Vol. 55 Issue 1 by The Strand

the STRAND VICTORIA UNIVERSITY’S STUDENT NEWSPAPER

VOL. 55 ISSUE 1 • SEPT. 3 2013 • WWW.THESTRAND.CA

Failing Fucking Films Fantasies

CHANGE IN THE AIR

JUXTAPOSITION GLBAL HEALTH MAGAZINE

The Strand sits down with VUSAC president Jelena Savic

Claire Wilkins Just briefly, could you talk about what VUSAC does? This is a hard question; how do you explain what VUSAC does? Basically, we provide a bunch of services for Vic students. Whether they be residents or commuters, we connect them with faculty and administration, we represent them to the administration. We are the student voice for decisions made by admin. We throw a lot of social events and just try to build a Vic community and maintain it throughout the year. What are some new services/activities/events available to Vic students this year? The Goldring Centre is a pretty big new thing this year. We have a commuter lounge that’s handled by the commuter dons and commuter commission. We’re going to be doing a lot of things oriented towards first years, like having study sessions for a lot of the bigger first year courses. For example, this orientation week we have a bucket list where Frosh can try and check off all of the items on the list (like “Meet 5 New People”) and they can enter their list into a draw for Highball tickets and stuff like that. It’s a lot of similar programming as last year but just modified to fit the space of Goldring, as well as collaboration with levies and clubs.

environment, which is obviously kind of challenging to integrate into. We’re going to make a lot more events and activities that we do kind of a combination of social and academic aspects of university life, like study sessions where all Vic students are welcome to come in to Burwash or Goldring and study and hang out. With regard to commuters, how do you plan to integrate them a little bit more into the community? One thing that was done a while back was overnight space in Burwash guest rooms. I think we’re going to incorporate those whenever we have pub nights or any later events so that commuters can come out and stay out as late as residence students, and then just crash there for a night. That’s one of the biggest things that I’m focusing on. Otherwise, we have the commuter lounge in the basement of Goldring, where there is a fridge and a sink for commuters to store and prepare food. There are also lockers in Goldring where students can store their heavier things while they’re out doing stuff around campus. We have VOCA (Victoria Off-Campus Association), which holds free weekly pancake brunches, monthly dinners, and other events throughout the year. VOCA events are cool in that they are open to all Vic students, whether they be residence or commuter.

What are your goals for the upcoming year, and how realistic do you think they will be in practice?

How do you see your role as president changing, given the recent UTSU referendum at Vic?

I think my personal goal is to reach out to the Vic community outside of the “Vic bubble”, which is kind of hard to do. Those students who are already involved around Vic and feel comfortable at Vic events are going to come out anyways. It’s reaching out to the people who don’t know about events or know about them but feel uncomfortable coming because they don’t know anybody or it’s a brand new

I think it’s still pretty much the same but the scope is just a lot bigger. Obviously, my major role is to communicate with admin and with students, and that increases if I have to deal with administration from all around campus and central admin as well. The second thing is to facilitate everything that’s going on. With UTSU, a lot of different parties are involved. The Vice Provost’s office organized a consti-

tutional student society summit, which is basically all of the student societies coming together and talking about what we want and need from the UTSU and how we can work together to make that happen. For us to be successful in that summit, we have to reach out to students, ask them what they need, and then get that message back to the UTSU. Communication with students and then back through to the UTSU will probably be the biggest task that I will have to manage as president. As president of VUSAC, you must often find yourself with much to do in a very little space of time. What are your tips to other students in regards to time-management or de-stressing? It’s really important to get involved because it actually helps with time management, as weird as that sounds. I wasn’t involved at all in first or second year, and so I would have a six-day stretch of classes and nothing else. I wouldn’t study or do my homework, because I knew I would have tons of time to do it. I ended up procrastinating to the point where I couldn’t finish things on time, or if I did it was never as good as it could have been. When you get involved and know where all your time is distributed—be it free time or meetings—you know when it is essential for you to get your schoolwork done in an exact time frame. That half an hour will be the most productive half an hour because you are forced to really concentrate. However, it is important for you to balance how much you do with what you are involved in and what you are studying. When you’re involved in extracurriculars, it seems like it is more important than schoolwork because multiple people are affected, whereas with schoolwork it’s just on you if you don’t do something on time. Remind yourself why you are here in the first place on the most basic level, which is to study and learn, and then put that and your health first and foremost.

“How do I get involved?” Christian Julien t’s a simple question with huge implications. Whether or not you choose to get involved can affect your univesity experience deeply. That being said, this isn’t intended to be a total list of all student groups at U of T, but rather a few basic suggestions about student life at the University of Toronto. One of the best starting points is the “Get Involved” page on the U of T website, which you can find at life.utoronto.ca/get-involved/. This page offers 11 different methods for/paths to involvement. However, the more you read, the more you realize how many options you have. It is no exaggeration to say that there are hundreds of groups for you to get involved with. There are lots of different names for the student groups that you can get involved with: clubs, levies, student councils, teams, associations. Don’t be intimidated by all the names and acronyms. To keep it simple, I would like to refer to them all as groups. Firstly, what interests you? Passionate about mental health awareness? Social justice? Social events? All of the above? The University of Toronto offers literally hundreds of clubs, levies, faith-based groups, course unions, and other groups to get involved in. One could spend days just sorting through them all. If you have an idea of what you are looking for, then it’s easier to choose. However, if you're like me and have no clue, just pick one (or three) and go with it. If you encounter a group that seems even remotely interesting, ask if they have an email list or social media presence of any kind. This may feel unusually forward, but most clubs really want to expand their memberships. When you ask for their information, it’s a compliment because something about their group made it stand out next to hundreds of competitors. Later on, if you decide that you no longer want to be a part of that club, just ask to be taken off their email list. No pressure. Secondly, ask what the time commitment will be like. We’re busy people. Whether it is with jobs, friends, family, or coursework, it can be hard to find time to devote to a group that interests you. However, different groups will make different demands on your time, and different groups will offer different levels of flexibility regarding scheduling. For example, volunteers at Caffiends (Vic's fair trade café) do one shift a week; each lasting one hour. On the other hand, someone who works as a college council president, or an editor at the Varsity will spend numerous hours each week meeting their responsibilities. Some groups by their very natures demand less time than others, especially if you do not have a formal leadership role in them. Spending five minutes on Google can be enlightening. Many student groups have websites or pages on other websites, but the downside to this method is that you need to know the name of the group you’re interested in if you want to find anything. If you don’t, you might want to look at websites specifically devoted to clubs, like Ulife, or the VUSAC Clubs website. The UTSU (U of T Student Union) also has a bunch of clubs, if you want to go outside of your college.

THOMAS LU

If you’re feeling adventurous, you can just show up to a club meeting without knowing a thing about them. Read the weekly VUSAC listserv, pick a group or event that sounds interesting, and attend. It might seem a little awkward to show up to a club meeting when you don’t know anyone there. But remember—you probably aren’t the only one feeling a little out of place. As hard as it can be, the best way to break out of your shell is to go talk to a few people. In fact, the more people you get to know, the better your chances are of getting involved in something awesome. It’s amazing how small U of T can feel when you ask around and notice how many students know each other. Student leaders tend to be especially interconnected. Since so many of us are involved with at least one student association, conversations with many students naturally lead into which groups they are a part of. Maybe even ask them if they ever want help with their group, or about a particular event that interests you. If you think U of T is missing that one really awesome club, then start it! The VUSAC Clubs website is amazing for this and will walk you through starting your club step-by-step. If your club needs money, then you can apply for funding through initiatives like the Special Projects Fund. Joining a club isn’t a lifetime commitment. Once you attend a group's event or meeting,

never feel pressured to return. You owe them no obligation, and you can ask them to delete you from their email list anytime. But before you do that, consider that even if you can’t go to all their events, you can still be a valuable member of the group. Even attending a fraction of the meetings can still allow you to learn new skills, make friends, and have some fun. You could also just leave without a word—but it never hurts to be polite. For a school with tens of thousands of students, U of T can feel delightfully small. You never know who knows who, and you may be surprised when two of your friends randomly know each other. Personally, I’ve found that most of the students here are very nice people. Are they all nice? Hell no. Nevertheless, you’ll be surprised how many friends you can make simply by saying hello in a random situation: standing in line, walking to class, or sitting awkwardly in a tutorial before it starts. If you’re sitting in a room where no one is talking and you’re feeling a tad uncomfortable, chances are many of those people feel exactly the same way. So try saying hi! The worst that can happen is that the conversation goes nowhere—so what? The wonderful thing about university is that you don’t have to care as much what other people think of you. You aren’t in high school anymore, so get out there and get involved!

OUR MASTHEAD Editors-in-Chief

Patrick Mujunen Paula Razuri Blaire Townshend

News

Catriona Spaven-Donn

Opinions

Sara Deris

Features

Amanda Aziz Emily Pollock

Arts & Culture

Claire Wilkins

Film & Music

Dominique Béchard

Stranded

Vacant

Production

Vacant

Design

Jade Bryan Sarah Crawley

Copy

Matthew Casaca

Photo

Victoria Chuen Thomas Lu

Art

Wenting Li

Web

Thanasi Karachotzitis

Distribution

Nigel Maynard

Editorial Assistants

Vacant

Cover Art Sarah Crawley Contributors Geoff Baillie, Christian Julien, Eric Leung, Tara McTavish, Katarina Sabados, Melissa Stiles Photos Sadia Awan, Thomas Lu, Kent Phuong Illustrations Wenting Li, Emily Pollock

The Strand has been the newspaper of record for Victoria University since 1953. It is published 12 times a year with a circulation of 2000 and is distributed in Victoria University buildings and across the University of Toronto’s St. George campus. The Strand debaucherously enjoys its editorial autonomy and is committed to acting as an agent of constructive social change. As such, we will not publish material deemed to exhibit racism, sexism, homo/trans*phobia, ableism, or other oppressive language. The Strand is a proud member of the Canadian University Press (CUP). Our offices are located at 150 Charles St. W., Toronto, ON, M5S 1K9. Please direct enquiries by email to editor@thestrand.ca. Submissions are welcome and may be edited for taste, brevity, and legality.

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LET’S FUCK TALK I have a confession to make; I love sex. I read about it, talk about it, think about it, study it, and, on occasion(s), do it. But here’s the thing: I’m not alone. In fact, 31.6% of college students report having more than one sexual partner a year, and a study done in the Journal of Sex Research showed that university men and women think about sex as much as food or sleep. If this is the case, then why is it still so taboo? We live in a society based upon outdated conceptions. Sex is dirty. Sex is shameful. Sex should be kept in the bedroom (or maybe the kitchen, if you’re daring). Obviously guys are horny 100% of the time, and girls don’t clear their browser history. Masturbation? A thing of mancaves and Jonah Hill jokes. Sex toys? For if you’re not getting any. And as for your sex life—don’t ask, and don’t tell. That’s why I decided to write this column: to be part of the conversation regarding changing attitudes about sex overtaking Toronto. Uof T is gradually undergoing a second sexual revolution, where you can have your sex and talk about it, too. I want to share my sexual experiences with you so that you can explore your own sexuality above, under, and between the sheets. And if you’d rather lock up sex and throw away the key, then feel free to do so; but you may want to skip the naughty bits and head over to News. Since this is the frosh issue, I felt it’d be helpful to newbie nymphos (and even you senior sexpots) to provide a field guide to sex at Uof T. Unfortunately, I cannot provide a willing partner—that’s up to you—but I can provide some insight into the world of sex, on campus and off. Sexual Education Centre (SEC) If you want to learn more about anything sexrelated (or just want free condoms), SEC is the place to go. SEC is a student-run organization at Uof T that specializes in anything and everything from sex education to counseling. Throughout the year, they hold workshops and events ranging from Porn and Cookies and Kinky Science Fairs to BDSM 101 and Pride Week marches. During frosh week, they hold sexy (and hilarious) intros around campus that you definitely don’t want to miss. Even if you think you already know everything about sex, what’s the harm in grabbing some authentic SEC condoms? Uof T Student Health Centre Every student is covered by UTSU’s student health plan, so as long as you have your student ID and health insurance, you can book an appointment or drop in for medical care. It’s always a good idea to get regular STD and STI tests even if you only have one partner; it’s easy, quick, and right on campus. For girls under the student health plan, you can get the HPV shot completely free of charge right there—in case you didn’t know, HPV (human papillomavirus) is so common that nearly all sexually active men and women get it at least once in their lives. Even better, you can get contraception and emergency contraception at a special discounted price. Sex shops! If you’ve never been to a sex shop before, unconjure the image of a dark seedy basement with porn on VHS, because Toronto has some of the best sex boutiques around. The first time I went into a sex shop I was so embarrassed that I could

barely talk to the clerk, and now I’m such a regular that sometimes I just walk around for fun. Trust me—even if you don’t want to buy a ny t h i ng , just browsing can be really educational, and you never know what you’ll discover (Alice in Wonderland vibrators, anyone?) The people who work there are always super friendly and willing to answer any questions. If you want to dip your toe in the water (or plunge right into a full-body leathersuit) some great places near campus are Seduction on Yonge, Good for Her on Queen West, and the Stag Shop near Yonge and Dundas. The Uof T Course Calendar Don’t worry, you didn’t miss a page of Kama Sutra diagrams between Jewish Studies and Kinesiology; but what you may not have noticed is University College’s Sexual Diversity Studies program. I didn’t know it existed until recently, and now I’m doing a specialist degree in it! Even if it’s completely unrelated to what you’re studying, the intro course History & Sexualities (UNI255H1) gives an interesting overview of sex in society. It’s even available in the summer, so you can learn about sex and then go have it on the beach (…of Lake Ontario). Right Here! Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be a stripper? Or the typical day on a porn set, behind the lights and lube? What’s a g-spot or a P-spot, STDs and STIs, SDS and BDSM and LGBTQ? Sex shouldn’t have to be complicated, unless you want it to be (as my overstuffed “toybox” can attest). Four years ago I couldn’t even say the word “vagina” let alone write a column about mine (pictures not included). But now that I finally feel confident about my sexuality, I believe that everyone should have the right to fuck their way to enlightenment (with protection!) whether they’re in a committed relationship, single gay, straight, bi, male, female, trans, size 0-100, 32A-36G or 2” to 9” and a half. My goal is to make this column less like your eighth-grade health class with those projections of diseased penises and pleas for abstinence, and more like your second bedroom. Hopefully this can be a judgement-free space to discuss and learn about sex, and, more importantly, have a hell of a lot of fun. So, sexy people, I propose to you a homework assignment: I want you to send in any sex-related curiosities, questions, dilemmas, or incidents to sex@thestrand.ca and I’ll research it as thoroughly as I can (hey, it’s hard work!) and it may just be the topic of my next column. Just no dick pics, please! Stay safe and stay sexy, Your literate nympho,

Miss Scarlet X

from the

EDITORS So you’ve picked up a copy of the paper. Let me first say—we love you. Devoted readership is hard to come by, so you’re already halfway to becoming our new best friend. Write us an article and we’ll grovel at your feet. But seriously, we do what we do here because we’re convinced that student journalism is the tops, the shiznit, the vocation sans pareil, what have you, and we hope that you either feel the same or are easily swayed. I’m about to begin my fourth year at Vic and my third at The Strand. In the interest of full disclosure, I’ll be clear that there was no swaying necessary for my initiation into The Strand; I had already been lost to high school journalism for years. However, I can safely say that my concept of journalism itself has changed since joining the masthead here.

My fellow staff members constantly amaze me with their ability to cut through the bullshit and zero in on issues that concern our generation, whether that be an exposé on mental health services for students, or an homage to the unwitting tour de force film, Spring Breakers. We cover it all here. But what may well interest you more is that I have never had more fun at Vic than when ensconced in our grungy old office for a red-eye layout shift, drinking ungodly amounts of tea (insert coffee if you’re so inclined) and listening to questionable nineties music while jokes ricochet over the computer stations. Maybe it’s not everyone’s cup of tea. But it’s certainly mine—and perhaps it could be yours, too. Welcome to Vic, and happy reading. BLAIRE TOWNSHEND

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Amanda Aziz Perspective... First year was a struggle for me. I barely got out of bed, had trouble handing in assignments on time, and was transitioning from one breakdown to another. And admitting that is still hard when you’re surrounded by people claiming that first year was a breeze for them. My year-long downward spiral occured not because I dropped out of two full-year courses and one half-year course (good job, me), but because my pride matched that of the average first year student—a pride far too inflated to be realistic, and that made me refuse help until the 11th hour. I spent eight months having to redefine what getting help means; and from what I now know, it has nothing to do with surrendering or losing. Above all, I had to let go of other people’s opinions of what failing and getting help means. Yes, you will come across people who look down on extensions, and yes, you will come across people who aren’t as understanding of what you are going through and may laugh at your new schedule because you had to drop so many courses, but that doesn’t mean that they get the final laugh when you realize this; everyone needs guidance. No one

was programmed to withstand every single disastrous thing that happens in their life under any and all conditions. You’re not a fucking water bear (google that up). You’re human.

Reality Check... Funnily enough, being in university has forced me to consider the concept of education itself as being inherently fluid. It’s not about four years of being on autopilot and getting straight A+’s. Nor is it about being better or more entitled than those who don’t have a degree to their name. On top of this, the idea of a degree guaranteeing you a job has become so obsolete that choosing to major in a more employable subject doesn’t make your degree worth any more than one that is not. If you have decided to go to university, you have hopefully done so because you are interested in studying whatever subject you have chosen to pursue. And guess what? Some of us may not necessarily take five courses a year. Some of us may well finish in five or six years. Some of us may even go to university, only to realize that we don’t belong here. And that isn’t a bad

thing. It doesn’t mean that you’re compromising your intelligence if you decide to take a different path than is dictated by the status quo. You’re still getting something out of your education, even if it isn’t a diamond-encrusted transcript.

Unsolicited Advice... And adaptation doesn’t stop there. Yeah, yeah, you survived the immature cesspool that’s called high school, but that doesn’t mean that you’ve transformed into a university student who has got it all together on day one of your first class. You’re going to fuck up, stumble (maybe while drunk), or have trouble fitting in with any given group from the get go. And most definitely you are not going to achieve your magnum opus with that first essay of yours. Anything mid-way through the process of transitioning into a finished product doesn’t look great. It looks like shit— complete, utter, terrible shit—before we reach our peak. But that’s the point of evolution, of improvement. We don’t evolve into wit-stricken intellectuals overnight. We have our whole university careers to do that. Just allow that adaptation to happen naturally.

Emily Pollock As anyone who’s ever been in the Ontario gifted program probably knows, it’s a breeding ground for perfectionism. You’re surrounded by incredibly keen and intelligent people who somehow think that any mark under 80% is conclusive proof of Original Sin. This has the effect of instilling a) a lifelong love of learning and/or b) a pathological fear of failing, and I can hardly claim to be immune.

Perspective...

ing the University, I realized that I might have been overthinking it a little. My mark wasn’t as terrible as I’d thought, and the assignment had basically no bearing on the final mark. So not only had I failed, but I’d also failed at failing, by turning a tiny assignment into Failapalooza 2012. From this, I learned a lot about writing a university paper, but I learned even more about what was and wasn’t A Big Deal. Your first few university marks, for example, fall squarely into the second category.

Reality Check... With my rich and storied experience of failure, I thought I was prepared for anything that university could throw at me. I’d been given the “Your Marks Will Go Down A Little But That’s Okay” talk, so I was convinced that I was up to the challenge. I’ll give you a moment to laugh. My first mark I got back in English was (no joke) the worst mark I’d gotten since the TDSB stopped forcing me to take physics in Grade 10. It was so bad that I idly wondered if they would actually rescind my position in Vic One or, indeed, at U of T. I could see the letter; “To whom it may concern. We have been belatedly informed that you are, in fact, an idiot.” At least, that was how it seemed at the time. Afterwards, when no hooded monks came to take me away for sham-

University may have tempered my attitude towards failing, but it was working as a camp counselor that provided the real trial by fire. Children destroy the best-laid plans with a kind of demonic glee, and plans made when running on zero hours of sleep aren’t the best-laid to begin with. My first year as a counselor, I was showing my kids how to make candles and I looked away from the melting pot to break up a fight. When I looked back, comically huge flames were shooting out of it like a southern televangelist in midpreach. I told my kids in an unreasonably calm voice that “it was just what the wax did sometimes”, and somehow managed to get the fire out. I knew it had to be the worst mistake anyone had made in the History of the Camp, but when I asked the previous years’ craft counselor, she laughed and

said it had happened to her too. It’s important to remind yourself that you aren’t as special or important as you think. Every mistake you make has been made before in a Circle of Dumb stretching back to the beginning of time. And friends are there to stop you from taking yourself too seriously, to give you perspective on how boring your mistakes really are. If you’re lucky, they can even help you laugh at them.

Unsolicited Advice... For every brilliant idea there are a hundred monumental failures in its past— and the ideas certainly don’t succeed without the screw-ups. Only doing things you’re sure you’ll succeed at is a special kind of mediocrity, one that never challenges its borders or overreaches its limits. But the borders are where we learn how to live for real. At the end of my first year, one of my professors said that “caution is an overrated virtue”. It stuck with me because that’s not a message that we often get from teachers or people in charge. Instead, we hear about the diminishing chances of getting jobs, and how that necessitates settling—not taking risks, not screwing up. We rarely hear that failing is a necessary part of life. But maybe we should.

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TOP LIVE MUSIC VENUES GEOFF BAILLIE It’s no secret that Toronto is one of Canada’s most musically diverse cities. If you wanted, you could venture out and encounter a live music experience every night of the week. Unfortunately, the financial demands of university life can be a bit of a hindrance to that habit. Thankfully, there are a number of live venues in Toronto that offer concerts for those of us who can’t afford to part ways with $90 for the bigticket performances. Here are some of Toronto’s best venues that offer live music for little more than the price of a meal at Burwash.

PHOTOS: SADIA AWAN & KENT PHUONG

WHY YOU’LL LOVE IT: WHY YOU’LL LOVE IT: Formerly known as The Annex Live, Measure is one of Toronto’s prime venues for local acts. Pairing a small intimate space with a friendly bar staff, Measure is the perfect venue to catch young Toronto artists before they blow up into the mainstream. Are you a musician? Swing by one of their open mic nights and get yourself involved in our city’s thriving scene. From reggae to heavy metal, a night at this venue guarantees a diverse range of great music and captivating performances.

CLAIM TO FAME: First Rate People performed a marathon 3-hour set to a snowed in crowd during last winter’s biggest storm.

The Horseshoe is a much-loved staple of the Toronto music industry. Since its opening in 1947, the Queen West venue has served as a final stage for Toronto bands like Our Lady Peace, Blue Rodeo, and Metz before they rose to worldwide acclaim.

CLAIM TO FAME: In 2001, when Toronto hardcore punk band Fucked Up’s frontman Damian Abraham was working as a bouncer at The ‘Shoe, The Strokes singer Julian Casablancas approached him, dropped a cigarette, said, “methanol makes me horny”, and kissed Abraham on the neck.

UPCOMING SHOWS: Crystal Stilts, King Khan & the Shrines, Sebadoh LOCATION: 370 Queen St. West

UPCOMING SHOWS: Toronto Artist Collective Local Showcase LOCATION: 296 Brunswick Ave

WHY YOU’LL LOVE IT:

WHY YOU’LL LOVE IT: The country and roots music dominated Dakota Tavern will offer solace to the froshies who left behind the pastoral bliss of banjo pluckin’ on farmhouse porches in rural counties. The amount of raw folk energy that the average night in this cozy basement venue generates would send Mumford & Sons crawling back into the hollowed oak tree from which they emerged.

CLAIM TO FAME:

Lee’s Palace is arguably Toronto’s most well-known venue for alternative and indie rock bands. Sticky floors and strong acoustics make for memorable concerts in this intimate space. Lee’s is a goto stop for critically acclaimed acts passing through the city. Be warned: all shows at Lee’s are strictly 19+. Leave your fake Saskatchewan Driver’s License at home; these bouncers will know an underager when they see one.

CLAIM TO FAME: In Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Pilgrim (Michael Cera) squares off against his girlfriend’s third evil ex while his band plays a gig at the old, pre-renovation Lee’s Palace.

UPCOMING SHOWS:

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Aaron The Dakota offers a $12 all you can eat breakfast every Sunday Carter morning. A healthy blend of hash browns, bacon, eggs, and freshLOCATION: 529 Bloor St. West ly squeezed orange juice set to a soundtrack of gentle bluegrass twang serves as an irresistible hangover cure. UPCOMING SHOWS: The Glorious Sons, Sean Pinchin Once you take your first step into Toronto’s music scene, you’ll quickly LOCATION: 249 Ossington Ave find yourself immersed in a diverse and engaging community. Don’t

miss Toronto’s two major music festivals: Canadian Music Week in May, and NXNE in June, where thousands of bands will be coming to the city and filling the venues to capacity for a week of awesome music. 8

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One of the perks of living in one of North America’s most multicultural cities is the variety of food on offer: from independently owned to chain establishments, express Sushi to slow-cooked hearty meals, almost all regions of the world are represented in the culinary landscape of Toronto. As a post-secondary student, it’s difficult to balance schoolwork, extracurricular activities, and “finding yourself”; what’s even more difficult is finding the time to squeeze in a healthy meal that’s within your budget. But have no fear, frosh! The following is a starter’s guide that will (hopefully) help set you on your way to discovering your own affordable eating gems.

Pho Hung 374 Spadina Ave

One of the first things I did upon starting my university career in Toronto was to determine where the best pho place was and whether I could get there and back in time for my three o’clock Astronomy tutorial. Pho Hung was originally located across from the ROM, next to the now non-existent McDonald’s, but was closed due to redevelopment. However, it is now located on the border of Chinatown and Kensington, still offering some of the best $7 vegetable vermicelli in the city. Many establishments claim the title of “Best Pho”, but few have as diverse a menu or such generous portions for a student-budget as Pho Hung.

Ding Dong Pastries & Café 321 Spadina Ave

This one should really be on the “5 Toronto Eats for Under $5” list considering you can get a 3-course lunch for about $4. Although the bakery is known for a good breakfast/ light lunch, it’s ideal for grabbing something on the go, or stocking up your dorm room for late night cram sessions and early weekend mornings when Burwash still hasn’t opened. Filled with delicious Asian pastries like sticky red bean rice balls (3 for $1), various chicken/pork rolls (2 for $1), and egg tarts (3 for $1) that are baked fresh, this Spadina gem offers a few caféstyle seats in the storefront if you want to enjoy your baked goods on location.

Say Cheese!

337 Bloor St. West

Nothing cures homesickness like a good ol’ fashioned grilled cheese sandwich— with a unique twist! With menu options such as Pulled Pork & Pasta, Kim-Cheese (Kimchi & mozzarella cheese) and the trademark Nacho Libre (homemade guacamole, cheddar cheese, salsa, and jalapeños), as well as many other vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free alternatives, Say Cheese has something for everyone. All of their ingredients are fresh, and all of their sauces/dressings are homemade, not to mention the wide variety of cheeses available: Kraft slices to premium Beemster XO cheese, and everything in-between. While the price of a sandwich is under $6, the menu offers a unique selection of side dishes (classic Mac & Cheese, potatoes, soup, spring mix salad) for $2-3. But the sandwich itself is more than enough.

Mucho Burrito

no extra charge, which begs the question: portion size. Available in small, regular, mucho, or as a bowl, one of these burritos will be the only meal you need for the day at about $8.

Poutini's House of Poutine 1120 Queen St. West

Last but certainly not least! A good weekend stop after losing about three pounds in dance-sweat at a Dwayne Gretzky concert (Toronto’s best cover band), Poutini’s is located in the West Queen West neighborhood, a bit of a trek from campus, but what better way to explore a great Canadian city than to ravish the best Poutine place in the area! Open late (3 AM, Thurs-Sat), it features vegan and gluten free options, not to mention the freshest ingredients brought in every other day from a local farm, served in recycled, environmentallyfriendly bowls for about $8 on average. It doesn’t get more Canadian than that.

263 Queen St. West

The only chain-restaurant on this list, but well worthy of its place. Located right below OCAD University, near the Osgoode subway, Mucho Burrito is the preferred spot for Canadian-style Mexican food in the U of T area (do yourselves a favour and skip Burrito Planet on St. George & College, unless you like your burritos poorly wrapped and soggy). Unlike many other burrito bars, you can choose both black and pinto beans with rice in your burrito at 9

My Friends Paper Lions VANCOUVERMUSICREVIEW.COM

F/M

Tara McTavish

ugust 20 marked the release of My Friends, the newest album by the Canadian indie pop band Paper Lions. This sophomore album is an excellent reintroduction to the band, as their sound has markedly developed from the initially rough but pleasing style of their early years. Their first song, “Bodies in the Winter”, introduces the anticipatory sounds of fastpaced drums juxtaposed with smooth guitar. As it develops, singer John MacPhee takes over, delivering the loosely poetic and sim-

Eric Leung

first heard Absolutely Free when they opened for an Ak ron/Family concer t at Lee’s Palace on Apr il 19, 2013. As often happens, they were bet ter than the actual band I’d paid to see. Absolutely Free are from Toronto, and were or iginally called MM/DD/Y Y Y Y. The band members are Mike Cla xton, Jordan Holmes, Mat t K ing, and Mosh Rozenberg. Their music can be classified as an exper imental, aesthetic approach to k rautrock/ psychedelic rock. It’s a strange mix, but it definitely works. On Januar y 12, 2013, they launched their debut t welve-inch single, “UFO/Glass Tassle (One Big Silence)”. I have listened to “UFO” on repeat ever since I first heard it, and I honestly still cannot make up my mind about it. The song seems to balance on the fine line bet ween genius and superficialit y; it encompasses both (or none) of these qualities. The merging of multiple different st yles, such as the opening operatic lurch and the slow screamo that follows, is an interesting alter native device. However, does this multiplicit y of st yle

ple lyrics that have become a staple of the band’s signature sound. ‘Bodies’ is just one of four songs the Paper Lions have redone for this album, having previously recorded them for their all-acoustic EP At Long Creek. This is not the first time the band has chosen to experiment with their older material, and it seems to be a technique they are quite comfortable with; both versions of ‘Travelling’ are highly recommended. The album is reminiscent of a slower, more melodic reincarnation of The Beach

Boys, evoking images of warm sand and vintage Polaroid shots of friends. The album’s single is catchy, simple, and nostalgic, with lyrics that are a sure fix for homesickness. Try “Pull Me In”, a fast paced end of summer pick me up, and “Philedalphia”; a softer, sweeter tune to curl up with after a long day in the real world. My Friends is the best chapter yet in Paper Lions history; a great blend of their acoustic abilities and of their crowd-pleasing pop rock jams.

Absolutely Free are absolutely brilliant take away from the music? It is possible to obser ve that a song loses any or iginalit y it might possess when it at tempts to reproduce a var ious mix of st yles. From one perspective, Absolutely Free are stick ing a bunch of ideas together in order to create chaotic noise, instead of creating a new (and therefore or iginal) sound. However, I believe that it is this conglomeration of “copied” st yles that creates one unique music. This is a concept upon which an independent, contemporar y culture relies. In this sense, Absolutely Free’s “UFO” is a monument to this view of moder nit y. Something else that I admire about their music is its rhy thm, par ticularly the dr umming st yle. For most of their songs, t wo of the band members are playing the dr ums, including the singer. I have always admired a musician who can keep a smooth, unfalter ing tune while thrashing at a dr um set. It is unusual for me to discover a band at a live venue without having previously listened to their music, whether online or on the radio. It is a great exper ience to encounter music in such a present, raw man-

ner. After falling in love with “UFO” as a live per for mance, I must say that the recorded, “second-hand” edition of the song on my iPod seems a lit tle tr ite and cheap. Unfor tunately, this means that those who do not have the chance to see Absolutely Free in action on stage are definitely missing out on the freshness of their per formance. Although Lee’s Palace was almost completely empt y r ight before Absolutely Free walked on stage, the venue rapidly filled up with eager Torontonians as soon as they began to play. It is my belief that the concer t was in fact crowded not for the disappointing Ak ron/Family per formance, but in anticipation of Absolutely Free’s opening act. After the band had completed their set, they quickly merged with the crowd of spectators, who in tur n greeted them with familiar shouts and applause. They seem to have a large following, of which I am now a par t. These days, even though they are just launching their musical careers, they ver y rarely have a rest from per for mances.

DENIS VILLENEUVE AND CLAN:

WENTING LI

The Canadian lineup at TIFF

Melissa Stiles

he Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) spans the ten days between September 5 and September 15. This year’s Canadian lineup includes many notable directors, such as Denis Villeneuve, Michael Dowse, Jennifer Baichwal, Robert Lepage, Xavier Dolan, and Ingrid Veninger. While scrolling through the list of Canadian participants at the Toronto International Film Festival, I was thrilled to see two motion pictures by Quebec-based director Denis Villeneuve who has already won three Best Picture Genie Awards for the films Maelstrom (2001), Polytechnique (2010), and Incendies (2011). He also received the Academy Award for Best Foreign Film for Incendies. The first Villeneuve film being screened at TIFF this year is Prisoners, starring Hugh Jackman and Jake Gyllenhaal. Prisoners follows a father’s mental collapse after the kidnapping of two girls (one of whom is his own). He kidnaps the man he believes responsible for his daughter’s disappearance in an attempt to induce him to confess his crime. Jackman plays the role of the father, while Gyllenhaal plays the detective investigating the case. The second Denis Villeneuve piece being

shown at TIFF will be Enemy, also starring Jake Gyllenhaal. This film is an adaptation of the novel The Double by Nobel Prize-winning author José Saramago. It tells the story of a history teacher (Gyllenhaal) who spots his doppelgänger in a bit role of a movie, and decides to track him down. Enemy is set in Toronto, and Villeneuve stylistically merges the reality of city life with an opaque world of dreams. From the buzz surroundings its arrival, Enemy is slated to be one of the leading Canadian films at TIFF this year. With its Dostoyevskybased theme of doubleness, it supports the uncanny tradition that characterizes Canadian cinema. There is an interesting diversity of Canadian features in this year’s TIFF lineup. Besides Villeneuve, some of the other noteworthy directors include Michael Dowse, Jennifer Baichwal, Robert Lepage, and Xavier Dolan. Dowse, the Canadian director of Goon and FUBAR, brings The F Word to TIFF. This film is a romantic comedy starring Daniel Radcliffe, who cannot accept the fact that the girl he loves simply wants to be friends. Baichwal also returns this year with Watermark—a film shot in 5K ultra-high definition video—which ex-

amines the world’s varying relationships with water. It’s been many years since Robert Lepage’s last TIFF appearance, which came in 2003 with The Far Side of the Moon. This year, he makes a comeback with the feature Triptych, based on his celebrated theatre work Lipsynch. This storyline presents and interweaves the lives of three troubled characters: a bookseller with psychiatric problems, a brain surgeon with a hand tremor, and a jazz singer struggling with her voice. Director Xavier Dolan presents Tom at the Farm, a drama about a homosexual man who attends the funeral of his closeted lover whose family is deep in denial. Another Canadian film that is generating quite a bit of interest is Ingrid Veninger’s The Animal Project. This feature tells the story of a drama teacher who tries to liberate his students through theatre, while struggling with his own identity issues. While French-Canadian cinema has a tendency to outperform other Canadian-based films at TIFF, there is a lot of recognition potential in this year’s lineup. The blend of old notables and new faces mean that the fare will be unpredictable — but definitely excellent.

No highschool lover Paula Razuri He was an older gentleman, probably a scholar. No, definitely a scholar, judging by his carefully displayed collection of Kerouac and Miles Davis that you caught a glimpse of as you walked by his open door on move-in day. You’ll always remember the way his behind looked wrapped tightly in those form-fitting jeans. It was then that he first said hello, or maybe it was a grunt…whether he was taken aback by your fresh-faced youth, or simply overwhelmed by the ball-cinching vice grip of his too-skinny jeans, it didn’t matter; you were smitten. The next day, you watched him from your window while he approached your roommate and a small group of smokers. Like a Casanova but with much worse posture, he extended his palm to plead your roommate’s charity. It only took a few more failed cigarette-based mimes before your roommate relinquished the luckiest Belmont cigarette in the world, and you let out a sigh as curls of smoke drifted out from between his lips as he tried to impress the circle by namedropping entry-level philosophers. Later on you would ask your roommate what they talked about, but there would be nothing to report; your new beau carried himself with the minimalism of Beckett coupled with the secrecy of Garbo, and from then on, you knew that he was the one for you. After all, he you were much smarter than the others around here, much wiser than your 18 years, and as an older and almost certainly smarter partner, the Adonis of awkwardness had much to teach you about life and, most importantly, the ways of love.

He wouldn’t be easy to talk to. Watching this sexual savant from afar taught you that his verbal exchanges were limited, but there was something about the way that his mouth was always slightly open, his lips about to lay down some baritone notes about pharmaceutical companies that made you weak in the knees and itchy on the scalp. Your friends noticed your nervous ways around your beloved, and they warned you that he was no good—but it didn’t matter, you knew that his age and whip-quick references to Big Bang Theory jokes made him the one for you. You knew that to get into his good books (and subsequently, pants) you would have to be even subtler than the whisper of whiskers that adorned his beautiful visage. Days went by, but they felt like weeks. You hadn’t seen the object of your admiration for some time, only heard soundbytes from some friends of friends who were unhappy about your stud-muffin’s bohemian lifestyle of booze-moochery. The next time you saw him, it caught you off guard; he was standing right in front of the doors of the library and, shocked by his sudden presence, your feet stalled for just a minute. In a last-ditch effort to save face, you reached for your phone and pretended to be busy for a minute while you moseyed over a safe ten-foot distance from where he stood. You looked up for a second. He was deep in thought, his eyes teetering on the brink of focus, clearly so regularly distracted by the complexities of modern life that he let his musk build to a nostril-titillating spiciness you’d never

smelt before. You were much more aware of your body—the way your limbs felt heavy and your vision was hazy, you could swear you were swimming in his beauty. Your skin felt like it was glowing with a fiery intensity only surpassed by the ever-longing ache of desire manifested in your tender, quivering loins. As if dreaming, his beyond perfect head swivelled in your direction, but you didn’t look away. Nights of longing faded away into this moment of final intercourse, and you wouldn’t have it any other way. He licked his chalk white lips with a perfect, pink tongue and opened his mouth to speak. “Do you have a smoke?”

WENTING LI

Frosh Scavenger Hunt! What better way to compliment your first week at university than by completing a re-incarnated scavenger hunt of the Vic and Greater Vic Area? Keep your peepers peeled for all nine items and bring your completed ballot to The Strand’s recruitment night where you will be showered with admiration and possibly pizza.

“It’s really conceptual”

Punk-ass squirrels

Punk-ass kids

Disturbingly detailed statue genitalia

The bagel-eating, cross-campus sprint

Any of the following t-shirts: tuxedo, Che Guevara, Vote for Pedro, Bazinga

Recycled Strand content

Burwash bugs

Somebody sobbing outside the registrar’s office