. It was evident that the defence was struggling in the first half, as they were down nine points heading into the break. The offensive press u r e w a s a l i t t le t o o m u c h f o r Division 1 to handle and they found themselves in foul trouble early. Division 1’s Jonathan Harvey and Osama Abdelkader did succeed in making a reasonable amount of shots with their speed, aim, and d r i b b l i n g a b i l i ty , b u t i t w a s n ’ t enough to reach Phys Ed’s score. “There wasn’t enough movement and cooperation between the players,” said Han Wang of Division 1. St. George’s Phys Ed team eventually won the game with 70 points and defeated UTM Division 1 who finished with 55 points. Division 1 played hard and kept the tempo up as much as possible, but unfortunately they fell short in the end. Sasha Malic spoke after the game and reflected on his team’s perfomance, saying, “Keys to our game were definitely team defence and communication, which allowed us to flow into our offence more smoothly and execute. It was a really fun game and we really enjoyed the competition.” The game wasn’t the last of the rivalry, as Division 1 will be looking for redemption in the next meeting between the two. Students can check out future schedules on UTMAC’s Facebook page and at the main website for the Department of Physical Education www1.utm.utoronto.ca/~w3physed.
MICHAEL SKRZYNIAK LeBron James had the entire sporting world interested in him this past summer while deciding where he was going to take his talents for the upcoming NBA season. The Decision, an hourlong program which I watched on TSN via ESPN, centred entirely on LeBron while he was sitting in a chair talking to Jim Gray on what he thought about the entire ordeal since the Cavaliers were eliminated in the playoffs last year by Boston. The program received high ratings, but it also received an abundance of negative feedback, targetted at James. LeBron held the Cleveland Cavaliers and the entire state of Ohio in his hands; he knew what he meant to that team and that city. He promised to stay with the Cavaliers until he reached his goal of winning an NBA title for his hometown. So when LeBron announced that he was heading to Miami to play with Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh, the entire world was shocked. In my opinion, this was a very cowardly move. LeBron couldn’t make good on his promise, so he decided to take the money and the lifestyle and travel to Miami to be D-Wade’s “Robin”. All-time greats, such as Charles Barkley, publically called out LeBron, calling him and the big three “punks” for The Decision and for the meet-and-greet they had in Miami— which resembled a Justin Bieber concert. Since the start of the NBA season, the focus has, not surprisingly, been on Miami. Some analysts were predicting that the team could possibly win 70 games this season. Because of this, every possession is critiqued; there is already talk of trading Chris Bosh because his stats are not where they
should be. With all the buzz and media attention LeBron is getting, Time Magazine couldn’t ignore it and decided to name James one of the 25 finalists for its “Person of the Year” award. Other nominees are Lady Gaga, the Chilean Miners, Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, and the Unemployed American. LeBron knows he shouldn’t be even close to being a nominee: “That’s just crazy,” he said. “What those guys did, the courage and what they stood for, I should be nowhere near that list. Nowhere near it.” Stalin and Hitler have also been nominated for this award in the past— not that Lebron is as bad as those guys, but his image represents those guys right now compared to, let’s say, Recep Tayyip Erdogan. LeBron isn’t the most-liked person in the world and now he knows it. The description of his nomination talks about how his reputation has been tarnished; personally, I see the subtext as a figurative middle finger to LBJ, because he should now realize how much of an impact he has had on the state of Ohio and how we view athletes now. As a counterexample, I thank God for athletes like the Minnesota Twins’ Joe Mauer, undeniably the best catcher in the Major Leagues. He took an eight-year extension worth $186 million. This might seem outstanding to some people, but the fact is, Mauer is from St. Paul, Minnesota, and could have played the market and easily made several million more a year from New York, Boston, or Los Angeles. I hope no one votes for LeBron James; he does not deserve an award that such great people have won, including Martin Luther King, Pope John XXIII, and the American Soldier. I hope you can sleep at night, Mr. James.
MARIANA COMITO A question that has been pondered by the minds of many athletes, coaches, and even regular people like you and I, is whether athletes should have sex before a big game. For decades, coaches have advised their players to avoid sex the night before, or even a couple of nights. But why? The wisdom behind this superstitious rule was that “nookie” the night before a big game meant distraction and lack of endurance. But people like John Bancroft, former director of the Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender, and Reproduction in Bloomington, Indiana, insists that there is no reason to believe this. “There is no physiological basis for it,” he says. On the other hand, athletes like Muhammad Ali (for one) reportedly wouldn’t make love for six weeks before a fight. However, Ian Shrier, a sports clinician at McGill University, reports, “It is certainly common in many sports... [but] sex the night before does not affect strength, endurance, or the capacity to utilize oxygen.” Vanessa Micieli, a fourth-year geography student who plays soccer, says, “After sex, I feel energized—on the contrary, I think my performance during a game or during a hard workout at the gym is better than ever.” Many of the people I interviewed, including soccer and hockey players, agreed that their physical performance during any game was not affected by their intimate encounters the night before. At last, an answer to the question that has vexed so many people. The answer: have as much sex as you want. It won’t harm your sporting performance—instead it might just give you that extra “je ne sais quoi”.
MONDAY, NOVEMBER
22, 2010THE MEDIUM 12
SPORTS
Big surprises halfway through the NFL regular season CHRIS CALLAHAN ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR With half of the NFL season now comple t e , he r e a r e t h r e e o f t h e biggest surprises that have taken place thus far: 1. Brett Favre and the Vikings implode. Last season, Brett Favre and the Vikings were a perfect match. With Favre’s best season of his career in the books and the Vikings just a few plays away from reaching the Super Bowl, the team went to great lengths to convince Favre to return for one more season. Favre, rather than listening to his ailing ankle and shoulder, was tempted by the possibility of adding another Super Bowl ring. The expectation that the Vikings would once again be a powerful force in 2010 was contingent on Favre regaining his exceptional form from the prior season. Through nine games, Favre has been abysmal and the result is that the Vikings’ Super Bowl hopes have all but vanished with a record of just 3-6. The blame ultimately falls on Favre, who looks nothing like the quarterback that almost took the
Vikings to the promised land just a year ago. Head coach Brad Childress feels the pressure that the lofty pre-season expectations have placed on the team. With his job on the line, Childress has been forced to scramble to find solutions to help Favre. The failed Randy Moss trade left the team in turmoil with many calling for the coach’s head. Nothing has worked and Favre has continued to struggle, crushing the Vikings’ playoffs hopes in the process. With the losses and interceptions piling up, it’s becoming clear that he should have spent this fall mowing his lawn and caring for his grandson. Don’t let his weekly paycheque of over $1 million or his star status fool you; Brett Favre is no longer a capable NFL quarterback and the Vikings are paying the price for not anticipating this drastic decline. 2. Michael Vick is back. For the last week, Michael Vick has been the most widely discussed topic among NFL fans. This is with good reason, as he put forth one of the greatest single game performances from a quarterback of all time last Monday night. Vick had a total of six
Majors keep on rolling
The Mississauga Majors have been on a tear this season and that trend continued last Friday night at the Hershey Centre. The Niagara IceDogs were in town to take on the Majors and came out flying and took an early lead just over three minutes into the game. It was a hard-hitting affair with both teams playing physical, but the Majors were able to reap the benefits. The early first-period lead was short-lived as Devante Smith-Pelly was able to squirt the puck past the Niagara goaltender, Mark Visentin, to tie the game at one as the teams headed into the locker room for the first intermission. The second period remained closely contested with neither team scoring, but both acquiring scoring chances. There was a scary moment in the second period when Majors defenceman David Corrente went down to block a point shot but the puck hit him directly in the side of his helmet; he immediately went down but the trainer was quick to come to his aid on the ice. However, Corrente managed to skate off under his own power and did not miss a shift. The Majors’ defensive strength was evident throughout the entire third period, as the IceDogs were awarded a powerplay early in the period but could not muster a shot on JP Anderson. Smith-Pelly scored his second goal of the game at 10:48 in the third period, which turned out to be the eventual game-winner. JP Anderson had yet another stellar game in net, as he stopped 18 of 19 shots in the victory. Following this game, the Majors
had to head straight to Owen Sound to take on the Attack on Saturday. The Attack are ranked seventh in the CHL Top Ten, with Mississauga occupying the top spot as the team-to-beat in the CHL. The game was penalty-filled and was a spirited affair for both sides. Luckily, Mississauga was able to capitalize twice on the power play and were up 4-0 at one point. Justin Shugg scored two of these markers to end his seven-game goal-less drought, his longest of the season. The Attack were able to beat JP Anderson to make it 4-1 after the first period. The second period did not have the excitement of the first, but Owen Sound were able to pull to within two partway through the second. After that, Anderson shut the door and the defence of the Majors took over. Anderson stopped 26 out of the 28 shots he faced to earn the Majors yet another victory, securing their number one ranking in the --CHL standings. Heading into yesterday’s game against Peterborough, the Majors’ record is 19-2-0-1 and have a comfortable nine-point lead over the Niagara IceDogs and Ottawa 67s, who are second in the conference. Throughout the league they are known for their tight defensive play and spectacular goaltending with JP Anderson and Anthony Peters putting out solid performances night in and night out. With coach Dave Cameron leading the young men, the Mississauga Majors should be the team-to-beat in this year’s Memorial Cup, which is played at the Hershey Centre so the team can win the most coveted trophy in the CHL on their home ice if they continue this play until May. They will look to continue their winning ways this week at home as they face the Barrie Colts and a rematch of Saturday’s game against the Owen Sound Attack.
touchdowns and passed for over 300 yards. Vick’s return to glory has been astonishing, especially considering few people expected him to ever hold the starting job this season. Only a handful of teams were considering signing him last offseason before the Eagles decided to exercise his option. Vick was seen as an intriguing backup but he was visibly slower last season and hopes that the electrifying player he once was would ever return had diminish ed heading into this season. The Eagles planned to move on from the Donovan McNabb era with Kevin Kolb, a player the coaching staff had spent three seasons grooming to be McNabb’s successor. That plan quickly changed when Kolb was injured in the Eagles’ first game and Vick was forced into action. Vick’s playing time has also been limited due to a rib injury but he has played in six games this season. In that limited time, Vick has managed to shock the football world, throwing for 11 touchdowns with no interceptions. Vick is on pace to shatter his career highs for all of the major passing statistics. The old Michael Vick is back, and he is better than ever. His performance this season
has sparked discussion of a possible Most Valuable Player award for him later this year. Not bad for a guy that was a backup quarterback heading into the season. 3. Parity reigns supreme. NFL fans have used the phrase “there’s always next year” far less frequently this season. Usually at the midway point in the season there are already many teams with no chance of making the playoffs. This season, 17 teams are within two games of the best record in the league. Teams like the Buccaneers and Rams have gone from perennial punch lines to legitimate contenders this season. There is no obvious explanation for this sudden change. This season has simply been one in which the gap between the league’s best and worst teams seems to be shrinking. Take, for example, the AFC West division. In recent years the Chargers have consistently won the division with little resistance, due in large part to the extremely weak play of the Chiefs and Raiders. This year, the Chiefs and Raiders both sit at the top of the division with records of 5-4 with the Chargers behind at 4-5. With so many playoff spots still
up for grabs, the surprises likely won’t end at the halfway point. The unpredictable nature of this season has made the NFL even more fun to follow. With so many surprises this year, the most powerful teams seem to be beatable this season. New Orleans is having a less-thanstellar first half to their season losing to the Arizona Cardinals, the Cleveland Browns, and their division rival, the Atlanta Falcons. This is an even bigger surprise when looking at how narrow a margin they defeated Carolina and San Francisco. New Orleans have yet to find their stride and last season’s form when they won the Super Bowl—but expect them to find it soon. Other big names, such as the New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts, have also lost games in which they have been heavy favourites. The Colts began the season 0-1 which had not occurred in many years with Peyton Manning at the helm. Tom Brady also got off to a slow start as they lost their second game to a division rival in the New York Jets. This seems to be a continuing trend this season and with upsets happening every Sunday, the NFL has become more interesting and, without a doubt, unpredictable.