Vol. CXXXV, No. 2
University of Toronto’s Student Newspaper Since 1880
8 September, 2014
Behind Bedroom Doors Inside the personal spaces of young adults in Toronto Features, pg. 12
University, union extend deadline in contract negotiations United Steelworkers Local 1998 represents about 7,000 university staff Salvatore Basilone and Amitpal Singh VARSITY CONTRIBUTORS
University administration and the United Steelworkers (usw) Local 1998, which represents about 7,000 U of T staff, are working to reach a deal on a new employee compensation agreement before Monday, September 15 at 12:01 am. The new deal will replace the previous employee compensation agreement signed in 2011. If no deal is reached, there is the possibility of a strike or lockout, but neither party has announced plans for such measures at this point. Last Friday, September 5, the strike deadline was extended from Monday, September 8 to September 15.
“The [last] collective agreement expired June 30. The Labour Relations Act allows the previous agreement to remain in force until you get to a legal strike and lockout position,” said Stuart Deans, Toronto area coordinator for usw Local 1998. “If we are at 12:01 am and are making good progress; if we can see that we just need a few more hours or even a day to do it, we’ll extend that deadline on mutual agreement of the parties to get the thing done. But, if we are far apart and there is no chance that we can bridge that gap, then likely what that will lead to is a labour dispute and all of the facets that go with that,” Deans added. Althea Blackburn-Evans, U of T director of news and media relations, said that university
administration is doing all it can to reach an agreement that responds to the needs of both parties. “The university continues to negotiate in good faith with usw with the goal of reaching a renewed collective agreement that is responsive to employee interests and is also responsible in light of the ongoing financial constraints within which the university operates,” she said. Blackburn-Evans’s sentiment was echoed by Deans. “Everybody goes into this process with the view of getting a deal that is both fair and responsible, and that is for both sides,” Deans said, adding: “If we had the power to bargain everything we want all of the time, there would be a tipping point as to whether or not there is an institution left at the end of the day. So
there is recognition that both parties have to be responsible.”
“AUSTERE PROPOSALS” Details of the negotiations have not been released. However, usw economist Erin Weir accused the university of “making very austere proposals to our union, advocating a wage freeze.” “Of course, that is sometimes the nature of bargaining: the administration will come in with a very extreme proposal and then we’ll negotiate from there. But certainly their starting point seems very draconian given the very positive state of the university’s finances,” Weir added.
CONTINUED ON PG.8
INSIDE Comment
Arts
Is frosh necessary?
The Varsity goes to TIFF
Students weigh in on the merits of orientation
Reviews from the first films of the festival
Science Students develop apps and tools
Sports Blues baseball honours late alumnus
From creating online classrooms to timetable generators, computer science students do it all
Team pays tribute to Michael Tambureno in Ice Bucket Challenge
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VARSITY NEWS
Vol. CXXXV No. 2
news@thevarsity.ca
PHOTO OF THE WEEK
THE VARSITY VOL. CXXXV No. 2
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photo@thevarsity.ca
Senior Copy Editors Lucy Genua Rose Tornabene
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News Editor James Flynn
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Comment Editor Alec Wilson
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Features Editor Samantha Relich
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Arts & Culture Editor Sarah Niedoba
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Science Editor Jasleen Arneja
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Sports Editor Elizabeth Benn
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Illustration Editor Julien Balbontin illustration@thevarsity.ca Video Editor Jamieson Wang
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Web Developer Eric Bannatyne
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Associate Design Editor Vacant
WHAT’S GOING ON THIS WEEK ON CAMPUS
Associate Photo Editor Vacant Associate Copy Editor Vacant Associate News Editor Iris Robin
MONDAY
Associate Comment Editor Vacant
OPENING OF THE HOUSE: HART HOUSE DEBATE
Associate Features Editor Vacant
7 Hart House Circle, Debates Room, 3:00 pm—5:00 pm A Canadian parliamentary style debate by Hart House’s top debaters, with the opportunity to ask the debaters and club executives questions.
Associate A&C Editor Vacant Associate Science Editor Emma Hansen Associate Sports Editor Vacant
TUESDAY
Contributors Reshara Alviarez, Jasleen Arneja, Salvatore Basilone, Elizabeth Benn, Jasmine Chopra, Devika Desai, Nabi Dressler, Leelan Farhan, Anthony Frati, Jesse Gault, Susan Gordon, Daniel Konikoff, Jacob Lorinc, Sofia Luu, Alex McKeen, Linh Nguyen, Sarah Niedoba, Chantel Ouellet, Dmytry Polyanskyy, Mursal Rahman, Iris Robin, Emily Scherzinger, Jeffrey Schulman, Amitpal Singh, Corey Van Den Hoogenband, Alex Verman, Stephen Warner, Brittaney Warren, Cameron Wathey, Victoria Wicks, Wan Xian Koh, Dian Yu Copy Editors and Fact Checkers Jasleen Arneja, Lucy Genua, Jacob Hogan, Hannah Lee, Sarah Leeves, Deniz Samadi, Maria Sokolsky-Dolynycky, Rose Tornabene, Denista Vasileva Designers, Kawmadie Karunanayake, Maria SokolskyDolynycky, Mari Zhou
Photographers and Illustrators Julien Balbontin, Brittany Gerow, Elena Iourtaeva, Janice Liu, Emily Scherzinger, Mackenzie Stewart, Jennifer Su
Business Office Business Manager Karen Zhou
Submit your photos to photo@thevarsity.ca.
BACKPACK TO BRIEFCASE: LABELS, LIMITS, & LEADERSHIP MiST Theatre, Room 0150, CCT Building, 2:30 pm—3:30 pm Rumeet Billan, president of Jobs in Education, discusses the transition from academia to the job market. Refreshments will be provided.
WEDNESDAY UTSC FARMERS’ MARKET UTSC parking lot, 3:00 pm—7:00 pm Support local produce, including fresh meats, honey, maple syrup, pastries, baked goods, and other treats. The market takes place every Wednesday.
THURSDAY “WE ARE CONTINUALLY EXPOSED TO THE FLASHBULB OF DEATH:” THE PHOTOGRAPHS OF ALLEN GINSBERG University of Toronto Art Centre, 12:00 pm—5:00 pm See more than 150 photographs by Allen Ginsberg, capturing the legendary poet and activist’s life, loves, and fellow artists of the Beat generation.
business@thevarsity.ca
Business Associate Vacant Advertising Executives Anna Afshar Rachel Choi
FRIDAY anna@thevarsity.ca rachel@thevarsity.ca
The Varsity is the University of Toronto's largest student newspaper, publishing since 1880. The Varsity has a circulation of 20,000, and is published by Varsity Publications Inc. It is printed by Master Web Inc. on recycled newsprint stock. Content © 2014 by The Varsity. All rights reserved. Any editorial inquiries and/or letters should be directed to the sections associated with them; emails listed above. The Varsity reserves the right to edit all submissions. Inquiries regarding ad sales can be made to ads@thevarsity.ca. ISSN: 0042-2789
TORONTO DOCUMENTARY PREMIERE: GREECE ON THE BRINK Ryerson University, Oakham House, 63 Gould Street, 6:30 pm Greece is seeing advanced revolutionary backlash by the masses and is heavily affected by the economic crisis. The Toronto premiere of Greece on the Brink will include a Q&A session from an eyewitness to the labour and revolutionary struggles in Greece.
Victoria College Frosh cheering at the UTSU parade. jENNIFEr Su/THE VArSITy
THE EXPLAINER
Eight tips for the first week of classes 1. Look up the location of your classes beforehand. You’ll still probably get lost, but knowing the difference between buildings will save you a trek. 2. Introduce yourself to your professor and note when their office hours are. You’re in university now, where being a nerd is an advantage. 3. Wait until you get the syllabus to buy your books. Even if there is a booklist available online, wait for the syllabus to avoid wasting money. 4. Avoid buying new books if you can. Students who took the course before are often selling their texts for cheap. 5. Do your readings. 6. Make at least one friend in each of your classes. Exchange email addresses and agree to share notes when the other isn’t there, because mass emails are annoying. 7. Check out the clubs on campus. Many of them are hosting their introductory events this week, so now is the perfect time to find out more. 8. Pace yourself. Don’t get wasted on Monday, even though your friends want you to. Get wasted on Wednesday instead. Correction: A visual in the last issue incorrectly says that per student funding in Alberta is $10,222 and per student funding in Ontario is $25,469. In fact, per student funding in Alberta is $25,469 and per student funding in Ontario is $10,222. Correction: An article in the last issue incorrectly said that the Arts & Science Students’ Union (assu) was not invited to participate in the Student Societies Summit. In fact, the assu was invited to participate in the summit.
var.st/news
VARSITY NEWS
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2014
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Future of online voting uncertain Committee cites concerns over cost, spoiled ballots, and voter turnout
JULIEN BALBONTIN/THE VArsITy
Iris Robin
ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR
An investigation into the effectiveness of online voting in University of Toronto Students’ Union (utsu) elections may be on the cards, following concerns over the cost of online voting systems, the high number of spoiled ballots, and voter turnout. Online voting was implemented for the first time last year in an October 2013 by-election, and again in its elections in March 2014. The
utsu Annual General Meeting (agm) recommended that the Committee consider online voting in 2012–2013 following years of divisional lobbying. At a meeting on August 21, the Elections and Referenda Committee (erc), a standing committee of the utsu, touched on the issue of online voting. Naveed Ahmed, utsu director for utm, said that that the committee should consider reverting to a paper ballot system. Yolen Bollo-Kamara, utsu president, maintained that it would take a significant investi-
gation before making the decision to change the voting system. “We do not believe any of these arguments justify the removal of online voting,” said Connor Anear, Kaleem Hawa, and Tina Saban, student leaders at Trinity College, in a joint statement. “The top priority at the utsu should be transparency, because of the amount of student money they handle,” said Teresa Nguyen, president of the U of T Engineering Society (EngSoc). EngSoc produced a report in 2010 requesting the implementation of online voting in a bid to change the utsu’s electoral practices, improve democracy, and increase transparency. Bollo-Kamara said that the discussions were still in the early stages, and more investigation would be required before making any decisions. “This was the first meeting of the committee, and was called primarily to set dates for the fall by-elections and initiate the hiring of a Chief Returning Officer (cro). Any discussion at this point is very preliminary…The erc will discuss further what such an investigation could look like, before undertaking any decisions,” said Bollo-Kamara. “Now may be a good time to evaluate the outcomes of online voting after two elections,” Bollo-Kamara added. Anear, Hawa, and Saban recognized the importance of conversations about online voting, but expressed concern at the timing. “We believe that revisiting the issue only one year after it was approved by students and implemented into the electoral process is premature and unnecessary,” the student leaders said. “I feel like they’re almost banking on how student organizations don’t have institutional memory when they are presenting this again, just because it really is the same conversation,” said Nguyen.
“I’m a little taken aback with why [online voting] is even an item of discussion for the utsu, because I believe they are aware that many students express frustration with how they handle their electoral reform,” she added. In May 2013, Jill Matus, vice provost of students, issued a statement in response to the fee diversion referenda in which Trinity College, the EngSoc, and Victoria College voted in favour of diverting fees from the utsu to their respective student councils. “[O]n-line elections are an essential feature of open, accessible and democratic operation,” the statement said. The statement indicated that, if online voting was not available for the 2014 elections, the clause in the “Policy for Compulsory Non-Academic Incidental Fees,” with respect to the withholding of student society fees, would be applied. The utsu reiterated that the discussion thus far centered around launching an investigation into the effectiveness of online voting, and not on removing it. “As there has been no discussion about removing online voting, [the statement] has not been considered. However, the union is accountable to our members, and should discussions of this nature continue, their interests will be our utmost priority,” Bollo-Kamara said. At the conclusion of the utsu elections in March last year, the Chief Returning Officer (cro) recommended that online voting no longer be used. At the meeting of the erc, Bollo-Kamara said that the cro’s report should be considered carefully. “At this point, I am solely interested in the prospect of further investigation into the voting system with the goal of increasing voter engagement in utsu elections, and evaluating the pros and cons of the current system,” Bollo-Kamara said.
Orientation cheers reviewed in wake of rape culture controversy Some frosh week chants eliminated as part of review Iris Robin and Brittaney Warren VARSITY CONTRIBUTORS
This year, in the wake of the frosh week chant controversy at St. Mary’s University and the University of British Columbia last year, divisions across U of T altered their frosh week chants in a bid to crack down on offensive material. Interdivisional rivalry plays a large role in frosh week, with first-year students encouraged to take pride in their division and to engage in friendly competition. Although student governments are autonomous, many orientation coordinators consulted with their college administrations when looking at their chants. Tim Worgan, dean of students and residence at Innis College, worked with orientation coordinators at Innis College to review their cheers. “A couple of traditional verses were dropped, not because they were vulgar, but because the students decided they were no longer relevant,” Worgan said. Alex Huntress-Reeve and Nicole Thompson, Innis College orientation coordinators, said they supported the steps taken to end rape culture on campus. However, they made a distinction between rape culture and sexual expression. “These two things are separate and should not be lumped together,” Reeve and Thompson said in a joint statement. Reeve and Thompson reported that, this year, they removed some cheers from Innis College’s frosh week chant repertoire because they
crossed the line. “We must always be conscious that this line is not taken to either extreme,” they said. Prompted by last year’s controversies, Trinity College orientation coordinators also chose to discuss their cheers with the Trinity College dean of students, Jonathan Steels. According to orientation coordinator Marissa Martins, some of Trinity’s cheers were modified and removed after honest discussion of each of their intentions and origins. “Without compromising Trinity tradition, we decided, as a team, to veto some cheers that we thought might promote hatefulness rather than friendly rivalry, and sexual humour that might cross the line of being offensive,” Martins said. Melinda Scott, dean of students at University College, said that it was important to remember that the goal of orientation week is to welcome new students to U of T. Scott emphasized that, no matter where cheers happen, they should be respectful. “[Make] sure the things that you do behind closed doors are the same things that you would do in public,” she said. Yolen Bollo-Kamara, president of the University of Toronto Students’ Union, praised the effort to eliminate oppressive cheers, which she said could set the tone for the rest of the year. Bollo-Kamara also expressed hope that U of T’s school spirit will improve over the coming year. “I think that we can all do more to come together and really unite the campus as one U of T community,” she said, adding: “I hope that [U of T-wide cheers] will encourage intercollegiate and intercampus events and collaboration.”
Students cheer during orientation week. JENNIFEr sU/THE VArsITy
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VARSITY NEWS
Vol. CXXXV No. 2
news@thevarsity.ca
High textbook prices an issue of accessibility for some students Alternatives explored by students, professors, administration Alex McKeen
VARSITY STAFF Students looking to save money at the start of the term will continue to be disappointed by soaring textbook prices. For students taking a full course load, the burden can sometimes make or break their financial stability, with textbook costs routinely exceeding $500. Though the cost of textbooks at university is now considered a fact of student life, some sources suggest that there is an underlying cause explaining the rapid increase of textbook prices. According to The Economist, textbooks are immune to demand-based incentives to lower costs. Since instructors set class readings without budgetary restrictions, there is no incentive to choose a less expensive text than that which they see as most comprehensive. It is also common for professors to assign their own written works for their class readings. According to statistics from the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, textbook prices have increased at a rate three times that of inflation since 1970. Meanwhile, students continue to feel the weight of textbooks on their backs and in their bank accounts. Kate* and Ada*, first-year nursing students at the University of Toronto, bought their first set of nursing textbooks last Thursday, and were unpleasantly surprised by the $400 bill at the bookstore. “[T]hat’s not even including our medical materials,” Kate said. The additional cost of equipment leaves many students reaching deep into their pockets. The U of T Bookstore sells stethoscopes for between $17 and $35, scrubs are priced at $25, and tuition for nursing students is $8,100. For the two nursing students, the expense of textbooks creates a significant dent in their student budgets. “They don’t talk about how much books cost,” said Ada of entering the highly competitive program, adding: “[S]tudent loans won’t give you extra for your textbooks.”
Kate, who does not receive student loans, is concerned that her limited line of credit will not be enough to cover the compounding costs of her program, and working part-time might be the only viable option. “You have to do so well in this program, but you have to get a job at the same time. How do you balance it [all]?” she added. Many attempt to alleviate the burden by using unconventional avenues to acquire course materials. One such service is Bookwiz, an online platform for inter-student textbook exchange founded and developed by U of T computer science student Leila Chan-Currie. According to Chan-Currie, her website acts as a facilitator to better connect students who are already engaging in an informal textbook exchange market. “Bookwiz is part of a larger movement towards a localized, decentralized sharing economy facilitated by the internet,” said Chan-Currie. “It reduces demand on traditional bookstores the same way apps like Lyft are replacing taxis and Airbnb is replacing hotels,” she added. Aidan Douglas, a third-year student, has long navigated the online exchange market, using Toronto University Student’s Book Exchange (tusbe) to find deals. “I can usually find my textbooks being sold by other students at a 50-60 per cent lower price than that being offered by the U of T Bookstore,” said Douglas. Exchanging between students, however, is not always convenient, especially when the prospective sellers do not have the correct edition. “Last year, I unknowingly bought an international edition of the Astronomy textbook I was seeking, which I later found out was illegal to sell in Canada,” she said. According to Althea Blackburn-Evans, U of T director of media relations, the university assists struggling students by providing a cost-effective textbook rental program, and maintaining a rich physical and electronic library which is available to all students.
University of Toronto Bookstore. FILE PHOTO:ELENA IOURTAEVA/THE VARsITy
“The university recognizes the cost benefits of alternatives to purchasing new textbooks for students,” Douglas said. Douglas agreed that the ability to rent textbooks is a great way to access brand-new materials reliably without the high costs, but noted that rentals are only available to students with access to a credit card. Blackburn-Evans added that alternatives to the current model of assigning textbooks are on the radar of university administration. “The university continues to investigate the suitability of reduced cost options for textbooks such as open source and/or commercially available e-textbooks,” BlackburnEvans said. Indeed, some professors have espoused similar thinking, turning to online and library resources as replacements for traditional textbooks.
Natalie Sommers, a third-year music student, noted a class experience that did not use textbooks. “My teacher, Professor [Mark] Sallmen, posted all of the handouts and musical scores that we would be analyzing at the beginning of the semester [on Blackboard],” she said. She added that, even though it was costsaving, to use Blackboard as an alternative to a cohesive textbook, it had disadvantages. “I ended up printing enough handouts out to form a textbook by the end of the year. Sometimes I would forget to check blackboard before class and found myself unprepared, as there were more handouts posted online,” Sommers said. It remains unclear whether using Blackboard as a widespread alternative to textbook use is a suitable model to pursue in the future.
McGill University student sues Canadian Federation of Students
Half of undergraduates taught by contract staff
On August 28 and 29, Ge Sa, the internal affairs officer of McGill University’s Post-Graduate Students Society (pcss), presented his case on an alleged failure by the Canadian Federation of Students (cfs) to process a petition asking to hold a referendum to disassociate pcss from the federation. The pcss, as well as Sa individually, also filed a suit against the cfs in 2010 after they overlooked a pcss referendum to leave the organization, and continued charging fees. “You can’t keep collecting fees from us, and putting us on your website, and denying our rights to be heard,” said Sa. Despite the allegations, Francois Vaiu, the lawyer representing the cfs, said that the pcss presented contradictory claims in both of their suits. As of press time, Gérard Dugré, the presiding judge, did not reach a final verdict.
According to a recent report by cbc, more than half of all undergraduates in Canada are taught by contract staff. With student enrollment increasing every year, underfunded universities increasingly cannot afford to hire tenure-track faculty and more “sessional” instructors are being hired. Staff on these contracts must apply to teach their courses every semester and do not have the job security of a tenured position. They often carry out the same duties as fulltime staff, including research and publishing, but do not receive funding or paid time for this work, nor are they entitled to sabbaticals or pension. Based on a full course load of four courses per year, faculty with tenure make between $80,000 and $150,000 a year. An instructor on a contract teaching those same four courses will earn about $28,000. Some contract faculty unions have been able to negotiate higher wages and benefits at certain campuses. McMaster University and the University of Waterloo have both created full-time, teaching-only positions to reduce their reliance on sessional staff.
NEWS IN BRIEF Provincial regulation of universities’ fees may hamper international students’ potential enrolment
Queen’s Journal media passes revoked, subsequently reinstated, by athletic department
According to a report released by Moody’s Investors Service last Thursday, provincial regulation of per-student funding, tuition, and tuition increases takes a toll on universities’ ability to entice international students. Universities unable to raise their fees may partner with private enterprises to build new facilities and draw in wealthier international students. Some universities use unconventional strategies to attract international students. For example, the University of Ottawa charges domestic tuition fees for international students who study predominantly in French. This offer saves students $7,000 to $8,000 annually and has drawn in 316 new students this year, more than doubling last year’s enrolment of 98. Moreover, some Quebec universities, including McGill University and Concordia University, offer international and out-of-province students fee reductions for taking certain French courses. Last year, 300,000 international students studied in Canada. Despite tuition increases in certain programs, enrolment did not decline.
Last March, the Queen’s Journal, the Queen’s University student newspaper, wrote a critical article detailing the athletic department’s re-evaluation of its team awards. The article resulted in the athletic department temporarily revoking some of the newspaper’s media credentials. The article centred around an athletic department decision to elect a new council to vote on the Athletic Awards after disciplinary action disqualified a candidate. This resulted in the women’s rugby team winning Team of The Year, instead of the men’s team who had originally won. The student run newspaper has typically received eight media passes for sporting events. This year, the athletic department originally said the newspaper would only receive one. The athletic department can legally deny media access at anytime for any reason, and allegedly linked the change to the written article. On Thursday, the athletics department said in a Twitter post that they would grant the media passes, as requested.
With files from The Globe and Mail
With files from Queen’s Journal and The Globe and Mail
— Nabi Dressler
— Chantel Ouellet
With files from The McGill Daily — Anthony Frati
With files from cbc News — Iris Robin
VARSITY NEWS
var.st/news
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2014
5
Age profiles, enrolment growth top causes of deferred maintenance Deferred maintenance costs at U of T top $500 million Devika Desai
VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR
According to a recent Sightlines study of deferred maintenance of Canadian universities, commissioned by the Canadian Association of University Business Officers, building age profiles and enrolment growth contribute most to deferred maintenance on Canadian campuses. Last January, the University of Toronto released its deferred maintenance report for 2013. According to the report, the university faced a total deferred maintenance cost of $505 million last year. “While this year’s figures have yet to be determined, research facilities, such as the Medical Science Building are complex to build, maintain, operate, and retrofit. They do, therefore, tend to contribute a larger share to the overall deferred maintenance … liability than less complex buildings, such as office buildings and residences,” said Ron Swail, assistant vice-president, facilities and services. Swail added that the increase in deferred maintenace liability largely stems from auditing procedures that produce more detailed reporting, inflated costs, newer campus buildings — including acquisition of older buildings — and the collective aging of the buildings. The Sightlines database identified 1960–1975 as an era when a large number of new constructions occurred at universities to accommodate an influx of new students. The top five U of T buildings that require priority deferred maintenance attention were constructed during this era. Four of the buildings also contain significant asbestos fireproofing, a fibrous mineral that requires prompt repair and removal should the buildings deteriorate, in order to prevent health risks. Much of Ontario’s deferred maintenance is caused by enrollment growth outpacing space available on campus. The report said that Ontario institutions have experienced enrollment growth over 15 per cent, while the increase in campus space is less than 10 per cent over the same time period. This caused the wear and tear on campus spaces to increase and impacted future maintenance requirements. “The expansion of campus size does affect deferred maintenance liability. While a new building typically does not have deferred mainte-
nance until after the seventh year, older buildings newly acquired by the university often come with their own deferred maintenance,” added Swail. Swail confirmed that the university will invest $14 million of internal funding, plus money from the Facilities Renewal Program, to combat deferred maintenance issues. Around $2.4 million will be invested in the St. George campus directly. “Beyond this direct funding, the issue of deferred maintenance will also be addressed through capital projects. Other building retrofits completed by departments will also contribute to the issue,” added Swail. However, according to Graeme Stewart, communications manager of the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations, a clear cause of deferred maintenance is the chronic provincial underfunding of universities. The total funding for public universities last year was just under $3.5 billion, but total deferred maintenace debt was around $2.6 million. “We interpret these results to mean that the under-funding continues to impair the ability of our universities to renew and repair their facilities,” said Stewart. The Sightlines report suggested setting capital priorities, replacing aging space with new modern facilities, keeping up with building life cycles, and matching new construction with future program needs. “We are using many of the strategies noted in the report,” said Swail, adding: “The university only builds what it needs and sets a rigorous system to validate new buildings. Our ongoing priority-setting addresses the criteria of priority repairs, major renovations, enforcement agency orders and academic priorities. Our design standards for new buildings also ensures lower maintenance needs and fewer capital renewals.” Ontario recently pledged $500 million over 10 years to address the issue of deferred maintenance and increase post-secondary enrollment by 15,000 students. “[Facilities Renewal Program] funding will increase significantly over the next few years,” said Linda Mackay, manager of issues and media relations at the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities. “Major capital funding is projectspecific, and the amount of funding received by any university would be based on the objectives of each capital program,” she added.
Top five U of T buildings that require priority deferred maintenance attention
Scaffolding outside of Robarts Library. JENNIFER SU/THE VARSITy
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6
Vol. CXXXV, No. 2
VARSITY NEWS
news@thevarsity.ca
APUS, university work to implement accessibility fixes Accessibility issues were highlighted in last year’s Great Barrier Hunt
Sidney Smith Hall. ELENA IOURTAEVA/THE VARsITy
Sofia Luu
VARSITY STAFF
University administration, the Association of Part-time Undergraduate Students (apus), and Students for Barrier-free Access are working to implement the accessibility fixes highlighted during last November’s Great Barrier Hunt, a scavenger hunt designed to find accessibility issues on campus. The audit high-
lighted accessibility issues in four buildings: Sandford Fleming, Sussex Clubhouse, University College, and the North Borden building. According to apus president Kriya Siewrattan, apus has been working with the university to implement changes suggested in last year’s audit. One of the major issues highlighted in the audit was the lack of visible signage in or around the four buildings — a problem with an allegedly easy fix.
However, Siewrattan said that the university’s approach to accessibility relies on “a userbased identification of barriers,” which places the responsibility of reporting accessibility issues on the individual. apus called for a more proactive approach to create an environment that is both inviting and accessible to students, faculty members, and other users of university facilities. In 2014, the “Design of Public Spaces Standards” were created under the “Accessibility
Standards for the Built Environment.” Under the design standard, organizations are responsible for planning for accessibility and training staff to comply with the accessibility standards. However, the new criteria are only applicable to new buildings and major renovations to pre-existing buildings. Althea Blackburn-Evans, U of T director of media relations, said that the Ontario Building Code was recently revised to include more accessible features. All of these new standards will be reflected in future building projects and renovations on campus. According to Blackburn-Evans, the number of accessibility problems can usually be attributed to the age of the buildings. “If the edifice cannot be modified physically to be more accessible to users,” BlackburnEvans said, “the university’s policy on accommodation will be met instead.” Siewrattan contended that making an accessible campus is more than just adding more signs or a ramp wherever it is needed. In order to create an accessible campus, the university must consider “limited mobility, vision, gender, dietary accommodations, religious observations, and more,” Siewrattan said. Although there is no set date for this year’s Great Barrier Hunt, it will include the Athletic Centre and the new Goldring Centre for High Performance Sport. Siewrattan added that, over the long-term, the university should prioritize funding to improve accessibility and make buildings compliant with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, a 2005 act that laid a foundation for the development of mandatory standards on accessibility in Ontario.
U of T places twenty-fourth in Academic Ranking of World Universities University places highest in Canada, beating out McGill and UBC Jesse Gault
VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR
The University of Toronto is back on top in the recently released Academic Ranking of World Universities. The university placed twentyfourth overall — moving up four spots from last year — and was the highest-ranked university in Canada. This year, U of T’s top-ranked program was computer science, at number 10. Meanwhile, economics and business programs saw the biggest improvement in ranking, jumping from fourty-eighth last year to twenty-fourth this year. U of T beat out the University of British Columbia (ubc), which ranked thirty-seventh; McGill University, which ranked sixtyseventh; and McMaster University, which ranked ninetieth. Although Canada had four universities in the top 100, most were American. Harvard University was ranked first for the twelfth year in a row, with Stanford University ranked second and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology taking third place. The ranking is based on a number of criteria, including number of alumni and faculty that won Nobel Prizes and Field Medals, number of highly cited researchers, number of academic papers published in Nature and Science, number of papers indexed in other major citation
Boundless banner outside the new Rotman building. ELENA IOURTAEVA/THE VARsITy
indices, and per-capita academic performance at the institution. “To be recognized once again as one of the world’s leading universities is a testimony to the scholarship, creativity and innovation of our faculty, staff and students. This re-
flects not only their academic excellence but the impact of their research in Canada and throughout the world,” said U of T provost Cheryl Regehr in a statement. Although the ranking primarily concentrated on graduate education, Althea
Blackburn-Evans, U of T director of media relations, reaffirmed the university’s commitment to undergraduate education. “The university is very much focussed on delivering an excellent undergraduate experience as well as maintaining and strengthening its position as a globally-recognized research leader. Hand in hand with that research focus, U of T is Canada’s leading provider of graduate education. Institutional decisions are focussed on maintaining and growing the quality of our programs at all levels. Rankings are just one way those programs are measured,” she said. Blackburn-Evans added that rankings offer the university one metric by which to measure its success. “All rankings are based on different criteria and need to be viewed critically; it’s important to understand what is being measured in any given ranking. That said, these rankings and others are seen by potential students, faculty members and others around the world, so doing well — as the U of T has done consistently — is important,” she said. U of T routinely places highly in global university rankings, including the qs World University Rankings and the Times Higher Education World University Rankings. The university is currently ranked seventeenth in the qs World University Rankings, while McGill University ranked twenty-first, and ubc came in fourty-ninth.
VARSITY NEWS
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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2014
7
Levi Cassidy on the student vote, transit, and political involvement Cassidy is one of 20 candidates for Ward 20 councillor Alex Verman
VARSITY STAFF
Situated in the heart of Toronto, with the University of Toronto and Ontario College of Art and Design (ocad) in its midst, Trinity-Spadina has a significant student population. 53.1 per cent of its population is between 20 to 39 years of age. Twenty-year-old U of T student Levi Cassidy, who is taking a year off from a double major in political science and ethics, society, and law, aims to represent Trinity-Spadina’s youth voice. Cassidy faces stiff competition in Ward 20, including New Democratic Party (ndp) stalwart Joe Cressy, but contends that he is in it to win. The Varsity sat down with Cassidy to discuss the student vote, transit, and the route to political involvement. The Varsity: What about U of T prepared you for this kind of process? Levi Cassidy: Well, the huge range and diversity of U of T — even having lived in Toronto before — was a totally eye-opening experience. Not only is it a place where everyone has all these different experiences and opinions, but it’s also a place where they can be discussed constructively. I really took to that…But you can, to an extent, get lost in an academic bubble, in a fairly writing-intensive program especially. While you do really go hard in terms of analysis and constructive discussion and debate… you lose out on the “real world” sort of connection, the individual to community connection. And I’m looking to break out of that a bit, to take that into the community and run with it. I’m taking the first two months, September and October, to campaign 100 per cent of the time, and then taking the rest of the year to just consider opportunities… [E]ven if I don’t get elected, there are a lot of community groups and ways of being involved that I’d really like to follow up. TV: You positioned that almost in a way that sounds like you’re not really betting on a win. LC: I think it’s just considering every possibility. In the race, there are 26 candidates, and although there are some with more machinery than I have, higher profiles, name recognition, this and that, the sheer amount of candidates and the political culture of the ward — everyone’s fairly involved and in tuned when it comes to politics — there are a lot of different directions things can go. TV: Are there other younger candidates running in this ward? What differentiates you? LC: For some people, it really is more of a profile-building exercise. As to what differentiates me, I think as a young person who is interested in politics and is really taking this
Ward 20 candidate Levi Cassidy. JENNIFER SU/THE VARSITy
as an opportunity to engage, I’m not really held down by any “group” in particular; I’m very much a nonpartisan individual, and I think, as a young person I also represent the actual demographics of the ward pretty well. I mean, Joe Cressy is in his ’30s, I’m sure there are a lot of people living in condos and doing this and that “get him” from a purely age-based perspective. But there are a ton of students in Ward 20; there are a ton of young people who are in that place where they don’t pay constant attention to politics but they’d be interested to see someone come along who is — I don’t want to say “with it” — but someone who gets where they are coming from — someone who has had a real job, worked minimum wage, paid rent, struggled with employment at times. TV: Are you finding you’re appealing to students, specifically? LC: I think the idea of being young, right off the bat, makes people assume that you’re going for the student vote. It’s a demographic who I immediately identify with and who identify with me. But I have older voters who ask me, essentially, “what’s in it for me,” and I have two
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responses. One is that there is no necessary age when it comes to politics; there are a lot of older politicians who are totally out of it, who have had terrible initiatives, and younger politicians who have been able to succeed despite the age gap between them and their counterparts. The second is that for an older person, I am their son; I am the younger person in their life who is dealing with those struggles. And I think it’s important to give voice to that part of their lives, even if it doesn’t represent them perfectly. TV: What do you consider a barrier to youth participation in politics? LC: I guess one major barrier is something like the idea that politics is something that takes special effort to participate in. Everybody has their own life to live; everybody goes about their day-to-day, whether it’s a 9-to-5, or a sport that they’re really into or a hobby that they have, and they try to keep a work-life balance. And politics is sort of seen as something off to the side. TV: You don’t have to necessarily have an opinion on everything or know everyone’s names. LC: Right, you don’t. To be politically involved,
you just have to care about something. And that’s what I find myself asking a lot of people. After this current city council, after these four years, a lot of people are willing to disengage, but I have to ask them: “What do you care about?” TV: What have some of them been? LC: Well obviously the biggest issue in the city is transit, whether it comes from cyclists who are fed up about the lack of infrastructure, people who take the train or streetcar, also fed up with the backlog and congestion. Housing is similarly a huge issue, especially in Ward 20 where there are so many stories of development going up but so many of them are not very affordable for so many Torontonians. Ward 20 just represents such a diverse cross-section of the city of Toronto that there is just no shortage of top priorities, especially regional ones… I think that this role sort of requires a broader approach. I don’t think that taking one cause and running with it is really suited for a city councillor. You have to be more of a generalist. This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity and length.
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8
Vol. CXXXV No. 2
VARSITY NEWS
news@thevarsity.ca
You’re Next Career Network president on startups, student jobs An interview with Gordon Tang of U of T’s largest student-run career network Victoria Wicks
VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR You’re Next Career Network (yncn) is a studentrun career development organization focused on connecting U of T students with industry professionals. The network is an offshoot of You’re Next Career Fair, which was founded five years ago by the University of Toronto Engineering Society. The Varsity recently sat down with yncn president Gordon Tang to discuss yncn’s upcoming plans, student employment, and startup culture. The Varsity: Tell me about yncn’s upcoming plans for the year. Gordon Tang: The big events are the You’re Next Career Fair and Startup Expo in January, but the smaller events, like the Resume Hackathon or student-manager coffeehouses, are really what people should be keeping an eye out for. They tailor a lot better to students’ needs. For example, we’re running eight events in September, with different companies like Google, Microsoft, and Shell [attending]. What we’re doing is paring down to things students can understand. What is the real process that students go through, and how can we support them? We broke it down into three parts: discover, prepare, and apply. We’re categorizing future events to correspond to these three stages. Discover is about finding out what industry, what company, which roles you want. Once you know, then you’re ready to prepare: build your resumé, write cover letters, and network. Finally, just apply. This means meet companies, which we support through hosting career fairs and exclusive company events. TV: Could you speak to some of yncn’s success with these aims in the past? GT: Our end goal is ultimately to help students get hired, but it’s a hard goal for us to measure, because that data isn’t always there. So we measure ourselves on how many students we reach out to. I think we are consistently growing that number — in terms of unique U of T students, I’d say we reach about roughly 3,000 annually. Last year, the turnout for the Career Fair was around 2,600 people, while the Startup Expo drew about 2,000. TV: Why do you think promoting startups is important?
CONTINUED FROM COVER At a usw budget analysis event on August 20, Weir discussed the U of T budget. He said that, while the university predicts growth of expenses will surpass growth of revenues over the next several years, they are operating with an annual surplus above $100 million in the short-term. “Let’s say we accept all the university’s projections about how much revenues and expenses are on track to increase. What does that actually look like? Basically what you see is that…it takes six years to get to a deficit. So, yes, there is what the administration calls a structural challenge of projected expenses rising more than projected revenues, but we are starting with a pretty significant surplus… We are only actually talking about negotiating a three-year deal,” said Weir.
EFFECT ON STUDENTS University of Toronto Students’ Union (utsu) president Yolen Bollo-Kamara explained that the outcome of the negotiations would directly affect students. “The working conditions of staff are the learning conditions of students. For example, the outcome of various labour negotiations could have an affect on the size of our tutorials. It could also affect whether or not Career Centre staff are trained professionals or less secure part-time
Students at a You’re Next Career Network Event. COURTESY OF GORDON TANG
GT: Startups really do provide huge, fast learning opportunities. You get to do a lot of different things you can’t do at larger companies. The scale might be smaller, but you get to build skills you don’t get otherwise. Rather than having to build your own business, you can just jump into a role [where] there’s ... enough room for you to move, but you don’t necessarily have to do as much upfront work as an entrepreneur. Startups are [a] medium between hard-core entrepreneurship and corporate companies. TV: What is startup culture like at U of T? GT: It’s something we’ve been trying to build over the past year. Two things: first, there needs to be an awareness that there are startups out there; second, we need a space for students to build community and be able to connect with like-minded individuals about startups. TV: Do you think the university provides adequate resources for startup culture? GT: I don’t think there’s [a] huge focus on it yet.
I think what the university has done well so far is provided certain resources and opportunities, like the Hatchery or Creative Destruction Lab, to look specifically at entrepreneurship. But startup culture isn’t just about entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship really just focuses on the beginning stage of startups: how do you kick one off? But there isn’t anything that shows how, as a student, you would be able to help with a growing company. How do you jump in? What are the different types of startups and stages? This is the gap we are trying to bridge. TV: Are you into startup culture yourself? GT: I’m working at a startup called Influitive right now as [a] product management intern. They run a software portal to help business to business companies engage with advocates. I talked to the ceo at an event and asked, “Hey, do you have a product position?” He said, “Yeah, maybe.” Four weeks later, he asked if I was still interested, and I said yes. So I just went and started — it was a very informal process.
TV: What do you like best about the job? GT: I think [it’s] a big lifestyle thing. In terms of work culture and people, it’s very open. You’re also working beside people who are there because they want to [be], not solely because they want a paycheck. They’re very committed — there’s intrinsic motivation to build the product, because they see a need for the product and how it will help others. TV: Given your experience, what’s your advice for those who want work for startups? GT: If you know you’re interested and how you can contribute, just reach out. Find someone that you can email or call and say: “Hey, I’m interested in working with you guys, how do I do it?” It’s different from [a] corporate application process, because if you’re really gung-ho about it, you just need to take initiative and do it. This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity and length.
workers who are not equipped with the tools to provide students with what we need,” she said. According to Paul Tsang, president of usw Local 1998, there is a large degree of overlap between the student body and the usw membership. “U of T hires a lot of graduates, so these are the good jobs a lot of the students are going to get,” said Tsang, adding: “A lot of our workers are students. Probably a third of our casual [workers] are students: graduate students, tas, research associates. So this is very much a student issue.”
EMPLOYEE COMPENSATION AND TUITION FEES Although university administration did not specifically address the relationship between employee compensation and student tuition, both the utsu and the usw said that there is no direct link between an increase in employee compensation and a rise in tuition fees. “Correlating these two variables in a budget with far more revenue sources and expenditures is an unhelpful oversimplification,” said Bollo-Kamara, adding: “I believe that the university is capable of prioritizing access to post-secondary education and optimal working conditions.” “It’s not like we are swallowing up 98.6 per cent of student costs into our terms
Presenter at the USW Local 1998 budget analysis event . JENNIFER SU/THE VARSITY
and conditions of employment, and then at some point we have to go back to [the students] and say you have to start paying more fees. That’s not the equation at all,”
Deans said. Unless the deadline is extended, the two parties have until Monday, September 15 at 12:01 am to reach a deal.
Comment
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8 September 2014
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For fun and for profit Students of the humanities be warned: jobs may not be waiting at the end of the tunnel Jeffrey Schulman
VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR
Let me begin with an admission: I am a classics student. My father is a historian, and it is with great concern that I have watched the recent decline of the liberal arts in postsecondary education. Education used to be the prerogative of a very small subset of society. In antiquity, wealthy Romans would study at Athens or Rhodes in preparation for a career in politics. The university structure traces its origins to the Middle Ages, when places of higher learning were usually funded by church benefices. The great change occurred in the years following World War II when Western nations, especially the US, enjoyed years of unprecedented wealth production. Suddenly, the liberal education that had previously only been available to a small elite was now open to a larger segment of society. We no longer live in that age. Today, the financial resources of ordinary families and governments are becoming increasingly strained. To the casual observer, universities have brushed off these constraints, yet below the surface, massive changes are taking place. Today, higher education is considered an investment. Whereas the cost of education used to be weighed against the inherent value of the experience, students today are increasingly thinking like investors, calculating future financial returns from a potential investment. Of course if a university education is about maximizing return,
julien balbontin/tHe Varsity
why would anybody pursue a course of study that does not promise monetary benefit in the future? The fields that produce the best returns are the most practical, and bear the closest resemblance to job training. Here then is the problem: elite universities with athletic centres and professional schools are not very good at providing efficient training to
a modern citizenry struggling with stagnant wages and high unemployment. Sooner or later, prestige alone will no longer be sufficient to preserve the current higher-education model in North America. In the future, many of society’s young people will be forced to seek out more affordable accreditation and job training. As in history, the
liberal arts will go back to being the domain of those looking for education for its own sake, rather than as a prerequisite to gainful employment. Classical studies and philosophy departments will continue to exist, but the students they cater to will inevitably change. Those who choose to study the humanities out of a love of knowledge will have to hope that
the value of their degrees will gradually increase as the rest of their cohort dive into more practical training. In an article for The Globe Advisor, Todd Hirsch points out 10 skills students should be trying to cultivate for economic success. Unsurprisingly, almost all of his advice relates to students of the arts. We live in a tumultuous time where historically reliable pillars of industry are falling. Only a few years ago, law school was regarded as a sure path to future wealth. Now, graduates are mired in debt and unemployment. This will only further the unfortunate direction of our economy — a small educated elite with unlimited possibilities and most of society cheaply trained for specialized tasks. If we are to avert this course, governments across the world must act fast to reduce economic inequality. The problem of course is that students cannot afford to major in the arts. In a wealthy modern society, education in the liberal arts cannot and should not be a priviledge reserved for the one per cent. The sooner we transition into an economic environment that favours critical thinking and logic along with practical skills, the sooner our current predicament will stabilize. In the short term this will require more money for declining fields; in the long term it is the only thing that can keep our society from being divided. Jeffrey Schulman is a second-year student at Trinity College studying classics.
The efficacy and morality of the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge What good is achieved by monopolizing charity fundraising techniques? Dmytry Polyanskyy
VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR
In the past few weeks, social media outlets have become saturated with videos of people from various walks of life doing what has been dubbed as the als Ice Bucket Challenge. The purpose of the Ice Bucket Challenge is to raise awareness around the debilitating motor neurone disease known as Lou Gehrig’s disease or, more formally, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (als). The challenge encourages people to either donate money, or face the consequences of having a bucket of ice dumped over them, or both. The challenge itself has already raised millions of dollars that will be used to fund research for als in an effort to fuel advances for this incapacitating disease. However, one is left to wonder whether or not our actual awareness of the disease has increased. Does the ice bucket challenge actually inform us about the disease, or does it simply churn out blind donators that are sup-
porting a cause that the majority know nothing about? People may quickly become jaded by giving money to organizations that are relying solely on goodwill and not giving anything in return, but donating simply because you were nominated by a friend poses a great risk. In fact, it creates an internet fad which motivates a significant number of people to do the challenge for attention, rather than for the actual cause at hand. As individuals, we cannot possibly contribute to every cause out there and, as a result, we must be vigilant and instead tackle the issues that are meaningful to us. Perhaps there would be more benefit derived if the Ice Bucket Challenge expanded to a universal cause, where you could make a donation to the cause of your choice rather than just for als. Unfortunately, the als Association has already seen this viral marketing tool as an opportunity to generate more revenue by trademarking the Ice Bucket Challenge as their own. If down the road, the als Association is granted rights to
julien balbontin/tHe Varsity
this idea, who is to stop them from preventing other non-profits from benefiting from it? This could well be the foreshadowing of hefty legal battles in the near future. It is important to know that while als is a grave concern, there are other diseases that require as much, if not
more, attention as they are claiming thousands of lives compared to als, which affects approximately one in 50,000 people annually. The Ice Bucket Challenge may have revolutionized the speed and method of charitable fundraising, but it has also created a double-edged sword.
We need to ensure that we are not creating a trend where donating becomes more so a source of entertainment than a passionate cause. Dmitry Polyanskyy is a secondyear student studying math and computer science.
10 Vol. CXXXV, No. 2
VARSITY COMMENT
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Is frosh week necessary?
Thousands of new students descend on St. George Street during the frosh week parade. Jennifer su/THe VArsiTy
The Question
It might be awkward, but frosh week is an integral part of new students introduction to university life Mursal Rahman
VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR
Change is stressful, especially when you are entering a new school full of thousands of people you have never met. For many U of T students, frosh week is a breath of fresh air in the face of stress that goes hand-in-hand with transitioning to a new environment. I know that, for various reasons, not all students attend or particularly enjoy frosh week and orientation events during the first weeks of school. Perhaps you skipped frosh week because U of T wasn’t your first choice, or you heard rumours that the events were boring or immature. With that attitude, you have already started university off on the wrong foot. You need to have an open mind and think about the opportunity that has been presented to you. It is your attitude that is going to play the biggest part in determining the value of your university experience. You can choose whether to be the life of the party, or the cynic in the corner. Frosh week is not just about the activities that are planned for students, but the little things you bond over with the new people you meet. It is about bonding over your love of free food, how much you abhor couples, and how attractive some of your group leaders are. Frosh week is about enjoying the last couple of days of summer, and taking the time to be free of responsibilities before school deadlines creep up. People forget that everybody is in the same position; you are not the only awkward indi-
vidual who thinks they won’t find somebody to match their eccentricities and interests. This is your introduction to life as an adult, and you don’t have to censor yourself or feel pressured to conform. You don’t want to spend your time in university always worrying about whether or not people like you. Just be yourself. Think back to how quickly your high school days seemed to fly past. Well, university has begun and life is not about to slow down. You may as well take advantage of the opportunity to act out and celebrate your introduction to university. Frosh week exists to facilitate mass socialization. This is your time to be yourself — no matter how strange. You will meet some amazing people who might become lifelong friends. So party, take full advantage of your education, get inspired, and remember what’s important to you. Fall in love with your school, explore your passions, and find something you believe in. Take advantage of your experience and seize the day. When you find yourself thinking back in the future to your early days as a new undergraduate, you will inevitably be reminded of the first week and the friends you made. There is nothing uncool or unnecessary about thousands of nervous freshmen coming together to begin their lives, making some friends along the way, and maybe dancing a bit. Mursal Rahman is a first-year student at the University of Toronto Mississauga studying journalism.
While some may feel alienated by structured orientation programs, good luck offering an alternative Stephen Warner
VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR
The first week of September marks the inevitable week-long merriment of frosh week: that time-honoured tradition of welcoming new students to university through group activities and events. While it is surely an enjoyable week for the more extroverted of U of T’s newcomers, what about those who are less so? Though some college and faculty orientation week planners do offer low-key alternative events — such as a quieter games night in place of a large dance party, as was the case for the first night of my own frosh week — rowdy parties and parades are not an issue for many uncomfortable freshman. The real issue at the heart of frosh week awkwardness, as I have heard it best described by a leader during my first year, is that, “Frosh is meant for the leaders, not the students.” What does this mean? Consider what happens when you put hundreds of diverse people, who have never met before, together, for a week. Sure, some will get along dandily, especially those who see friendly faces from their residence buildings. However, many others — whether they are naturally introverts or commuter students who may not recognize their peers or feel comfortable socializing in such a structured way — are out of luck when it comes to the gargantuan effort of finding a social life at one of Canada’s largest universities.
I was one of those people. I met some great people during frosh week, but by and large, I did not click with anyone until at least two months into the year. By the end of my first year, I had formed real friendships with people I had met not through frosh week, but through clubs I had joined after I became comfortable with U of T, my college, and my classes. Thus, frosh week is a great opportunity for upperyear students to bond with one another. So then here is the sticking point: that’s perfectly okay. In fact, it is great. It is one thing to whine about frosh week programming, but it is very difficult to propose a good alternative. It cannot happen after classes have started and students are more comfortable, nor would it be advisable to cancel it altogether. In short: while we cannot create an appealing orientation week for everyone, we can make it appealing to as many as possible, frosh leaders included. Frosh week is not for everyone, and suggesting that it is the be-all-and-end-all to making friends on campus is ludicrous. It is good for some, but it should not be treated as the only way to socialize; campuses and faculties must promote the plethora of other socialization opportunities on campus, rather than suggesting that frosh week is the only way to do so. If we give students options, they can pick the ones they like most, rather than feel forced into attending something they may not be comfortable with. Stephen Warner is a second-year student studying English and political science.
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VARSITY COMMENT
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2014
11
Life as an (international) student union executive
Many of the challenges facing U of T's international student commmunity remain unknown to domestic students Cameron Wathey
UTSU VP Internal & Services
As the vice-president, internal and services of the University of Toronto Students' Union (utsu), I can tell you that this job can be challenging. However, the challenge is different for those of us who are international students. Recently, I have been questioned and ridiculed for graduating while serving as an Executive Committee member with the utsu. Some critics have asked how I can represent students if I have already graduated. I am not the first to decide to finish my studies while devoting a year to giving back to my campus community. Some choose to return for financial reasons related to Ontario Student Assistance Plan (osap) rules. For others, the choice is influenced by mental health issues and the difficulty of coping with academic requirements while working to fulfill the responsibilities of a position requiring more than 40 hours of work a week. For me, the answer lies partly in the fact that I moved here from an island among the smallest in the Caribbean as an international student. International students are not permitted to study part-time unless
Jennifer su/THe VArsiTy
they are in their final year, and even then, it may not be allowed. I had no choice but to graduate when I did. We do not have the flexibility domestic students do to slow down our studies in response to difficulties we may experience or opportunities we want to pursue. It is hurtful to be ridiculed or excluded by those who do not experience the same restrictions that we do. I am glad that the utsu is structured to allow me, and thousands of other international students, an opportunity to be involved.
I have seen tuition fees rise over $10,000 during my time here, and that’s just in the Faculty of Arts & Science. Since the government does not regulate international student tuition fees, the Governing Council of U of T has final say. Our fees increase each year to compensate for inadequate government funding. To make matters worse, international students are prohibited from running as representatives for Governing Council. We cannot even represent ourselves on U of T’s
highest governance body despite our unique issues. Both U of T and the government say they want to increase international student enrollment. I say we should be allowed proper representation and the ability to fully contribute to our community first. Let us have a say in the rising cost of our tuition fees and give us access to health insurance, like international students in other provinces. In Ontario, lack of Ontario Health Insurance Plan (ohip) coverage means international students often have to fend for themselves or pay exorbitant costs in emergency situations. There are other difficulties international students face while enrolled at U of T. We do not have the benefit of many social services, even though we contribute billions to the economy and roughly 85 per cent of us stay in Canada after graduation. We leave families and support systems behind, and often struggle to get acquainted with a new community with new rules and different cultural norms. I hope people can understand the sacrifices international students make to attend university and the institutional barriers we face. There is also significant pressure from our
families to ensure that sending us abroad is worth the tuition fees, which leads many of us to be wary of getting involved. To graduate as an international student is an achievement in itself. I am using my knowledge and experiences to ensure that future international students do not face the struggles I did. It is scary to think that you could be deported if you try to raise your voice or face ridicule from your peers for actions that not all domestic students appreciate because they do not understand the barriers in place for international students. I am using my time at the utsu to do everything I can to stand up for international students, despite those who ridicule me and want to exclude me for my citizenship status. U of T is a great place. I want to give back to my community and make life a little easier for those who are facing the same challenges that I did. International students are full contributors to our campus and society, and I am going to do everything that I can this year to ensure they are respected and treated as such. Cameron Wathey is the utsu vicepresident, internal and services.
Emma Taylor, 27 “I moved into this room after landing my first real-life career job in the city. Before graduating, I had only worked part-time minimum wage gigs and could only afford to live in slum housing, which had mice. During this time, I would still hang out in my room, listen to a record on this really cheap player my parents got for me for my nineteenth birthday, and it was all incredibly romantic. With my first paycheck, I splurged and got myself a new player. I am incredibly grateful to have a job I love, live in a lovely house with some really stellar roommates, and now have a really sweet sound system. Life is good, and it shows that the hard work I put in early on eventually paid off.”
Matt Lacrette, 22 “I had gotten two breeding-sized snakes for a crazy deal from a friend. They were great snakes, but the only problem was that I had not had the snakes from a young age. This kind of made me feel like the snakes weren’t mine… but the female was pregnant. I took great care of her until one night at 4:00 am, I found 15 baby boas surrounding the mother. There were many different patterns, sizes, and personalities within the litter, but two stuck out: Lela and Strags. Lela [has an] amazing ladder pattern on her tail, and [Strags is] the slow yet lovable… runt of the litter. Having a pet from birth is an experience not a lot of people get to have, and now at two years old, they are four-and-a-half feet and the friendliest snakes I’ve ever come across.”
Behind be Inside the personal spaces of young adults in Toronto Article and photos by Emily Scherzinger
P
ersonal spaces are thought to reflect the lives of the individuals inhab them. Homes are divided between public spaces and private spaces, wit private space traditionally locked behind the bedroom door. The begin of adulthood is a delicate time period, as people begin to acquire a strong of self. These spaces reflect this transition and serve as a refuge amidst the and joys of personal development. More than simply a room, bedrooms repr growth and transition; they change as their owners change. The moments ex enced within these rooms and the objects that reside within them reveal pa their inhabitants. In an exploration of personal space, we asked young adults living in Toron allow us behind their bedroom doors to document how they manipulate space, and how these manipulations reflect events and transitions in their li
Erik Masson, 21
Ayla Shibla
“The worst thing that’s happened in this room is kind of hard to pinpoint [to] one event. I guess it’s sort of just a progression of me being an asshole. Someone I care about need[ed] to stay with me for a month, but being an only child, I’m reclusive and need alone time and other dumb nonsense. I don’t really know what to do about my frustration so rather than talk about it like a person, I get moody and shitty. She eventually [left], which makes sense. I wanted to take her to the bus but I had to work. When I got home she was gone and she left a note with a picture of us with hearts and lots of lovely stuff. [It] made me sad, so I cried like a helpless [and] confused child, which might be a sign. I hope she doesn’t read this because she definitely left it to make me feel better.”
“We found this place it are these really coo off to Costa Rica for tially subletting. This to living on Queen [S here, but because we like home. I come he which at first had a r kind of... doesn’t feel here. Living in a loft where I feel like I’m tr have that when you liv perks — I like being washroom at 4:00 am you just don’t want to
Haris Khan, 21 “I was just sitting [on my bed] on my laptop… on Reddit or some nonsense like that. The streetcar goes by, and [the bookshelf] was unbalanced at the time because the books are at the top. The whole thing just fell on me when the streetcar went by, because this is an old house and the whole thing shakes when the streetcar goes by. Everything fell off… Even my bobblehead’s guitar broke. I had to clean it up afterwards — it was the worst thing ever. I just put the books right up top again. I wake up at night sometimes, scared the bookshelf is going to fall on me again. It’s a major fear in my life.”
edroom doors Brian Lee, 21
biting th the nning sense e trials resent xperiarts of
“[This] is the first room that is wholly my own, with roommates across the hall instead of across the room [like res]. I don’t clean it because I don’t have to clean it. I’ve spent hundreds of nights in my room, played hundreds of hours of video games, watched hundreds of hours of tv. It’s the first place that’s… my own — the only place where I am alone. My cat sleeps every night with me in my bed. It’s just Marley [my cat] and me. Three years and still no bed — only a mattress. It’s the messiest room in a dirty house. The furniture is falling apart, just like my life. Just kidding… but not really.”
nto to e their ives.
q, 18
on Kijiji, and... the people who own ol neo-hippie[s]. The family’s going a year and a bit, and we’re essenis the only way we could come close Street West] in a loft. It’s nice living e’re subletting, it doesn’t really feel ere and it kind of feels like a hotel, really cool novelty to it, but now it like home until my roommates are bed is fun — that’s the one place ruly on my own, and you don’t really ve with three other people. It has its separate, [but] having to go to the m is literally the worst thing because o wake up your roommate.”
Cat Lachowskyj, 23 “There’s one part of my bedroom that usually gets a negative reaction out of people: I have my dead grandmother’s old dentures on display in a shadow box. I found them with my aunt and cousin as we were going through her things after she passed away a few months ago. She was an incredible matriarch, and my love for her mixed with my anatomy obsession prompted me to put them on display. I also have an old photograph of her on my bedside table. Those are probably the most important things to me in my entire apartment. I can see why some people probably think it’s morbid, but it does make for interesting pillow talk.”
Arts&Culture
VAR.ST/ARTS
8 SEPTEMBER 2014
arts@thevarsity.ca
Accessible arts
Where to find quality arts in Toronto at a student-friendly price
jennifer su/THe VArsiTy
Linh Nguyen
VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR
Living on a student budget can be frustrating in a big city, where there are so many shows, events, and international festivals tantalizingly nearby. Luckily, it doesn't always take hour-long waits outside box offices or expert bargain hunting to see great performances at reasonable prices. Stars and movie-goers alike are currently f looding the downtwon streets for the Toronto International Film Festival (tiff). This is a great way to kick off
the school year while the workload is still light. Anyone under 25 can catch a regular screening for only $18, and attend a tiff premiere for $30. That's even cheaper than rush tickets, and without the hassle of a line-up. Throughout the year, the tiff Bell Lightbox continues to host screenings, so if you miss the festival, you can still catch movies there for only $10.50 all year. However, they often have exhibitions running for free. If live performances are more your thing, the number one source for inexpensive show tickets in Toronto is HipTix. HipTix
offers $5 tickets to students between 14 and 29 years of age, and encompasses a broad range of live performances. Tickets can be purchased online at their website: totix.ca. They can also be bought in person at the T.O.TIX Ticketing Outlet, which is open 12:00–6:30 pm Monday to Saturday, and located in Yonge-Dundas Square. HipTIX can be available up until 2 hours and 15 minutes prior to the start of the show, provided they don't sell out. It's also a good idea to occasionally stop by the booth for other deals. Discounts are offered on various live performances,
including plays, dinner theatre, music, dance, and comedy skits such as Second City. These can make for a creative date or a fun outing. Partial discounts are even available for big name musicals such as last year's hit, Les Miserables. Upcoming HipTIX plays include William Shakespeare's The Tempest, Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest, Arthur Miller's The Crucible, Molière's Tartuffe, and many more. Many companies in Toronto also offer their own discounts year-round. The Canadian Opera Company puts on several productions throughout the year, which includes the upcoming seasons Falstaff and Madama Butterfly. They offer student tickets for between $22–$35. The Toronto Symphony Orchestra offers tickets for as little as $16 for those between the ages of 16 and 35, and the National Ballet of Canada offers rush tickets for their main season, as well as for their annual holiday hit, The Nutcracker, for $35. Standing room tickets are also available for select performances, for only $12. Of course, you can always enjoy a stroll inside the city's best museums, including the Textile Museum of Canada for $6, the Museum of Inuit Art for $3, and many more deals with your student I.D. The Bata Shoe museum has pay-what-you-can admission every Thursday from 5:00–8:00 pm. If that's still out of your price range, every Tuesday, the Royal Ontario Museum is free to university students and the Art Gallery of Ontario also offers free admission every Wednesday from 6:00–8:30 pm.
Cheap music guide By Sofia Luu When you’re living in Toronto, you’ll never run out of options when it comes to entertainment. Toronto might be lucky enough to be included on your favourite artist’s world tour, but instead of spending 50 or so dollars on that big ticket show, why not take a gamble with what our city’s other venues and promoters have to offer? All shows listed in this guide are either $10 or under and pay what you can (pwyc).
ami dang with Petra Glynt,
Slag Ralden, and Fresh Flesh: Wednesday September 10, Double Double Land, all ages, $8.
wtchs with Hollowphonic, Pink/Brown, and Sasha Chapin: Friday September 12, Smiling Buddha, all ages, pwyc ($5-$10 suggested). teenanger with Crosss and The Beverleys, Friday September 12, the Garrison, $10 animal faces with c t z n s h p, Whimm, and Zords: Saturday September 13, Smiling Buddha, all ages, $8.
dan mangan + blacksmith with The Darcys and
Lowell, Saturday September 13, the Opera House, $8.81
Culture: Cosplay Exploring student involvement at this year's FanExpo Corey Van Den Hoogenband VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR
It's always a treat in comics, film, or TV when characters from varying franchises cross over into each other's worlds. For many, it's this image of mixed-and-matched heroes and villains walking around in real life that makes Toronto’s Fan Expo so special, and it's local cosplayers that breathe life into some of their most beloved characters. Now in its twentieth year, Fan Expo invites lovers of comics, anime, gaming and more to socialize and celebrate their favourite franchises. A few of the many attractions offered every year include playable demos of upcoming video games, celebrity meet-and-greets, and a gallery of art for sale dubbed "Artist Alley." Dressing up as fan-favourite characters has been around as long as comic conventions themselves, but cosplaying has seen a recent explosion in popularity thanks to sites like Tumblr and Deviant Art
that have allowed users and fans to share, promote, and view cosplayers' hard work. J.D. Do is a first-year student at U of T who has attended Fan Expo in costume twice, starting last year. Pulling off a mean Spider-Man, the wall crawler tells me he was inspired to dress up after seeing how much of a great time other cosplayers were having at previous Expos. Stopping to pose for pictures with fans every few minutes, he admits that for him, letting kids have a chance to meet their heroes is the best part about cosplaying, along with taking pictures with the other heroes. For Tatyana Talbot , a fan of comics and anime, cosplaying is all about taking on the role of her character — in this case Sasuke Uchiha from Naruto Shippuden." People ask for a picture and would yell out 'Sasuke' as if I was that character," she says. She sees conventions like Fan Expo as the main community events for cosplayers, but knows some friends who go out together in costume for picnics and other outings.
The show room at the Sear's Fan Expo. MAckenzie sTewArT/THe VArsiTy
When it comes to joining the cosplay community, Do and Talbot offer skeptical students the same advice: you may feel a bit embarrassed at first when no one else is dressed up, but once you enter the convention and see others in costume, it
becomes an amazing experience you can't fully understand until you put on the cape and cowl. It’s thanks to the cosplay community that Fan Expo is able to grow and expand every year. Photo opportunities, stories, and unimagi-
nable crossovers — Zombie Storm Troopers and Newly Graduated XMen in gowns and caps to name a few— are brought to the city thanks to these enthusiastic fans who take the time to step into the shoes of the characters they admire.
VARSITY ARTS & CULTURE
var.st/arts
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2014
15
Step into the theatre: TIFF 2014
While U of T is in the midst of frosh week, Toronto readies itself for its glitziest and most buzzed about festival: tiff 2014 is here in all its glory. The Varsity is running around seeing as many movies as we can in the next few days, so here are some of our favourite reviews for you to consider when planning your movie-seeing line up.
Tokyo Tribe Jacob Lorinc VARSITY STAFF
The scene that engulfed the Ryerson Theatre on Thursday night was one of sheer adrenaline-fueled excitement. Probably the most eccentric portion of tiff each year, Midnight Madness really kicked off the festivities with a buzzing sense of chaos in the area. To begin the night, Colin Geddes, international programmer for tiff, introduced the audience to the movie’s star, Young Dais, an actor and popular rapper from the J-rap group North Coast Bad Boys. Before the movie began, Dais freestyled in English. As he left the stage, he reminded the technicians controlling the movie to make sure to turn the sound up loud, for the full experience. What came next was two hours of pure insanity. Tokyo Tribe, created by Shion Sono, the director who won last year’s Midnight Madness People’s Choice Award for Why
The Judge Daniel Konikoff VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR
With five separate screenings spread out over King Street West, The Judge opened tiff with the resounding slam of a gavel. By sheer virtue of its star power, The Judge — starring Robert Downey Jr., Robert Duvall, Vera Farmiga, and
Media Photo
Mr. Turner
J.M.W. Turner, one of England’s most influential painters, is a classic example of a reclusive and brooding genius. He was famous for shying away from the spotlight and revealing nothing to his admirers. Mike Leigh’s most recent film, Mr. Turner, allows the audience to delve into the mystery zone
that is Turner’s mind. In stark contrast to the beautiful landscapes he so elegantly arranges on canvas, Turner (Timothy Spall) is a classic Ebenezer Scrooge character. Having neglected most of his family, Turner leads a life of solitude, taking time to only socialize with his father. His daily interactions are confined to mumbling orders at his maid/mistress and talking business with his fellow painters by way of passiveaggressive confrontation. Yet, despite his ongoing battle with the world outside his front door,
Don’t You Go Play In Hell?, is a movie that is difficult to accurately label. Set in a postapocalyptic Japan, Tokyo Tribe is a hip-hop musical extravaganza that showcases the various different gangs that run the streets of Tokyo, each one more barbaric than the next. If it doesn’t sound ridiculous enough already, wait: the gangs in Tokyo join forces in order to overthrow the most powerful gang, run by the particularly brutish leader, Buppa. Buppa is convinced that penis size has a direct connection to who should get to run Tokyo, and therefore the other gangs must stop him before he and his evil son eat everyone (quite literally) as proof of their superiority. Lacking even a somewhat acceptable plot, it is very much understood that Tokyo Tribe is purely for entertainment value. But, despite this, I can’t help but compare Tokyo Tribe to Why Don’t You Go Play In Hell? While Tokyo Tribe is filmed in a very unique and stylized manner, and has the ability to keep the audience entertained throughout, Why Don’t You Go Play In Hell? is all that plus more. The zany humour, surprising plot twists, and interesting character devel-
opment that were present in Sono’s last film are completely absent in his latest work. However, Tokyo Tribe is laden with elaborate sets, fantastic costume design and two hours worth of the heaviest beats and rhymes. Unfortunately, the cutesy humour seen in Sono’s previous film is replaced
Jacob Lorinc
VARSITY STAFF
Media Photo
Billy Bob Thornton — was off to a good start before court was even in session. Downey Jr. plays Hank Palmer, a big shot Chicago defense attorney with a facetious tongue and an emboldened sense of immorality. Despite the mansion in the suburbs with a Ferrari in the driveway, Hank’s home life is deteriorating: his wife is divorcing him, his daughter misses him, and he is estranged from his father, a judge of
Turner somehow manages to paint the most amazing portraits of society at work. Spall recently won the Best Actor award at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, and he puts on a commendable performance throughout the film, his face affixed with a seemingly permanent scowl. However, while his portrayal of the character’s emotion is captivating, his ability to deliver dialogue unfortunately falls somewhat short. The combination of a heavy cockney accent and short, staccato sentences that are delivered so briskly made all of the dialogue in the film difficult to follow. Spall’s dialogue consisted mostly of grunts and groans and, if listening closely, one could occasionally make out the vague configuration of something that sounded like “alright” or “good day to you, sir.” This is not to say that the film was ruined by its lack of comprehensible speech. Visually, Mr. Turner is striking, portraying eighteenth-century London in all its darkness and grime. Landscape shots of Turner’s silhouette in front of the orange sunset make for some lovely cinematography, and the portrayal of his final moments in the English countryside are quite moving. While Mr. Turner will be easily overlooked in terms of its screenplay, Oscar nominations for costume and set design are in the bag.
Verdict: Not a must-see at the festival, but worth your time if you enjoy historical films.
Media Photo
42 years in Carlinville, Indiana. Hank returns home upon hearing that his mother has passed away and winds up staying in town to defend his father when he is accused of a hit-and-run on the night of her funeral. The film, however, is marred — bloated, in fact — by cliché and cheap contrivance. Characters such as Hank’s disabled younger brother who films everything with a Super 8 camera is both a character we have seen countless times in contemporary cinema as well as a convenient device used to fill in gaps of logic. Furthermore, the inclusion of Hank’s old high school sweetheart, Samantha, clogs the script with an uninteresting romantic subplot that treads heavily into convention and veers the otherwise thrilling principal narrative into sappy and uncharacteristically comedic territory. One glimpse at director David Dobkin’s directing history sheds light upon why his filmography, which includes Wedding Crashers and The Change-Up, paints the picture of a director far more comfortable with comedy than drama. Other directors, such as James L. Brooks, the Coen brothers, and David Gordon Green, are able to shuttle between comedy and drama on a film-to-film basis. Within its 141-minute duration, however, Dobkin jumps from melodrama to saccharine tenderness to vomit sight gags and
with harsh and weirdly sexist jokes, in a failed attempt to be funny. Tokyo Tribe is a movie you want to like, yet feel morally obligated not to.
Verdict: Would not watch again, but would certainly buy the soundtrack. back to melodrama again, changing tone at a breakneck pace. The film is held together by stellar performances by Duvall and Vincent D’Onofrio. Downey Jr. isn’t doing anything new here, playing the same lovably unscrupulous jerk he’s been offering up since 2008, but D’Onofrio offers up genuine heart as Hank’s rough-but-sympathetic older brother. Duvall ultimately steals the show with his take on the cantankerous yet vulnerable Judge Palmer coming off as gutwrenchingly poignant and utterly captivating. Captured beautifully in 35 milimeter, cinematographer Janusz Kaminski utilizes careful shot composition to frame Duvall from a lower angle, showing him as a commanding and influential presence over both Carlinville justice and his sons’ lives. Despite gorgeous visuals and quality performances, The Judge nevertheless falls victim to its own convention and inconsistent tone. Equal parts courtroom thriller and family drama, it fails to strike a successful balance between the two.
Verdict: Anchored by a stellar performance by Duvall, The Judge is nevertheless something worth waiting to see in theatres.
16
VARSITY ARTS & CULTURE
Vol. CXXXV, No. 2
arts@thevarsity.ca
The music blog guide How to navigate the blogosphere to find new music before your cool friends find it first Leelan Farhan
VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR
It seems that almost everyone who’s passionate about music has a music blog, or has at least attempted one. With hundreds of blogs out there, how do you know which one’s the best without spending hours sifting through the darkest corners of the internet? Even when you find them, what do you do with them? Here’s a breakdown of three top music blogs, and how to get the most out of them.
blalock’s indie rock playlist (birp) http://birp.fm
Josh Blalock started Blalock’s Indie Rock Playlist in 2009, focusing on monthly downloadable playlists as a way to promote independent music. However, since its conception, birp has expanded into a music community hub and news source. If you’re not that concerned with the critiquing of music, birp is great for music fiends who constantly need new additions to their iTunes library. The first thing you’re greeted with on the site is the playlist of the month. Each month birp releases a playlist with over 100 new songs from varying genres and artists. Don’t let the “Indie” in birp fool you — the mixtapes consist of everything from chillwave, to grunge rock, to hip-hop and rap. In addition
to including a variety of genres, the popularity of the songs in birp’s playlists tends to range. From tags like “under 2000 listeners” to The Black Keys’ new singles, birp’s playlists are a happy medium between the comfort of well-known music and the excitement of discovering emerging sounds and styles. In addition to monthly playlists, birp also has a mixtapes section. Each mixtape is around 25–30 minutes of themed music that are as much a gradient of genres and artists as the regularly featured playlists. PRO: Monthly playlists and mixtapes; users are able to contribute content easily. CON: Not very much music criticism.
wetheurban
http://www.wetheurban.com/ WeTheUrban is an arts and culture blog in which music coverage is just a sliver of what is available. Their music section features some excellent commentary and reviews. While their main focus is mainstream artists, they occasionally drop a few lines in favour of some up-andcomers like mø and fka twigs. You won’t find too many downloads and torrents here, but if you need a quick opinion on new popular releases and Nicki Minaj music video reviews, WeTheUrban has got you covered. As a bonus, you can check out some cool contemporary artwork and the
julien balbontin/tHe Varsity
latest runway shows. For the culturehungry, it’s a full course meal. PRO: Great for keeping up to date with mainstream pop and hip-hop. CON: Not a music-only blog, doesn’t offer that many new finds.
pretty much amazing
http://prettymuchamazing.com Pretty Much Amazing (pma) is the oldest of these blogs, having been created by Luis Tovar in 2007. pma
consistently churns out hearty, well-thought-out album reviews that cover both underground and not-so-underground artists, each ending with a letter grade. In addition to their critiques of albums, pma’s MP3 section features downloadable song lists like “10 Downloads You Won’t Regret” and “20 Best Songs of 2014”, as well as newly released singles. pma does a great job of keeping their website diverse in terms of genre and independent versus major re-
cord labels. Their “News” section includes the latest happenings of the industry and “did you know?” tidbits, but few interviews with musicians on here. pma also has its very own “pma Radio” where you can listen to their recommended tunes on shuffle while browsing the site and reading reviews. PRO: Great album reviews and shuffle radio. CON: Very little in the way of artist interviews.
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THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST A Trivial Comedy for Serious People By Oscar Wilde Directed by Cory Doran
SEPT. 19–OCT. 4, 2014 BOX OFFICE: www.uofttix.ca / 416.978.8849 Adults $28 / Seniors $17 / Students $15 $10 Student tickets every Wednesday!
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VARSITY ARTS & CULTURE
var.st/arts
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2014
17
Meet your frosh artist: Karl Wolf An interview with Karl Wolf about his new album Stereotype Sarah Niedoba
ArtS & Culture editor
Karl Wolf is a Lebanese-Canadian musician and producer originally hailing from Dubai before finding his way to Montreal and making waves with his hit single “Africa” in 2009. He sat down with The Varsity to discuss his recently released album Stereotype before his frosh week performance on Friday, September 5. The Varsity: So you just released your [fifth studio album] Stereotype — can you tell us a little bit about that and what you’re working on right now? Karl Wolf: Yep, we just released the album last week; it includes [the single] "Magic Hotel" featuring Timbaland, as well as our other single "Summertime." We’re doing a bunch of touring — we’re doing all of We Day and performances across the country in the fall, so that’s very exciting as well.
Karl Wolf. Courtesy of Lone WoLf entertainment
10x7-ENG Sept 2014_Layout 1 2014-07-28 9:15 AM Page 1
TV: What were you trying to say with this album? KW: You know what, usually I would say, just let’s party or something, but this album is a little different. It’s my fifth studio album, so I don’t know if you could call it mature, but maybe matured musically, I guess. I wanted to be more organic with my sounds — I had a bunch of live players come in; I played the bass on the record. I produced pret-
ty much the whole album, except a couple of songs produced by myself and Timbaland. I have Classified featured on the album. I worked closely with a very close friend of mine, Show Stevens, from Toronto, and he basically co-wrote the whole album with me. I basically went back to my R&B roots a little bit more — there are some Michael Jackson-sounding tracks on there that I’m very excited about. Generally, I would say it’s more personal, this album. I talk about the reality of my life these days — my parents are retired now and I’ve been supporting them for the last five years. I brought them to Canada, so they’re in Montreal right now. Life’s changed for me — it’s not all about partying. I’ve grown up. TV: It sounds like there’s quite a bit of Canadian influence in the album — you’ve collaborated with a lot of Canadian artists to produce it. Can you speak to that? KW: Absolutely — I love Canadian musicians. One of my best friends in the industry is Kardinal Offishall, so we’ve done two or three records together, although unfortunately not this one. It’s just who you connect with — I’ve toured with [many] Canadian artists, from Shawn Desman to Hedley. I mean all these people are my brothers and sisters — it’s a good thing; it’s a family affair.
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TV: What would you say are some of your biggest influences? KW: I would say Michael Jackson probably, [being] the main one. You know there’s influences, and then there’s people I like because I’m just blown away at their artistry, like Eminem, for example. I’m also into older music — Chicago, Earth, Wind & Fire, George Benson, Prince, Stevie Wonder — you know, all real R&B musicians. Good music from the past; I live in the past. TV: Can you recommend a Canadian artist you think people should be listening to? KW: I would say Virginia to Vegas. He’s a bigger dj and a great friend of mine; he’s got a great vibe. Someone else would be Hedley — always a good one — or Classified. You know I can’t recommend just one, it’s like choosing favourites, they’re all good friends and I respect them. TV: What can students expect from your performance on Friday? KW: Oh my god, just prepare yourself for a ball of energy — that’s my thing. We’re there to have a great time, and you guys are going to feel that energy. We’re playing some new songs — I play all the hits like Africa and all the good ones, but I’m adding a few more songs from the album, so that’s going to be fun too. This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity and length.
Science
VAR.ST/SCIENCE
8 SEPTEMBER 2014
science@thevarsity.ca
Developing the future
Science around town
Computer science undergraduate projects exhibited at research showcase
Mechanical stimulation of orthopaedic tissues: regulation of bone resorption and solute transport through articular cartilage A research seminar with speaker Yousef Shafieyan, a post-doctoral fellow in the Faculty of Dentistry Monday, September 8 11:30 am–12:30 pm FitzGerald Building 150 College Street (Room 237) Free; no tickets necessary
Power Hour Social: Girls in Tech Toronto A networking social with speakers including ceo of omx Nicole Verkindt; co-founder and coo of ScholarLab, Laurelle Jno Baptiste; and Wattpad head of global marketing, Melissa Shapiro Tuesday, September 9 6:00 pm–8:30 pm 36 Wellington Street East (Suite 200) $5 tickets available on Eventbrite
Bioethics for Health in the 21st Century: New Challenges, Emerging Opportunities A seminar by speaker Jennifer Gibson, associate professor at the Institute of Health Policy, Management & Evaluation; part of the Bioethics Seminar Series Wednesday, September 10 4:00 pm–5:30 pm Health Sciences Building 155 College Street (Room 108) Free; no tickets necessary
Boosting your Immune System
Students present their summer projects at the Bahen Centre for Information Technology. JENNIFER SU/THE VARSITy
Jasleen Arneja SCIENCE EDITOR
The Department of Computer Science recently showcased the results of undergraduate summer research at the Bahen Centre for Information Technology. The summer research programs offer undergraduate interns a unique glimpse of graduate life at U of T. “It is so awesome that [students] are able to work on these projects. I actually don’t know of any other, at least, Canadian university that has this level of opportunity for undergraduate student research,” said Paul Gries, the associate chair of undergraduate studies at the Department of Computer Science. “We have everything from theoretical research to really advanced application development on tools that are used by other undergraduate students,” Gries said. He mentions a few different tools, including MarkUs, an online assignment submission and marking tool created and used by computer science students. In addition to MarkUs, the Python Classroom Response System (pcrs) was also showcased. Olessia Karpova, a fourth-year student in the Department of Computer
Science who worked on upgrading the system, explained its function. “We created an online classroom, essentially; it’s going to be used in our introductory computer science courses,” said Karpova. “Instructors can lay out learning modules consisting of text resources, video resources, multiple choice questions, and different [programming] languages.” Enhancing accessibility is one of the goals of the pcrs. “This helps the students learn; they can access the learning resources from wherever they want to, whenever they want to — watch the videos as many times as they want,” said Karpova. “Coding practice is very important,” said Karpova. By providing students with immediate feedback on their performance, the tool helps both the students, who can improve by learning from previous mistakes, and the instructors, who can see where students are struggling most and target those areas of the course material. The pcrs was first created at utm two years ago for in-class use, so that instructors could gauge the level of students’ understanding. “Then we took it one step further and developed the self-study modules that were used instead of the laboratory component in first-year computer
science, last year. And this year, again, we are taking it another step further,” said Karpova. “We are giving the instructors more freedom to create the content that they want and we’re giving students more opportunities to learn without being tied to a particular lecture hall or a particular lab section,” Karpova concluded. Undergraduate student Ian Stewart-Binks worked with phd student and lecturer David Liu to create Coursography, a tool aimed at guiding students through their university careers. Stewart-Binks explains that the tool has two components, the first being a graph displaying courses offered by the Department of Computer Science, with a pre-requisite tracker built in; and the second being somewhat similar to a scheduler or timetable generator. “The graph is only available to [computer science] students, but the timetable creator is available to everybody in Arts & Science. It supports 2,337 courses,” StewartBinks said. Students also developed biomedically-relevant tools, such as Karan Dhiman’s algorithm for calculating the speed of blood flow from CT scans, and Filip Miscevic’s clinical diagnostic tool, which is designed to explore other da-
tabases with multi-dimensional patient data. The social sciences also came into play at the showcase. Erin Grant explored gender differences in language abilities and childdirected speech. She used computational methods to analyze the speech of caregivers and parents as directed to young boys and girls. Accessibility needs were brought to the forefront with the Accessible Large-print Listening and Talking (allt) device, which is an accessible e-book reader designed to be used by older adults. “There’s a lot of things that you have to think about, in terms of interfaces and making the device friendly for a group of people who are stereotypically not used to technology,” said Jaisie Sin, a fourth-year undergraduate studying computer science and neuroscience. Sin’s project is one of many at the Technologies for Aging Gracefully Lab at U of T. According to Gries, undergraduate research showcases breed innovation among students. “First-year students will maybe start thinking about seeing what they can do about getting to know professors, finding out about research so when they get to be third- and fourth-year students, they get to do these projects,” said Gries.
An informational session to learn about natural ways to keep the flu and colds at bay Thursday, September 11 6:00 pm-7:00 pm Living City Health 120 Eglinton Avenue East Free; register on Eventbrite
Dementia Hack 2014 An international hackathon presented by HackerNest and British Consulate General Toronto aimed at developing software and hardware to improve healthcare for dementia patients Friday, September 12, 8:00 am to Sunday, September 14, 1:30 pm Ryerson Digital Media Zone (DMZ) 10 Dundas Street East, Sixth Floor Free for students; sign up at hckrn.st/dhteams
Café scientifique — L’EAU/WATER A screening of the film La Soif du Monde or A Thirsty World presented in French with English subtitles followed by a discussion with Dr. Ludiwine Clouzot, founder of Ecoloodi Wednesday, September 10 6:30 pm–9:00 pm Alliance Française 24 Spadina Road Free; no tickets necessary
var.st/science
VARSITY SCIENCE
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2014
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Being richer makes us worse people, study says Scientists discover relationship between power, motor resonance, and interpersonal sensitivity Wan Xian Koh
VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR
Power, promotion, and prosperity are inherent human desires. However, as we climb the social ladder, we become less aware, less empathetic, and less sensitive to those around us. This isn’t merely a popular social theory — the negative relationship between power and interpersonal sensitivity has been tested scientifically. A recent study conducted by Dr. Michael Inzlicht, a professor at the Department of Psychology at utsc, and his colleagues investigates the effects of power on motor resonance. Motor resonance is the activation of neural circuits associated with an action while observing the execution of the same action by another person. “If I observe someone else engage in an action, it’s adaptive for my brain to also engage similar brain areas as those actions themselves require. And by having this process, I may be better able to understand those actions; I may be better able to predict the outcome of others’ actions in other people and maybe respond appropriately,” says Inzlicht. He refers to motor resonance as a form of “mind reading,” in which a person mentally stimulates the actions of others. A total of 45 participants were randomly assigned into separate groups that underwent high-, neutral-, or low-power priming. High- and low-power participants wrote an essay on a particular incident in which they either had or lacked power over someone else, while neutral participants were told to recall what they did yesterday.
brittany gerow/tHe Varsity
The study, published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, found that high-power participants exhibited lower
levels of motor resonance while low-power participants demonstrated higher levels of resonance. According to the study, “These
differences suggest that decreased motor resonance to others’ actions might be one of the neural mechanisms underlying powerinduced asymmetries in processing our social interaction partners.” Throughout the years, many researchers have focused on the psychological impact of power. Studies have found that high-power individuals are able to focus by ignoring peripheral information; while this improves task-related performance, it negatively affects others in a social setting. Other studies revealed that having power and control over resources negatively influences the ability to process individuating information. In contrast, those who rely on others for resources pay close attention to other people, especially to the powerful. There is also scientific evidence indicating that high socioeconomic status corresponds to low empathic accuracy. Creating awareness about the psychological impact of power on the brain can minimize the disparity between the powerful and powerless. According to Inzlicht, everyone has the mental apparatus needed for empathy and interpersonal sensitivity; he believes that the ability to empathize is dependent on motivation. Therefore, understanding the scientific explanation for power-induced asymmetries in social input may motivate people to reduce social inequity. This brain study is one of the first to explore the effect of power asymmetry on empathy. Scientists recommend that the experiment be repeated with a larger pool of participants to obtain a replicable and more general result. In addition, further research will be needed to determine the mechanisms through which power affects motor resonance.
Why your grandfather is a morning person Study links time of day with improved cognitive functions in older adults Jasmine Chopra
VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR
According to a recent study published by researchers at U of T’s Rotman Research Institute, older adults are more alert and perform better at challenging cognitive tasks in the morning. The study, published in the journal Psychology and Aging, suggests that older adults are more likely to use regions of the brain associated with improved ability to resist distraction earlier in the day. When tested in the afternoon, they show a decline in both their behavioural and neural condition. There are fluctuations in our hormonal levels and our cognitive alertness throughout the day known as a circadian rhythm. This “inner clock” is affected by many different variables, including age. “Our research is consistent with previous science reports showing that at a time of day that matches circadian arousal patterns, older adults are able to resist distraction,” Dr. Lynn Hasher, U of T professor and senior author on the paper, said in a Baycrest press release. Researchers asked groups of younger and older adults — aged 19–30 and 60–82, respectively — to perform tasks including studying and remembering sequences of pictures and combinations of words that appeared on the computer screens. They
JaniCe LiU/tHe Varsity
also included distactions such as flashing irrelevant words or images on the computer screens. At the same time, they scanned the
brains of the participants using functional magnetic resonance imaging to detect the regions that were activated.
The results showed significant differences between the brain scans of older adults and younger adults performing tasks in the afternoon. However, this was not the case when both younger and older adults performed tasks in the morning. When older adults engaged in tasks in the afternoon, the brain regions involved in suppressing distractions were activated only 5.4 per cent as often as they were for younger people. Conversely, when the older adults performed the same tasks in the morning, they activated the same brain regions a whopping 41.4 per cent as often as their younger counterparts. Those tested in the morning were not as easily distracted as their peers tested in the afternoon and therefore had greater cognitive ability. John Anderson, phd candidate and lead author of the study, said in the press release, “[The older adults’] improved cognitive performance in the morning correlated with greater activation of the brain’s attentional control regions — the rostral prefrontal and superior parietal cortex — similar to that of younger adults.” The study results propose that challenging tasks should be scheduled in the morning for older adults since they are more alert and therefore will be able to perform better mentally. Researchers should factor in the time of day when studying age differences in brain function.
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THE FUTURE IS HERE THE NEW STREETCAR IS COMING TO SPADINA ON AUGUST 31ST
The new streetcars on Spadina are more accessible, more comfortable, more convenient to board, more spacious and carry twice as many passengers. The 510 Spadina will now run on a Proof-of-Payment (POP) system. Customers will need to show their POP receipt to a TTC fare inspector upon request.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: PASS HOLDERS:
TRANSFER HOLDERS:
Customers with a Metropass, Day Pass or Weekly Pass will be able to board the new streetcar through any door. Your Pass is your POP receipt.
Customers with a transfer can board the streetcar through any door. Your transfer is your POP receipt.
TOKENS: Customers using tokens will need to pay at an on-board or curbside fare vending machine to receive a POP receipt. Your POP receipt can also be used as your transfer.
TTC TICKET HOLDERS: Customers using Senior/Student or Child tickets are required to have their tickets stamped at a ticket validator located beside the on-board or curbside fare vending machines. Your stamped ticket is your POP receipt and can be used as your transfer.
CASH FARES: The fare vending machines accept coins only (change is not provided), and will issue a POP receipt. Your POP receipt can be used as your transfer.
CURBSIDE FARE VENDING MACHINES: Customers can also purchase fares and validate their tickets at new curbside fare vending machines installed at the busiest stops along the route, such as College and Spadina. Fare vending machines accept coins only (change is not provided).
The new fare vending machines and ticket validators are unique to the 510 Spadina route. There will be a transition period when both new and regular streetcars will run on the 510 Spadina route. Customers boarding regular streetcars will pay their fare as usual and will now be required to show a POP receipt upon request.
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Sports
VAR.ST/SPORTS
8 September 2014
sports@thevarsity.ca
Blues baseball remembers former player who passed from ALS Varsity Blues baseball team takes part in ice bucket challenge for former player, Michael Tambureno
A ceremony to honour Michael Tambureno was held before the game. Courtesy of PatriCk jaChyra
Elizabeth Benn SPORTS EDITOR
On September 3, the Varsity Blues took on the Ontario Blue Jays in the fourth annual Michael Tambureno Memorial game. The Blues fell 6-5 to the Blue Jays, but the
score was of little importance to the teams. Tambureno played for both the Ontario Blue Jays (obj) (1997, 1998) and the Varsity Blues (19992003) after playing one year with Texarkana College in Texas. During his time with the Blues, he helped the team win its first two Ontario
University Athletics (oua) titles in 2001 and 2003. In 1999, the Blues won the Ontario East Championship and were silver medalists in the Canadian Intercollegiate Baseball association championships. “Unfortunately I was not around when Michael was a player at U of T,” said U of T assistant baseball coach
Patrick Jachyra. “From what I heard from the previous U of T head coach (Dan Lang), he was a player who always worked hard, was very supportive of his teammates, and strived to make others better around him both on and off the field,” Jachyra added. Shortly after his time at U of T, Tambureno was diagnosed with als, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. In March 2011, Tambureno, then a Brampton school teacher and beloved teammate, died at the age of 31. For the past four years, U of T has been hosting the game in Tambureno’s memory and to raise money and awareness for the disease. The inaugural memorial took place on June 18, 2011, shortly after Tambureno’s death, with a double header between the obj and the Toronto Mets. “[The Varsity Blues] were scheduled to play the Ontario Blue Jays (obj) in an exhibition game in preparation for our regular season when the head coach of the objs, Dan Bleiwas suggested that both teams participate in a pre and postgame ceremony to honour the life and death of Michael Tambureno,” explained Jachyra. After the game, players and coaches from both teams gathered in centre field to form the letters “als” and simultaneously poured coolers filled with ice water over their heads. Footage was captured by a drone rented
by the teams for what they called an epic Ice Bucket Challenge. As typical of Ice Bucket Challenge participants, the obj and the Blues challenged others to participate. “We have now challenged all amateur sporting and university organizations to participate in the challenge, learn more about the disease and donate to the appropriate organization,” said Jachyra. “Each and every player who was in attendance for this game on Wednesday participated in the ice bucket challenge and after the event, many of the firstyear players spoke about the fact that they felt that the event and day as a whole strengthened their collective [identity] with the current team and the great honour of representing U of T,” said Jachyra. The objs donated $500 to als Canada and U of T donated $250. So far, Canadians have raised over 12 million dollars for als Canada from Ice Bucket Challenges and donations promoted by the social media campaign. “It was a very special moment for both the family and our players to come together with the [objs] to remember a student athlete. The family was very appreciative of this endeavor and has participated each year we have held an exhibition game in [Tambureno’s] honor,” said Jachyra.
Tales of a tryout Baseball rookie Zac Kelcher-McConnell shares his experience trying out for the Varsity Blues Susan Gordon
VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR
The beginning of the first year of university can be stressful and overwhelming for anyone, but for rookie athletes all over campus, this time of year is particularly hectic. Tryouts for varsity sports can be long and difficult, and will result in new opportunities for some and disappointment for others. For the lucky few who receive chances to represent the University of Toronto on their respective teams, the tryout process is more than worth it. Zac Kelcher-McConnell is one athlete who recently won a spot on the varsity baseball team as a catcher. Scouted for the team during his high school baseball career, Kelcher-McConnell participated in the team’s mid-August tryouts along with other first-year students and returning players. Starting with a group of 50, the baseball tryouts narrowed down the team to just 30 players, including approximately 10 new players. “The weekend was very stressful for most new players as they knew that each mistake may cost them
their spot on the team or their spot in the starting line-up if they weren’t careful. “It was both physically and mentally exhausting, but all in all the best team was definitely picked by the end of the weekend,” said Kelcher-McConnell. This unusual start to university is hardly an easy one for athletes. However, for those first-years who make the teams, despite the temporary stresses of the tryout process, being on a team may ultimately help them in their transition to university and become more successful in other aspects of their university career. “In my opinion trying out for a team does give me a different experience from other freshmen as not only does it give me people that I can ask for advice right from the start but it also instills in me a sense of discipline when it comes to school work and balancing schedules as we have upwards of 30 games spread out over six weeks of the first year in university,” said Kelcher-McConnell. He added, “It really makes you hit the ground running and sets a tone for what university can be like.” For many new varsity athletes, hitting the ground running is ex-
julien balbontin/the Varsity
actly what they’ll have to do, as both classes and game schedules intensify in the first few weeks. But for these frosh, the positive experiences they can look forward to
outweighs any difficulties they had during tryouts. “It really is an amazing feeling to be able to represent all the students at U of T every time I put on
my uniform. Yes, the tryouts and practices are grueling and hard work at first, but all of that hard work pays off in the end,” said Kelcher-McConnell.
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Vol. CXXXV, No. 2
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80% off Amazing string quartets and pianists Student tickets only $10 each at
Jane Mallett Theatre, St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts Box office: www.stlc.com, and 416-366-7723 /MusicToronto
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Visit thevarsity.ca/volunteer to learn more.
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VARSITY SPORTS
var.st/sports
Field hockey sweeps on new home turf First matches on back campus fields end in success for U of T
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2014
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Top lacrosse players join Blues’ roster Varsity Blues men’s lacrosse looks stronger after new roster additions Elizabeth Benn SPORTS EDITOR
Last season, the Varsity Blues men’s lacrosse team finished with a disappointing 4–8 record in regular season play, in fifth place in the west division of the Canadian University Field Lacrosse Association. “The men’s team is very excited about the upcoming season,” said head coach Joe Nizich. He explained that the team’s roster is now veteran and has been strengthened by the addition of top athletes. Corey Wright is a defensive player and has been named an All-Canadian three times. He will be returning to the team alongside fellow All-Canadians, midfielders Michael Buwalda and Jordan Robertson. Buwalda had a strong season last year, leading the team in goals and ranking fourth in the league with 33 goals in 12 games.
AJ Masson, a National Lacrosse League draft pick and a Major Lacrosse Series player, will be sitting on the roster in the attack position. Before joining the Blues, Masson played four seasons of Lacrosse at the University of Vermont. In these three years, he was named a 2010 American East all-rookie team member and was a threetime member of the American East all-academic team. Besides the numerous star returning players, rookies to the team but veterans to the league will be joining the Blues. Mike McKegney, who played for Western in previous years, and Marc Santos from Queen’s will be joining the team. “Goaltending will be a challenge as our starting goalie of the past two years, Lowell Hunt, will not play due to injury,” said Nizich. “First–year goalie Taylor Stinson has some big shoes to fill but he seems up to the task, and with Lowell’s coaching, will improve
and gain more confidence as the season progresses,” he said. Last year in the playoffs, the Blues played only one game and fell to the Western Mustangs in a close 9–8 loss. This year, Nizich believes that the team can perform strongly in the west division playoffs which will earn them a spot in the Baggataway Cup provincial championships. Brock and Western led the west division last season with 11–1 and 10–2 records, respectively. U of T will be in for a tough end of the season, facing both of these teams twice in the team’s final six games. “Along with the women’s team, we are pleased that some of our practices will be held on the new back campus fields,” said Nizich. The team’s games, however, will continue to be played at Varsity Centre. The team’s next home game will take place on September 21 at 7:00 pm against Wilfred Laurier after a three-game road trip against Laurentian, Nippising, and McMaster.
TTC Post-Secondary Photo ID
This weekend marked the first games played on the back fields. Jennifer su/THe VArsiTy
Reshara Alviarez
VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR
The Varsity Blues field hockey team dominated both of its matches against York University and Western University on Saturday, September 6. The Blues finished with an 8–0 win over the York Lions and an 8–1 win over the Western Mustangs at the U of T Invitational. These matches kicked off the first official event hosted on the newly renovated back campus fields. The team enjoyed a very successful season last year, leading U of T athletics with a reputation of setting high expectations and achieving remarkable success. Field hockey has thrived as a major sport at U of T since the 1960s. Over the years, the team’s success has continued to show through its numerous accomplishments at both the provincial and national levels. Last year’s team captain Kathryn Williams led the team to the provincial championships last October, despite the fact that many of its star players had graduated the previous year. With head coach John DeSouza providing support
and advice every step of the way, the rookies worked extremely hard alongside seasoned players in order to ensure continued success for the team. The Blues are scheduled to play two matches next Saturday against the Western Mustangs and the Queen’s Gaels. The following weekend, the team will be heading to Kingston to face off against the McGill Martlets, the York Lions, and the Guelph Gryphons. If last season is any indication of the team’s expected performance, it would not be a surprise to see the Blues heading to the Ontario University Athletics championship this fall and the Canadia Intercollegiate Sport championship in late October. The back campus fields project was an attempt on behalf of the university to expand opportunities and access for students, staff, and faculty in the coming years. The fields will be used in the upcoming Pan Am and Parapan Am Games next year. This fall marks an exciting time for the U of T community, as the much anticipated Varsity Centre complex reaches its final stages of completion this fall.
There are changes to the TTC Student photo ID. Post-Secondary students must carry photo ID. Although you do not need to show it when using a Post-Secondary Metropass, you must be able to produce it upon request by Fare Enforcement Officers or TTC staff.
For more information, please visit ttc.ca
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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2014
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E V A H u yo WER O P E H T
Varsity Publications
Board of Directors By-election: Call for Nominations Varsity Publications is the not-for-profit corporation that publishes The Varsity newspaper. There are two (2) vacant seats on the corporation’s Board of Directors. A by-election to fill this seat will be held on September 24–26.
Who can run? — One (1) general category director: any full-time undergraduate student who pays the Varsity Publications levy and is enrolled at utm, utsc, or utsg. — One (1) Scarborough director: any full-time undergraduate student who pays the Varsity Publications levy and is enrolled at utsc. If no nominations are received for the utsc category, a general category director will be elected.
Nomination information: Eligible students must complete a nomination form and obtain the signature of twenty-five (25) members. Members are full-time undergraduate students who pay the Varsity Publications levy. Completed forms can be scanned and emailed to the cro (chair@thevarsity.ca) or submitted in person to room 200, 21 Sussex Avenue, Toronto, ON, M5S 1J6.
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