Vol 37 issue 6

Monday, October 18th, 2010

Volume 37, Issue 6

The face of fundraising

Edward Cai/The Medium

Students pie their friends to raise money for breast cancer research.

On October 13, UCS hosted the Fair for Hope, UTM’s annual charity event to find a cure for cancer. Held between 12 and 3 p.m., this year’s event raised over $2,550, double last year’s amount.

The Fair for Hope was organized primarily by Sunil Shah, the Corporate Responsibility Director of the Undergraduate Commerce Society. The event was also sponsored by UTMSU, the UTM Women’s Centre.

The Fair for Hope was originally started by a student whose aunt was diagnosed with and battled cancer.

After the student’s aunt lost her hair due to chemotherapy, he began growing his hair for the purpose of donating it to the Canadian Cancer Society so children battling cancer

could have wigs made from human hair.

“This is actually my second event.

I started the Undergraduate Commerce Society team to participate in the CIBC Run for the Cure to fight against breast cancer. We had raised over $7,800 and had over 50 members participating,” said Shah. “I have reached half of my goal for this year; with these two events I have raised over $10,000.

My goal is to hit $20,000 and exceed it. I will be looking for more opportunities to plan and organize largescale charity events. As the new corporate social responsibility director of the Undergraduate Commerce Society, I will strive to ensure that our Mississauga community is aware of our campus and their hard work.”

At the event, a big screen in the Presentation Room allowed students to play video games. A professional photographer was also present to take pictures.

“This year we had over 20 clubs and academic societies involved, including hosting activities, having

their execs attend and participate, emailing their members, and providing prizes,” said Shah. “My team— Madiha Aziz, Serena Tong, Thirmizi Samsoodeen, Joe Coompson, Lysan Sequeira, Tamryn Loyson, and Jenny Chen—went above and beyond, pooled our networks to get all clubs involved.” Students could also bid on and win $700 worth of prizes.

“I have raised over $10,000. My goal is to hit $20,000 and exceed it.”

— Sunil Shah, UCS Corporate Responsibility Director Students ate in the pub while bidding to pie their friends and peers in the face. Bids started at $5 and went as high as $200.

“Raise money for cancer research, pie your friends in the face!” yelled Vickita Bhatt, president of UTMSU, from the pub stage. Bhatt also volunteered to be pied in the face. The bid escalated quickly to $200. Before allowing pies to be thrown at her, Bhatt changed her shirt and covered her head and body in black garbage bags.

Students also volunteered to have their heads shaved. People in the audience were able to bid on their friends and shave their heads.

Kumari Giles, UTMSU VP Equity, posted on her Facebook wall that she would cut off an inch of hair for every $50 raised on her behalf, to a total of $300, which would mean shaving her head. Pledges for Giles’ shave reached $613 so Giles decided to grow her hair longer and shave it off in the next year.

Throughout the duration of the event, participating clubs sold baked goods, South Asian and Filipino food, and henna art.

The Canadian Cancer Society will use the funding for research,

advocacy, information, prevention, and support.”

For students who were unable to attend the event but would still like to donate, donations can still be made through the Canadian Cancer Society website at www.convio.cancer.ca/goto/fair4hope.

Grads RAWK the campus

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www.mediumonline.ca

2 THE MEDIUM

NEWS

MONDAY, OCTOBER

18, 2010

UCS runs for the cure

CEO catches up with students on campus John Kourtoff spoke at the Undergraduate Economics Council lecture series RASHEED CLARKE

Priya Maharaj

Students and community members meet on campus before the run.

STEFANIE MAROTTA ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

On Sunday, October 3, more than 2,500 people participated in the 19th annual Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation CIBC Run for the Cure at UTM. Nearly doubling the original goal, Mississauga participants raised over $600,000 for breast cancer research, education, and awareness programs.

It was early in the morning, but spirits were high as participants assist e d e a c h o t h e r i n s e c u r i n g their run sheets to the backs of their t-shirts. Each was dedicated to a loved one that had suffered from or was still struggling with the disease.

Spigel Hall was packed with volunteers and runners, all eager to start the run. Young children wearing white t-shirts swept the floor as they skipped around their parents. A cluster of elderly women sported pink fuzzy cowboy hats. Others wore pink tutus,

war paint, and bandanas, boldly showing their support for the cause.

The University of Toronto raised over $80,000, taking the top spot as the number one fundraising university. UTM’s very own Undergraduate Commerce Society ranked fifth amongst university teams, having raised over $7,800. Sunil Shah, the team leader and in charge of accounting, began the team in July with an initial goal of $1,500.

The team quickly expanded from 10 to 50 members as UCS surpassed their goal. UCS welcomed all students, friends, and family to join their team.

“Cancer affects us all. It is up to us to create hope, and as long as cancer takes lives we must continue the fight to find a cure,” Shah said after the race. “I thought our goal would n ot be achieved , so our team stepped up and not only met the goal, but surpassed it.” At the awards ceremony at the end of the run, UCS received the School Team Challenge Award for raising the most donations at the

UTM run site. Over 150 teams participated.

“It was inspiring to run with people who have been affected by the disease,” said Farhan Lodhi, a fourth-year commerce student.

“Everyone did their part for the team and it made a huge difference.”

Throughout the five kilometre trek, people walked, jogged, and skipped along Mississauga Road and the surrounding area.

Equipped with water, iPods, baby strollers, and dogs, the participants laughed, conversed, and reflected quietly.

“It was my first time doing the run and I was touched by the amazing turnout,” said Nicole Ferreira, a third-year biology student who attended the run as a member of the UTM Women’s Centre. “It felt good to finish the run and be part of such a powerful event. I definitely want to run again next year.”

In total, the nationwide event raised a record-breaking $33 million, which is a 25% increase from last year.

Campus police weekly summaries October 4 to October 14, 2010

October 8, 9:20 a.m.

Causing a Disturbance Campus Police investigated a complaint of a disturbance inside a lecture hall. The student was interviewed and warned regarding his inappropriate behaviour.

October 8, 11:55 a.m.

Controlled Drugs & Substances Act A small amount of marijuana was found unattended on the floor of the Meeting Place. The narcotic was seized by Campus Police and taken to Peel Regional Police for destruction.

October 9, 8:10 p.m.

Library Infraction Campus Police attended the Hazel McCallion Academic Learning Centre and assisted library staff with three patrons that were being loud.

The disturbers were trespassed from the library for the night.

October 9, 11:57 p.m.

Indecent Act Campus Police attended a townhouse complex for a report of a male who was exposing himself outside a townhouse. The area was searched by Campus Police but the culprit had fled the area.

October 10, 2:19 p.m.

Transport to hospital A male student was transported to hospital by Campus Police. The student had been injured while playing soccer.

October 13, 10:59 a.m.

Fire Call The Mississauga Fire Department attended Oscar Peterson Hall for a fire alarm that was caused by a buildup of steam in the kitchen area. The system was reset and there was no damage.

October 13, 10:59 a.m.

Trespassing A student that had been barred from residence was issued with a Provincial Offences Notice. The student departed campus without incident.

October 13, 3:00 p.m.

Theft Under $5,000 A student reported the petty theft of a parking permit from her vehicle. The student was not sure whether the theft occurred on or off campus.

October 13, 7:00 p.m.

Transport to hospital Campus Police transported a student that felt unwell to the hospital from an apartment complex on campus.

October 14, 9:10 am.

Transport to hospital Peel Ambulance Service attended and transported a female that had collapsed outside the South Building.

John Kourtoff, U of T alumnus and co-founder of Trillium Power, discussed the economic benefits of renewable energy with UTM students and faculty inside the Council Chambers last Thursday.

Kourtoff’s presentation on renewable energy was organized by UTM’s Undergraduate Economics Council.

“I’m hoping that [the students] get a view of the big picture of what can be done with renewables, what’s possible, what the status quo is, what the debate is about, and what forces are lined up against the economics of renewable,” said Kourtoff.

The discussion focussed on why renewable energies have not been deployed on a larger scale, despite being economically and environmentally advantageous.

Kourtoff said that Ontario’s demand for electricity is expected to grow and at the same time the provincial government has planned to phase out coal-fired power plants. The spike in demand combined with concerns over pollution, smog, and nuclear waste have made renewable energy sources more appealling.

According to Trillium Power’s calculations, the full development of Ontario’s offshore wind potential would generate $256 billion in gross economic activity and $11 billion in provincial tax revenues over a 15-year period. The complete development is also estimated to create between 66,000 and 100,000 jobs.

Despite the potential economic gains of renewable energy sources, Kourtoff noted the barriers that have been put up by the more established energy sectors.

“Fossil fuels and the nuclear industry have the money, they have the lobby, and they can put their information out in the media.

So the new energies, the renewables, are nascent,” said Kourtoff.

“They have the public support.

People fundamentally understand it [renewable energy] is good, but they think it’s for environmental reasons and not for economic reasons.”

Kourtoff went on to say that consumers must be given economic incentives to switch to renewable energy, and that energy costs must be made transparent so that consumers can make informed decisions when it comes to powering their homes.

The presentation also showed the development of renewable energy industries abroad.

Kourtoff noted the boom of Germany’s renewable energy sector, which currently employs 256,000 people, with over 90,000 of them working in the wind power sector. Spain’s wind power industry has created 60,000 jobs in the last decade. The Boston Consulting Group estimates that further development of the wind power industry would create between 150,000 and 200,000 jobs by the year 2020.

While Trillium Power focusses on harnessing offshore wind energy, Kourtoff commented on the potential of solar power as well.

“Solar power won’t power [all of

Mississauga], but it’s part of the mix. Every building, every house has a roof,” said Kourtoff. “Last year, Germany put in more solar power than the equivalent of three nuclear reactors. It was all roofbased, because they don’t have much land. The country is onethird the size of Ontario. Roofs are land as well, if you think about it. And they usually just sit there, so we might as well use them. It takes a little bit more effort to think differently.”

“I always looked at things logically. I took astrophysics and actually it was a bird course for me.

I like models, I like working at things and solving problems,” Kourtoff said about his time as a student at U of T St. George.

“I’m also willing to do something I believe in and never back down. A lot of my profs found that out when I was challenging them in courses. My hope is that students come to university to question and accept the status quo. It’s through them that we have the hope for change.”

Among the students in the

“Fossil fuels and the nuclear industry have the money, they have the lobby, and they can put their information out in the media.”

— John Kourtoff, co founder of Trillium Power

audience that Kartouff charged with the responsibility of challenging the status quo was Alexandra Correia, a fourth-year finance specialist.

“His speech was very broad. He went into renewables, but also nuclear energy, and so it was very informative,” said Correia. “It was great just being around someone who’s this accomplished and who has so much to impart.”

Kourtoff was a delegate to the G8 Environment Conference in Siracusa, Italy, and is a member of several national and bi-national committees on renewable energy and wind power, as well as a speaker at several international conferences on offshore wind and renewable energy.

The corporation he co-founded, Trillium Power, is a privately owned, Toronto-based company.

Trillium Power’s business mainly centres on the development of offshore wind facilities in the Great Lakes.

The Undergraduate Economics Council has two more events coming up. The UEC will give students the chance to meet representatives from various businesses at a networking night that will take place on October 21, and on October 28 professors from the finance department will discuss the value of offering an MBA.

MONDAY, OCTOBER

Mayoral debate heats up campaign STEFANIE MAROTTA ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

Tensions ran high as six of the 17 Mississauga mayoral candidates engaged in a debate at UTM on Tuesday, October 5. MIRANET (the Mississauga Residents’ Association Network) sponsored the debate. The organization had extended the invitation to all the candidates, but only a few chose to accept MIRANET’s rules. In attendance were Ram Selvarajah, Peter Orphanos, George Winter, Dave Cook, Andrew Seitz, and the incumbent Hazel McCallion.

The debate opened with a quote from Christopher Hume, a columnist for the Toronto Star.

“Mississauga remains an abjectly car-dependent community that faces an uncertain future. ... Not that most Mississaugians give a damn; only about one-quarter of voters bothered to cast a ballot in the last election,” Hume had written in September.

“The lack of public discussion and opposition, the infrequent exchange of ideas, and the overwhelming sense of complacency do not bode well for Mississauga.” Candidates were asked to respond to the criticism and elaborate on their vision to change to the city’s image.

Responses focussed on the need for improved public transit, environmentally friendly development of the downtown core, and allocation of tax money. From the start, one shared intention was clear from five of the candidates: take down the incumbent.

Mayor Hazel McCallion has served as Mississauga’s mayor since 1978, often winning more than 90% of the vote. The other 16 candidates are fighting to win votes against the very

popular McCallion.

In their responses to the first question, quite a few jabs were taken at McCallion. Selvarajah sardonically remarked, “What is Mississauga’s identity? A mayor with a bobblehead figurine, and a bottle of wine named after her.”

“I asked some citizens if they could name one thing that Hazel has done in the last four years to deserve their vote,” said Orphanos. “Not one person could tell me anything. We are voting blindly.”

In retaliation, McCallion said, “I will put Mississauga first, just as I have done in the past.”

Of particular interest to UTM students present at the debate was the issue of efficient and affordable transit. Gilbert Cassar, UTMSU VP Internal, took advantage of the

“I will put Mississauga first, just as I have done in the past.”

— mayor/candidate Hazel McCallion

question period and asked the candidates how they plan to improve bus routes and fare for university students.

Winter suggested that transit routes need to be planned on a grid pattern. Orphanos declared that if elected mayor, transit would be free for students. Cook stated that it is more reasonable to implement a reduced fair for students. McCallion

added that she would add a rapid light rail transit down Hurontario Street that will run from Port Credit to Brampton.

The debate also touched on accessible off-campus housing for students. The city has strict rules on boarding houses that limit options for residency.

In their closing statements, all five opponents appealled to citizens to choose an alternative mayor.

“Popularity must never trump popularity and accountability,” said Orphanos.

“I decided that Mississauga could not undergo another election without a debate,” said Winter. “Mark your ‘X’ for a new vote on the ballot.”

McCallion promised to continue with the financial success that Canada’s sixth largest city has seen over the last 32 years.

When asked if she was nervous about the upcoming election, McCallion responded, “No! I’m confident that I’ve served the people well. You don’t get elected for 11 consecutive terms unless you do the job well.”

Mo Jagne, a second-year student, said, “I wanted to come out and see firsthand how politics are done in Mississauga. It’s interesting that Mayor McCallion has [acquired] so many opponents with time!”

The other 11 candidates not present at the debate are now claiming that they were purposely excluded.

However, MIRANET stated that they either missed the deadline or rejected the debate regulations. Rules included abiding by time allotment, civil behaviour, and refraining from personally attacks on participants.

Voting day is Saturday, October 25. Rogers Television will broadcast the debate on Monday, October 11 and Thursday, October 23.

18, 2010 THE MEDIUM 3

Ian Brown lectures at Wordstock ADAM ERB

On Saturday, October 2, 135 writers— both students and graduates—flooded the Rogers Communication Centre at Ryerson University. Wordstock, an annual writing festival organized by the Ryerson Journalism Alumni Association, included an hour-long address by the keynote speaker, Ian Brown of the Globe and Mail. The day was filled with various different writing seminars. The festival is geared towards writers young and old who want to both better their craft and learn from professionals in the field.

“Engaging storytellers are unparalleled.

Real writing takes time! Stories are more important than topics,” said Brown.

“Stories are the only kind of journalism that gets re-read and remembered. Write about something that grabs you. Don’t worry if it will end up getting published or getting you paid.”

This year’s Wordstock attendees exhibited how “some newspapers are struggling”, to quote Paul Lima, senior lecturer of “(re)Discover the Joy of Writing” and “Successful Freelance Writing”. Right now, the lack of jobs plagues some Ryerson journalism graduates.

“Wordstock, as a student volunteer, is a good time because you get to see how alumni interact with each other. You get to hear stories about their time in school and their search for work,” said Matthew Demers, a Ryerson journalism student.

“It’s almost a comfort, hearing that they went through a lot of the same hardships we did way before the economy downturn and the digital revolution put our prospects into uncertain waters. Hearing their answers to our questions gave me a bit of confidence that I’ll be able to find work and refine my style.”

Lima has spoken at Wordstock for the past 10 years and feels that the dwindling job market for journalism actually sup-

ports the need for freelance writers. Lima stated that a writer must build a strong “business vision” for the time they put into their work and to “not worry if it will end up making you money. Write for the sake of writing! When I write, I get what I like to call ‘writer’s high’,” he said. “And like most addicts, I need my fix.”

This year’s Wordstock turnout was nearly half of what it was in previous years. Bryan Cantly, head organizer of the event, believes the smaller turnout is a product of cutbacks in market newsrooms. The Ryerson Journalism Alumni Association notes that the attendance this year, at $50 a head for students ($75 for the public), allowed the organizers to break even for costs with 135 in attendance, but weren’t looking to profit.

“Wordstock has a 15-year run, and there is no question that there’s a serious affection for low-cost seminars,” said Cantly. Wordstock has evolved over the years from its 1995 inception under the name “Wordstock of Writer’s Workshop (WWW)”. For example, the keynote originally lasted two hours but was later shortened to one.

Wordstock has hosted such big names as Peter Mansbridge and Stewart McLean.

“The future of Wordstock is currently up in the air,” Cantly stated. “We’ll see what becomes of it in 2011, but either way, I urge any writing students to come out and participate at Wordstock as it’s a great opportunity to learn about the craft from professionals in the field.”

“As a journalism student, I appreciated that all of the workshop topics were relevant to young writers and addressed current issues facing journalists, like the lack of traditional newsroom jobs,” said Emma Prestwich, another Ryerson journalism student. “I thought it was wellorganized, and there were tons of resources available.”

This year’s Wordstock attendance saw a 60/40 student-to-graduate ratio.

Grad Schools Fair hits the RAWC POSTGRADUATE CERTIFICAT ES Edward Cai/ The Medium

Over 90 professional and graduate schools hand out pamphlets at the fair.

IKHLAS HUSSAIN Even if students are unsure of their career path, the fair is a good opportunity to “go and start asking questions”, according to Ravneet Dulai, a library Over 1,200 students attended the assistant at the Career Centre.

Instead of emailing representatives and Professional and Graduate Schools Fair held on Wednesday, October 6, in the waiting for replies, Amani Akhtar, a RAWC. The fair was open to current stu- fourth-year student, says that the fair is a dents (with a valid TCard) as well as good way to contact representatives and recent graduates from the past two years. get a quick response on the spot.

According to Claire Westgate, Representatives from over 90 graduate and post-graduate schools were present, Coordinator and Events Planner at the and represented a wide variety of Career Centre, 90% of students last year programs, including law, teaching, felt that the fair was “useful to attend” and health care, management, business, 96% would recommend the fair to a friend. While the Professional and various others.

With representatives from the schools and Graduate Schools Fair is one of on the site, the fair provided a quick and the most popular fairs that the Career easy method for students to ask questions Centre hosts, Akhtar felt that she found about admissions requirements, dead- it more useful because of previous lines, and general information. Laura research she had done on relevant proGilks, a representative from the grams prior to attending the fair. By University of New Brunswick, has attend- knowing which programs to target and ed the fair before and feels it’s a good way what questions to ask, Akhtar felt she to have a one-on-one with students to made better use of the fair.

Over the years, student response infludiscuss requirements and give informaences which schools are invited. UTM is a tion about programs.

campus that focusses on arts, science, and business, so the Career Centre in turn emphasises these programs and others.

There is also an attempt to include schools from all over Canada, and some international schools.

Since the schools represented are everywhere from Mississauga to New Zealand, Shirin Saleh, a fourth-year student interested in teaching programs, said she was glad she attended. In fact she wasn’t aware that international schools were included, and had assumed that it was just limited to Ontario.

While Farzana Ali found the fair to be “pretty useful”, she felt that most of the information available from the representatives was information that could have been found online. Having done most of her research before, Ali felt the information to be redundant considering what could be quickly found online.

For more information and for those who were unable to attend, pamphlets and handouts from the different schools are available in the relevant program binders at the Career Centre.

NEWS

Financial Planning Global Business Management Human Resources Management International Development International Marketing Marketing Management Public Administration

business.humber.ca

4 THE MEDIUM

OPINION

MONDAY, OCTOBER

18, 2010

Dear Editor,

EDITORIAL Last year, when I was the News Editor of The Medium, I was amused when a student union employee called not only every news story written about UTMSU biased, but also the editorials. How can an editorial be biased? Bias is when something is told under the influence of a particular opinion. The editorial is my opinion, and when the word “Opinion” appears above it on the same page, nobody could mistake it for fact, even though of course some people will agree and others will disagree with what I write. What would be the point of an editorial that restated the story itself, without a personal take or fuel for debate?

Despite this, some people are confused. When I pick a topic to discuss every week and write my personal thoughts on it, I take a stance and hope to stir up debate on the matter—to give people a reason to write letters to the Editor. Never in its history has The Medium, received so many letters each week, and this year, in most of the letters I’ve received, students express disappointment with UTMSU (or suggest some sort of change).

Naturally, when I write my editorial, I draw from both my own experience and what I get from the students, and I usually draw on a news article that has supplied the bare facts. And the fact that some people would prefer not to have a story published is not a reason to not publish it nor is it a reason to call the story biased.

Last week my editorial was about homophobia on campus, and how UTMSU responded to it. It wasn’t about one victim, but about the problem the case was an example of and how too often people in positions of power stay quiet on issues such as homophobia. This wasn’t about an isolated incident and I’m glad we’re still discussing it for the third week in a row. Ms. Giles herself told me she appreciated that the news article covered both aspects of the CBS policies issue. But she didn’t like the title, which said that UTMSU justified the blood ban. Instead, it should have read “according to UTMSU, the lives saved justified tolerating the blood ban”.

Whether some people oppose to our coverage, it’s our job to report on what happens and while a victim of homophobia might hope to remain anonymous, (we didn’t publish any names by the way) nobody would hope that incidents of homophobia go unaddressed or get treated as isolated cases, handled privately behind closed doors. If by shedding light on an incident we can start discussion on homophobia, I consider that something to be proud of. I’m glad people are talking about my stance, even if some people disagree with it.

The Medium will always report on what’s happening on campus, we exist to keep students informed. I’m sure UTMSU didn’t like the news coverage last year about their proxy form mismanagement or using student fees to contribute to their friend’s legal fees, much like the UCS disputed an exposition by The Medium of derogatory cheers at bizfrosh. The difference is that I’ve seen the UCS step up this year under the leadership of Rajiv Dhawan, who has made charity work a priority; they’ve also been more welcoming with their events and have been working in a positive direction. If UTMSU sees fewer letters praising them, in my opinion this reflects on them, not me.

At the end of the day, we’re all students, I believe in the basic ideologies of the student union and I know that UTMSU wants to see some sort of change. However, the change should focus on the campus that employs them (at a salary of aproximately $22,000 annually). If their goal is to be active, then maybe they should consider restructuring their system, which right now—according to the letters we get—resembles the same sort of dirty politics they themselves often criticize and rally against.

The student body is the priority; and frankly, the only way anyone will ever think of UTMSU differently is if UTMSU stops blaming others for its bad image, and steps up to do something about it.

Saaliha Malik

Yours,

Dear Editor, Since the beginning of the year, I have been reading The Medium, and I find a strong trend emerging. Every week in the Opinion section, there is some form of UTMSU-bashing. Usually, this comes from the Editor-in-Chief, but sometimes from letters submitted by students too. I am not too sure why this is occurring, as my experience with UTMSU has been the polar opposite of what I’m reading, and I am afraid that students seem to be hearing only one side of the story.

I wasn’t involved with UTMSU until this year, when I became a frosh leader. I saw how, during that week, the executives of UTMSU spent literally 24 hours a day working to ensure that the event was a success. The amount of work they were doing reflected the dedication that they have, and this inspired me to try and make some time to check out what UTMSU is all about.

I go by the office almost every day, to either try and help with whatever they need, or just to chill out in the office.

Honestly speaking, the executives at UTMSU, as well as the people who are always in the office, are always working, whether it is planning and executing campaigns and services, outreaching to students to get their input and get them involved, or just answering questions (academic or otherwise) from the students who come by.

And it is because of these people that I decided to get more involved in the UTM community. They’ve shown me that yes, I can make real change on this campus. I decided to run for the Erindale College

Council because I wanted to take that step to help others on campus. And speaking of ECC, it was UTMSU, not the university, that was encouraging people to nominate themselves. And it was UTMSU, not the university, that was trying to find solutions to the (many) problems that came up during the nomination process.

I’m not sure why The Medium goes out of its way to take a swipe at UTMSU. From what I have personally seen (and like I said, I’m around quite a bit), UTMSU takes every step they can to help students, on a personal level, as well as on a wide-scale level, through their campaigns and services. I have also seen them do everything they can possibly do to try and outreach to students, to get their input on the work that they do.

So this is the message I have for students who are reading this: Please check out what UTMSU is about before believing all the letters that get printed in The Medium.

Usually they’re good, but when it comes to UTMSU, it seems that they will do whatever they can to make UTMSU look bad. Go into the UTMSU office, talk to the executives and board members, and come out to their meetings. I guarantee you will come out wondering why The Medium prints what it does.

And to the executives of UTMSU, I would like to congratulate you on all the successes you have had so far, and I know you have had more than a few. And I would like to thank you for all the hard work you are putting in. You’re changing the lives of people who are going to this school. I know you changed mine.

Yours, Sydnee Percy

I am writing in response to your editorial about recent discriminatory events on campus. Your student union, UTMSU, has a long history of working against all forms of bigotry. In fact, combatting bigotry is one of the main functions of our union, found within in our constitution. UTMSU “defends and safeguards the individual rights of the student, regardless of race, colour, creed, sex, nationality, place of origin, personal or political beliefs, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status, citizenship, class ancestry, and mental or physical abilities”.

The union also has to respect the rights of its individual members, a right that is often ignored. Therefore your student union representatives, after much deliberation, chose to respect the right of privacy of a recent victim of discrimination, but they also tackle homophobia and racism broadly through a campuswide initiative. We believe that it is equally important to respect the individual rights of students that have faced bigotry and to combat all forms of discrimination.

Unfortunately, homophobia does still exist on our campus in many forms. To help combat this we have created a task force on campus homophobia. This task force will aim to record and document homophobia on campus and ways that it has been institutionalized. The hearings for the task force will take place next semester.

In response to your article on the Canadian Blood Services, we are disappointed that The Medium has chosen a title that does not reflect the union’s stance and its history of fighting all forms of discrimination. A good news source should provide both sides of the story and also reflect the correct stance of an organization through its choice of Dear Editor, The Erindale College Council (ECC) held their elections two weeks ago. With 50 seats available, it was disappointing to see only about 60 students run. It goes to know that apathy is prevailing on campus. Students are just not interested.

The ECC is the highest decision-making body at UTM. As a former ECC member, I was amazed by the sheer amount of information I learned about this campus as I sat in on those meetings last year. It was a good experience talking to the different people on the council who had a variety of refreshing perspectives on issues that affect the student body.

Elections are supposed to be about issues, but between apathetic students and UTMSU’s traditional “us versus them” mentality, there were no issues to be discussed anywhere during the election period. As witnessed in a recent Commission meeting, UTMSU still hails the reduction in the parking fees achieved at the ECC all those years ago as a milestone in student solidarity.

UTMSU has consistently painted the ECC as being anti-student. Every year, UTMSU tries to get their people to run for the ECC by saying that electing “likeminded inviduals” would better allow students to vote against proposed fee increases.

But UTMSU fails to disclose that ECC already puts in a lot of effort to ensure that student fees are not raised exorbitantly. Nowhere does UTMSU mention mention that the ECC forms committees of dedicated and knowledgeable individuals who go out of their way to see that students bear as few fee increases as possible. For example, last year the Residence Council Committee took stuDear Editor, I am a fee paying member of the Medium. I have been one without any complaints for the past few years because I have always believed that it isnecessary for a campus to have a newspaper that provides fair and balanced coverage of what’ss going on the campus. However, I do NOT believe that my fees should go towards funding a propaganda piece, a soapbox for people to stand on and bash an organization, even if they have to sensationalize a serious issue to try and fabricate a complaint.

I am, of course, talking about the apparent vendetta that you have against UTMSU. In your last editorial, you accused UTMSU of not taking action on an incident of homophobia that happened on campus. Yet in the same editorial, (so you are clearly aware of it) you acknowledge that the student did not want this issue to be publicized. My question to you is that if you are aware of the fact that the student did not want the issue to be publicized, then why would you go ahead and publish an article and 2 editorials about the issue?

The statement that irked me the most was "it’s not their fault that people, including The Medium, are talking about it." What does that mean?

Do you just blindly publish things that are written without reading them first? ItIS your fault that the Medium published an article about the issue,

title. I would appreciate a correction that reflects the stance of UTMSU, which does not in any way justify the ban. CBS policies are examples of systemic homophobia and racism and continue to perpetuate these ideals. CBS was brought to our campus to allow lives to be saved, not to isolate some of our members.

We are proud to have initiated a campaign to change these policies. By doing so, we allow those who need blood to still have access to it while not stigmatizing members of the LGTBQ community.

The recent tragedies of students who have committed suicide should not just be taken as an isolated incident covered

by The Medium as a one-week editorial.

These tragedies happen too frequently and affect our community in many ways. To break the pattern, we must raise awareness by reaching out to members of our community that do not identify as LGBTQ. We must do so not through policies, but through events that facilitate discussions on a daily basis.

One such event is “Xpression Against Oppression”, taking place this week (October 18 to 21); during it, we will have a vigil to commemorate the lives lost and bring together the community, calling for an end to homophobic violence.

In closing, I want to call on all students and the media to reflect on our own collective actions. Have we done enough individually to combat homophobia and other forms of discrimination? Your student union is taking steps to do so; please help us in our efforts by joining us at the Candlelight Vigil to continue building community support against homophobic and similar bullying. We will be meeting this Wednesday at 8 p.m. at the Blind Duck Pub patio.

Thank you.

Kumari Giles UTMSU VP Equity dent input into consideration by having students sit on the committee and in the meetings. The projected numbers agreed upon by these committees are a result of extensive calculations and an assessment of viable alternatives. It’s not random numbers thrown together five minutes before the meetings.

I am not propagating complete and blind faith into the workings of the ECC or its committees. No democratic process is ever complete without asking questions, and the ECC is the perfect forum for students to do so. Councillors should think of themselves not as the opposition but as the coalition.

As student representatives, my fellow councillors for 2010-2011 should come to the first meeting—not with pre-planted ideas of reducing fees or of voting against any motion that has the word “increase” in it, but with sincere questions and open minds. We should not be guided by forced personal views, our own or someone else’s, but let good discussion shape our opinion. We should work together with the other councillors to better serve student needs. We should assume an active role in the discussion process on the ECC and attend meetings regularly to keep up with the current affairs at UTM. We should talk to everyone and get their thoughts on issues that affect them, and more importantly talk to those that have a different opinion on things than we do.

We represent 10,000 apathetic students. With the right discussion and level of involvement, we can give people good reasons to care.

Yours, Nabeel Jafri and thefact that you were aware that doing this would go against the requests ofthe student make it even more reprehensible. You are using this issue totake a stab at UTMSU, which is sad at the very least.

You go on to say “Institutions need to speak up and take real action to end systematic homophobia. At our campus, allowing a mission statement to speak for itself is a very passive and disappointing choice of action or nonaction, depending on how you look at it.” I agree with you wholeheartedly. However, systemic homophobia will not be ended by taking a student and making them into an example. And to speak about the incident not within the context of a larger framework of homophobia embedded in our society, but as an isolated incident, well, that just contradicts everything you just said you wanted to do. And to talk about this incident without the consent of the student? That shows clearly that you would rather attack UTMSU than try to help somebody out.

Homophobia, like any other forms of systemic discrimination, will not be solved by making an example of an incident, unless you critically analyze it within the proper context.

I’m not really sure how you managed to take this issue, and twist it into UTMSU messing up, but please cover up, your bias is showing.

Yours, Asas Naeem

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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, OCTOBER

18, 2010 THE MEDIUM 5

Nives Hajdin, Editor | arts@mediumonline.ca

Spotlight on DJ John Acquaviva MARIANA COMITO ASSISTANT FEATURES EDITOR

One of the most popular techno DJs in the world, multi-label entrepreneur John Acquaviva certainly has much to celebrate on his upcoming birthday on November 19. Growing up in London, Ontario, Acquaviva realized his love for music and began to deejay in the 1980s. In 1989, he met his lifelong friend Richie Hawtin (aka Plastikman).

This dynamic duo made a name for themselves, and together they founded Plus 8 Records. The two began recording together, and their remix of “Elements of Tone”

by States of Mind became the first release on Plus 8 Records. During the early 90s, Acquaviva and Hawtin formed Probe and Definitive Records.

Both also helped evolve the DJ tool Final Scratch (created by the Dutch company N2IT), which allows the manipulation and playback of digital audio while using vinyl and turntables. Following this success, he took another enormous career expansion, by helping launch the site www.Beatport.com (currently the biggest dance-music downloading site in the world).

Eventually, Acquaviva took over

the record label, making it closer to his vision of techno and house music. Definitive recordings have helped launch the careers of artists like Oliver Giacomotto, Robot Needs, and Kid Dub, to mention just a few. His first mix album, Transmissions, Vol. 1, was released in 1996, and since then he has been a rising legend in the world of electronic music.

On Friday, October 8, Audio Academy brought John Acquaviva back home to his eager Toronto fans, who cheered for his amazing performance at Revival Nightclub.

The Medium got the opportunity to speak to the humble and laidback Acquaviva about his career, his influences, and what it takes to make it in the biz.

The Medium: How did you become a DJ/producer in the electronic music industry?

John Acquaviva: I always was a DJ. I did high school dances, and in the early 80s, I was the number one DJ for electro-pop. I worked at a record store, so I was always interested in the world of music. I teamed up with Richie Hawtin, and founded the record labels Plus 8 and Probe and Definitive, and it progressed from there.

TM: Who inspires you?

JA: I don’t believe in heroes, but many people inspire me, some

have passed and some are still living. I can’t sit here and say that just one person inspired me, but, I remember this one time, I watched a concert by Hunters and Collectors (an Australian rock band), and it was an amazing show. This place held 300 people, but only maybe 50 people were there. And the fact that they respected these 50 people and still played a great show made me realize that every fan is important. It doesn’t matter if you have one or 500 fans, people come to see you and you have to play to the best of your abilities. Respect is important. Just because you might have a bad turnout one day, you still need to make the best out of it.

TM: What is your favourite track that you have produced?

JA: I’m not the kind of artist that likes to name all my accomplishments. When I make a track, I release it and hope that it does well, but then I move on. I don’t like to dwell on things, so I like all the tracks I produce. I mean, I like my music the way I like my food. I mix all of it together.

TM: What is your favourite city to play in?

JA: I really don’t have a favourite city. Every city has a different crowd, and they’re all important.

TM: What is the best advice you can give to aspiring DJ/producers?

DJ takeover at Guvernment MARIANA COMITO ASSISTANT FEATURES EDITOR

On Sunday, October 10, The Guvernment celebrated its 14-year anniversary by partying to the music of many international and local DJs. The entire complex was open, and hundreds of people gathered to hear the sounds of their favourite electronic artists. In the Orange Room, people danced to the music of The Junkies, Nathan Barato, Joee Cons, and Ricky Syfer.

The Junkies, a local duo from Toronto, pumped the room by spinning tech-house. This twosome is currently working on their own label called Local Music, which will feature their own hits as well as other artists’ work. On October 29, you will be able to check them out at Footwork, playing alongside the very talented Carlo Lio. At The Drink, DEKO-ZE, OVI M, and YM dominated. OVI M, a tech house DJ, was raised in Toronto and has played at various clubs, including Film, Tryst, and Comfort Zone.

Although he is still at the beginning of his career, his determination and talent have allowed him to play with many acclaimed DJs, such as DJ Addy, Carlo Lio, and Manzone & Strong.

At Kool Haus, Mark Oliver, Cosmic Gate, and Infected Mushroom pumped up the crowd. Infected Mushroom’s performance was incredible; their explosive show (featuring guitars, live drums, and vocals) brought a new energy and sound to electronic music. Twice ranked among

the world’s 10 best DJs, they delivered an unbelievable performance for their Canadian fans.

However, the most anticipated and crowded room was the main floor, where hundreds of fans partied to the music of Steve Aoki, Calvin Harris, Burns, and Manzone & Strong.

Manzone & Strong, a local duo from Toronto, demonstrated their unique style and gave an unforgettable performance. They were voted “Best Local House DJs” in 2004 and 2005 at the Toronto Nightclub Awards.

Last but certainly not least, fans were anxiously waiting for Steve Aoki, an American electro-house musician.

Eager fans clawed their way to the main room in order to see the energetic performance of the world-class DJ. Aoki is not only talented with his famous remixes of songs, but is known

for his zeal during his performances.

At The Guvernment, he sprayed champagne into the crowd, shouted on the mic for everyone to get pumped up, and then jumped into the arms of his enthusiastic fans. Throughout his whole performance, people were glued to his presence, singing along and dancing the night away.

If you missed this incredible and lively night, then you need to come to The Guvernment Nighclub on Saturday, October 30, for the Halloween Thriller Night. Carl Cox, Steve Lawler, Carlo Lio, OVI M, YM, Chris Fresque, and Manzone & Strong will be hitting it hard and partying the night away. Cash prizes will be given away to those with the best costume.

So make sure you’re at the best party to celebrate Halloween—make sure you’re at The Guvernment!

familyaffairs.de

Acquaviva reached 22 on the DJ Mag 2006 list.

JA: Don’t do it because you want the perks and to become famous. I mean, I love my job, because I get to travel the world, but in this career you have to love the music.

And sometimes people are going to take you for a ride, but if and when you become famous, don’t do that to other people. Everyone deserves respect whether you’re already a known artist or you are just starting out. Sometimes you have to just suck it up and survive.

Whether you are trying to succeed as a DJ/producer or in any other career, “you need to treat

Offbeat food finds Pineapple Buns

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This week’s dish is recommended

by Amir Ahmed, the Features Editor at The Medium, and a fan of ridiculously unhealthy food.

Pineapple buns are a sweet bun originally from Hong Kong.

They’re made by taking a regular sweet bun and slapping on a sweet, crispy top made of butter and sugar. The bun gets the “pineapple” part of its name from this top layer, that sort of looks like the golden exterior of a pinapple: it doesn’t actually have any pineapple in it.

If you think the idea of butter topped with bread that’s filled with sweet filling sounds unhealthy, then you don’t want to know about some of the Hong Kong variants that place a melted slab of butter between the delicious concoction.

Steve Aoki: Star of The Ring 3?

iveheardofhim.com

your day job with respect,” says Acquaviva. “That means answering your emails or trying to meet new people, because this is where you will receive opportunities. And every dream hopes for those opportunities.”

A special thank-you to John Acquaviva for sitting down with The Medium and giving us some insight into the life of one of the best electronic artists in the world.

We wish him the best of luck on his upcoming tour of Europe and South America. And come home soon—your fans already miss you!

You can find these buns in most bakeries, but if you want a really good deal, and some soft, delicious bread, you should get them from

Yuan Ming Supermarket. They sell the buns there at two for a dollar, along with a host of other bakery masterpieces, including red bean, beef curry, and custard buns.

The pineapple buns alone can be bought as straight-up buns, or with coconut or red bean filling. In all my years of visiting bakeries in Toronto and Mississauga, I can say that these are the ones I like the most. They aren’t as hard and starchy as the ones at T&T, and the bean paste is the purée kind instead of a handful of beans just dumped into the bread. While you’re there, you can pick up some other cool baked goods, and the other Yuan Ming fare. Century eggs, anyone?

Do you know of a great local eatery that people need to know about?

Send us your submissions at arts@mediumonline.ca.

Submission rules: Recommendations of nearby restaurants up to 250 words are welcome from UTM students and employees. Please include a short blurb about yourself, followed by the dish, location, price, and description. Writers should not have family or employment connections with, or receive benefits from, businesses they recommend.

6 THE MEDIUM

MONDAY, OCTOBER

18, 2010

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Albums in review

Love is easy: Belle & Sebastian Write About Love

Maroon 5: Hands All Over... the “skip” button

No Age: Everything in Between

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COLLEEN MUNRO ASSISTANT A&E EDITOR

culturemagazine.ca

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LUCY ZEMLJIC

“Make me dance, I want to surrender / Your familiar arms, I remember / We’ve been going transcontinental,” sings vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Sarah Martin, on the first track Belle & Sebastian Write About Love, the new album by Belle & Sebastian, a Scottish indie band formed in Glasgow in 1996.

True enough, they have been going transcontinental; since their appearance on the Juno soundtrack, the quirky, spirited band has finally gotten the recognition it deserves. It’s the band’s eighth studio album, another accomplishment by these humble starlettes. Mixing their signature 60s-esque sound with the glitz and glamour of 80s synth pop, Write About Love seems to be the band’s venture into indie adulthood. The songs feel like a departure and a return at the same time; the energetic melodies and fastpaced rhythms are still there, but mixed with a new calm and sophistication.

Although the album is aptly named, it doesn’t only deal with romantic love.

The first track, “I Didn’t See It Coming”, explores the love-hate relationship we all hold with money: “We don’t have the money / (money makes the wheels and the world go round) / Forget about it, honey,” sings Martin. Synthesizers mix with quaint indie instrumentals in this first track, taking full advantage of Martin’s sweet, wispy voice. The next track begins again with popping synth and ends with a transition into track three, “Calculating Bimbo”. The pace slows down and the song proves to be a soulful, melancholic ballad, all the while keeping those usual cheeky lyrics.

“I Want the World to Stop” and “I’m Not Living in the Real World” take up the energetic rhythms again, while “The Ghost of Rock School” and “Little Lou, Ugly Jack, Prophet John” slow you down again. This latter track features a cameo duet with Norah Jones, whose voice lends itself perfectly to the band’s style and the song’s thoughtful lyrics.

It’s clear on a first listen that love really is the major theme of the album. The lead single, “Write About Love”, weaves the vocals of Belle & Sebastian together to spin up what seems like the essence of the album, visiting the theme—you guessed it—of love. “I know a spell / that would make you well: / Write about love, / it can be in any tense, / but it must make sense.” Faith also pops up in this album, though subtly, and adds another dimension to the title track: “I know a way, / so you know the way: / get on your skinny knees and pray,” the band sings together. “Read the Blessed Pages” is a whispery, slow ballad on lost love, while “I Can See Your Future” tells the tale of a lifelong puppy love.

Part of the band’s success can be attributed to their producer, Tony Hoffer, who keeps the balance throughout and maintains the indie feel of songs, while making them accessible to the mass public through pop melodies. It seems, however, that Write About Love brings back more of Belle & Sebastian’s roots and nicely holds the line between indie and pop. Although the album doesn’t provide any careeraltering, groundbreaking material, it lends itself wonderfully to the band’s repertoire, keeping that classic vintage feel and infusing it with some glitter here and there.

ANDREA AMBROGI

Three years after their critically acclaimed album It Won’t Be Soon Before Long, Maroon 5 is back with another pop-infused effort, Hands All Over. Unfortunately, the boys fail to make a record bigger and better than its predecessor, despite all the hype surrounding it.

Hands All Over opens with “Misery”, a track that’s done in pure Maroon 5 form: stuttering guitar, catchy vocal hook, and a choppy feel that actually works.

“Give a Little More” opens with a funky (and entirely too short) instrumental opening that braces you for a pleasant change in frontman Adam Levine’s vocal register.

Yet that stuttering guitar has a nostalgic feel reminiscent of their previous work.

“Stutter” is the first song to incorporate the piano, and Levine’s voice is paired beautifully with the tinkling piano and swinging “oooh”s. The latter comes back in “Don’t Know Nothing”, a number that opens with a very Motown-esque rhythm.

“Never Gonna Leave this Bed” is noticeably more melodic than the rest of the album and it’s unfortunate that this is the only slow song on the album. But alas, Maroon 5 have earned their spurs with bubblegum pop tunes, not crooning ballads.

The title track “Hands All Over” showcases Levine’s distinct voice, but with its instantly recognizable

quality, he ends up sounding exactly the same on many tracks, failing to change his cadence or vary the range and tone of his voice. The stuttering guitar riffs being another of the band’s signatures, just like Levine’s voice, they become repetitive and get really boring really fast.

Nevertheless, some songs have hints of something bigger and better in them. Acoustic guitar is splashed into a couple of songs along with nice rhythm guitar work and even some tambourine.

Had the band added more piano segments, not just little pinches of it, the results might have been absolutely fabulous.

Fear not, kids, there is a light at the end of the record (err, tunnel) and it comes in the form of a live rendition of Alicia Keys’ “If I Ain’t Got You”. This cover proves that Maroon 5 needs to step away from the producers they’re working with (let’s face it, this record is so over-produced that it’s a little cringe-worthy at times) and inject some acoustic love into their music. Levine’s voice is perfect in the more organic environment of the stage, and here the band complements it greatly.

If you’re looking for some shameless pop to indulge in, this is the record for you. But with its “heard one, heard ’em all” tone, consider buying just the best tracks on iTunes or Amazon— you’re not missing much if you only listen to the first few and then move on.

Los Angeles duo No Age (Randy Randall and Dean Allen Sprunt) have made their career pushing the limits of how much noise two people are physically capable of creating. On their third full-length album, Everything in Between, this lo-fi garage act sounds even larger than ever.

No Age’s 2008 LP, Nouns, was a critical hit, and ended up on several year-end top ten lists. However, their mix of do-ityourself spirit and melodic rock didn’t prove to have much mainstream appeal, and failed to make the crossover to a wider audience.

But while Everything in Between, which doesn’t stray far from No Age’s typical style, is unlikely to serve as the band’s commercial breakthrough, it does show that the band is constantly sharpening their songcraft. “Depletion” and “Sorts” offer pop sensibilities hidden amongst distortion, pounding drums, and detached vocals. It’s not a new tactic for No Age, but this mashing of styles hasn’t let them down yet.

Other standout tracks include the feedback-drenched “Glitter”, which features the low-key cool of Sonic Youth, and “Common Heat”, which may be the album’s most unexpected piece. It’s the closest thing to a ballad to be found on Everything in Between, and the guitar fuzz takes a back seat to the clear and modest melody. It’s not the showiest of songs, but it stands out for its simplicity.

With 13 tracks crammed into its 39minute running time, Everything in Between occasionally feels choppy. One of No Age’s strengths is the carefully cultivated mood of their songs; here, however, tracks like the instrumental “Katerpillar” feel incomplete at a mere minute and a half. They never give themselves the chance to wander into selfindulgence, and could have benefitted from a slightly less crowded tracklist.

Though No Age doesn’t break much new ground on Everything in Between, it’s another solid effort from a very consistent band.

Bored? It’s anything but boring ADRIANA FLORIDIA

Just out of a relationship, the frequently intoxicated Jonathan Ames is down and out and doesn’t know what to do. His writing career is failing, and his addictions have gotten the best of him. All he has for inspiration are his old, treasured detective novels.

This is the story behind Bored to Death, HBO’s film-noir-esque comedy starring Jason Schwartzman as Jonathan Ames, a newly evolved private detective (according to his ad on Craigslist), who solves people’s problems in a sort of Sherlock Holmes meets Dr. Phil style,

with a little help from his wacky best friend Ray (Zach Galifianakis) and his boss George (Ted Danson) along the way. What could go wrong?

The answer is “plenty”; but hilarity ensues while watching this zany team of men getting in and out of all kinds of ridiculous situations. With witty dialogue and creative storylines, Bored to Death is a must-watch. But what’s truly capturing are the three leading men, who each play their immature alter-egos perfectly.

Schwartzman’s portrayal of the fictionalized Jonathan Ames (Ames is a novelist who is actually the creator of the series) brings naïveté and innocence to this man who finds himself in many strange situa-

tions. Although Jonathan is daring enough to throw himself into a world of adventure and unpredictability, it’s hard to pin any wrongdoings on him because he has such a childlike quality. With this, the character is extremely loveable and easy to relate to. He is a grown man living obliviously in an adult world. On top of trying to balance his writing career and please his boss, Jonathan genuinely wants to help others through his unlicenced private detective career, often losing more of his own money in expenses then he gains in return. At the heart of Bored to Death is a very endearing man who makes you care about all of the things he goes through, while at the same time laughing

at the comedy of it all.

Supporting Schwartzman in the show are two extremely gifted men, who steal every scene they’re in. Anyone educated in the world of comedy knows that the combination of Zach Galifianakis and Ted Danson is one to die for. The characters they play are similar men, both highly involved in their love of alcohol and pot, but both simply searching for love. Their supporting storylines are always entertaining and add relief to the detective-driven adventures that Jonathan tackles wholeheartedly. The three characters complement each other beautifully, as each struggles through learning that their solution of easy fixes won’t always work

in a world that’s more complicated than they think.

The show also stands out for its choice of music. With plenty of jazz and blues to add to the film-noir style, the show is truly authentic, and successfully reaches the atmosphere it strives to achieve. It also has a great theme song, performed by Jason Schwartzman’s own band Coconut Records.

With the first season just recently out on DVD and Blu-Ray, be sure to check out this offbeat comedy that’s filled with heart. Season 2 has just begun on HBO Canada, so don’t miss any more of Jonathan, Ray, and George, because they are anything but boring.

MONDAY, OCTOBER

18, 2010 THE MEDIUM 7

Amir Ahmed, Editor | features@mediumonline.ca

How did that get there? part 1 LUKE SAWCZAK COPY EDITOR

Oh, hello there! This is my first try at writing for The Medium. For this article (which will be printed in several installments), I researched the histories of some everyday things, picked the most interesting, and summed up all the best parts. I hope you enjoy the first three: Handshaking, Blackjack, and Cutlery.

Handshakes You may have noticed that handshaking is going out of style, but you probably didn’t guess how old it is. In fact, the artwork on two funeral ornaments from the 5th and 4th centuries BC clearly shows people giving each other the old limp fish, including one of a husband and wife.

So how did it get to us? In the late 1500s, explorer and statesman Sir Walter Raleigh went to see the New World, and passed through Spain on his way back. He must have been pranked into an Indian Sunburn once or twice while there, because when he got back to England he thought it would be just lovely if he showed all the courtiers the stylish new way of saying hello. It quickly spread as a way of showing a peaceful, openhanded, and well-meaning greeting, and before long had trickled down

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The fork’s history is interesting, How did they use to eat pumpkin pie without them? But that’s another story... from the upper classes to just about everyone (though it still carries an air of being somewhat “formal”, especially among the young).

Recently, the popularization of germophobia and anti-bacterial handsoaps is beginning to wear away the custom—although, as a 1922 Guide to Etiquette informs us, “At theatres, if a lady and a gentleman shake hands, they may both keep their gloves on.”

Blackjack Have you ever heard of Don Quixote?

Yeah, you have. (Have you ever read it? Of course not.) The same guy who

wrote it used to write short stories before his big break, and one of them, published in 1602, is about a gambler who counts cards at a game called “ventiuna”, which is Italian for “twenty-one”. He describes the rules for us and it’s exactly the same as the modern-day game. (Except that you play without 8s, 9s, or 10s, so if I were playing it I might not bust 100% of the time like I do now!)

When it finally made its way to the U.S., nobody thought it was cool, so the casinos offered special promotions to get people in. For example, if you won with an Ace of Spades and a

black Jack, you got a ten-to-one payout. And that, of course, is where it got the name we know it by today.

Cutlery In the 14th century, the Catholic writer Giblin said about cutlery, “God...provided man with natural forks—his fingers. Therefore it is an insult to Him to substitute artificial metallic tools for them when eating.”

This idea may not seem quite so sensible now, but how did we get our eating utensils?

Perhaps because it’s essential to the proper enjoyment of Campbell’s

soups, the spoon was invented first: the Egyptians had wood spoons, and the Romans had silver (and then got poisoned and died). And knives weren’t too far behind. We don’t know the whole story, but it seems that in northern Europe, smiths used the bits of metal they couldn’t make tools out of and sold them to the rich (who will buy anything) as “the polite way to eat”. By the 10th century, the spoon and knife could be found in many households in Europe.

But the fork took the longest. First mentioned in Ancient Greece and in the Bible, the fork was probably used to poke at ritual sacrifices without getting your hands dirty. However, it disappeared into Byzantium until the 11th century, when the Italians decided they could show off their wealth by borrowing these hot new items and taking them to dinner parties in fancy boxes. However, for both some unusual religious reasons and— no kidding—the idea that the Italians’ way of eating wasn’t nearly manly enough, the fork only made its way to France and Germany 200 years later and had finally become widely accepted by the early 1700s.

Besides minor aesthetic changes, the tools stayed more or less the same—until of course the 20th century rolled around and the Americans decided that the world needed the spork. Now who’s manly?

10 things you take for granted “Different” magazines MARIANA COMITO ASSISTANT FEATURES EDITOR

As a child, there are many things we wished we could do but we either were too small, too short, or just too young. Now that we’re older, we probably take some things for granted. Here are the top ten things we always wanted to do as a child, but are now a part of our daily lives— and possibly a little less magical.

Driving In every child’s upbringing, there were certain toys that made us feel like grown-ups. Our toy cash registers, kitchen sets, and yes, even those cars that we rode and pushed with our feet, all brought us a little closer to living the life of a “big kid”. Well, now that we’re older, we can play with real money and say buh-bye to the Fred Flinstone style of driving.

Staying up late Every kid hates having to go to bed early because it’s a school night. But now we get the privilege to stay up as long as we want—or don’t want— even if that means having dark circles under our eyes and waking up to bad hair the next day.

Binge on junk food Didn’t you hate when your parents used lines like “Eat your vegetables, and then you can have dessert”?

Well, by now you’ve probably driven your parents nuts so much that they don’t care what you eat as long as

you’re not complaining. So be a rebel and challenge yourself to eat ice cream for one whole day for every meal. No, no, that pain in your stomach is joy!

No curfew Growing up was difficult, especially during those pre-teen years. We wanted to go out and stay late, but we always had the curfew that made us slightly dorky. But, now you can party the night away... unless your parents are still too strict. If that’s the case, you can always still sneak out the window (if it’s low enough, duh!)

Showering You might read this title and be a bit confused. But here’s something that we really do take for granted. When we were small, it was a bath instead, and our parents would leave the door open “just in case”, make us share with our siblings, or stay in the bathroom and watch us. Thankfully, we are now able to have some privacy and get cleaned up “all by ourselves”!

Watching anything you want “PG13”, “18+”, “viewer discretion is advised”—lines that all kids hate.

This meant that we couldn’t watch certain (usually the coolest) TV shows and movies. Now we can easily watch whatever our hearts desire, whether it could be bad for us or not!

YAY! Extreme sports Everyone knows the way a kid’s

happy face shrivels up when they hear “Sorry, you have to be this high.” Rollercoasters could be the ultimate excitement, but if you weren’t a certain height then your dreams were crushed. Now in retaliation we have broaden our adventures to even more dangerous sports, like sky-diving, bungee-jumping, and car racing.

Wearing what we want Don’t you often look at old pictures and think, “What am I wearing?”

Well, thanks to your parents, your life featured many such humiliating moments. But be careful, since now that you dress yourself, if and when you screw up you only have yourself to blame. Oops!

Drinking It’s risky to sit at the dinner table and try to steal sips from your mom’s glass of wine or your dad’s bottle of beer, but every child tries to. If you’re 19 or older, then you can now proudly pick up a two-four for that crazy long weekend party. If you’re a froshie...sorry, but it looks like you’ll be stealing sips from your parents’ drinks again this year.

Freedom of barber/hairdresser You know you can’t forget the mushroom, the bowl head, the buzz, or any of those other hideous haircuts that we or our parents once thought were cool. And, uh... if you are still rocking these cuts, then my apologies, but dude, the 90s are over.

Grow up!

NAZIFA ISLAM

When I’m in line at the grocery store, wishing the new cashier would stop dropping every other vegetable the old lady in front of me just bought, my eyes invariably stray towards the magazine stand. Straightaway I’m bombarded with pictures of celebrities charged with DUI, being snapped at Starbucks for the hundredth time, baby-celebrities wearing $2,000 socks (what’s up with that?), some sort of Jersey Shore drama, the newest underwear model’s sex life, and of course the next cheating-lying-adulterous celebrity’s whinging apology.

I quickly get through the cash register (the poor old lady has finally escaped with her bruised pears) and run out of the store, putting as much distance as possible between me and the magazines. If you’re someone who feels the same way every time you encounter a glossy US Weekly or People, then the following list of quirky and underground reads might just be what you’ve been waiting for.

Peace Magazine: this one is sure to be a favourite for all the political science, sociology, and humanitarian aid junkies. Published by Canadian Disarmament Information Service, a non-profit organization, Peace is a quarterly magazine with topics that range from crises to controversies. You can subscribe online at http://peacemagazine.org/info.htm .

The Spill: the online publication that spills it all about Toronto’s music scene.

It lists all the upcoming concerts by local

musicians and reviews on CDs and live shows. Oh, and it’s completely free! So to stay up to date on your fellow Torontonians’ tunes, check out this magazine online at http://www.spillmagazine.com .

Broken Pencil: this Toronto-based magazine is all about collecting the best articles from underground ’zines, books, websites, videos, and artworks into one publication. It’s published quarterly and you can subscribe to Broken Pencil at http://www.brokenpencil.com . Snippets of the latest issue can be accessed at the website as well.

Geek Speak: if you’re the kind of person who falls off the couch in infinite joy when the X-Men Convention is in town, or your secret crush is Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory, or your nickname is Boron, you might want to check this one out. It includes movie and video game reviews, guides to geeky TV shows, and features about FanExpos. It is completely free (all geeks rejoice) and you can place your subscription at http://www.geekspeakmagazine.com/sit epolicies/subscriptions.htm .

Poetry Is Dead: sure seems like an ironic name for a magazine devoted to poetry. Then again, I never understood those poetical types anyway…

Nevertheless, this semi-annual Canadian magazine includes original poetry and prose that is definitely worth a read. As the editors themselves put it, all that gets published in the magazine is “intriguing, hilarious, ridiculous, inspiring, timely, unfortunate, or provocative”.

Check it out at http://poetryisdead.ca .

8 THE MEDIUM

MONDAY, OCTOBER

FEATURES

18, 2010

Online dating: what’s ur A/S/L? SANDRA AWAD

Online dating has been around since the origin of the Internet decades ago. It started as a tool for the military to communicate and eventually shifted into the commercial scence around 1990, but wasn’t cool by any means; when online dating first appeared, it was a sign of desperation or hopelessness.

In 2010, times have changed.

Nowadays a quarter of the world uses the Internet, and a wide range of users are actively searching for and participating in a variety of online dating sites. The proliferation of online communities and Internet usage plays a huge role in the increase of online dating sites. It’s interesting to see how what used to be seen as a last resort is now a successful first method of meeting people.

The phenomenon of online dating has definitely evolved over the past 50 years. Singles who lost their spouse or who separated or divorced were the original users of online dating. The Internet made it possible for them to find someone to talk to or find a relationship easily in a shorter period of time, not to mention breaking geographical barriers of communication. For others, online dating was considered a pastime, like the Internet itself.

However, as time went by, and lives got busier and more hectic, the Internet evolved from being a pastime to a necessity. The number and types of users of online dating increased. There are now users who don’t just use online dating to seek romance but to look for friendship.

The amount of websites that are available today for seeking friendships, relationships, and networks is endless. Even social network sites such as Facebook are used for online dating and for finding relationships.

Facebook is just another example of how one can use the Internet to find all the specific qualities he or she is looking for in a friend or partner. Users are now more open to online dating because so much communication is online now. With the integration of Internet into

mobile devices (specifically smartphones), the whole world can communicate online anywhere, anytime!

Online dating is more powerful than was once thought. Single men and women all over the world can find each other by either entering a chat room or by joining an online dating website. There are also websites that allow users to find people they’ve lost contact with. An online user’s network can keep growing and the opportunities are endless.

The science behind it contributes significantly to its success. Users are

set up according to similarities in what they enter as their preferences, beliefs, and desires. It’s also extremely efficient for scanning many different profiles of people, and getting to know them from the information they’ve provided. The variety of people is endless and you get to choose who to know. Just this year, U of T has incorporated a similar idea. We now have our very own online dating website with a growing number of profiles: check out www.loveut.ca .

The users usually take the idea of

online dating very seriously. (This is, of course, disregarding the occasional scam.) In most cases, users are very mindful of their profiles and of others. Just like any community, the online dating community has unwritten rules. “Netiquette” is a new phenomenon that everyone does or should follow; it’s etiquette, but particular to the Internet. It makes the web safer, more private, and more tolerant, so users are more encouraged to participate in this quickly growing phenomenon.

Why don’t you sign up?

http://loveut.ca

Niche dating sites, such as Love@UofT, can help you find that special someone.

Apples or berries: which one’s more delicious?

RIM has won the minds of big business, while Apple rules the hearts of the fashionable elite.

Which smartphone is the best for students?

TUBA RIZVI

Back when “beetles” were writing popular music, a blackberry and an apple were simply fruits to snack on when rummaging through your refrigerator. But times have changed and so has the context in which we perceive these words: what once were considered just fruits are names of two major advances in technology that have created hype amongst young adults all over the world. But what’s so special about these fancy gadgets that got our hearts racing in excitement? Let’s take a look.

BlackBerry is a line of phones designed by RIM, a Canadian telecommunications company with headquarters in Waterloo, ON. Different styles of the BlackBerry smartphones include Pearl, Bold, Curve, Tour, Torch, and Storm, with Torch being their latest release. In terms of appearance, the new BlackBerry Torch 9800 Slider phone is awfully similar to the Bold 9700; the only thing is that this phone slides. The 9800 has various features, including an 8 GB memory that can be expanded up to 32 GB with a microSD card. It also comes with an enhanced music player that displays album art and complete tracklists with the choice of either a landscape or portrait view.

Another attribute of this phone is what they call the “pinch and zoom” effect, where you can use your fingers to pinch in or out depending on whether you want to zoom in or zoom out. Torch also has a 5-megapixel camera with flash and auto-focus to allow a better picture-taking experience, and has a battery life of 5.8 hours of talking or 30 hours of music, so you can choose to do either. Aside from all that, this phone also makes Internet browsing very convenient with features like tabbed browsing and integrated social feeds from sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn. The iPhone is a creation of Apple Inc., with four models already released to the market: the original iPhone, the 3G, the 3GS, and iPhone 4, the latest one. One of my favorite features of the iPhone 4 is the ability to video chat with other iPhones over Wifi. Because it comes with two cameras, front and back, and a convenient way to switch back and forth by tapping a button, video chatting is very fun and interactive. The iPhone also has the most vibrant, highest-resolution screen, making everything on the screen, pictures and text included, sharp and very clear. It also comes with a 5 megapixel camera with LED flash, and HD video recording and editing. You can also open multiple

files at the same time using the multitasking feature of the phone, which makes this phone convenient and user-friendly—like every other Apple product.

The market for smartphones is very competitive, with companies such as Apple and RIM striving to catch the eye of the average joe; this makes the process of selecting a phone tedious and complex.

There was once a time when all that mattered was whether a phone could make calls, and how much it cost. Now when you step out to buy a phone there are a lot more things to consider, such as its features, the resolution of the screen, the memory, what size smart cards it carries, whether video recording is done by a tap or a slide of the finger... the list goes on and on.

After asking various people which of the two aforementioned devices they preferred, it came down to these results: A lot of the people seemed to prefer BlackBerry Torch, and the majority of them were girls. The remaining minority chose iPhone 4 because they did not seem to be satisfied with the design of the new BlackBerry. One girl stated, “It looks exactly like 9700, just touch screen and biggerlooking.” When asked whether the fact that it was a slide phone threw her off, she nodded, saying it was “slidely gross”. I personally would pick an iPhone over a BlackBerry

RIM’s Blackberry and Apple’s iPhone series currently dominate the smartphone market. any day, only because I find them a bit overrated and I don’t see the appeal in a phone that looks like a gigantic calculator. Either way, dif-

ferent people are attracted to different kinds of phones, so which phone is objectively “better” is out of the question.

MONDAY, OCTOBER

18, 2010 THE MEDIUM 9

FEATURES

The Sunday Secrets

Beware, cheaters: the UTM watchdogs

LEAH EDWARDS

SANA HAQ

“You are invited to anonymously contribute a secret to a group art project. Your secret can be a regret, fear, betrayal, desire, confession, or childhood humiliation.

Reveal anything—as long as it’s true and you have never shared it with anyone else before.”

In 2004, Frank Warren distributed 3,000 postcards printed with that block of text and a mailing address throughout Washington.

He expected a modest return.

Instead, the “PostSecret Project” went viral; in the past six years he has received approximately half a million secrets and has been called “the most trusted stranger in America”.

These secrets flood his mailbox in Maryland, arriving from countries around the world and in multiple languages. They are jotted down on grocery store receipts, written over photographs with blacked out eyes, scrawled on watercolour paintings. They have been written on bags of coffee, knives, and prescription pill bottles. Warren limits the creative freedom of the expressions in only two ways: no blood or glitter (please).

The secrets are displayed at art exhibitions and compiled into books, each set arranged to tell a different story. Every Sunday, approximately thirty secrets are posted on Warren’s blog (http://www.postsecret.com), creating a mini-narrative that is aptly named “The Sunday Secrets”.

Despite having seen 374,966,688 hits (as of October 11), PostSecret remains free of advertisements.

There are links to external sites, but each is selected for being relevant to the original project.

Moreover, the distance between the reader and the blog dissolves once you find a secret that is an echo of your own experiences. It’s not in your handwriting and you haven’t used the postal system since Hotmail debuted, but it looks like your secret, confessed by an anonymous stranger.

The shock and comfort of realizing that two strangers can hide the same secret reveals “our rich inner diversity while reminding us of our deeper unity” (Warren, in the entry “PostSecret: Confessions on Life, Death, and God”).

If you’re hesitant to believe that strangers’ secrets can have such an impact, go to a PostSecret event.

They’re held in the fall and spring, at universities across North America. Warren introduces the project, reveals postcards that publishers banned from the books, and shares his own secrets. After his story is told, he invites the a udien c e t o d o t h e s a m e . L i n e s form behind the microphones.

People share their secrets live.

I attended an event in Waterloo last spring. There were confessions of parental pressure over university program choices, friends dying and the guilt that lingers, eating disorders that led to cutting, and— on the lighter side—daydreams about zombies during boring lectures. Sitting in an auditorium of strangers, I had never before felt so connected nor cried so publicly.

“The Sunday Secrets” evokes a lesser response, but in my opinion is one of the best blogs out there, and you’re still invited to join the community “art project”.

All right, fellow UTM students, classes are definitely in and so are the UTM cheating police: they’re your TAs, professors, and plagiarism-detecting websites like www.turnitin.com. It shouldn’t come as a surprise to most of you, but in an interview with The Toronto Star, the Canadian Council on Learning reported that “nearly three in four students in this country have cheated at least once, thanks to the cut-and-paste wizardy of the web”. And your campus is well ahead in its efforts in catching academic offenders.

According to Louise Brown, an education reporter for The Toronto Star, “a new full-time honesty watchdog began three summers ago to give instructors in

all 15 departments a compulsory crash course in how to discourage, detect, and deal with everything from plagiarism to paying for papers.” Since then, in another interview with The Toronto Star, Lucy Gaspini, the UTM academic affairs officer who began the training program, reported, “Charges have more than doubled to 388 in 2009-2010 from 182 in 2006-2007.”

Your student council has joined hands with UTM in starting a campaign against those who play dirty. Some initiatives the campaign has produced have already been set in motion and some will advance throughout the year. In firstyear frosh kits, students found helpful little tip-sheets on cheating, and soon you’ll also hear of plagiarism workshops on campus.

What’s more daunting is that the

highest academic court of U of T, which deals with only the most severe cases, “received 38 new complaints in 20082009, up from 21 the year before”, according to an article in The Toronto Star. The surge of academic dishonesty is due to multiple excuses. Gaspini says that “instructors are being more vigilant...students are feeling more pressure to do really, really well…there’s real competition.” Gaspini also noted that students often “forget to cite their sources because of too many deadlines and not enough time… [due to] the pressure of part-time jobs and financial worries.”

Gaspini states that students have been caught in bizarre situations, from “a Morse code-style system of pen clicks to share answers on a multiple-choice test”, to another student who “attracted a bit too much attention by whispering ques-

tions up his sleeve, where a cellphone taped to his arm was transmitting answers from a friend off-site”, to “instructors photocopying a student’s hand as evidence of crib notes before they could be washed off.”

So remember, fellow panickes UTM students, the dangers of plagiarism are many. You have to be careful even if you’re not cheating, so no matter how tempted you may be to bring cheatsheets with you while being escorted to the bathroom or forging letters that say you’re too sick to be conscious, or buying essays from questionable personalities, it’s not worth it. Studying and investing in your own work will not only give you an earned grade, it will give you the opportunity to become a member of a group in which everyone has really experienced the wonders of learning.

No child should have to go to school hungry, but it happens every day all across Canada.

Blessings in a Backpack sends backpacks home full of food for hungry elementary school children who may not have any or enough food on the weekends.

University of Toronto Bookstore partners with

Blessings in a Backpack

Get 20% off a new backpack when you donate an old one.

Drop your backpack off at: St. George Campus Bookstore 214 College Street, Toronto, Tel: 416-640-7900

Mississauga Campus Bookstore 3359 Mississauga Rd N, Mississauga, Tel: 905-828-5246

Scarborough Campus Bookstore 1265 Military Trail, Scarborough, Tel: 416-724-8213

www.uoftbookstore.com

10 THE MEDIUM MONDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2010

FEATURES

Creative Corner

The chase WILLIAM ROBERTSON

Empty bottles and broken dreams Alcohol happiness evades you, it seems You’re in eight deep and starting to fall When all you needed was a friend to call Shuttered remains of dreams you had Were once alive, but now you’re sad to miss the leaves when they fall to the ground; You’d miss the silence when there’s too much sound.

But now those eight Have sealed your fate Because…

The chase has begun with nowhere to go, Almost feels like a brand new low.

That car came out of nowhere; You thought no one would care.

You didn’t stray a moment in life, Till that one night, just a little strife, But now your mistake Decided your fate The chase has begun with nowhere to go, Almost feels like a brand new low.

That car came out of nowhere; You thought no one would care.

I cared.

Being a ninja sort of sucks. I don’t want to eat sauerkraut MANSOUR MELKOUMIAN

It was the sauerkraut at Spigel Hall that made me do it.

It was a Monday, and you know what that means: too little sleep, too little homework done, too much stress. I’d successfully fought (and won) against my roommate Farooq for the rights to use the change we had under the couch. The collection of dirty nickels and one paperclip amounted to eight dollars. Score.

So, swinging my riches in a sock I brought for just such a purpose, I walked into Spigel Hall for some food. No one likes Spigel food but at least you can look at it during daylight and say “Yep, that’s food.

Objectively food.” The food I normally ate didn’t merit such praise. I still didn’t remember what I was eating a week ago or why it made my urine orange and scented with cumin.

I walked into Spigel, coins jingling merrily, and assessed my lunch options. They’d put up a blackboard

up in the hall, and a fetching rainbow of chalk spelled out two options: chickpea curry and sauerkraut. Well, I’m not a huge fan of the curry here, but I didn’t even know what sauerkraut was. It sounded like something you’d catch after a drunken night in Munich. I took my big white Spigel Hall plate, and held it up to the sweet old lunch lady.

“The curry, please,” I said. “With rice.” Because I was classy today.

“Sorry, we’re out,” the lady said.

“We have some sauerkraut though.”

She pointed to a pile of white shreds that glistened with sickly light. They smelled like salt and dying dreams.

“Screw this,” I said. “I’m becoming a ninja.”

“What?” asked the lunch lady.

“I’m becoming a ninja,” I said.

“That... that stuff has no place existing in a sane man’s life. This system has no place existing in a sane man’s life.”

“It’s not that bad,” she said.

“Look, there’s some sides that—” “I slept in a fucking tree last

night!” I said. “I had to chase a squirrel out to do it, and it came back and pooped on me when I was asleep. I work my ass off for classes I hate. I don’t want to eat sauerkraut. You can’t make me do it.”

“I’m not trying to—wait. You slept in a tree?”

“Fuck this!” I shouted. I threw my sock onto the brown tile floors.

Pennies smashed onto the floor, and spun around my feet. “I’m going to fucking learn to throw shurikens at ninja school and have adventures and pizza and get ripped.”

“But there aren’t even ninjas anymore,” the lunch lady protested.

“There’s a Tim Horton’s over there.

For goodness’ sake, just get a doughnut or something.”

“You get a doughnut!” I screamed, and stormed out of the cafeteria, waving my satchel behind me like a cape. It swung around my neck and choked me a little on the way out, but I don’t think anyone noticed.

Also, I had to run back and get the change; I figured becoming a ninja would take a little money.

My roomate Farooq was the first to witness my transformation. He came into our dorm at noon with his girlfriend Ashley.

“Hey, man, can you...what the hell?”

“Greetings, Farooq,” I said, spreading the cape I’d made from our shower curtains with the ducks on them. “Welcome to my den of iniquity.”

“What have you taken and where can I find some?” Ashley asked.

“Silence, woman!” I said. Ashley glared at me and I remembered that time she’d kicked my ass over a Cheeto. “Uh, I mean. Please. If you want.”

“Why are you wearing a cape?

And is that a golf club? Where’d you get a golf club?” Farooq asked.

“I stole my blade from the demon Unagi Donburi,” I said, twirling it around my head and whooping.

Ashley collapsed into tears at the sight of my ferocity.

“I’ll get a better one when I can afford it,” I mumbled. “So anyway, can I kill one of your enemies

for money? I’ll totally.. make them dead.”

“Explain or I’m calling the cops.”

Farooq said. Ashley was on the floor, coughing.

“I’m a ninja now,” I said. “It totally beats being a student. I can smoke now.”

“You already smoke,” Farooq said.

“But now I look cool doing it.”

“You don’t know any martial arts,” Farooq said.

“I do. I played Ninja Gaiden all day and now I can do a flying butterfly swing,” I said.

“I think you need to take a break while I get a counsellor... or something,” Farooq said, backing away.

“You doubt my skill?” I asked.

“A little,” Farooq said. “Let’s just get you to lie down a bit.”

“Just watch,” I said.

Yeah, so anyway, Farooq is dead now and I’m running from the cops.

I spent the night in an alley with a man who insisted I call him “Big Rudy” as he rubbed my knees and made groaning noises. Being a ninja sort of sucks.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2010 THE MEDIUM 11

William Robertson , Editor | sports@mediumonline.ca

Doctober? Time will tell CHRIS CALLAHAN ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR In 13 years, Roy Halladay has done it all on an individual level. He’s won a Cy Young award, appeared in seven all-star games, and firmly established himself as the best pitcher in baseball.

To many baseball fans this wasn’t enough; he still needed to prove his worth on a bigger stage.

This season, he’s finally reached the postseason for the first time in his career. Rather than let the bright lights and increased pressure intimidatehim, Halladay took command and showed the baseball world what he is capable of. Halladay didn’t just win his playoff debut; he was unbelievable. Halladay did the nearimpossible: threw a no-hitter and led the Phillies to a 4-0 victory. He only allowed one walk through nine innings, throwing an incredible 79 strikes on just 104 pitches. The Cincinnati Reds’ hitters looked lost all day. They were behind in the

count often, and Halladay made them look silly with eight strikeouts, 12 routine groundouts, and just six fly balls.

The Reds could not make good contact all game, with Halladay consistently throwing strikes—and this is a team that was first in the National League in runs scored over the course of the 2010 season. In the biggest game of his career, and against challenging competition, Halladay took charge and made a statement. This should not have surprised baseball fans, given that Halladay has put up Cy Young numbers all season, but all the same, playoff success was the only thing he did not have on his résumé.

Now, Halladay is in a tough series with the San Francisco Giants.

Halladay battled the Giants’ ace, Tim Lincecum, who himself had a masterful playoff debut with a 14-strikeout shutout performance against the Braves. Halladay did not have his best stuff in his NLCS debut and took the loss because of lack of control in his cutter. Rest assured, he will be

working hard to regain his form.

Great pitching will certainly be the decisive factor in this series.

If Halladay’s exceptional career is any indication, his success will likely continue throughout October as the Phillies look to reach the World Series for a third straight season.

Halladay has always excelled under pressure, whether it was in big games against the Yankees and Red Sox with Toronto, or this season when he dominated the National League.

He showed in his playoff debut that is competitive nature and incredible physical skills seem to flourish in the pressure-packed atmosphere of playoff baseball.

Fans craving the slugfests associated with the steroid era will likely go without their fix this postseason.

Pitcher duels have been the norm, and they have made for some great baseball. The Phillies and Giants are going to test the old adage that pitching wins championships.

If Halladay keeps this up in 2010, it may prove accurate.

lehighvalleylive.com

Ruiz and Howard congratulate Halladay on his performance.

Canucks come through at Commonwealth Games

flickr.com

Tara Whitten (above) leads the pack. She will be the closing ceremonies flagbearer.

MICHELLE DUKLAS ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

Canada put on a good show at this year’s Commonwealth Games, held in New Delhi, India. After 11 days of events, Canada won 75 medals, and finished fourth in standings behind a dominant Australia, India, and England (in that order).

Canada earned 26 gold medals this year in New Delhi, predominantly in the areas of athletics, swimming, and wrestling.

Alexandre Despatie put up an excellent performance this year, finishing first in 1m springboard, 3m springboard, and 3m springboard syn-

chronized. Despatie is now one of the top 10 most decorated Canadian athletes, having secured his 11th medal (nine gold and two bronze). He has also won the most gold medals ever for a Canadian; and for most medals won in the Commonwealth Games, he’s only one behind Australian swimmers Ian Thorpe, Susie O’Neill, and Leisel Jones. The only thing left on his to-do list is to win gold at the 2012 Olympic Games. At the past two Olympics he has won silver.

Another athlete who excelled in New Delhi was swimmer Brent Hayden from Mission, British Columbia. He took gold in both the 100m freestyle and the 50m freestyle, shattering both Commonwealth record times in the process.

Canada won four gold medals in wrestling thanks to Arjan Bhullar, Justine Bouchard, Ohenewa Akuffo, and Olympic champion Carol Huynh.

Arjan Bhullar was a favourite coming into the games, having finished ninth at last year’s world championships.

Carol Huynh defeated Nirmila Devi of India 7 to 3 for the gold in the 48kg class, while Ohenewa Akuffo took the 72kg gold with her victory over Annabelle-Laure Ali of Camaroon.

Justine Bouchard won gold in the 63kg category after winning against Blessing Orududu of Nigeria.

The most decorated Canadian athlete at these games was cyclist Tara Whitten, who captured gold in the road time trial and bronze in the 25km points race, the team sprints,

and the 3,000m individual pursuit.

Whitten was chosen as the Canadian flagbearer for the closing ceremonies.

The Canadian athletics team’s result was 13 medals. They captured gold in women’s hammer throw, men’s shotput and shotput para-sport, women’s 15,00m para-sport T54, men’s decathlon, and women’s high jump and long jump. They also secured silver in the women’s heptathlon, and women’s 100m hurdles. Finally, they received bronze in women’s triple jump, men’s 1,500m para-sport T54, women’s long jump, women’s pole vault, and women’s 200m and 800m sprints.

The Canadian teams did about as well as expected in gymnastics. They finished with a silver medal in wom-

en’s rhythmic team and had two bronze medals in the men’s and the women’s team finals. They also came away with individual medals in men’s horizontal bar, women’s uneven bars, women’s vault, and women’s balance beam.

Despite all the medals Canadians have earned at these games, this is the first time in 48 years that Canada has not cracked the top three in overall medals. At the last Games they secured third place with a total of 87 medals. What Canada didn’t anticipate this year was that India would more than double their medal count at Melbourne in 2006. No doubt this was due to the “home advantage”, which Canadians know a lot about—just look at the 2010 Olympics.

MONDAY, OCTOBER

18, 2010 THE MEDIUM 12

SPORTS

RAWC prepares for team tryouts NFL: unpredictable RASHMI SRIRANGAN

fits, time-management skills, leadership skills, and health benefits.

Employers and post-graduate schools also look for more well-rounded students, not just academics.�

Krist also hopes more women will take advantage of the facilities at the RAWC. “We don’t have enough women to make campus-rec soccer teams for them,� he said. UTM has 18 men’s soccer teams. The campus-rec soccer teams consist of 10 to 12 students each, and these teams play against each other.

Basketball, another popular sport on campus, held two of its team tryouts on September 21 from 6 to 7 p.m. for women and 7:30 to 9 p.m. for men.

Dance and hip-hop music blared through the speakers as students prepared themselves by stretching, sprinting, and shooting hoops. The drills included dribbling, passing, running, spinning, and scoring with a switch every few minutes. Other students jogged and sprinted on the running track above the gym.

The program coordinator and the coaches encourage more first-year students to participate. “If a first-year

The recent annual and semi-annual team tryouts were the highlight of tricampus, casual co-ed, intramural and campus-rec teams for soccer, basketball, ice hockey, volleyball, football, cricket, and other sports. Students of all ages arrived at least 30 minutes early to show off their basketball and volleyball skills in all three gyms of the Recreational, Athletics & Wellness Centre. The soccer and football tryouts took place at the north and south fields near the RAWC. Throughout the first three weeks of term, the program coordinator, experienced coaches, and the UTM Athletic Council worked hard to plan and promote the tryouts and other athletic activities via the school website, Facebook, and colourful posters around the campus. “Students can develop a number of skills by taking part in sporting and other campus activities,� said Jack Krist, the program coordinator of the Department of Physical Education, Athletics & Recreation. “Social bene-

student and a fourth-year student have similar skills, we are more likely to let the first-year student into the team,� said Neil Sehra, the women’s basketball coach. This is because the first-years have more time to improve and make the team stronger over the years. “I don’t know what my chances are, but I’d like to try anyway,� said firstyear student Jennie Griffin. Around 30 women, including at least 10 firstyear students, showed up at the tryouts in September.

The men’s basketball tryouts were more intense, with many techniques and stricter rules. “I think my chances are good. I’ve been playing basketball since I was two. I have videos of me shooting hoops and stuff,� said John Harvey, a first-year chemistry student.

Another set of tryouts will take place in the beginning of the second semester in January. For more information, please add UTMAC Eagles on Facebook or visit the physical education department website, located at http://www1.erin.utoronto.ca/ w3physed/facilities.php.

MICHAEL SKRZYNIAK No matter how many stats you might know about the NFL, no one can predict exactly how the season will unfold week by week. This time last year, there were five undefeated teams, including the Giants, Broncos, Colts, Vikings, and Saints, and four teams were 0-4: Titans, Rams, Chiefs, and Buccaneers.

My, how times have changed.

Those 5-0 teams through the fifth week of the season now have a combined record of 12-12, and the 0-5 teams, in the 5 weeks have a combined record of 11-7, with the Titans sharing first spot in the AFC South and the Chiefs leading the AFC West at 3-1. I bet that no expert would have seen this coming; it’s amazing how sports can humble even the smartest of experts.

I stopped playing Pro Line because I don’t feel like throwing away my money any more. The NFL landscape changes every week and no matter what you think affects the outcome of a game, there always

seems to be another aspect—for example, fumbles, punt return touchdowns, or unpredictable missed calls; anything can affect the final score. It seems to happen every week, and I don’t know a single person that wins money every week. If this trend continues, it will become more difficult to predict the clear-cut winners, not to mention all of those in a pool where you must predict the spread.

The Saints, who are the defending Super Bowl Champions, were a sure bet last season. But they’ve also become impossible to predict.

Drew Brees has struggled in recent weeks, and the Saints defence’ has been less than stellar this season.

The Vikings picked up Randy Moss in hopes to have a deep threat for Brett Favre to pass to, but they were defeated last week despite their new weapon. That’s why I have decided not to wager anymore.

So if someone has a formula to pick winning games on a consistent basis, please let me know, because I’m tired of throwing away my money and being in the dark.

Leafs off to surprising start stand?— but I’ll put my name in there for sure.’’ MacArthur is not known as a high scorer, but head coach Ron Wilson believes that given the chance, he can surprise people. He’s been doing that so far this season.

Wilson attributes the success to the players accepting their roles on the team. The players realize that not everyone can be a sniper; some have taken diminished roles compared to last season. One player who has excelled in his role is third-liner Tim Brent. Brent has had two goals in the first four games, but more importantly has a +/- of 1. The job of a third-liner is to be hard on the fore-check, and it’s more or less a bonus if a goal is scored. Brent is thrilled, let alone content, to be playing in the NHL full-time at all.

The only problem Wilson can see thus far is the fans getting carried away. After the opening night win against MontrĂŠal, he said, “It’s one game, we’re not going to get carried away; I’m sure they’ve already planned the Stanley Cup parade.â€?

Leafs fans have been looking for something to cheer about since 2004, which was the last time the Leafs made an appearance to the post-season. However, if the Leafs can continue their up-tempo style of play and remain injury-free, Leafs fans will have something to cheer about when playoffs start. Tonight, they could start the season at 5-0 when they take on the Islanders at 7 p.m.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have by far been the most surprising team throughout the first four games of the regular season. They are off to their best start since the 1993-94 season, in which they won their first 10 games of the season before losing to MontrĂŠal.

The recent success can be attributed to their speed and excellent goaltending.

Giguère has made quality saves under pressure, which the Leafs lacked last season with Vesa Toskala. This past Friday, the Leafs were in tough against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden. Phil Kessel had a great game with two goals, one of which was the overtime winner.

It isn’t just the top line that is getting the job done early in the season, although Kessel, Bozak, and Versteeg have chemistry between them and make it look effortless on the ice. The big story is not the first line but the second, and more specifically Clarke MacArthur. He became the first Leaf player in history to record a goal in his first four games with the team. MacArthur spoke of the feat, saying, “I’m in the history books. It’s awesome. What an honour. Who would’ve thought that record would

JP Anderson continues his stellar play against Windsor.

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Good start for Majors WILLIAM ROBERTSON

The Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors are off to an amazing start and are currently sitting in second place in the Central Division with 14 points.

The Majors’ goaltending has been superb this season, led by JP Anderson, who has a 5-1 record backstopping the team thus far. In six games, he has already recorded a shutout and sports an impressive 2.65 GAA (goals against average). Even more impressive for Anderson, he was recently drafted by the San Jose Sharks after a remarkable performance during the Young Stars tournament in British Columbia in early September. Anderson, who is only 18, appeared in two games during the tournament and won both of his starts. Along with the two wins, he

had a 2.00 GAA, and a .920 save percentage. San Jose did not wait long, but immediately signed the young star to an entry-level contract.

As well, backup goaltender Anthony Peters is undefeated in the two games he has played. The duo of goaltenders has a combined save percentage of .901 and a GAA of 2.58.

The Majors can attribute their recent success to the steady attack and scoring coming from an assortment of players. Currently, they have seven players with five points or more, in only eight games played. Devante Smith-Pelly and Justin Shugg have led the Majors’ offence with nine points each.

Without a doubt, the solid goaltending will be needed when the playoffs start and if the Majors continue their remarkable play, they will be a tough contender when the Memorial Cup comes to Mississauga.