MEETING MERIC
U of T’s new president lays out his vision for the next five years MORE ON PG 8
VOL. CXXXIV, NO. 14
13 JANUARY, 2014
UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO’S STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1880
6 JANUARY, 2014
VOL. CXXXIV, NO. 13
Students cite pressure to succeed for illegal use of study drugs Liza Agrba & Salvatore Basilone VARSITY STAFF
Laura resisted taking “study drugs” throughout her first year, despite hearing other students talk about how much they helped them focus. Having procrastinated up to her second-year exam season, Laura faced a workload that seemed “humanly impossible.” She purchased Adderall XR through a friend who had a connection, and used it to stay up all night and do readings. Laura has used study drugs every time her workload has become too much ever since; she is currently in fourth year. “The risks don’t really cross my mind when I’m desperate for good marks,” she said.
The use of so-called “study drugs” for academic aid without a prescription seems to be an unspoken reality at U of T. Students interviewed for this piece report the common use and ready availability of drugs like Adderall, Ritalin, Dexedrine, and Concerta, which are prescribed to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (adhd). Students cite pressure to do well in school as their main reason for using study drugs. They report that U of T’s competitive academic environment — combined with procrastination, work, and/or personal commitments — sometimes leads to the feeling that prescription stimulants are the only remaining option to succeed. Students report that they often purchase these drugs through stu-
dent dealers who have prescriptions. “Everyone knows that U of T is a tough university to do well in, and you always feel like you’re competing with your entire class. It’s like survival of the fittest, and I felt it would give me a competitive edge to do well,” said Jesse, a recent U of T graduate. “If you have other things going on besides school, it makes you do things that you otherwise wouldn’t do,” said Carmen, a recent U of T graduate. “Study drugs” are psychoactive drugs classed as stimulants, meaning that they temporarily increase mental and/or physical function. Canadian data on the use of these drugs without a prescription is limited. According to those interviewed, the street value of these drugs is $10
– $15 per pill, depending on the dosage. Students report intensely sharpened focus and increased wakefulness during use. “I was a little fidgety at first, it felt really stimulating. Then it was like tunnel vision, like you’re very focused, and not aware of or don’t care about anything besides what you’re working on,” said Laura of her experience with Adderall. “I zoomed through readings no problem.” “I would feel really wired and awake, and things in my environment would distract me less. It was kind of like tunnel vision, metaphorically speaking,” said Jesse, a recent U of T graduate, of his use of Concerta. Students
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INSIDE NEWS
FEATURE
Mixed signals on cost The new reading of flat fees
ARTS
Student’s theatre guide
SPORTS
Road Trips
President Gertler and provost Regehr disagree on how flat fees will affect life for undergraduates. Research opportunities, tutorial groups, and small class sizes may be at risk.
Ishita Pektar explores how print and digital work together in new approaches to publishing fiction, with a preview of our interactive online story, “Tea Leaves.”
With a number of student dramatic societies taking place all over campus, students are always working on something. Here is your guide to what’s happening this semester in campus theatre.
Liane Bailey from the Varsity Blues women’s basketball team and Cameron Bernier from the men’s hockey team explain their experiences of road trips as varsity athletes.
PG 3
PG 12
PG 18
PG 21
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Vol. CXXXIV, No. 14
THE VARSITY VOL. CXXXIV No. 14
21 Sussex Avenue, Suite 306 Toronto, ON, M5S 1J6 Phone: 416-946-7600 www.thevarsity.ca
VARSITY NEWS WHAT’S GOING ON
THIS WEEK ON CAMPUS
editor@thevarsity.ca
In a lecture of 500+ students, and I am the ONLY person with blonde hair... I feel completely out of place
Production Manager Dan Seljak production@thevarsity.ca Managing Online Editor Murad Hemmadi
online@thevarsity.ca
Design Editor Shaquilla Singh
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Photo Editor Carolyn Levett
photo@thevarsity.ca
Senior Copy Editor Catherine Virelli
copy@thevarsity.ca
News Editor Zane Schwartz
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Comment Editor Alec Wilson
comment@thevarsity.ca
Features Editor Danielle Klein
features@thevarsity.ca
Arts & Culture Editor Sofia Luu
science@thevarsity.ca
Sports Editor Elizabeth Benn
sports@thevarsity.ca
ASHLEY TRINH @TASHLEYH Its always fun and logical to start next semester still not having received 3/5 of last terms marks #uoftproblems — Monday, January 6
LIZZIE TUDOR @LIZZIE_TUDOR U of T seriously needs tunnels so we don’t have to go outside to get to class #UofT #uoftproblems #polarvortex
illustration@thevarsity.ca
Video Editor Jamieson Wang
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Web Developer Natalie Morcos
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Associate Design Editor Mari Zhou Associate Photo Editor Vacant Associate Senior Copy Editor Lucy Genua Associate News Editors Liza Agrba James Flynn Sarah Niedoba Theodore Yan Associate Features Editor Victoria Banderob Associate Comment Editor Vacant Associate A&C Editors Ishita Petkar Corinne Przybyslawski Associate Science Editor Elena Gritzan Emma Hansen Associate Sports Editor JP Kaczur Associate Video Editor Alexandra Butrón
Writers Liza Agrba, Adena Ali, Jasleen Arneja, Salvatore Basilone, Dylan Chauvin-Smith, Emma Compeau, Sampson Coutts, Mike Cumpstey, William Deck, Claudia Dessanti, Jerico Espinas, James Flynn, Olivia Forsythe-Sells, Susan Gordon, Erin Grant, Aisha Hassan, Shaq Hosein, Jennifer Hurd, Stephen J, Kawmadie Karunanayake, Trevor Koroll, Claudia McNeilly, Joshua Miller, Josh Miller, Sarah Niedoba, Ondiek Oduor, Corinne Przybyslawski, Phyllis Pearson, Ishita Pektar, Iris Robin, Zane Schwartz, Amitpal Singh, Dan Smeenk, Wendelle So, Taylor Stinson, Katrina Vogan, Steve Warner, Theodore Photo and Illustration Designers William Ahn, Julien Balbontin, Annita Chow, Nancy Ji, Mashal Khan, Kawmadie Timothy Law, Carolyn Levett, Karunanayake, Emerald Misquitta, Aileen Lin, Claudia McNeilly, Ann Sheng, Vivek Srikanthan, Dan Seljak, Shaquilla Singh, Jennifer Su, Alice Xue, Shijie Zhou Mari Zhou Copy Editors and Fact Checkers Armen Alexanian, Faith Arkorful, Lois Boody, Karen Chu, William Deck, Lucy Genua, Erin Grant, Jennifer Hurd, Olga Klenova, Sarah Leeves, Sacha Morettin, Daniella Pereira, Helen Picard, Mark Recto, Laura Sabatini, Nicole Sconza, Jonathan Soo, Catherine Virelli
Business Office Business Manager Timothy Sharng
— Friday, January 3
arts@thevarsity.ca
Science Editor Katrina Vogan
Illustrations Editor Nancy Ji
the week in tweets ALLIE GRUSKO @ALLIEGRUSKO
Masthead Editor-in-Chief Joshua Oliver
news@thevarsity.ca
business@thevarsity.ca
Advertising Manager Victoria Marshall advertising@thevarsity.ca Advertising Executives Stephanie Lau stephanie@thevarsity.ca terence@thevarsity.ca Terence Leung vanessa@thevarsity.ca Vanessa Wen 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 Please recycle this issue after you are finished with it.
WINTER WEEK OF WELCOME 2014 - JULY TALK IN CONCERT For lovers of local indie rock and headliner July Concert; also for lovers of free hot chocolate. Thursday, January 16, 8:00 p.m.-11:00 p.m. Hart House, 7 Hart House Circle Free with TCard WINTER WEEK OF WELCOME 2014 - CLUBS FAIR & SUMMER JOB FAIR
WINTER WEEK OF WELCOME 2014 - PANCAKE BRUNCH
For those who want to be enjoy oncampus extracurriculars or get a headstart on finding that perfect summer job.
Who makes better pancakes -- UTSU or UTGSU? Let your tastebuds decide this week.
Tuesday, January 14, 11:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. Varsity Centre Dome, 299 Bloor Street West Free
Monday, January 13, 11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. Wilson Hall Lounge, 40 Willcocks Street Free
HARBOURFRONT CENTRE -- DJ SKATE NIGHTS 2014
TALK WITH ALEXIS OHANIAN, COFOUNDER OF REDDIT
Practice your skating moves -- or have fun trying! -- as DJ group Footprints put a unique and accessible set of funk and soul on ice. Natrel Rink Saturday, January 18, 8:00 p.m.-11:00 p.m. Free
Monday, January 13, 4:00-6:30 p.m. Bahen Centre, Room 1160, 40 St. George Street Free
— Tuesday, January 7
JEHAN RIVZI @JEHANN_XO IT SHOULD BE ILLEGAL TO GO TO SCHOOL ON SUCH A COLD DAY, IN SUCH A COLD CLASSROOM THIS LATE AT NIGHT @JavZeee #UofTProblems — Tuesday, January 7
MELISSA GAMA @MELISSA_GAMA My mom saying “fuck it. You’re not going to school” but my conscience about missing my first lecture for this class is kicking in #uoftprobs — Tuesday, January 7
SHAKEEB AHMED @OPTIMIST_PR1ME ROSI, I understand I’m not the brightest person. However, saying ERROR when I click on my transcript is hurtful. #UofTProblems
THE EXPLAINER
— Wednesday, January 8
STAYING WARM IN THE WAKE OF THE VORTEX 1. Stay indoors as much as possible. So instead of leading an active, healthy lifestyle, sit in SS between classes and refresh Facebook, and take public transportation on extremely cold days whenever that’s a realistic option. That six-pack that you will never get is not worth hypothermia. 2. Bundle up. Sure you may think the top of your head is really good-looking, but you know what’s not good-looking? Frostbite. Put on the stupid hat (the top of your head is actually really good-looking though; I’ll give you that). 3. Cuddle with your significant other for warmth. If you are not fortunate (or unfortunate) enough to have one of these, find an enterprising colleague of corresponding
sexual orientation and explain to her or him what an economically advantageous decision it would be to enter a romantic relationship and cuddle with you. 4. Learn to do an impossible. Actually propelling yourself forward on the skateboard can come later. The street cred will keep you warm (Offical The Varsity disclaimer: no amount of street cred will actually keep you warm if not used in tandem with adequate winter clothing). 5. Landlords are required to keep their properties a minimum temperature of 21° C according to Toronto Municipal Code Ch. 497. So congratulations to those of us who can afford to live in buildings that are up to code in downtown Toronto
SAMAH HUSSAIN @SAMAHHUSSAINN I don’t know why uoft just doesn’t admit to bellcurving, we all know it happens — Thursday, January 9
CAITLIN SZIKORA @CAITLINSZIKORA Lovely first week back <3 Didn’t realize how much I missed me some #UofT — Friday, January 10
MADDIE TAYLOR @MOOODELINE GOT INTO THE CLASS I HAVE BEEN WAITLISTED FOR SINCE AUGUST #justinthenickoftime #UofT — Saturday, January 11
var.st/news
VARSITY NEWS
MONDAY, JANUARY 13, 2014
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Post-Access Copyright era off to a rocky start Professors confused, frustrated by new copyright rules Sarah Niedoba
ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR
Following inquiries by The Varsity, U of T students have received a $13 reimbursment for fees paid to Access Copyright at the beginning of the year. In the past, the university has chosen not to reimburse students, as in Febuary of last year when they chose not to provide a refund for “illegal” ancillary fees. The university made the decision to end their license with Access Copyright earlier this past December, allowing for the refund. The end of the licence has been met with a mixed response, with student unions seeing it as a victory and writers unions calling it unfair to the Canadian community of creators and publishers. The end of the license seems to be causing a problem for some professors as the winter semester begins. Numerous students have reported instances of professors explaining to their classes that they must remove content from Blackboard, and are unclear when or if this material can be reposted. In one instance a student reported an instructor emailing the material from a personal account so as to avoid the new copyright guidelines. In nearly a dozen other classes, students reported instructors expressing confusion and frustration over the mid-year switch. Munib Sajjad, president of the University of Toronto Students’ Union (UTSU), said that the union applauds the move by the university. The union feels the ancillary fee students were paying to the company were unnecessary given a 2012 Supreme Court decision that expanded the definition of fair use of copyrighted materials for educational purposes. Cameron Wathey, vice-president internal, echoed Sajjad: “This tremendous victory will save each
student $27.50 per year, which ultimately will save students $1.5 million in total.” Despite the positive outlook from the UTSU, several organizations representing Canadian creators and publishers feel the university is not respecting their work by ending the license. The Writers’ Union of Canada, the Canadian Authors Association, the Professional Writers Association of Canada, the Association of Canadian Publishers, the Canadian Publishers’ Council, and the Canadian Educational Resources Council have all expressed their disappointment with the university’s new approach. Dorris Heffron, Chair of The Writers’ Union of Canada (twuc), feels the university’s interpretation of copyright law does not support Canadian writers and publishers. Currently the university is operating under a policy where if a professor uses 10 per cent or less of a work it is constituted as fair dealing, and therefore does not require a copyright license. “People aren’t buying our books, but they’re taking excerpts of them to teach, and that’s not supporting us,” explained Heffron. “I get a hundred emails a day from our members upset about this matter.” Heffron said that the union is considering a wide range of potential responses, but that a protest on the university campus will likely follow. Bobby Glushko, head of the newly founded one-man copyright office at U of T, disagrees with Heffron. “It really bothers me when people say that we’re not respecting authors — it’s unfair because we actually pay authors a tremendous amount of money — we employ thousands of published authors. Almost all of your faculty are published authors; we have nothing but respect for authors and authorship.” Glushko went on to say that he believes the problem lies in the interpreta-
Bobby Glushko U of T’s copyright librarian. CArolyn levett/tHe vArsity
tion of copyright law — Access Copyright and TWUC believe that the university is interpreting the new fair dealing guidelines unfairly. “Our response is: Well is it fair for our students to be subsidizing these authors when no one else is?” said Glushko, explaining that he would have preferred to keep the university’s license with Access Copyright, but that they were unable to negotiate a price that the university thought appropriate for the services provided. Executive director of Access Copyright, Roanie Levy, acknowledges that the dis-
agreement lies in different interpretations of copyright law. “The university has indicated it will rely, in part, on an expanded interpretation of fair dealing that is not supported by law,” said Levy. “Canada’s creators and publishers believe that it will ultimately prove harmful to the supply of Canadian content.” Access Copyright is currently involved in a lawsuit against York University based on York’s current copyright office’s practices regarding copyright law.
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President, provost offer conflicting messages on results of flat fee changes Gertler pledges to protect undergraduate education, Regehr hints at significant cuts James Flynn and Erin Grant VARSITY STAFF
The university is offering conflicting messages on how it will adjust to recent guidelines introduced by Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities Brad Duguid in early December. In a December interview with The Globe and Mail, U of T president Meric Gertler said that the changes to the flat fee system will eventually cost the university $16 million annually. The latest available financial information from the Faculty of Arts & Science, from 2010, shows that the faculty has an accumulated deficit of over $60 million. According to provost Cheryl Regehr, the $16 million figure remains the best estimate that the university has. “Actual revenue loss will not likely be determined until November 2014, when we have a final enrolment count for the coming academic year,” Regehr said. “Any loss in revenue will require a corresponding reduction in expenses,” Regehr continued. “When [financial] resources are diminished, there will necessarily be an impact on the university’s operations.” Gertler maintained that undergraduate education would likely be unaffected by the new guidelines. “I can say that we would do everything we can to protect the gains that we have made in regards to undergraduate education,” said Gertler. “We would be very reluctant to see any kind of backsliding or loss of programs with re-
gards to what we have been able to achieve in the classroom and the gains that we have been able to make in regards to the student experience.” “We’re certainly not keen to expand the size of already large classes,” Gertler continued. “If anything, we’d like to reduce the size of tutorial groups, we’d like to offer more tutorial groups, we’d like to offer more small class experiences for students.” Regehr offered a different account, hinting that the Faculty of Arts & Science, in particular, would be significantly impacted by the guidelines, which change the faculty’s program fee structure. “The program fee enabled the Faculty of Arts & Science to create opportunities for undergraduates to participate in more research projects, small-group learning, and international experiences and increasing the number of tutorial groups,” Regehr said. Regehr also noted that the loss in revenue would likely impact student aid. According to the 1998 Governing Council policy on accessibility, “No student offered admission to a program at the University of Toronto should be unable to enter or complete the program due to lack of financial means.” During the 2011-2012 academic year, 45 per cent of U of T undergraduate students received support through the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP). Of these, 38 per cent received additional financial support from U of T. On average, students receiving OSAP pay only 48 per cent of the tuition “sticker price.”
According to Zakary Paget, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities, the Government of Ontario has increased funding to universities by $2.2 billion — or 82 per cent — over the past ten years. Provincial funding increases largely reflect increases in enrolment. At U of T, annual funding currently stands at $652 million — an increase of nearly 70 per cent over the past 10 years. Regehr asserts that this level of per-student funding is still very low. “Per-student funding in Ontario trails behind all other provinces in Canada and is among the very lowest in North America,” she said. “Compared to inflation, the per-student funding that the university receives from the province has not increased for 17 years.” Last year, the university’s perstudent funding from the province actually decreased by two per cent. Still, Paget maintains: “As autonomous institutions, we expect that schools will manage their financial health in an efficient manner.” Paget also emphasized that the new guidelines will align U of T’s fee structure with those of other universities. Of the 22 post-secondary institutions in Ontario, nine charge flat fees and five of those have a threshold lower than 80 per cent of a full course load. Currently, U of T is the only postsecondary institution in Ontario that charges flat fees at the threshold of 3.0 course credits. “This decision was made to create consistency across the system,” Paget noted.
Regehr also addressed the issue of per-semester billing. In accordance with the guidelines released by the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities, post-secondary institutions are required to implement persemester billing by the 2014—2015 academic year, although institutions are permitted to apply for an exception. In the past, York University and the University of Waterloo have voluntarily implemented per-semester billing. According to Regehr, “The University is actively exploring the avenues for implementing per-term billing by the fall of 2014, but has yet to determine an exact date.” Regehr noted that U of T’s student information system and the size of its student body make the transition to per-semester billing more challenging to achieve quickly. The new regulations phase out U of T’s policy of charging full tuition to students who take as few as three courses, known as flat fees. The new guidelines, introduced on December 5, 2013 also eliminate interest fees incurred because of OSAP’s distribution schedule, mandate two payment periods for tuition, and regulate the types of late and ancillary fees that can be charged. Ontario maintains that it is committed to working with the education sector to implement the recent changes. However, Paget noted, “Institutions will be asked to implement these changes within their current funding allocations.”
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VARSITY NEWS
Vol. CXXXIV, No. 14
news@thevarsity.ca
Activism and faith: an interview with Andrea Budgey Trinity chaplain talks raising awareness of environment, First Nations’ issues, and faith approval, that’ll cancel the whole thing. I think Enbridge is acting in bad faith, and that it’s important to inform the community. Everyone is waiting for the neb’s decision, and unfortunately, we’re not terribly confident that it will deny Enbridge’s application. If this happens, then it becomes necessary to move into other spheres of activity where the opposition has to be politically directed.
Iris Robin
VARSITY STAFF
One of the last places you might expect to find an Anglican priest is at a Line 9 public awareness event, with her head chained to a front-loader. Yet Andrea Budgey, chaplain at Trinity College, spent 12 hours on December 3, 2013 in just such a situation in order to halt the reversal of Line 9, a pipeline owned by Alberta energy delivery company Enbridge. Line 9 carries 240,000 barrels of oil from Montréal to Sarnia per day. Enbridge has obtained approval to reverse the flow of oil along Line 9A, the length of pipeline that runs from Sarnia to North Westover and passes underneath Toronto. The process would raise its capacity to 300,000 barrels per day. Budgey believes that Line 9 poses a significant risk to the nine million people who live above it, including the First Nations community. The Varsity: You’ve been involved in activism for a long time. Why do you feel strongly about this particular issue? Andrea Budgey: As a preface, I should say that activism is not a part of my every day university scope — I did this on my day off — but it’s very much a part of my personal faith. Now, I’m concerned about the reckless waste of resources, especially in our society. The tar sands are an egregious example of a dangerous and expensive resource. There are a huge number of safety is-
TV: Do you see yourself engaging in these politically-driven activities? From where will they be directed?
Andrea Budgey, chaplain of Trinity College. JeNNifer su/THe VArsiTy
sues in reversing the pipeline; diluted bitumen is crude, and not something people would want running underneath the streets of Toronto if they knew about it. I live in the Black Creek Ravine [along the pipeline’s route], and I can picture very vividly the consequences of an oil spill. You know, the pipeline goes through land that has never been ceded by the First Nations community and their concerns are completely disregarded by Enbridge. At the action in early December, there were First Nations women there too, to represent their concerns.
TV: Have you seen the community rallying to voice their concerns? AB: I wouldn’t describe it as a rally — it’s conscious-raising action. Many of the neighbours didn’t know what was going on — they aren’t ignorant because there were meetings held before, but there are details that people don’t know. The National Energy Board (neb) has still not yet issued an approval for Line 9B [the portion of the pipeline that runs from Westover to Montreal], so if Enbridge doesn’t get the
AB: I hope so. Direction should come from the First Nations community, whose concerns have been ignored. I see myself in a supporting role; I’m not a front planner. It’s important to let them and their specific concerns speak because their whole community is affected by this company’s activities on their unceded land. There’s a big overlap between the treatment of the land and the relationship between the First Nations community and the federal government; so, in that way activism for the First Nations community is a benefit to all. TV: You were very clear earlier that your role as a chaplain is separate from your activism, but that activism is a part of your personal faith. How do you balance the two? What is the relationship between them like for you?
AB: My activism is separate from my faith, but Christians — and certainly Anglicans — have a responsibility to care for creation. Caring for the Earth is central to our gratitude — central to our hope, as it’s the planet that we share. Religion is not about “the pie in the sky when you die,” and protecting this world is fundamental to our own understanding of ourselves as created beings with responsibility for creation. As for the balance, I don’t think activism and my role as chaplain are in conflict. My activities are a personal choice and not a part of college policy or on institutional time. TV: But there are student environment groups here at U of T. Would you be interested in engaging with them? AB: There is an environment club here [at Trinity], and I’d love to have a more active conversation with them about political concerns and grassroots consciousness. They have already made progress with the solar panels and the water conservation challenge; these are important, but these are a group of students who will go on to have significant public impact — and the more they think, the better. Any kind of environmental-raising consciousness is a struggle because people have very busy lives, but I do have some hope that they are getting better at these issues. I hope we get better fast enough.
Students selling spots in courses as waitlist period ends Administration unwilling to alter rules, claims problem is not widespread Dan Smeenk & Taylor Stinson VARSITY STAFF
“I will sell my seat in Set Theory, PHL349H1 if anyone wants the course.” This is a real example of the type of messages that are now appearing on University of Toronto Facebook groups and mass emails. Some students are willing to sell and buy spots in fully booked courses after waitlists drop, in an attempt to bargain their way into the course. These students may either offer to trade places with another student or give them money in return for dropping a course at a coordinated time. Glenn Loney, assistant dean in the Faculty of Arts & Science said that there is no current penalty against this practice, but that other methods of coercion can be used against students. “This small interval without waitlists may leave a moment when a student may try to arrange a drop/add and ask something for doing it, but this hasn’t been a widespread phenomenon over the years. There is no university rule
specifically forbidding it, as there isn’t with many things, but students doing this often find themselves on the receiving end of angry emails from other students. Rather than rely on rules and penalties, we are working on a more systematic approach that would frustrate anyone trying to coordinate such a drop/ add tactic,” he said. Students who are not able to get into courses that are required for graduation are able to invoke a clause known as the Dean’s Promise. “The Dean’s Promise is a very specific promise,” said Loney, explaining that the clause allows a student to be placed in a course after waitlists have dropped only if he or she has followed all of the normal processes and is still lacking a required course. Despite the promise, many finalyear students still struggle to get into the classes they want. Last year, recent U of T graduate Maria Chenzaie attempted to enroll in a third-year Women Writers course that would have satisfied the requirements for her English major. When she went to her registrar for
help enacting the Dean’s Promise, she was told that the office would look into what could be done. “They weren’t very helpful because they ultimately didn’t get me in the class. It also took them some time to see what they could do for me. When they finally got back to me, they told me that I wasn’t eligible for it. I went to class for a few weeks and bought the book for nothing, after waiting on the waitlist,” she said. Students who are frustrated with the lack of resources and assistance that is supposed to be offered in the Dean’s Promise sometimes resort to taking matters into their own hands. It is not uncommon to see mass emails asking students in departments such as history or psychology — where classes are organized into special categories — for their place in a course. One student sent those in a second-year developmental psychology course an email offering $100 to anyone who would be willing to drop PSY201, a statistics course that is a requirement for psychology majors.
NANcy Ji/THe VArsiTy
VARSITY NEWS
var.st/news
MONDAY, JANUARY 13, 2014
5
Biting cold fails to close U of T Three campuses remain open despite harsh winter weather Amitpal Singh & Joshua Miller VARSITY CONTRIBUTORS
Despite an overnight ice storm leading into January 7 and a nine-year low in temperature that Tuesday, all three U of T campuses remained open for the first week of the winter semester. Weather officials in Toronto reported a low of -37 degrees Celsius, including wind-chill, while a thick covering of ice made campus difficult to navigate. In downtown Toronto, exposed skin was vulnerable to frostbite in a mere 10 minutes. The university came to the decision to remain open at 6:00 am that day, when temperatures hovered around -30 degrees Celsius. This was not deemed severe enough for closure by the administration. According to utsc director of campus security and safety, Gary Pitcher, the university used a “five-factor” policy. Weather conditions, transit accessibility, campus conditions, road conditions, and whether or not other institutions in the area closed were all considered. The administration was satisfied with the functionality of each of the five factors. It
also found ice and snowfall predictions to be far higher than what actually occurred. A statement on U of T’s website advised students “to use public transportation where possible, as well as allowing plenty of time for travel to, from, and around campus.” U of T’s three campuses were last closed on February 8, 2013, when Toronto was hit with 30 cm of snowfall — its heaviest in five years. That closure came at 3:00 pm however, which drew the ire of student leaders for the tardiness of the administration’s decision. Several universities farther west cancelled classes due to recordbreaking low temperatures. According to Environment Canada, the Kitchener-Waterloo region experienced an all-time low of -42 degrees Celsius with wind-chill. Western University and the University of Waterloo both cancelled classes on Tuesday. The University of Windsor was closed on Monday. Inclement weather can make it particularly difficult for students with physical disabilities to move around campus, due to the icy ground. “[It’s been] a little challenging to push on sidewalks sometimes when there is heavy
snow or ice, but so far it has been pretty accessible for me,” said Dion Green, a student athlete for U of T’s wheelchair basketball team, based at utsc. He went on to add that despite some issues with a few areas being unsalted or bus ramps being frozen when getting to school, the campus itself has been reasonably accessible. Nicole Grignard, an Information Officer with U of T’s Accessibility Services office, explained that “taxi chips are available” to some students who have consulted a Disability Counsellor, a service extended to all students as part of enrolment fees. Like academic programming on campus, U of T’s social programming remained up and running during the harsh weather. The popular Winterfest event Pubcrawl took place Tuesday night, despite the cold. Decisions regarding the university’s weather cancellation policy are made by the provost and the vice-president of human resources and equity on the St. George Campus. At the University of Toronto Mississauga and the University of Toronto Scarborough, the decisions are made by the vice-president and principal, respectively.
julien balbontin/tHe Varsity
Food Truck Friday returns Fewer trucks draw tepid student response
Food trucks participate in first Food Truck Friday of 2014. ViVek srikantHan/tHe Varsity
Emma Compeau VARSITY STAFF
On Friday, January 10, University of Toronto St. George students braved the cold weather to take part in Food Truck Friday, an event organized by UeaT, University of Toronto’s Food Services. Food Truck Friday takes place at St. George Street and Willcocks Street every Friday from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm. According to Philip Cox, the marketing and communications manager of UeaT, the event was created in response to student feedback to diversify the food offerings on campus. Food Truck Friday this semester will be smaller than it has been in the past. While Food Truck Friday events last year often hosted more than six trucks, with customer turnout in the thousands, the first Food Truck Friday of 2014 had only two trucks: Smokes Poutinerie and BeaverTails. Next week, on Friday Janu-
ary 17, Caplansky’s — a food truck specializing in hand-made modern Jewish cuisine — will be added to the list as well. Cox says that, on average, students should expect two trucks each week, with occasional exceptions for special events. For a food truck to be considered for participation in the event, it must be fully insured, have a valid municipal license, and current certification from Toronto Public Health. Toronto’s licensing laws are unusually strict. The cost of a license here is $400, and each employee requires an additional $300 license. In Vancouver, by comparison, operators require a $50 business license, and a $290 permit per truck. The high cost of licensing and the related low number of food trucks is unfortunate for students — many of whom complain about the poor selection of food on campus. Alice Gao, a third-year biology student who attended the first Food Truck Friday of the year said,
“I’m happy to see Food Truck Friday return, but I remember going to one in September of last year that was much better. It’s good to see more options on campus but I think that we’re really missing out on a great event in place of one that’s just okay.” Student and staff demand dictate which food trucks will return from week to week. Cox describes the process as “largely trial and error; some trucks have been more successful than others.” Food Services began Food Truck Friday as a means to diversify the range of food offered on campus in response to student feedback. Other Food Services initiatives include the local food challenge, which encourages campus chefs to use Ontariogrown food, and veggie Mondays, which encourage students to embrace a vegetarian lifestyle for one day a week. Food Services is responsible for overseeing all of the food providers on campus.
BY THE NUMBERS
How much money should a student count on spending when they visit the truck? Smoke’s Poutinerie: BeaverTails: Caplansky’s Delicatessen:
$4 - $10 $1.33 - $6.19 $8 - $15
Best-Selling Item: Smoke’s Poutinerie: Chipotle Pulled Pork Poutine BeaverTails: Classic cinnamon and sugar pastry Caplansky’s Delicatessen: Smoked Meat Sandwich
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VARSITY NEWS
Vol. CXXXIV, No. 14
news@thevarsity.ca
Confucius Institutes compromise academic freedom, alleges CAUT Teachers’ Association challenges Chinese cultural schools Trevor Koroll
VARSITY STAFF
The Canadian Association of University Teachers (caut) has accused a group of Chinese cultural schools across the world of being controlled by the Chinese government, stifling debate on academic issues, and discriminating against those they view as dissenters. The caut recently voted almost unanimously to recommend that post-secondary institutions across the country cut all ties with the cultural centres, known as Confucius Institutes. The institutes are run by Hanban, an arm of the Chinese government. The caut alleges that they are a way for China to wield soft power and increase its influence around the globe. U of T does not have a Confucius Institute, however, the topic has come up over the years, according to Althea Blackburn-Evans, a university spokesperson. “U of T offers scholarship, research, and language studies on China on all three campuses and we have therefore not seen the need for a standalone Confucius Institute,” she said. Other postsecondary institutions across the country have welcomed the Chinese cultural centres. Some locations include the University of Regina, the University of Saskatchewan, Carleton University, Seneca College, the British Columbia Institute of Technology, and the University of Waterloo.
CONTINUED FROM PG 3 Beyond disagreements about interpretation of the law, Access Copyright has also called into question the university’s readiness to take on the task of handling its own copyright; U of T has hired a single copyright librarian to oversee the change; Access Copyright is a national organization that has been handling copyright issues since 1988. “The issue now is the scope of the university’s copyright responsibilities in the absence of the Access Copyright license,” said Levy. Glushko hopes he will eventually have more people working under him, but is un-
Despite the criticism, schools that currently host Confucius Institutes say that they are places where students and community members can learn Chinese languages and culture. “The institute furthers Seneca’s commitment to our community and our partners,” stated Kayla Lewis, spokesperson for Seneca College. She added that: “Seneca does not participate in the hiring process of Chinese teachers for the Confucius Institute. The institute’s staff from China are employees of Seneca’s partner institution, Northeast Normal University.” Leonard Findlay, chair of the caut’s Academic Freedom and Tenure Committee, said that other cultural institutes that are in operation — such as France’s Alliance Française and Germany’s Goethe-Institut — are not directly attached to post-secondary institutions, unlike Confucius institutes, and thus are free to teach whatever curriculum they like. “Any entity on campus who are charged with and involved with education has to recognize the traditions of intellectual independence and academic freedom,” said Findlay. He went on to explain that topics such as Tibet, Taiwan and Tiananmen Square may be taboo at a Confucius Institute. While the caut says that Confucius Institutes are restricting debate, this may not always be the case. Findlay says that the larger the institution, the more bargaining power they have to set the agenda. Smaller institu-
tions that may be desperate for languages funding may have to sign non-transparent deals in order to engage the partnership. “We don’t know what the institution has given up,” said Findlay, adding that it is a bigger problem in the United States than in Canada. In the case of Carleton University, whose Confucius Institute opened two years ago,
the university senate makes all decisions regarding the curriculum. “We use the Confucius Institute to expand credit course offerings in the Chinese language,” said John Osborne, dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Science at Carleton University. “Our senate maintains fierce control [of the curriculum],” he said.
able to confirm if this will ever be a possibility. “It’s me, and two unfilled positions. I envision an office with three or four employees and a few student employees and myself. It’s really up to the budgeting process,” said Glushko. When asked if he was able to handle the copyright office on his own, Glushko was confident that he was up to the task. He explained that the university is using a similar model to the one it used before ending its agreement with Access Copyright. According to Glushko, the only change since the end of the license is that where previously professors had the ability to use 20
per cent of any material found in the Access Copyright repertoire, now faculty must make the decision to either use 10 per cent of the material and have it fall under fair dealing, or ask the students to purchase the entire book. Chief librarian Larry Alford expanded upon this point, explaining that professors are required to take down any material on Blackboard that is included in the Access Copyright repertoire, but can replace it if it is included in a license currently held by the university, or if it falls under fair dealing or the public domain. If the material in question is not included in any of these catego-
ries, the faculty must work to either pay for it on a transaction basis or find alternative material altogether. Glushko remains confident that the university is up to the task despite pushback and a need to divert other library resources to help cope with the shift: “We’re the University of Toronto; we’re a very special institution. We’re obviously going to try and learn from people who have come before us, but ultimately, we’ll create something that works for us.”
The CAUT has raised a number of concerns about Confucius Institutes. lubright/flickr
With files from Murad Hemmadi
NEWS IN BRIEF New Master of Massey College appointed
Government closes seven DFO libraries; scientists skeptical
National controversy surrounds Province pledges to fund more campuses student’s religious request
Hugh Segal is about to become master of Massey College. After nine years in the Senate, the Tory Senator will take an early leave from his position following the early leave of fellow Conservative caucus members Gerald Comeau and David Braley. In an interview with cbc, Segal said he was looking forward to working with the “very bright” students of Massey College, and that he appreciated how the college closed the gap between the humanities and the sciences. He also stated he had no intention of taking leave from Senate until the seven-year post became vacant. He will be succeeding former journalist John Fraser. Highlights of Segal’s past year in the Senate include his opposition to controversial private member’s bill C-377, and his opposition towards the effort to suspend with no pay senators Patrick Brazeau, Mike Duffy, and Pamela Wallin. There is currently an rcmp investigation involving the three Senators’ spending habits.
Canada’s Department of Fisheries and Oceans recently announced the closure of seven of its 11 libraries. In a statement, Fisheries and Oceans minister Gail Shea claimed that the decision was made to increase taxpayer value. “The primary users of dfo libraries, over 86 per cent, are employees of the department,” Shea said. “An average of only five to 12 people who work outside of dfo visited our eleven libraries each year.” A federal document obtained by Postmedia indicates that the closures could save taxpayers about $443,000 per year. Some members of Canada’s scientific community are unconvinced by the department’s claims. Jeffrey Hutchings, professor of biology at Dalhousie University, noted that the library’s resources were not intended for public use. Pamela Zevit, a biologist and researcher, also raised concerns over the government’s ability to maintain quality control and maintenance at the remaining libraries. The closure is part of a recent trend, which has let go 2,000 scientists over the past few years and seen a number of other federally funded scientific research stations close.
The request of a student to be excused from working with women has sparked a national conversation, with wall-to-wall media coverage, and federal politicians of all stripes criticizing York University. The student had requested an accommodation on religious grounds: “One of the main reasons that I have chosen internet courses to complete my ba is due to my firm religious beliefs, and part of that is the intermingling between men and women,” stated the anonymous student. Professor Paul Grayson refused to make an exception for the student, even after being ordered by the university to do so, arguing that accommodating the student would encourage sexist attitudes. “Women for 50 years have been making gains in universities,” said Grayson. “This takes us back to the dark ages as far as I’m concerned. It’s completely unacceptable.” Justice minister Peter MacKay, Official Opposition leader Thomas Mulcair, and Liberal MP Judy Sgro — who represents York’s riding — have all said that they agree with Grayson.
— Joshua Miller With files from cbc News
— Kawmadie Karunanayake With files from cbc News and the Huffington Post
The Ontario government has pledged to fund new satellite campuses to provide for more undergraduate students. Although the province did not specify how many projects it would fund — or which universities would be receiving the extra campuses in question — a spokesperson for mpp Brad Duguid, Ontario’s Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities, confirmed that they would be targeting schools with a variety of undergraduate degrees and student services, and with a high percentage of students waiting to get into undergraduate programs. The proposals will allow for 1,000 new students within the first year of operation, and make room for 5,000 to 10,000 over a 20year period. Universities that are hoping to be considered include Laurentian and Wilfrid Laurier University. —Sarah Niedoba With files from Metro News
—Theodore Yan With files from cbc News
VARSITY NEWS
var.st/news
MONDAY, JANUARY 13, 2014
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Arts & Science review underway Last review proposed eliminating Centre for Ethics, Diaspora, and Transnational Studies, amalgamation of others Jerico Espinas & Claudia Dessanti VARSITY STAFF
A review that sparked a highly publicized fight three and a half years ago is once again working its way through the university bureaucracy. The external review of the Faculty of Arts & Science happens every four years. During the last round, the reviewers recommended eliminating the Centre for Ethics, and the Centre for Diaspora and Transnational Studies, and amalgamating seven other programs into a single school of Languages and Literature. Following push-back from faculty and criticism in the media, the university did not implement the changes — although some small cost-sharing initiatives were implemented, such as the French and German departments sharing a business office.
CONTINUED FROM COVER also reported that their increased focus also applied to pursuits other than schoolwork. “It changes your dynamic so you get almost obsessed with whatever you focus on, whether it be an assignment or a game on your laptop,” said Carmen. Stimulants can cause negative side effects like anxiety, sleep disruption, and loss of appetite coupled with weight loss. They are also known to be habit-forming. Serious side effects, more common with high doses, include chest pain, shortness of breath, seizures, hallucinations, and mood disturbances like mania. “After they wore off, I tended to get mentally and physically exhausted. One time I took too many — three low-dose Ritalin pills within a span of six hours — and I got a panic attack,” said Jesse. “I took two Ritalin, and about an hour and a half later, my boyfriend found me sitting in one of the Robarts stacks, surrounded by books, just completely strung out and
The Curriculum Review and Renewal (crr) Committee is composed of students, staff, faculty, and alumni. They will provide a set of recommendations to the Faculty about how to improve the quality and effectiveness of the undergraduate curriculum. The interim dean will then discuss these proposals with various members of the university community. Their decisions will be announced publicly this spring. Although much of the review’s work remains to be done, so far it looks as if the changes proposed will be less significant than last round. “Typically, the curriculum review and renewal is an opportunity to strategically plan where the Faculty [of Arts & Science] wants the programs to go,” said Shawn Tian, president of the Arts and Science Student Union (assu). “The faculty has to balance between undergraduate and graduate students. They
have to consider practical programs for job-hunting students as well as courses for those interested in grad school.” Raymond Carlberg, undergraduate associate chair of the Astronomy program, explained that programs commonly use the crr to improve their courses. “We use [the crr] as an opportunity to freshen up our courses and bring them into better alignment with the learning outcomes that the Faculty of Arts & Science expects to see.” f Other programs use the review to modify enrollment standards. Tamara Ferguson, Undergraduate Administrator for Psychology, commented that Psychology will change into a Type 2 Limited program by the 2014—15 academic year “to offer students an even better educational experience through smaller course sizes, quality teaching, and more research opportunities.”
freaking out,” said Carmen, who explained that she had also been severely sleep-deprived at the time. Frederic, a fourth-year student, originally took Adderall without a prescription before seeking help from Accessibility Services and a psychiatrist for what he thought might be a genuine attention deficit problem. “Honestly, the whole process was much more simple and easy to get through than I’d anticipated. Anyone who wanted to get access to these drugs, and could get a referral to a psychiatrist, could do it,” he said. Jack, another student who sought out a prescription after dabbling in the use of Concerta and Dexedrine without a prescription, echoed this sentiment. He said that he initially went to Accessibility Services, and Counselling And Psychological Services (caps), looking for talk therapy as well as a prescription for what he considered to be a debilitating procrastination and attention deficit problem. “But there was such a long wait time for talk therapy that the
most readily available option was to take drugs, so I did,” he said. He added that he experienced extreme side effects, including mood, sleep, and personality disturbances. His psychiatrist’s solution, he said, was to put him on a higher dose. “At one point I spent 12 hours sitting in the exact same position, tweaking the layout of a mind map that was supposed to be my to-do list. This was the point where I started to question whether I should continue this medication.” Even without a prescription, students report that study drugs are relatively easy to find at U of T. “Everyone knows that it happens, and virtually anyone on campus can find it. It’s a risk but it’s almost like an ‘everyone is doing it’ kind of thing,” said Laura. “Amongst the people that I know within my class, quite a number of them did them, and even in class I would randomly overhear people talking about taking them,” said Jesse. Frederic said that how easy it is to find these drugs depends on who you know, but added that he
Back on Stands and online Soon!
The review will affect Arts and Science courses. FILE PHOTO CAROLYN LEVETT/THE VARsITY
doubted that anyone who wanted to find them would have a serious problem doing so. Most students interviewed do not think that the use of study drugs is a form of cheating, arguing that study drugs increase the speed with which they can complete work, but not the quality of the work itself. “The reason a lot of people see it as cheating is that they think of it like a steroid that increases your mental capacity to perform a task. But the way I look at it, it’s just accelerating the talents you already have. It doesn’t make me smarter, it just makes me faster,” said Laura. “I think it’s completely ridiculous to claim that the use of study drugs is a form of cheating. The medical community is eager to overprescribe these drugs, and attention problems are symptomatic of our generation,” said Frederic. Michael Vipperman, a graduate at U of T, said that “Dexedrine did not improve my command of the material, but it did make it easier to put my meagre understanding onto paper.”
Frederic stated that one of the downsides of study drugs is that it gives users an unrealistic idea of how long it takes to get complete work. He explained that his use of study drugs made it more difficult to get work done without them. The possession and sale of study drugs, which are Schedule III restricted drugs in Canada, is illegal without a prescription. U of T, along with every other university in North America, does not have an official academic policy on the use of these drugs without a prescription. Althea Blackburn-Evans, acting director, media relations at U of T, said that the university is not aware of a case brought to the University Tribunal involving the use of study drugs without a prescription. She added that whether or not this would constitute an academic offence depends on the particular case, and is ultimately up to the University Tribunal. *Names have been changed in this piece.
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Vol. CXXXIV, No. 14
VARSITY NEWS
news@thevarsity.ca
U of T’s new president lays out his vision for the next five years Former Arts & Science dean Meric Gertler talks flat fees, fundraising, and housing shortages resolution, an effective resolution of the differences, and the issues that have been on the table —
Zane Schwartz NEWS EDITOR
Meric Gertler takes the helm as the sixteenth president of the University of Toronto at a critical time for the university. Gertler has taught at U of T for 31 years, assuming a number of senior leadership posts — most recently serving as the Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Science. As dean, Gertler occasionally raised the ire of student leaders, particularly when he oversaw the implementation of the controversial flat fees system — which was recently rolled back by the provincial government due to concerns about affordability for students. Gertler was mostly a popular dean, increasing the number of small first year classes, and collaborating with the Arts and Science Students’ Union on a number of initiatives, including the popular undergraduate research fund. Now in the university’s top-job, Gertler sat down to chat about the challenges he faces: reduced per-student funding from the province, dysfunctional student politics, and a public that is skeptical about the value of a university education, as well as the positive impact he hopes to make on the university over his five-year term.
TV: There hasn’t been any progress in six months. MG: Well I’m not party to that discussion directly, so I would advise you to talk to the Provost for further details on it, but I think it’s important to take the time that is required for these issues to be aired in a fair and full way, and see what kind of resolution we can broker. We’ll certainly work hard to try and broker some kind of working and sustainable solution. TV: Is there a deadline for you though? I mean the student commons is now not going to be on the table for at least this year. We’ve got a student timetable that’s often very different from an administration time table. Is there a point at which you’ll step in? MG: I would not be getting directly involved, I think this is very much in the domain of the provost who’s the chief academic officer of the university, is responsible for student life issues as well. So I would encourage you to have this conversation with her.
The Varsity: Do you think that universities should be graduating students job-ready? Meric Gertler: I think that the role for the university is to produce students that are properly educated for a lifetime of success in their careers. Does that mean job-ready? Well, probably not in the sense that public commentators have used that term. The way I would understand job-ready is that we train and educate students so that they leave here with a core set of capabilities that they can use in any job, or that will set them up well for graduate school or professional school. We’re talking about things like the ability to communicate well verbally and in written form, the ability to analyze a problem and solve it, the ability to be a critical consumer of information, question arguments and rephrase them, have some faculty of quantitative reasoning, and to be able to manage letters as well as numbers. And also, I think, to have some basic grounding in moral and ethical questions. TV: We had a few questions submitted by students. This is by Rishi: U of T has recently struggled with local neighbourhood associations regarding the construction of high-rise student housing on or near campus. As an urban geographer, do you believe the present availability of housing — both residents and off-campus housing — for U of T students is adequate? And if not, what needs to be done in the next 20 years, and how will you facilitate that? MG: No, I don’t believe the current supply is adequate — both on or off campus. We have a rapidly growing demand for student housing on campus — both from domestic students and international students. We are doing everything we can to find ways to build more student housing on all three of our campuses. It is most challenging in the downtown setting where space is at a premium. Whenever you propose new projects, there are neighbourhood effects, and it’s really important to work effectively with the appropriate groups in order to plan projects that serve everybody’s needs and help our students get the kind of accommodation they want and need. I would think that it’s possible to do that; we’ve already begun conversations with community-based organizations. TV: Despite U of T’s steady rise in interna-
TV: Five years from now, what would you like to be able to look back about at U of T and say: This is better because I was president?
Meric Gertler, president of the University of Toronto. Jennifer Su/THe VArSiTy
tional rankings, we’ve consistently done poorly in the Maclean’s rankings, which emphasize student life and class size. Do you think the university should be doing more to improve those areas in the Maclean’s ranking, where we consistently slip? MG: Absolutely. I think we have achieved a lot in the last few years, and it does take a while for perceptions to change. But that doesn’t mean that you take your eye off the ball. We were talking a little while ago about the one programs. What they are trying to do is make sure that in this very big place there are some small group experiences in sufficient numbers. The first-year foundational programs are important. So, too, are first-year learning communities, which build smaller cohorts within very large classes. Those have proven to be hugely successful in our life sciences courses, and have now been adopted in others as well. We we need to be doing more of that. We also need, of course, to ensure that there are more opportunities for students to engage in enriching experiences like research opportunities. TV: Working with ASSU is very different than working with the UTSU, with college councils. Have you had a chance to meet with student leadership so far? MG: I’ve met with the executive of UTSU dur-
ing the summer before I became president, went over to the observatory building and had a nice chat with them, very nice, relaxed conversation. They of course came to Governing Council in December and represented. We had a nice conversation afterwards at the reception, and I have also met with student leadership at utm and utsc, so — TV: Have you met with the colleges? MG: You mean the heads of college councils? TV: Yes. MG: No, I haven’t yet. I’ve interacted a lot with students at the colleges, of course, when I was Dean of Arts & Science, and the principals very close, but haven’t yet met with leaders of college councils, but I’m sure that those meetings will be coming up in my future fairly soon. TV: Because, as you know, the ongoing conflict between some of the colleges and the UTSU has been more or less the same for several years now. Do you see a way out of this situation? Something you can offer as the new President?
MG: I think it does come down to the three things I’ve been talking about a lot. We talked about reinventing undergraduate education. I would certainly hope that the gains we have made have been surmounted and we can build on them even further so we can see the student experience beginning to improve, in the classroom and outside the classroom. That’s the first thing. Second thing: I’ve talked about deepening and strengthening international partnerships, and this is to the benefit of everybody, including students, where we want to have ever more creative forms of international engagement for students. For example, professor Joe Long in the Asian Institute, with colleagues at Fudan University in Shanghai, pools students from Shanghai and Toronto in the same class and faculty from both universities share the teaching. We already have quite a strong relationship with Fudan University, and with Joe Long and his colleagues at that university, so I’d love to see us building on models like that and applying similar ideas in our partnerships in other parts of the world as well. Third: I would really like this university to embrace its city setting in ways that it hasn’t up until now, including the satellite campuses — Mississauga, Scarborough and St.George. Why? Because, first of all, it’s good for the city to lend our expertise and our spaces to the city for their benefit. But on top of that we also make U of T better because the better that Toronto gets, the easier it is to attract great students to come here, and the easier it is to attract great faculty and staff to work here as well. We want to find ourselves five years from now, where our relationship with our city partners has gone from good to great, and we have gone to a place where the kind of collaboration that exists between the university and the city around it has become strong, effective, and successful. TV: Hopefully, we’ll be there in five years. MG: I hope so. I’ll be working hard.
MG: I am hopeful that the current conversation being conducted by the Provost will be productive and will lead to some sort of
This interview had been edited for length and clarity. Fuller interview available online
COMMENT VAR.ST/COMMENT
13
JANUARY
2014
comment@thevarsity.ca
Behind the Blackboard
Course website makes student information available to faculty administrators Phyllis Pearson
VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR
Most University of Toronto students will, at some point in their undergraduate careers, find themselves frustrated with the Blackboard Learning System. Those disillusioned with the online course management platform usually cite Blackboard’s seemingly counter-intuitive user interface as its greatest downfall. What is interesting is that the question of Blackboard’s invasiveness does not seem to have yet garnered much attention. Perhaps this will change once students are made aware of both what and how much information Blackboard grants professors access to. As students, we have access to information that our instructors have deemed to be relevant in some way. Blackboard is intended to function as an online extension of the classroom; instructors make available whatever materials or tools they feel will help students participate and excel in their course. The justification for using an online learning platform is that it is there for the benefit of the students, so that they may access useful information that will aid in our success. This should all sound familiar; however, what might come as a surprise is the revelation that course instructors are in turn supplied
with data regarding their students’ study habits. Instructors are made aware of which students are opening course documents, and how often they are doing so. In other words, even if you’ve managed to strategically avoid being called on in class, your professor might still be aware that you have not done the reading. Instructors have access to the Control Panel, which features a tool called the Performance Dashboard. The dashboard displays information such as when a student last viewed the course’s online homepage, the number of days since they have viewed the course homepage, and how many times they have posted on the course’s discussion board. To take it a step further, instructors may pull up a detailed report showing how many course items a student has viewed, and — if the instructor so chooses — he or she may investigate exactly which particular items a student has viewed. When students first learn of Blackboard, they are not made aware of the fact that their personal use of the system is monitored. A basic outline of what type of data an instructor can gather using Blackboard is made available on the University of Toronto website. However, this information appears in a section pertaining only to instructors. The portion of the University of Toronto website that explains
MeDia PhOtO
Blackboard to students contains no information regarding how students’ use of the site is monitored. In other words, though the University of Toronto’s website informs students of their instructors’ monitoring capacities, students would already have to be suspicious of the system in order to ever find this information in the first place. Though information regarding how
instructors can use Blackboard has not been hidden from students, it may just as well have been. There are some very difficult questions surrounding whether or not the transmission of this type of data is justified — that is to say, whether or not instructors ought to have access to when their students use Blackboard and what they do with it. As mentioned, Blackboard
is presented as something to help students grow academically, its slogan being: “Enrich the conversation, Engage your students, Enhance learning & teaching.” Does transmission of my study habits really allow learning and teaching to be enhanced? It’s hard to see how that might be the case. And it’s even harder when we are kept in the dark. No, I guess we were not deceived, but then why does it feel like we have been? Just as it’s hard to see if this transmission of data helps students, it’s also hard to identify, definitively, if it’s something that is hurting them. I have no way of knowing if this data has any influence at all, positive or negative. The purpose of this piece is not to instill fear, but simply to provide the information that students were never given about how Blackboard works. Students are given incomplete information regarding something that they do not have the option of refusing to use, and this is a problem. Students are required to use Blackboard, and yet are not informed about everything they tell their instructors when they use it. If using a particular platform is compulsory, it seems fair to claim that we should know of the information we implicitly consent to providing each time we use it. Phyllis Pearson is a philosophy student at Victoria College.
U of T's building plans Massive construction on U of T’s St. George campus will negatively affect student experience Olivia Forsyth-Sells
VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR
U of T’s St. George campus is currently undergoing major architectural changes, and people are noticing. As money flows into the university through the Boundless Campaign, many of the buildings on the downtown St. George campus are being renovated, and new construction projects seem to be popping up daily — such as the renovation of 1 Spadina, the Goldring Centre, the new Rotman building, and the University College back campus. As a result, concerns from students and faculty have come to light regarding the efficacy and productivity of the university’s new projects. The field behind University College is being covered in AstroTurf to facilitate the upcoming Pan Am Games. The university argues that this will provide greater access for the students on campus who engage in field sports, as well as provide a safer facility to do so. Yet, the university administration seems unfazed by the loss of one of the few green spaces left not only on the downtown campus, but in downtown Toronto in general. The price tag on this project alone tops out at $9.5 million, of which the university is providing 44 per cent, with the remainder funded by the Games.
The Goldring Institute for High Performance Sport is planned to be complete in January 2015. ViVek srikanthan/the Varsity
In return, Pan Am will receive exclusive use of the space for the summer of 2015. Removing one of the few natural green spaces on campus to facilitate the games seems to favour the interests of the university’s accountants more than the interests of the students who have been without usable space for a year. It is a very bold claim to assume that only those students who choose to engage in field sports use this space. The
field is located in the center of campus, and provides an open space for rest, relaxation, and general outdoor enjoyment. This project re-contextualizes what was once an open and free space into a closed community saved solely for the athletically inclined — who, quite frankly, do not constitute the majority of this campus; the project will really only benefit the nearly 3,000 students who engage in field sports.
Secondly, the construction of the new Goldring Centre also seems to harbour external motivations that do not concern the experience of most students. Described by Dean Ira Jacobs as a “new paradigm for Toronto and Ontario,” it seems the administration failed to consider the university as a campus unto itself. This project is funded largely by the Goldring family, hence the namesake, the Goldring Institute for High Performance Sport. This
new monstrous building eclipses half of Woodsworth Residence, dramatically affecting the visual airspace that the unique residence once possessed. This project is also concerning as it prioritizes the national perception of the university as a sports institute as opposed to considering the campus as a whole experience. This is not to suggest that the university ought not to utilize such generous resources, nor should they forgo private donations. Rather, I am suggesting that these two large constructions on campus, which are causing massive shifts in the flow of the campus as a whole, ought to be considered critically, in regard to the function they serve for the greater student body. To place such a priority on our position as a sports-loving institution without considering the more pressing needs of the university seems unjust to the growth of the campus as a whole. U of T is only ever as good as the experience it offers students, and given the priority of massive campus-wide construction and renovation, the student body is left to fend off closures while the sounds of construction rattle their heads. Olivia Forsyth-Sells is studying English and philosophy.
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VARSITY COMMENT
comment@thevarsity.ca
Flat fees change no victory U of T should stand with students to petition the provincial government for increased funding
THE WEDDING SINGER
FILE PHOTO: BErnarda GOsPIc/THE VarsITy
Dylan Chauvin-Smith VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR
Many people have worked across partisan lines to lobby for an end to the practice of charging flat fees in the Faculty of Arts & Science, and they should be applauded for their efforts in light of recently announced provincial policy changes. But to echo Alastair Woods, the chairperson of cfs-Ontario, this change only represents a step in the right direction. To call it a victory is to erase the realities of post-secondary education funding in Ontario. The title of the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities' (mtcu) press release announcing the policy changes is rather instructive for students: “Fairer Fees for University and College Students.” Yes, the provincial government seems to be acknowledging the fact that flat fees are inherently unfair. Student organizations have long understood this to be true, opposing flat fees based on the principle that students should only pay for the courses they take. A basic contradiction in the flat fees program makes clear why they are necessarily unfair. Flat fees are sold to students on the basis that they provide the opportunity to take a sixth course (on top of the five fces of a full course load) without having to pay the additional course fee. However, if all students took advantage of this incentive, flat fees would cease to be a revenue-generating device. It can only make more money for the university if a majority of students take less than a full course load. In other words, it is only effective when most students are overcharged. University of Toronto president Meric Gertler has expressed concerns that the provincial policy change would eventually result in lost revenue for the university, putting the figure at around $16 million annually. Along with changes to flat fees, the mtcu move will likely also affect the revenue generated by interest charges on late tuition. Neither flat fees nor interest charges have disappeared completely. Broadly, the university will no longer be able to charge flat fees to students taking less than four credits (after the phase-in period). With the new split tuition model, students will now face two interest periods (one each semester). Alternative revenue tools like these have become necessary to combat Ontario’s chronic underfunding of post-secondary education. Increased tuition fees and private investment
now account for more than 50 per cent of U of T’s operating budget, a shift reflected in the mtcu’s new rhetoric of “publicly-assisted universities” that has replaced the long-used term “publicly-funded universities.” Despite the mtcu touting the 80 per cent increase in government funding for Ontario universities in the last 10 years, these institutions receive the lowest per-student subsidy in the country. Therefore, it is important to understand the mtcu’s policy change as restricting the effectiveness of alternative funding strategies implemented by the university in the face of inadequate funding from the government. The case of flat fees is illustrative for anyone interested in the current state of post-secondary education policy in Ontario. Rather than making holistic reform, we see incremental policy changes which seem to only further complicate an already complex web of loans, research grants, and private partnerships. As I see it, the university and students have a unique opportunity to harness current momentum for change in post-secondary policy, and to work together in pursuit of a common goal. Rather than relying on exploitative measures like flat fees to make up for funding shortfalls, the university can stand with students to demand more per-student funding from the provincial government. Rather than chanting “drop fees” or claiming this policy change as a victory, students can stand with the university in demanding more appropriate funding from the province. In addition to exploitative policies like flat fees, the defunding of Ontario’s universities has had other negative impacts on the landscape of post-secondary education. One rather terrifying example is the huge increase in undergraduate enrolment, ostensibly undertaken to bring more money into these institutions. Larger class sizes have eroded the quality of education, and high unemployment amongst recent graduates speaks to the devaluation of undergraduate degrees in the labour market. Students paying more for less valuable degrees makes no sense. Let’s not congratulate ourselves yet. Let’s stand up for the needs of U of T and its students. Let’s push for more per-student funding, lower tuition, and an end to flat fees. Dylan Chauvin-Smith is a multi-year student at New College studying English and Film. He is currently an executive member of the Arts & Science Students Union.
THE WEDDING SINGER Music by Matthew Sklar Lyrics by Chad Beguelin Book by Chad Beguelin and Tim Herlihy Directed by Luke Brown
Jan. 10–25, 2014
MUSICAL
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VARSITY COMMENT
var.st/comment
MONDAY, JANUARY 13, 2014
11
Turn the lights up! Small changes can make a big difference for disabled students on campus Stephen Warner
VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR
Navigating around Toronto can be a hassle, even for the most able-bodied residents. But for those with physical disabilities, navigation becomes all the more difficult due to particular accessibility needs. Being in the heart of Toronto, U of T has unique accessibility strengths and weaknesses. Speaking from the perspective of a visually-impaired commuter with a visual acuity of 20/300 in my better eye, I will examine the areas in which the university and the City of Toronto excel at accessibility and the areas in which they need to improve. Accessibility on campus can generally be categorized into two areas: knowing where you are and where you are going, and physically getting there without injury. Visual impairment tends to create issues mainly with the former, though sometimes with the latter. The university’s St. George campus is situated conveniently adjacent to four major thoroughfares: Bloor, University, College, and St. George. These streets are great for accessibility; they are walkable without worry of danger, and are far from confusing due to their simple and straightforward nature. Once one is off the main thoroughfares, however, the campus becomes a maze of winding streets and paths, with very poor signage to help guide people in the right direction. In particular, King’s College Circle and the Varsity Centre area are filled with paths that, while convenient for some, can be incredibly confusing when you cannot see where the path is and where it’s going.
TimoThy law/The VarsiTy
The university has attempted to help fix this issue by providing maps of the campus. However, these maps are entirely inaccessible for two reasons: the maps are not at proper eye level and, moreover, use a font that is so tiny it is nearly impossible for anyone with vision problems to read. U of T does, however, provide large signs with large print around campus that indicate many important buildings. This is a great concept and incredibly helpful, and could definitely be expanded for any areas that may not currently have signs. Toronto’s subway, on the other hand, is by
far the best form of transit for the visually impaired, because there is no worry about traffic on the road. That U of T's downtown campus is serviced by four subway stops is a great thing. It makes it much easier to get around campus. The buildings themselves in U of T are hitand-miss in regards to accessibility, specifically those that house multiple classrooms, as opposed to larger single-room lecture halls. Some, such as Northrop Frye Hall and Simcoe Hall, are extremely accessible by providing easy to read signs on doors and directions to popular rooms. Others, such as Em-
manuel College and University College, can be incredibly confusing due to poor lighting that makes halls difficult to navigate, and a lack of signage and visible room numbers that make finding classrooms a challenge. The buildings that are not accessible, as one may expect, are the older ones. While I am the first person to say that historical buildings need to be preserved in the name of culture, there are changes that can be made to better serve students with disabilties without compromising buildings’ designs. Stronger lighting where possible — by using either stronger bulbs or more lights — solves many of the issues presented by old buildings, which are typically darker than newer ones. As well, signs that simply indicate the direction of ascending and descending room numbers — as opposed to signs on every door — do minimal damage to buildings; visually impaired students are able to count, after all. It is important, as always, to recognize that everything, including accessibility, is relative. U of T has an amazing Accessibility Services department which, from my admittedly few experiences, advocates incredibly well for students with disabilities. That is not to say that U of T is perfect, but we are better than many other institutions. Ultimately, the problem of accessibility at U of T comes down to the university's age. Newer building additions are, by and large, accessible. Once we take the time and effort to bring older buildings and areas up to scratch, U of T can be a beacon for accessibility in Toronto. Stephen Warner is a first-year student studying political science.
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The new reading
ISHITA PEKTAR explores the changing parameters of fiction in the digital era
I
t’s difficult to imagine that something as ubiquitous as the book could ever be in danger of becoming obsolete. The written word has been a subject of continued technological innovations — from clay tablets and papyrus scrolls to monotype and linotype machinery during the Industrial Revolution. While all of these steps towards the modern book seemed radical at the time, they all stayed true to one feature that seems integral to the book in its traditional conception: physicality. The “Digital Revolution” has changed this central aspect of the book, which for so long was unquestioned and immutable. Books no longer need to be heavy codices, with static story lines that are solely reliant on the reader’s imagination; new and creative formats are pushing these limits, and the field of publishing is bustling with new potential. In spite of this, these new possibilities are paired with warnings of the “death of print” and other losses in the publishing industry. UNPRECEDENTED ACCESS As university students today, we are the first generation to study literature in the digital age. Some students use e-books as cheaper alternatives to textbooks, and many prefer finding scholarly articles in an online database when doing research, instead of trudging up to the Robarts stacks. Reading online has become an inevitable part of daily life for many, but it represents a fundamental shift towards digitization that impacts the way students approach and understand texts. University of Guelph professor Adam Hammond, who taught “The Digital Text” at U of T in the fall 2013 semester, is well-versed in how the digital world has changed the parameters of literature. “In the most basic sense, digitization lets people self-publish very, very easily. It has traditionally been very hard for writers to get in to print — to get their work to readers,” says Hammond. Using digital publishing, writers can easily have their works published, and can exert control over much of the publishing process. In turn, readers have unprecedented access to a variety of
free or inexpensive self-published works online. “The upside is the massively increased access to the means of production. The downside is that it’s hard to be heard when so many voices are getting in to print,” says Hammond. TECHNOLOGY AND STORYTELLING Hammond’s class examined online interactive fiction as one of the new forms emerging from digital publishing. Interactive fiction allows the reader to choose the path that the character within the story is going to take, leading to a different plot and outcome each time. “While most print fiction is linear, many digital texts have massive numbers of possible pathways, and the reader actually gets to ‘co-author’ the work in a sense… The author still lays out all the possibilities in advance, and gets to decide where, and what, choices are possible,” said Hammond. His favourite example is Stephen Marche’s Lucy Hardin’s Missing Period, an interactive novel published by The Walrus in 2010. “When you’re thinking in digital terms, it stops making sense to draw hard lines between literature and multimedia forms like movies, graphic novels, and video games. They’re all ‘narrative art forms’ — ways of telling stories… Video games are probably the ‘ultimate’ digital storytelling medium, since they combine narratives, words, images, sounds, music and interactivity, wrapped into one,” he explains. The marriage of technology and literature allows for other mediums of storytelling to be incorporated into the reading experience. Digital literature breaks down the traditional barriers between media — combining words with images, videos, sounds, and music — to create an immersive experience.
the changing market for the literature, which has produced exciting results. One person who was affected by these changes is Cynthia Good. Good was president and publisher of Penguin Books for 20 years before working for The Walrus magazine and taking up a position at Humber College as director of the Creative Book Publishing program. The program prepares students for careers in the changing publishing landscape. “I was at Penguin just the moment before the Digital Revolution, so during my time there our biggest technological discussion was actually around CD-ROMS, which is very funny to think about now. It’s been 10 years since I’ve been here at Humber, and those have been the years of the greatest change, into books becoming widely accepted in their digital versions.” While the debate over CD-ROMS is no longer a concern, similar discussions are being conducted over the viability of e-books, and returns on investments in them. Good contends that the printed book is far from becoming obsolete, in spite of concerns over ereading technology: “We talk so much about the Digital Revolution but the reality is that here in Canada, e-books only make up about 12 per cent to 15 per cent of the sales of a publishing house. E-book sales are starting to flatten.” While it seems that people still prefer to turn physical pages when reading, there are certain types of fiction that consumers prefer to buy digitally: “There are some books that people love to buy as e-books because they don’t feel they want to keep them. A lot of genre-oriented things skew higher in the ebook sales—mysteries, science fiction… But for general fiction, most of the sales still come from the physical book.”
FROM CD-ROMS TO E-BOOKS While developments in digital publishing have posed a challenge to the traditional print publishing industry, digitization does not necessarily point to the death of the printed word. Publishing houses have had to change their mandates in order to build digital and web presences. They have adapted their approaches to
INTERACTING WITH THE READER Engaging the reader directly is now a cornerstone of publishing and promoting literature, according to Good. “One of the big changes that have happened in publishing is the fact that both writers and publishers directly approach their readers one-to-one, which did not happen in the past. In the past, publishers dealt with book sellers and
librarians and not directly with the public, and writers were even one step more removed. And now, everybody contacts the reader directly to try to engage them and excite them, about the writing and the book,” she said. Many publishers produce book trailers promoting the release of much-awaited novels. Authors interact with their readers as a means of promoting their work, answering fans’ questions over YouTube and other social media. Additional online material is often made available with the purchase of a book. These strategies point to the importance of combining print products with complementary digital content that engages readers across both mediums. Good noted, “What we have to realize is that an e-book itself is just another format for the writer’s direct verbatim text. But then you can go on from there and have enhanced e-books which then might be able to link to music or a video that’s referenced… The next step is a book app itself — something that has been produced solely to be an app that can be much more interactive and include all sorts of other materials where you can learn more about a character, look at a map, or even change the ending.” A recent example is the digital companion for Khaled Hosseini’s novel, And the Mountains Echoed. Produced by Penguin, “The Echo Project” provides visuals to accompany each page of the novel, ranging from thematic music and interactive elements to recordings of Hosseini reading parts of the book. This harmony of the digital and print results in an interactive reading experience. Reading was once solely an exercise of the imagination; today, it has the potential to be whatever experience the reader desires. Although technology develops and is rendered obsolete at a dizzying pace, print books have never gone out of fashion since their inception. The print is not being replaced with the digital; rather, writers and publishers are fusing these forms to tell vivid, interactive stories in new ways. Regardless of the medium, at the heart of it all is the text itself — the fiction that provides its reader with a story to engage in, however they choose.
The world of BookCrossing
A
round the world, there is a dedicated community of booklovers who use technology to celebrate the printed book. Known as BookCrossers, they aim to connect people through books by sending literature into the world for anyone to stumble upon and enjoy. To participate, you register a book online at www.bookcrossing. com where it gets a code that you write inside the book, along with a link to the website. You then release the book anywhere you choose — whether on a park bench, in a tree, or in a coffee shop. When someone finds it, ideally, they log in to the website and register its current location. Once they read the book, they then leave it elsewhere for the next BookCrosser to find. Users can keep track of their book and its travels, with some books logging thousands of catches and releases all around the world. The Varsity interviewed two avid Torontonian BookCrossers, Lauren Rossow and Christina Laurence, usernames hoserlauren and pink-oeria. The Varsity: Why did you get involved with BookCrossing and what has made you fall in love with it? Lauren Rossow: I have always been a big reader but never really knew what to do with my books after I finished reading them because there are too many books in the world to go back and re-read any of them. BookCrossing was perfect for me. You never know where your book will wind up or the lives they will touch. I also love the BookCrossing community. There are many BookCrossers in the GTA, and every so often, we meet up for lunch and talk. TV: Can you explain a little about RABCK (Random Acts of BookCrossing Kindness), and any other BookCrossing offshoots that make this experience even more personal and enjoyable? Christina Laurence: rabcks… can be a number of things. There are people that offer up books or related goodies in a draw, and sweeps where people send a book to the winner — for example, there are the ‘Thriller and Tea’ and the ‘Chick-lit and Chocolate’ ones. BookCrossers are incredibly generous and it really enhances the BookCrossing experience in my opinion. There are also Release Challenges where people are challenged to do certain releases. In November, I always host the ‘E-less’ challenge, which challenges people to release books without an ‘E’ in the title. There are also games to do themed releases, like the Monopoly game where the teams would work out among themselves how to release the books related to their theme. Points were awarded for originality of execution. Additionally, each year, one country organizes the official BookCrossing Convention. BookCrossers from all over the world come together to celebrate their love of reading and sharing books.
TV: Can you give an anecdote of one of the most memorable moments you have had with BookCrossing? LR: One of my most memorable BookCrossing catches was a book that I released while on vacation at Lake Louise, Alberta. The book was dropped off on a ledge by the lake. A few months later, a journal entry had been made that the book was picked up in Scotland. Obviously, it changed hands in between Alberta and Scotland. It’s just amazing how far your books can travel! TV: Where are the best places in Toronto to go hunting for books? LR: The Official BookCrossing Zone (obcz) at Harbord House Pub is a great place to start your hunt! The underground PATH has been a favourite of mine for wild releasing recently, and [I] have had luck finding books at the Starbucks at Yonge and Bloor. The BookCrossing website allows you to “go hunting” for books, to find where books have recently been wild released. TV: Do you use e-readers or any other electronic devices to read on? Why, or why not? CL: Yes, I use an e-reader. For several reasons: I am running out of space for my books in my house, so anything I want to keep I tend to buy for my e-reader. I also find it easier to buy books that way… And I also travel a lot, so it’s more convenient to pack my Kindle with hundreds of books on it rather than a suitcase full of books. I still really enjoy reading “real” books, and I love the feel of them, so I don’t think the e-reader will replace my regular books.
Sofia Lu/THe VarSiTy
TV: With the growing use of e-readers and online books, do you think there is a danger of print books becoming obsolete? LR: While I do believe that the use of e-readers will become more prevalent, I don’t think we’ll ever see a time where printed books no longer exist. Printed books hold memories. When you picked up a used book, you wonder where it came from. You look for the notes on the pages and the dog-ears. The only difference e-books make for me in terms of BookCrossing is that I am now asked whether I want a paper copy or electronic copy of the book when I swap or trade. CL: I would certainly hope not. I still love real books, and I think it is much nicer to give a printed book as a gift rather than an e-book. And you can’t sell e-books second hand either. I don’t think printed books will become obsolete anytime soon.
Maaria adaMou/inSTagraM
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Tea Leaves: an interactive story Choose your own adventure in an original piece of interactive fiction by MADEEHA HASHMI, with illustrations by AILEEN LIN and NANCY JI. Start reading here and finish your adventure online at thevarsity.ca
Part 1
T
he sun is a golden apple in the sky, waiting to be peeled white for the afternoon. She thinks about how nice it would be to have fruit for breakfast, but knows that she will instead be having something that comes in plastic or cardboard for her first meal of the day. Sitting on the raised sidewalk with her feet dipped in the early morning emptiness of residential road, she runs her fingers under the pleats in her skirt — waiting for Julian. And then suddenly he is standing over her, his head and hair eclipsing the daylight. “They only had chocolate,” he says, handing her one of the small milk cartons that he bought at the corner store. She holds the little box in her hand for a while. She likes the weight of it and how she can feel the milk shift as she tilts the box back and forth. It feels so sure in her hands. Julian sits down next to her and starts to drink, saying after his first sip: “They don’t print the ‘Missing Persons’ pictures on these ones.” She turns her own box over in her hands to confirm Julian’s statement. No face stares back at her from any side, but she imagines her own on the box. She’s sitting here outside a convenience store, miles away from where she is supposed to be. Her roommate could report her missing. Her suitcase is sitting on the top shelf of her closet, eliminating the possibility that she is on a trip for anyone who might come to check. The luggage-less journey has made her hands restless — the milk carton is a relief.
Forget
or Remember
Make your choice online at var.st/tealeaves to continue the story.
ARTS & CULTURE
VAR.ST/ARTS
13
JANUARY
2014
arts@thevarsity.ca
An off-stage guide to all things theatre What to expect from student dramatic societies this semester Sarah Niedoba VARSITY STAFF
There is so much student theatre that goes on every year at the University of Toronto that it can be overwhelming to try and keep up with it all. This winter semester alone will feature three different musicals, the work of T.S. Eliot, a play by Shakespeare, and the annual Hart House Drama Festival. We’ve compiled a run down of all the upcoming shows, so you’ll know what to expect and what not to miss. U of T currently has five separate drama societies on the St. George campus, in addition to the University of Toronto Mississauga Drama Club. The Victoria College Drama Society starts the semester off with their production of The House of Bernarda Alba, written by Spanish playwright Federico Garcia Lorca. The play details the lives of women in the villages of Andalusia in southern Spain; matriarch Bernarda Alba lives with her five daughters who struggle against their own predetermined fates and against each other. The play boasts an all-female cast, a first for this year's line-up of shows. Director Catriona Spaven-Donn explained that she was drawn to the play because of its embodiment of the Spanish language, culture, and history. “The boundaries between the artifice of the stage and reality blur as each actress embodies her character and as we feel the Andalusian heat, fear Bernarda’s wrath, and mourn the tragic end of the play,” explains Spaven-Donn. The play will run January 16 to January 18, at the Isabel Bader Theatre. The Trinity College Drama Society is putting up two shows this winter: T.S Eliot’s
Photo courtesy of daniele song
Murder in the Cathedral, January 30 to February 1, and Stephen Sondhiem’s Into the Woods, March 19 to March 21. Murder in the Cathedral tells the tale of the historic murder of the Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Beckett, with the actors dialogue reflecting Eliot’s poetic style. “The play itself is a fascinating exploration of martyrdom, and through it questions of calling and sacrifice, which touch all our lives,” explains director Thomas Slabon. The play will be performed in the Trinity College Chapel, where it has been staged twice already, once in 1959 and again in 1990, and will feature a live choir.
Into the Woods is a musical depicting the lives of a wide range of storybook characters, from "Little Red Riding Hood" to "Jack and the Beanstalk." Written by Stephen Sondhiem and directed by Peter Perri, the musical tells the story of before and after the characters' “happily ever after,” serving as a dark reminder that such things rarely exist, even in fairy tales. The show will run from March 19 to March 21 in the George Ignatieff Theatre. University College's theatre group, the UC Follies, are rounding out their season with two musicals: Bob Fosse’s Sweet Charity and Belle Gunness: the Black Widow of LaPorte, a musical written by former U of T student
Peter Grant Mackechnie. Sweet Charity tells the story of a down-on-her-luck taxi dancer in 1950s New York. Director Victoria McEwan described the show saying: “The show, although dated, touches upon identity crisis, fear of the future, and lousy jobs and relationships: all things we as weary twentysomethings deal with on a daily basis.” The show will run for two weekends, January 31 to Feburary 7 in the Hart House Theatre. Belle Gunness: The Black Widow of LaPorte is a new musical, based on the real-life serial killer of the same name. Living in the mid-west United States in the 1900’s Gunness killed 20 victims, among them her own spouses and children. The musical will follow her exploits in the town of La Porte, Indiana. Composer Peter Grant Mackechnie is a recent graduate of the University of Toronto Faculty of Music and cites Jason Robert Brown, Stephen Sondheim, and Leonard Bernstein as musical influences. The show will run for two weekends, March 14–22, in the Al Greene Theatre. St. Michael’s College is generally known for its annual fall musical, but this year the newly founded St. Genesis Drama Society will be presenting Antony and Cleopatra, at a date still to be determined. Finally, the annual Hart House Drama Festival will be taking place this February 12 to February 15 at Hart House Theatre. It will feature student-written one act plays from all of the different dramatic societies on campus. That is to say, there is some theatre going on for almost everyone, be it the musical enthusiast, English student, or lover of student-written work. More information can be found on the U of T Drama Coalition's Facebook page.
Hart House Theatre's The Wedding Singer adaptation satisfies expectations First production of the year an adaptation of the 1998 film starring Adam Sandler Adriana Alilovic
VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR
A glittering, lustrous, flashy atmosphere set the stage for this '80s-inspired musical based on the 1998 film starring Adam Sandler. Last Friday, Hart House Theatre opened the final leg of the season with The Wedding Singer, a musical production directed by Luke Brown. The lead singer of a wedding band, Robbie Hart (Isaac Bell) captures hearts on the dancefloor and most evidently, that of Julia Sullivan (Ashley Gibson). Julia, engaged to Mr. Glen Guglia (Howard Davis) is a young waitress who dreams of the moment she meets her perfect prince, and most importantly, stability. As Robbie battles the playing field of romance and his fiancée Linda (Sarah Horsman), he searches for the meaning of true love. The set was radiant and rich with bright colours, glitter, and glam which gave off a flashy feeling fit for this production. The use of shadows and subtle hints of '80s glamour sparked the audience's attention. The dim lighting, '80s tunes, and costumes that questioned the sanity of that decade filled the stage with excitement.
The ensemble perfectly complimented the lead characters in the lively, upbeat musical accompaniment packed with tributes to '80s pop culture. The duration of the songs minimalized the acting in the production, but the swoon-inducing musical portions made up for it. The song list includes both satirical and comical references which was a great touch to the overall atmosphere. The use of the characters’ individual personalities complimented the theme of blind love in The Wedding Singer. Characters include Robbie Hart, Linda, Julia, Holly (Romina Cortina), and particularly George (Scott Farley), provides a chuckling comedic relief. The chemistry between the characters was impressive, which could be attributed to the credentials of the cast. The production questions the meaning of true love, whether it is materialistic, or something with a significantly deeper meaning. Through displaying the fun, careless '80s, the underlying theme of blind love was an unexpected twist to the comedy. Altogether, the musical direction, design, and cast came together to put together a production that managed to meet the expectations one would have for a Hart House production.
daniel dimarco/hart house
var.st/arts
VARSITY ARTS & CULTURE
MONDAY, JANUARY 6, 2014
15
Toronto's rental riot Roommates may come and go, but leases are (for the most part) year-long
Corinne Przybyslawski
ASSOCIATE ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR
Toronto maintains a reputation for being cold beyond its winter season. In a metropolis where locals and students alike opt for keeping a distance from passing strangers over acknowledging them, it’s odd how quickly the tables can turn when the lease is up or the international roommate goes back across the border. We are surprisingly open to the idea of extending, arguably, the most personal space we’ve got to offer (without taking any clothes off) to a complete stranger, yet a sense of community is not one of the city’s more distinct qualities. It’s justifiably so, considering how difficult it is to come by reasonable rent. Tuition is no petty expense, and as emerging adults who are surrounded by an atmosphere of success, we haven’t got the sensibility to realize that our time for Prada and Balenciaga will come with a career after we graduate — not a higher credit limit. God forbid we swallow our pride and move back home. Instead, we seek whatever we can find within a supply painstakingly outweighed by demand. But the issue at hand is beyond the already-claimed Kijiji listings: roommate culture in Toronto requires an idealistic compromise on behalf of both the stranger posting the ad, and the stranger moving in. Pauline Mukosiej is a second-year student at the University of Toronto. In her first year, she chose to live on residence where she completed a preliminary survey before being matched with an "ideal" roommate.
When asked about how the pairing fared throughout the year, Pauline immediately noted that, “you don’t think about the privacy issues signing up for something like that”. Pauline complained that whenever she “wanted to get changed, imagine having to do that under the covers in daily life [because the roommate never left the space].” Despite stating on her survey that she was relatively neat and orderly, she was matched to someone who “may have organized their own notebooks, but had no problem leaving their hair all over the opposite side of the room — conveniently the side that was not their own." Unsurprisingly, Pauline's living arrangements ended on a sour, passive-aggressive note. Less demand leaves more supply for the students in university towns like Kingston and Windsor. With stress eased, the search for the perfect roommate feels a little less like a time-sensitive stroll over thin ice and more like an effort towards a genuine connection. Dion Vassos, a graduate student at the University of Windsor, is a U of T alumni who was “shocked by the change in social dynamics” after moving out of Toronto. Given Toronto’s prodigious nature, he expressed that there is “no sense of social belonging” and “the people you live with are just that: people you live with." Searching for a roommate begins as a symbiotic relationship—the original tenant needs the money and the new tenant needs a roof over his or her head. A quick interview happens, facts check out, and the movein day comes sooner than later. Unfortunately, the desperation for a place to stay tends to shroud one’s ability to embrace the reality of their
character, and potential roommates undersell their negative habits and unhealthiest details of their lifestyle in the context of a shared space. It’s an issue nearly exclusive to metropolitan cities like Toronto where housing is less a commodity and more a necessity, simply out of how unavailable it is. Marcel Kraus de Camargo, an undergraduate student at Queen’s University, says that “student housing in Kingston is best compared to a village.” Where the Torontonian is isolated purely as a result of the city’s dense population, in Kingston, “everyone knows everything about everyone else, so you know exactly what you’re involving yourself with if you’re choosing to live with them.” Having already seen many prospects around town, it being so small, Marcel mentioned that “you will have seen them at their best and their worst, so there are little to no surprises”, unlike in Toronto where we run the risk of uncovering undesirable traits only after a new roommate has already moved in. Occasionally forgetting that our roommate’s 8AM wake up call may not pair well with a Thursday night tribute to tequila featuring 50 of our closest friends is a forgivable offense; youth is fleeting, and there is far too much happening in the big city not to remain idle. That said, it’s as much your right to have fun as it is your obligation to inform the stranger-soon-to-be-roommate-fora-year of your less endearing qualities. Whether that will disqualify you as a tenant or not, patience in these circumstances is more rewarding than the negative experience that is sure to come with blindy signing a lease.
Top: olga abeleva /the varsity Middle: nancy ji/the varsity Bottom: mashal khan/the varsity
16
Vol. CXXXIV, No. 14
VARSITY ARTS & CULTURE
arts@thevarsity.ca
When Life Gives You Lemons, Make Bread A simple, no frills recipe for lemon poppy seed bread
claudia mcNEillY/THE VarsiTY
Claudia McNeilly
VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR
The stretch from Halloween to December sandwiches us between the looming grayness of a threatening winter and it climbs up our walls and falls into our bags. When the wind whips against the windows of Sid Smith, we can almost hear it hiss: “I’m coming.” Instead of staring back down at it like they teach you to do in those "Bear Encounter" YouTube videos, I whimper: “I’m terrified.” Winter brings with it barrels of lemons — both literally and, unfortunately, figuratively. And while term papers and shorter days begin to clutter our time like an episode of Hoarders, as students we trudge
on. Meyer lemons replace local strawberries come winter time as our grocery store shelves start taking on the cruel yellow hue of a smiling emoji. Admittedly, raw lemons don’t hold the same promise as late summer strawberries that bleed down your chin, but, like most things, their potential begins to unfold when combined with generous amounts of sugar and butter. Meyer lemons are sweeter and more fragrant than regular Lisbon or Eureka lemons that are found at grocery stores yearround. Their skin is thinner and takes on golden tones when ripe. They fold this bread in layers of lemon syllables that click on your tongue. If you see my yoga instructor, tell him I discovered the best medicine is eating warm bread — working on my downward dog is too hard.
LEMON POPPY SEED BREAD INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 cups flour 1/2 cup white sugar 1/2 cup brown sugar 1/2 tsp. salt 1 tsp. baking powder 1 tbsp. poppy seeds DIRECTIONS:
3/4 cup milk 1/2 cup melted butter 2 eggs, beaten 1 tsp. vanilla extract Zest of one Meyer lemon Juice of one Meyer lemon
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 2. Sift the flour and combine with all other dry ingredients. 3. Combine the wet ingredients separately. 4. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until thoroughly incorporated. 5. Grease two loaf tins and sprinkle thin layer of flour around the inside of each one. 6. Pour the batter into two loaf tins. 7. Bake at 350°F for 50 minutes or until golden brown on top and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the centre. Let the loaves cool for about 20 minutes while you combine the glaze ingredients together. Remove loaves and place on cooling racks while you pour the glaze over top of each loaf. 8. Glaze the baked loaf with 1/3 cup confectioners sugar, tbsp lemon juice , 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract, 1/2 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and cooled
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Vol. CXXXIV, No. 14
VARSITY ARTS & CULTURE
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REVIEWS
FILM: The Secret Life of Walter Mitty — Ben Stiller Undoubtedly, we can all relate to Walter Mitty, the titular character and a modern day daydreamer in The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, an adventure film both directed by and starring Ben Stiller. As an employee at Life magazine who handles photo negatives, Mitty is tasked to develop the final cover photo for the last print issue of the year. Unfortunately, the photo is misplaced, and so begins Mitty's journey to track photojournalist Sean O'Connell (Sean Penn) all over the world in search of the missing picture. Mitty's relatable qualities make the film different for its genre. To compensate for his innate shyness and mundane lifestyle, Mitty is constantly daydreaming and fantasizing about heroic scenes of grandiose escapades. The film is bolstered by gorgeous cinematography and an impressive and noteworthy soundtrack. However, the screenplay is thinly written, and the story, which is somewhat anticlimactic, detracts from the overall visually engaging experience. — Shaq Hosein
ALBUM: Dirty Gold — Angel Haze The sudden release of Angel Haze’s debut album Dirty Gold echoes the lyrical content of the album’s lead single, “Echelon (It’s My Way).” Haze, weary over her label’s upper echelons and their refusal to release the album before the end of 2013 — decided to do things her way and leak her album. Hyped as one of the most adept aspiring MCs of the decade, Haze’s rap-pop debut effort falls a little short of expectations. That’s not to say it’s not a good album — it is. The album flows like a diary; its songs reflect Haze’s difficult past, while painting a picture of the resilient woman that she has become today. Standouts include the sassy, good-humoured lead single, “Deep Sea Diver,” “Angels & Airwaves,” and “Battle Cry,” a ballad featuring Sia. While Dirty Gold might not be Haze’s best best effort, it will undoubtedly lead her to lucrative mainstream success. — Ondiek Oduor
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ALBUM: Coeur de Pirate — Trauma In the vortex of the January freeze, my iPod warmed my numbed extremities as I listened to Coeur de Pirate’s latest album, Trauma, the soundtrack to its Canadian television drama namesake. Trauma is a cover album that spans genres and generations. Opening with a hauntingly beautiful reworking of Bill Withers’ “Ain’t No Sunshine,” Coeur de Pirate brings out the raw emotion laden in the song's lyrics. The Rolling Stones, Nancy Sinatra, Patrick Watson, and many others are reworked and revealed as Coeur de Pirate takes on the task of retelling the tales of past songs. Pulling on heartbreak throughout the album, Coeur de Pirate creates a musical melancholy that is defined by the piercing intimacy of her vocal delivery. — Michael Cumpstey
SCIENCE VAR.ST!SCIENCE
13
JANUARY
2014
science@thevarsity.ca
Education for the price of a cup of coffee Learning at a Café Scientifique Jasleen Arneja VARSITY STAFF
Ever wonder what it would be like to get an alternative perspective on genetics, health policy, or pharmaceuticals outside of the university setting? Cafés Scientifiques offer a unique, comfortable way for everyday people to interact with top scientists and researchers. The Cafés Scientifique is a relatively recent phenomenon that is gaining in popularity. The first Cafés Scientifiques were held in Leeds, uk, in 1998, and were based on the French concept of the Café Philosophique. In France, scientists began the movement to better inform the general populace about scientific research. In the United Kingdom, the cafés were initiated by members of the public who were interested in finding out more about science. Cafés Scientifiques gradually spread worldwide, and there are currently more than 70 such cafés that meet on a regular basis to discuss recent scientific research or debate controversial topics. To keep the environment as informal as possible, Cafés Scientifiques are hosted in a range of venues. The most common locations are bars or cafés, though some use restaurants, bookshops, theatres, or community spaces. The topics discussed vary as well, and have included cancer prevention through healthy eating and physical exercise, the role of genes in disease, the science of resolutions, vaccines, the future of energy in Canada, and — my personal favourite — how zebrafish may help us treat alcoholism.
In the past decade, the purpose of the Café Scientifique has shifted from public understanding to scientific communication and public engagement. The cafés have been embraced and supported by various academic disciplines, government departments, research institutes, politicians, and policy makers. They may have been considered avant-garde at the time of their inception, but have now become a part of the scientific community. There are various Cafés Scientifiques held in the city of Toronto, organized by institutions such as the Canadian Institute of Health Research (cihr), the Ontario Science Center, the Hospital for Sick Children, St Michael’s Hospital, and the Ontario Institute of Cancer Research. Although in some cases there are small entry charges, the Cafés Scientifiques hosted by cihr are free of any admission charges and are representative of the typical structure of a Café Scientifique. These cafés are devoted to health issues that concern the general public. Anyone may attend the café — from undergraduate students to friends and family members of patients suffering from the conditions being discussed. The cihr Cafés Scientifiques include a moderator and a few experts on the subject being discussed. After all of the panelists have spoken, the group takes a small break for snacks and coffee, and is given the opportunity to ask the speaker questions in an informal setting. The cafés offer a pleasant milieu to ask questions of all levels and have them answered by professionals.
UPCOMING CAFÉS SCIENTIFIQUES IN TORONTO: “Perspectives on Poverty & Health: How can the Health Sector Respond?”
“Multiple Sclerosis: To B or not to B?”
Hosted by the University of Toronto in collaboration with cihr Monday, January 27, 2014, 5:00 p.m. (refreshments served at 4:30 p.m.) The 519 Church Street Community Centre 519 Church Street, Toronto RSVP: dfcm.ghevents@utoronto.ca
Hosted by the University of Toronto in collaboration with cihr Tuesday, February 18, 2014, 7:30 p.m. Chestnut Conference Centre 89 Chestnut Street., Toronto RSVP: angela.covert@mssociety.ca
The Antarctic IceCube High-energy physics project named “2013 Breakthrough of the Year” Jennifer Hurd VARSITY STAFF
The University of Toronto is one of the collaborators on a high-energy physics project that was recently named the 2013 Breakthrough of the Year by the magazine Physics World. The IceCube project, located at the South Pole in Antarctica, recently detected the first observable cosmic neutrinos with a massive detector buried under the ice. Neutrinos are incredibly small, subatomic particles that, like the neutron, have no electric charge. Unlike the neutron, neutrinos are so small that scientists have never been able to measure their mass accurately. Neutrinos are produced through radioactive decay or through nuclear reactions. The reactions in the sun’s core produce neutrinos; billions of neutrinos from the sun pass through the earth’s atmosphere every second. These neutrinos, however, have low energies
compared to those produced when a star goes supernova or collapses to form a black hole. Scientists set out these extra-galactic, extremely high-energy, cosmic neutrinos when they built the IceCube. Neutrinos could provide us with direct information about cosmic phenomena such as gamma ray bursts or active galactic nuclei. Theoretical predictions suggested that detecting cosmic neutrinos would be difficult given their physical properties and rarity. Neutrinos travel close to the speed of light, and rarely interact with atoms and molecules. In order to have any chance of finding them, the IceCube collaborators had to construct a massive, highly sensitive detector. Neutrino detectors typically consist of a large number of small, light-sensitive modules suspended in a clear medium, like water or ice. Most neutrino detectors, like the Super-Kamiokande detector in Japan, use water; the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory used heavy water. Suspending thousands of tiny modules
in water is difficult, however, and the larger the detector, the more difficult this problem becomes. IceCube scientists built the largest neutrino detector now in existence by using the ice to suspend their modules and keep them in place. Scientists used a hot-water drill to create 86 holes three kilometres deep into the ice, and then quickly installed the modules before the water froze again. The result was a network of 5,160 sensors that are buried between one-and-a-half and two-and-a-half kilometres under the surface. When a neutrino passes through the detector, it may strike one of the atoms in the ice. The result is a new particle called a muon, which creates a small flash of blue light (known as Cherenkov light). This light is detected by the sensors in the ice, which send all of their data to a computer on the surface. The amount and intensity of the light then allow researchers to calculate the energy of the neutrino, and then
to determine whether or not it might be a cosmic neutrino. The vast majority of the neutrinos that pass through IceCube have fairly low energies, but scientists recently detected two ultra-high energy particles — neutrinos with energies so high that it is believed that they could not possibly have originated in our galaxy. The IceCube neutrino detector represents international scientific collaboration on the grandest scale — over 250 researchers from over 40 institutions in a dozen countries are currently involved in the project, and have overcome extremely harsh conditions to build and maintain the detector. With more data, they hope that these observations will give insight into some of the most mysterious phenomena in the universe. As University of Toronto professor and IceCube collaborator Ken Clark commented: “This is the beginning of a new era for astronomy ... This result opens up the ability to use neutrinos to explore our universe.”
RESEARCH RECAP U of T researcher finds phosphorus in supernova Phosphorus, a non-metal element essential for life and found in bones, nervous tissues, and cell cytoplasm, has now been found in the cosmic residue of a supernova. The research was led by Bon-Chul Koo of Seoul National University. University of Toronto astronomer Dae-Sik Moon is the co-author of a paper on the discovery, which will be published in the journal Science. The research was partially funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada The supernova remnant Cassiopeia A was detected by a spectrograph at the California Institute of Technology. This supernova leftover was the first amount detected where it was clear that the phosphorus had originated from within the supernova. It has now been discovered that the abundance of phosphorus in the remains of a supernova is a hundredfold in comparison to any other part of the galaxy. These massive exploding stars behave as a sort of cooker, and produce phosphorus as part of their explosion. Phosphorus — along with nitrogen, carbon, oxygen, and sulphur — are created by supernovae and are spread out throughout the universe. They integrate with other stars, planets, and even humans. — Stephan Jayaratnam With files from CBC News and Business Standard
Tripling cigarette tax could save 200 million lives New research published in the New England Journal of Medicine by Prabhat Jha, a public health professor at the University of Toronto and the director of the Centre for Global Health Research of St. Michael’s Hospital, claims that increasing the tax of cigarettes threefold could help reduce smoking by a third worldwide. It could also result in a drop of 200 million smoking-related deaths. The tax will make it harder for youths to attain cigarettes. It will also cause the street price of cigarettes to increase, and narrow the gap between expensive and cheap cigarette brands. Researchers hope these factors will encourage smokers to quit, as well as discourage potential smokers from taking up the habit. Approximately 1.3 billion people smoke worldwide, with two-thirds of these smokers located in Asia, the European Union, the United States, and Brazil. In Canada and the United States alone, roughly 200,000 people die each year from cigarette use, but the introduction of this tax could cut that figure to 70,000 — a substantial decrease, given the simplicity of the solution. — Stephan Jayaratnam With files from Nature World News and CBS News
VARSITY SCIENCE
20 Vol. CXXXIV, No. 14
science@thevarsity.ca
STREETERS Katrina Vogan & Alice Xue
Which scientist, living or dead, would you like to have lunch with?
Ariana
Ray
Graduate student, Physics “Nima Arkani-Hamed... He did his undergrad here... He recently published this big flashy paper on something he calls the amplituhedron, which may or may not become extremely relevant in high-energy physics in the next few years.”
Chamath
Second-year, Electrical & Computer Engineering
Program Assistant in the School of the Environment, Professional Development Programs “David Attenborough.”
Alannah
Wohee
Fourth-year, Sociology & Equity Studies
Third-year, Computer Science
“Albert Einstein... people thought he was not as brilliant as he was for so long, it would be cool to have a first hand exposure to his way of thinking.”
“Grace Hopper... She was one of the first women [computer scientists] in the army... and she solved technical difficulties that nobody else did in that era.”
Aiman
Brian
Adil
Francesco
“B. F. Skinner.”
“Richard Feynman... He had a very unique and out-of-the box way of thinking about things.”
“Charles Darwin.”
“Alan Turing.”
Fourth-year, Cognitive Science
Third-year, Accounting
Fourth-year, Physics
“Ada Lovelace.”
Third-year, Computer Science
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SPORTS VAR.ST!SPORTS
13
JANUARY
2014
sports@thevarsity.ca
Life as a Varsity Blue: road trips Cameron Bernier and Liane Bailey give an account of their experiences on road trips Adena Ali
VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR
Overnight road trips are often synonymous with leisure, adventure, and the unexpected, but for the University of Toronto’s Varsity Blues athletes, these trips provide a chance to mentally and physically prepare for one thing: a win. Both men’s hockey defenseman Cameron Bernier and women’s basketball forward Liane Bailey explained their experiences with road trips to The Varsity. Throughout the season and preseason, athletes travel all over Canada and occasionally south of the border for games, tournaments, and competitions. During these trips, the athletes need to focus on the challenges posed by their opponents, despite the natural desire to explore the new cities on the way to their final destination. “We always take road trips seriously because we need to win games, and the focus is on basketball,” says Bailey. Bernier echoes this statement in saying that, “Most guys only bring a bit of homework on the road unless it is around exam time, so it really gives us an opportunity to focus on the hockey.” Consequently, the itinerary remains simple and basic on these trips, allowing athletes to prepare for games and competitions during the little time that they
william ahn/The VarsiTy
have between sleep and the road. While business is a top priority for athletes, there are no shortages of memorable moments. Often, curiosities and dreams are fulfilled on these trips: described Bernier. “Some of the fourth–year guys like myself have gotten to play in front of really big crowds in Boston a few times now… We’ve gotten to practice in the Boston Bruins practice fa-
cilities, and we also practiced in the Columbus Blue Jackets home rink.” Bailey also reflects on an unforgettable experience while travelling with the team: “One of my most memorable road trip experiences was in my first year on the team when we travelled to Fredericton, New Brunswick to play in a championship for a berth to Nationals. It was a big challenge because the win-
ner of the tournament got one of the eight spots at Nationals. “It felt absolutely amazing to win our way to Nationals. It was especially sweet because we won the championship game against the Western Mustangs, a team that we have a big rivalry with,” she explains. In addition to memorable moments, road trips give “players a chance to bond a bit more as a
team, and in the early part of the season, really get to know the new guys and the new team dynamic for the year,” Bernier explained. Not only does this opportunity to bond add to the fun of any trip, but it also creates a positive environment where the sport and the games become focal points, and where each player can perform to the best of his or her ability. “It isn’t easy trying to win on an opponent’s court in an unfavourable atmosphere and that’s a reality that all varsity players know,” Bailey says. Road trips are certainly a part of the experience of being a varsity athlete that students look forward to. With a shift to the west division this year, the men’s hockey team has not been on as many overnight road trips and have found themselves yearning for them. “You can tell that the second–year players and older are sometimes missing those weekends when we are away from Toronto for three or four days, and living a much simpler lifestyle,” said Bernier. Beyond all of this, road trips are an opportunity for our varsity teams to represent the University of Toronto as best as they can, and based on the dedication and enthusiasm apparent in Bernier and Bailey, there is no doubt that they are doing just that.
Blues curling looks to capture a playoff spot Head coach Scott Jenkins and captains Evan Lilly and Danielle Bourque leading curling teams to success William Deck VARSITY STAFF
The University of Toronto Varsity Blues curling team looks to improve on last season, when both the men’s and the women’s teams just missed playoff spots. Led by head coach Scott Jenkins and several mature and experienced athletes, the Blues are in a position to do just that. Jenkins, who has been curling for 23 years and coaching at U of T for nine, played for U of T while completing his bachelor’s degree, and won the Canadian University Championship in 2004. After graduating in 2005 with an Honours ba from Woodsworth College, Jenkins began coaching the Blues as an assistant coach before becoming head coach the following season. “I really enjoy the coaching aspect of the game. I no longer play competitively, but the coaching allows me to stay actively engaged and involved in the game at a high level,” said Jenkins. The rosters are led by their skips: Evan Lilly on the men’s team and Danielle Bourque on the women’s. Lilly, a graduate student
in the Faculty of Medicine, was an Ontario curling champion while playing for Western University during his undergrad; his final victory as a Mustang came against U of T. Bourque, a past player in British Columbia and the Maritimes, brings valuable experience to the team. Coach Jenkins notes that the intelligence and maturity required by their demanding programs carries over to their curling game, making them strong leaders on the ice. “The teams look up to Evan and Danielle because of their playmaking and strategy,” said Jenkins on his leaders. “They both have made key shots in big games.” Jenkins also noted that the other players on his teams have similar skill levels, and because of the fact that U of T curling attracts many graduate students, the team finds itself stacked with mature and smart curlers. “Having smart players is key as strategy is an important aspect of curling,” explained Jenkins. “On this year’s team, we have three medicine students, two engineers, and one pharmacy student.”
Another positive of having many graduate students on the roster is that they bring curling experience from all over, including from other schools in the province. On this year’s roster, there are three athletes who curled at other Ontario universities during their undergraduate education before coming to U of T. “This is great for me because they know the level of competition required before joining the team,” explained Jenkins. However, the teams have several younger players on their roster — players who Jenkins sees as representing the future of the school. But one thing that will ensure success for U of T curling in the future is the experience and maturity brought to the ice by the older graduate students. “As the school continues to grow/ maintain the reputation for its graduate programs, this will ensure a steady stream of older athletes to provide a mix of ages, maturity and experience,” explained Jenkins. With all this talent on the rosters, Jenkins is optimistic about this season, despite failing to qualify for the
Last season, the men’s team had a 3-3 record and the women’s team had a 2-4 record. VarsiTy PhOTO COUrTesy BlUes
playoffs in the 2012–2013 season. A strong team on paper along with good results during their weekly league’s competition is proving to Jenkins that these goals are indeed feasible, but he feels that their next exhibition series at Brock University January 25–26 will be a great time to assess their expectations for the season.
“This would be our first true test of the season and show the teams where they stand against the other universities,” he explained. After a long season, lasting from October to April, the Blues might have enough talent and experience to reach their goals of making the playoffs at the provincial and national levels.
22 Vol. CXXXIV No. 14
VARSITY SPORTS
sports@thevarsity.ca
Blues triumph over Marauders in first swim meet of 2014 Women’s team wins with team score of 98-69, men’s wins 99-68 Susan Gordon
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The U of T Varsity Blues swimming team bested the McMaster Marauders at a tournament this past Saturday at the Varsity Pool. The women ended with a team score of 98–69, and the men finished with a score of 99–68. “We did what we needed to do, we won the meet, and it was really exciting to watch the team come together the way we did, and win in our home pool,” said Blues’ Zack Chetrat. Toronto had a great tournament overall, winning 23 out of 24 races, often finishing with a second spot in the top three, and setting multiple meet records. The Blues even swept the podium in eight races. Hochan Ryu, Edward Liu, Matthew Meyers, Chris Manning, Ross Bennet, Steven Hibberd, Zack Chetrat, and Brian Lee each finished in first in one race, with Chris Manning and Edward Liu winning two races a piece. For the women, Kate Lyne and Alexandra Kalman both placed first in one race, while Vanessa Treasure, Sherrey Patel, Jennifer Tapley, and Paige Schultz each earned two top finishes. “We did better than I expected,” said head coach Byron MacDonald. “We came off a very, very hard training camp down south in Florida… I thought they were going to be pretty tired coming into this meet and yet they swam exceedingly well. “I was also curious as to how we would swim in this meet, because
Zack Chetrat placed first in the men’s 400m freestyle. MARTIN BAZYL/THe VARsITY
coming back from the training camp we had about a dozen kids that were stranded all over North America coming home because of the snow storm… nowhere to swim, nowhere to do anything… so I was a little worried that they might be a little rough… but they rose up and they swam really well.” For the Blues, this win brings them one step closer to their Ontario University Athletics and Canadian Interuniversity Sport goals.
“From day one we’ve said we want to repeat as national champions on the men’s side,” commented MacDonald. “And for the women, we’re trying to win the provincial title… the women have been third in the country the past couple years, I think they can finish third.” The Blues’ next meet is January 17 to 19 at the Athletic Centre Varsity Pool for the Swimming Ontario Cup.
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23
Blues women’s hockey falls 4-2 to York
U of T unable to put up a win for home fans during Winterfest festivities Three minutes into the second frame, the Blues took the lead on a VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR bizarre play. Defender Stacey Oue put a low shot on net, which deThe Varsity Blues women’s hockey flected first off of Blues’ forward team hosted the York Lions on Fri- Arden Cowley’s skate, and then day night, capping off the Univer- off of a York defender’s stick, besity of Toronto’s Winterfest festivi- fore sliding into the open net. ties. Alas, the Blues were stymied Despite the Blues controlling the by a 38-save performance by York bulk of the play, York managed to goaltender Megan Lee, losing the even the score with five minutes game 4–2. remaining in the period on a fanYork opened the scoring nine tastic individual effort by defender minutes into the game, capital- Kristen Barbara. Beginning in her izing on a debatable hooking call, own end, Barbara skated the length with Lions rookie forward Amy of the ice before scoring short-side Locke finding fellow rookie Mariah on Kesteris. The third period began with Krancevich alone in front of the goal. Blues star goaltender Nicole great pressure by the Brind’AmourKesteris made the first save — a McClure line, but it was York that great pad stop — but was unable to scored the eventual game winner just under five minutes into the block the rebound. The goal clearly motivated the frame. Lions defender Sarai Whitty Blues, who evened the score less threaded a pass through the Toronthan a minute later. Toronto rook- to defense on a two-on-two low in ie Rebecca Bourgeois, who was the defensive zone, and Krancevich excellent all game, found herself put a shot five-hole on Kesteris for alone with time and space at the her second goal of the game. point and threw a perfect slap The final 15 minutes saw the pass to Courtney Brind’Amour- Blues repeatedly shut down by McClure. Brind’Amour-McClure Lee’s efforts, including a remarkmissed wide of the goal on the able glove save with 35 seconds to initial try, but converted the play. The Lions added an empty– rebound off the boards past a net goal in the dying seconds of the sprawling Lee. match to seal the victory.
Sampson Coutts
The women’s hockey team now has a .706 winning percentage. tina zhou/the Varsity
It was a tough first home game of 2014 for a Blues squad that, only three days earlier, had been awarded a place in the Canadian Interuniversity Sport’s Top 10 rankings for the first
time in over a year. Defensive–zone coverage wasn’t good enough on the first and third goals, and the offense struggled to solve Megan Lee. Consequently, the club lost to York for the
first time at Varsity Arena since November 2009. It was a disappointing loss, but games like this have thankfully been the exception rather than the rule this year.
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