February 25, 2013

elections: What the candidates should be talking about pg 9 UTSU

Take a glimpse at U of T’s artistic landscape pg 19

THE VARSITY Vol. cXXXiii, No. 17

Music students asked to approve 160-fold increase in fees

University of toronto’s Student Newspaper Since 1880

25 February, 2013

Union stands firm as Victoria contemplates exit Four divisions proceed with separation plans and gird for legal battle as prospect of utsu disintegration looms

rida Ali VArSitY StAFF

The Faculty of Music is asking its students to approve a steep $1,200 levy increase to help close a $1.5 million budget shortfall.

Administrators say that without the increase, the faculty will be unable to meet “the typical yet extraordinary costs of providing international-quality professional training and research programs in music” and has warned of cutbacks in staff and course offerings.

“I cannot emphasize enough how critical a positive response to the referendum question is for our future sustainability,” said dean Don McLean in an open letter.

“We are currently in a position where we cannot move forward with hires and cannot expand or enhance any of our program offerings without showing a more stable financial trajectory.”

Provincial policy prevents the faculty from abruptly raising tuition fees by amounts as large as that proposed. Consequently, McLean’s administration has been forced to ask students to approve the increase as a student society fee, which would then be siphoned to faculty bank accounts. This unusual approach requires students to vote on approving the increase before it can be charged.

The faculty held two open forums on January 17 and 24 to explain and discuss the situation with students.

The Faculty of Music Undergraduate Association declined to comment on the fee increase.

McLean’s letter indicated that the

CONTINUED PG 6

Zane Schwartz ASSociAte NewS editor

University of Toronto Students’ Union president Shaun Shepherd warned a growing number of student groups seeking “defederation” from the central union that there is “clear legal precedent to stop them,” even as logistical planning for referendums and eventual exits appeared well underway.

Shepherd’s statement came in the form of a letter sent February 22 to Trinity’s co-head of college Sam Greene. It is “structurally identical” to one sent to the Engineering

Society in 2010, says president Rishi Maharaj.

The letter objects to Trinity “conducting on behalf of the utsu a referendum related to its own membership and fees,” asks that the referendum effort be discontinued, and states that the utsu will not conduct such a referendum, leaving no clear path forward for those attempting defederation.

Shepherd’s statement on the defederation movement came as Victoria University’s student leadership body vusac announced they too were considering an exit from the union. vusac’s move brings the total number of colleges and faculties con-

sidering the move to four, with the Engineering Society, Trinity, and St. Michael’s College announcing their plans before Reading Week. vusac president Shoaib Alli said he was concerned by Shepherd’s language. “I don’t want to feel like I’ve been held hostage by the students’ union,” said Alli. Greene says it is “disingenuous” for Shepherd to send “what can only be interpreted as an attempt to intimidate us about taking action.”

“Why is it that they’re so interested in a legal battle about this?” asked Greene. “Why not just have the referendum? If they think their services are so good, and they think that what

they provide to Trinity students is so strong and useful, why are they not prepared to defend that in an open democratic forum?”

College leaders involved in the socalled “defederation” movement are seeking what amounts to a financial exit from the utsu, by having member fees re-routed to college- and faculty-level bodies rather than centralized union coffers.

The decision to explore an exit came after the union’s reticence to implement electoral reform proposals put forward by some college leaders in time for this year’s elections,

CONTINUED PG 3

2

VARSITY NEWS

Vol. CXXXIII, No. 17

news@thevarsity.ca

WHAT’S GOING ON

THE VARSITY

THIS WEEK

VOL. CXXXIII No. 17

21 Sussex Avenue, Suite 306 Toronto, ON, M5S 1J6 Phone: 416-946-7600 www.thevarsity.ca

the week in tweets

ON CAMPUS

Editorial Board Editor-in-Chief Murad Hemmadi

editor@thevarsity.ca

Design Editors Suzy Nevins Dan Seljak

suzy@thevarsity.ca dan@thevarsity.ca

Photo Editor Bernarda Gospic

photo@thevarsity.ca

ULIFE AT U OF T @ULIFE Happy Family Day #UofT !

Production Editor Alex Ross

—February 18, 2013

production@thevarsity.ca Managing Online Editor Patrick Love online@thevarsity.ca Senior Copy Editor Catherine Kabasele

copy@thevarsity.ca

News Editor Simon Bredin

news@thevarsity.ca

Comment Editor Joshua Oliver

comment@thevarsity.ca

Features Editor Simon Frank

features@thevarsity.ca

Arts & Culture Editor Brigit Katz

On family day taking my oldest for a walk around @newcollegeuoft for a personal episode of #HIMYM #UofT edition —February 18, 2013

arts@thevarsity.ca

Science Editor Dennis Dobrovolsky Sports Editor Zoë Bedard Illustrations Editor Minhee Bae

PAUL NAZARETH @UINVITEDU

science@thevarsity.ca sports@thevarsity.ca illustration@thevarsity.ca

Video Editor Wyatt Clough

BRIAN RANKIN @BRIAN__RANKIN

GRAND OPENING: ROBARTS MULTI-FAITH SPACE Student Commission for Appropriate Wednesday, February 27 12–2pm Accommodation Robarts Library 130 St. George St.

Even in DC, #Uoft has me in it’s suffocating embrace. The work really does never end. #school #kobo #book…http://instagr.am/p/V3SIili_J3/

video@thevarsity.ca

Associate Design Editor Nathan Watson Associate Photo Editor Vacant Associate Online Editor Sofia Luu Associate Copy Editor Vacant Associate News Editors Zane Schwartz Irina Vukosavic Associate Comment Editor Vacant Associate Features Editor Damanjit Lamba Associate A&C Editors Danielle Klein Ishita Petkar Associate Science Editors Roxanne Leung Katrina Vogan Associate Sports Editors Elizabeth Benn William Deck

Writers André Babyn, Rida Ali, Salena Barry, Victoria Beales, Zoë Bedard, Daniel Berube, Simon Bredin, Hope Caldi, Nipa Chauhan, Wes DutcherWalls, Leelan Farhan, Stephanie Gaglione, Susan Gordon, Emma Kikulis, Damanjit Lamba, Sofia Luu, Madeline Malczewska, Grace McDonnell, Clara Neden, Christina Olteanu, Denys Robinson, Zane Schwartz, Vipasha Shaikh, Abdullah Shihipar, Fatima Syed, Katie Vogan, Irina Vukosavic, Riley Watson, Alec Wilson, David Woolley, Theodore Yan Copy Editors Armen Alexanian Elizabeth Benn Karen Kyung Fuhrmann Lucy Genua Aisha Kakinuma Hassan Ken Kongkatong Helen Picard Heather Pierce Kayla Rosen Catherine Virelli

Fact Checkers Armen Alexanian Lucy Genua Catherine Kabasele Helen Picard Heather Pierce Kayla Rosen Catherine Virelli Irina Vukosavic

Designers Ethan Chiel Suzy Nevins Dan Seljak Shaquilla Singh Catherine Virelli Nathan Watson

Photo and Illustration Minhee Bae Michael Bedford Michael Chahley Bernarda Gospic Wendu Gu Emma Kikulis

Business Office Business Manager John Fountas

business@thevarsity.ca

Advertising Manager Tina Yazdi advertising@thevarsity.ca Advertising Executives Victoria Botvinnik Nick Brownlee Sofia Luu Maokai Shen

victoria@thevarsity.ca nick@thevarsity.ca sofia@thevarsity.ca maokai@thevarsity.ca

The Varsity is the University of Toronto's largest student newspaper, publishing since 1880. The Varsity has a circulation of 20,000, and is published

by Varsity Publications Inc. It is printed by Master Web Inc. on recycled newsprint stock.

Content © 2013 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.

5-BUCK LUNCH AT HART HOUSE Hart House Clubs & Committees February 27, 11.45 am– 2 pm Hart House | Great Hall 5 King’s College Road

— Mon Feb 18

ANDREW O’BRIEN @ANDREWGOBRIEN

CELTIC STUDIES WRITER-INRESIDENCE Faculty of Celtic Studies Thursday February 28 6–7.30 pm Carr Hall, St. Michael’s College 100 St. Joseph St.

The worst part about #midterms is that there’s so much to memorize but only a few things will be on the exam #unilife #UofT —February 24, 2013 CELEBRATE BLACK HISTORY MONTH WITH THE MEETING: DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. AND MALCOLM X AfriCan Theatre Ensemble Tuesday February 26, 7.45–10 pm Hart House | Reading Room 7 Hart House Circle

MONDAY EVENING CONCERTS (LORNA MACDONALD, SOPRANO & HENRI-PAUL SICSIC PIANO) University of Toronto Faculty of Music Monday, February 25, 7-8pm Edward Johnson Building | Walter Hall 80 Queen’s Park Crescent

Crime Stats February 12–21

10 1 18 1 1 3

Theft

Fraud

Trespass

Noise

The week everything is due A.K.A the week after reading week.#UofT —February 24, 2013

UTSU Elections by the Numbers

44,000 potential student voters

X X X X X

X X X X X

X X X X X

X X X X X

X X X X X

X X X X X

100 signatures required for nomination to run as an UTSU executive

50 signatures required for nomination to run as a Member of Parliament

28 board-of-director spots available at the student union

20 the Election Procedures Code’s total number of pages

X X X X X

35 demerit points needed to disqualify a UTSU executive candidate

16%

Breaking & Entering

Threats & Disputes

SARAH @SARAH_UOFT

15 max fine a UTSU executive candidate can recieve for surpassing 10 demerit points

student voter percentage for the 2009-2010 UTSU election — the highest recently recorded turnout for a UofT election.

5 candidates needed to run a full executive slate

VARSITY NEWS

var.st/news

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2013

3

Students, administrators tussle over independent future for transitional year program Continued refusal to merge with the Faculty of Arts & Science means a flat-lined budget for 40-year-old program Irina Vukosavic

ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR

Four years of negotiations over the future of the Transitional Year Programme (typ) have reached an impasse, as a proposal that the program merge with the Faculty of Arts & Science met resistance from students.

“We have committed to a substantial addition to the typ budget, if they become formally unified with the faculty they are in practice a part of. With such an administrative move, typ students would also have direct access to the excellent registrarial and support services provided through Woodsworth College,” said viceprovost, students, Jill Matus, in a statement delivered to a town hall on the future of the program.

The current argument remains, at its core, about the program’s $1.4 million budget.

“DEFEDERATION” CONTINUED FROM COVER in spite of the proposals being by the general membership approved at the utsu’s Special General Meeting this month, and promises of reform made by utsu president Shepherd.

Defederation leaders stress that their concerns are not limited to the single issue of electoral reform.

“There is no longer any confidence that any internal reform is possible,” says Maharaj.

Maharaj was involved with the Engineering Society when the 2010 letter was sent. He says that the letter caused the Society to retreat from holding a referendum, because they were “scared” by the legal implications, and because they were hopeful the opposition slate Change could win the upcoming election.

Neither of those inhibiting factors exist today, says Maharaj. “We believe we’re proceeding on a strong legal footing,” he adds.

EngSoc have already retained the law firm Heenan Blaikie, from which it is receiving confidential legal advice. Trinity and Victoria have not yet retained counsel, but are in the process of speaking to various firms. Trinity will vote Monday on earmarking $10,000 for legal services.

“Because the utsu has threatened legal action in the past and has cited specific issues, I think it is only responsible to have our own counsel to research those issues,” said Maharaj.

PRACTICALITIES OF DEFEDERATION The utsu provides a number of services for students at the St. George and Mississauga campuses, including health and dental insurance.

Although there has been no decision to eliminate the program, reactions from student unions about the proposed changes have been loudly and strenuously opposed to the merger. One press release condemned the “slow suffocation” of the program, alleging that it was “forced to wind down as the University of Toronto starves the program for funding.”

“Having read the news release sent out by utsu, I must say to the typ community that it is disheartening that so little attention is being paid to the facts in this matter,” said Provost Cheryl Misak. “There most certainly has been no decision to ‘eliminate’ typ .”

While most divisions within the university receive some revenues, such as provincial grant money per student, Misak says the transitional year program receives “very little from the government per student,” and that most of its budget comes out of the university’s operating budget.

“Every year we use money from the university fund for operating expenses. We are entirely dependent on that,” says Thomas Mathien, the typ’s associate director.

Program director Ahia Francis says the operating budget will remain flat if the program stays independent.

Without the increased budget that would come with the merger, Francis says the program will be unable to expand, and could face a long-term struggle to contain rising costs with inflation. The program has already been forced to downsize in recent years; while it once had 10 full-time faculty members, that number has been reduced to four. Four faculty members have retired and two positions have been downgraded to part-time status.

The program, which has been been an independent unit within the university for the past 40 years, offers a pathway into a degree program for adults lacking formal qualifications

There have been some concerns about access to union services if defederation proceeds.

Three student societies — EngSoc, vusac and the Trinity College Meeting — are in the process of putting together detailed reports addressing questions from concerned students and laying out a detailed blueprint of how such services would function outside the union’s central structure.

Trinity’s report was available online late Sunday afternoon. Representatives of the Engineering Society said their report would be ready as early as Monday. Victoria’s will be released in about a week.

Student leaders from Trinity, Victoria and Engineering argue that provisions will be in place to allow students to retain access to all of the services they currently receive from the utsu. “They are going to receive the same or better services for the same or less money,” says Maharaj.

In conversations with The Varsity, representatives from the three divisions provided a detailed breakdown of all of the services offered by the utsu. All three claimed that each service was either already replicated by an existing service of their own, or could be replicated at a comparable cost.

Both Maharaj and Greene have spoken with several insurance providers and expressed confidence that they could provide students comparable coverage at comparable cost.

“I have found in discussions with more than one service provider that costs don’t really decline further after 1,000 members,” said Maharaj.

In the case of the utsu handbook given out during Frosh Week, the Engineering Society already provides an equivalent publication for their students. Trinity has previously gone without, and says it would be simple to print a replacement.

“They’ve already cut us off from this service,” said Jake Brockman, chair of the Trinity College Meeting, referring to an episode in 2011 where a spat led to Trinity not using utsuprepared frosh kits. Brockman explained that, like several other colleges, Trinity has not traditionally used the utsu orientation package, which includes the handbook.

There remain significant logistical issues with regards to adopting services, particularly insurance. The societies are exploring the possibility of having a paid staff member to help with the opt-out process, answer questions, and handle other details involved in administering a health and dental plan.

“There’s nothing we’re concerned about,” said Brockman.

Beyond provision of services, the utsu also defines its role as a unified advocate for the student body, representing some 44,000 students. Union executives have argued that there is strength in numbers, but all three student societies have suggested that there is little connection between the union and college life.

“There is no real relationship between Vic and the students’ union — there is nothing that exists at Vic that would be changed,” said Alli.

The societies are seeking a less political approach to student government, and all three claim that they are already better able to advocate on their members’ behalf with Simcoe Hall or Queen’s Park than utsu.

“I don’t think engineering students would be losing anything, because they aren’t currently receiving anything from lobbying at the municipal, provincial or federal level,” said Maharaj.

for admission. Designed for those who did not complete high school because of financial or family-related problems, each student in the program has access to an academic advisor, funding options, and other resources offered by the university.

After one year of program coursework, students who pass become eligible for admission to the Faculty of Arts & Science.

“I was shaken to my core when I first heard about typ being under attack. typ has been life changing not only for myself but also for many in my community,” said Abinur Ahmed, an alumnus of the program. “To destroy such a successful program undermines the access and equity principals the University of Toronto claims to promote.”

“Those of us who come from marginalized communities are provided with an opportunity to access education despite our circumstances. typ makes available what is often system-

ically withheld from our communities — an opportunity,” adds Ahmed.

Misak says she remains hopeful that the typ will change their minds and create a “unified and stronger set of bridging programs for students in the Faculty of Arts & Science.” Negotiations between the faculty and the typ are ongoing.

Francis says he would like to see the provost assign a task force to survey submissions from the typ faculty and staff in order to come up with a new means of addressing the financing issues. Francis says the typ will continue to be active in its role to broaden the basis for admission and provide accessible education for all.

Of the typ entrants who get admitted into the Faculty of Arts &Science, on average half graduate with BAs. typ graduates have gone on to be employed with the Toronto District School Board, Ontario Ministry of Corrections, or have gone on to pursue graduate or professional studies.

The utsu will not host a referendum on whether colleges should “defederate” from the union.

FILE PHOTO: BErnarda GOsPIc/THE VarsITy

VICTORIA ENTERS THE FRAY vusac president Alli surprised many when he announced on February 15 that vusac is “formally” exploring all options, “including Vic leaving the utsu.”

Alli will present his report on defederation at the vusac meeting on March 1, and has scheduled an annual general meeting for March 6 where he “expects the conversation to be dominated by discussion of utsu.”

“I’m not sure there’s something he [Shepherd] could say to stop this,” says Alli. “Vic students’ confidence in utsu is at an all-time low.”

Like Trinity and the Engineers, vusac is considering setting aside funds for legal fees, which Ali stresses he hopes will not have to be put to use. vusac currently has a surplus of $12,000–15,000 which could potentially be allocated for legal fees, Alli explains.

FULL STEAM AHEAD As of The Varsity’s press time, Trinity, Engineering, and Victoria are all on the path to hold referenda on an exit in late March of this year.

After initially backing an exit, St. Michael’s College has dialed back its involvement. The college is still considering defederation, but is now seeminlgy doing so on a slower timeline.

Significant legal questions remain, perhaps the largest one being whether the fight for independence will end in a courtroom battle. “It is obviously a very touchy subject, and there are a lot of legalities we have to look at,” said Corey Scott, utsu vice-president, internal.

“Things are moving very quickly now,” said Maharaj.

4

Vol. CXXXIII, No. 17

VARSITY NEWS

news@thevarsity.ca

Ontario Tories call for post-secondary reforms Student loans for high grades and funding dependent on job placement among changes floated by white paper Vipasha Shaikh VARSITY STAFF

Newly appointed Minister of Training, Colleges, and Universities Brad Duguid said the Progressive Conservatives’ proposals “smacks of a two-tier approach to post-secondary education.” FILE PHOTO: bErnarda GOsPIc/THE VarsITy

A new white paper from Ontario’s Progressive Conservative party, which calls for the abolishment of the Liberal’s 30 per cent tuition grant and proposes tying student loans to grades and funding to job placement rates, drew swift criticism from Liberal ministers and student unions, who say the policies would leave low- and middle-income families at a disadvantage.

The suggestion that loans be tied to student grades drew a particularly sharp rebuke. For Munib Sajjad, vice-president, university affairs at the University of Toronto Students’ Union (utsu), the proposal “is an offensive way of further disadvantaging low-income students, as unexpected circumstances, illnesses, and family emergencies affect low-income students more than their counterparts.”

“The whole idea smacks of a two-tier approach to post-secondary education,” said Brad Duguid, the newly-appointed Ontario Minister of Training, Colleges, and Universities. Duguid says the proposal will disproportionately harm student-athletes, parttime workers, and Aboriginal students.

There was also debate about how best to address the future of a tuition grant introduced by the Liberals last year. Rob Leone, the pc critic for Training, Colleges and Universities, said the 30 per cent grant was “an abject failure” unavailable to the neediest, such as mature and part-time students.

The Canadian Federation of Students— Ontario (cfs-o) has also been critical of the grant’s narrow eligibility requirements in the past, but national executive representative Toby Whitfield said abolishing the grant altogether amounted to an “attack on low- and middle-income income families.”

The Liberals, meanwhile, have previously suggested that the eligibility guidelines could be revisited.

The cfs was also critical of several other measures within the 27-page Conservative proposal, identifying more stringent surveillance for osap funding and expanded online education as particularly troublesome.

Leone said he was surprised by the reaction to the paper, and said it was “offensive” to suggest that scrapping the 30 per cent grant would disadvantage middle-

income families. “I also came from a middle-class background. My father did not have a lot growing up. Ultimately, we understand the value of education and working hard. What we are doing is accounting for people with different expectations,” said Leone.

Alongside axing the tuition grant and tying student loans to good grades, the policy paper, one in a series entitled “Paths to Prosperity,” calls for a renewed focus on practical outcomes in higher education, emphasizing college and training facilities, and seeking to tie funding to job placement rates.

Leone said that the province’s resources should be funnelled to programs that are better at securing jobs for graduates, and expressed concern that many university programs were accepting too many students when prospects within the field remain bleak, citing journalism school and teachers’ colleges as two examples.

“Ultimately, what we want to do is focus our scarce resources into making sure students get good jobs and are able to afford a good lifestyle, where they can buy a car, get a house, have kids,” said Leone.

The Liberals are also seeking a renewed emphasis on colleges, one of few instances where the two major parties’ policies agree.

Duguid says the skilled trades need to be promoted more intensively, adding that the ministry has begun developing plans to promote college education and facilitate more joint programs between universities and colleges.

“What I have trouble with,” said Duguid, “is [pc party leader Tim] Hudak making the choice for students to go into colleges or skilled trades. Who’s Tim Hudak to say that you should go into skilled trades? It is almost paternalistic.”

The cfs and utsu have also expressed concern about the Tories’ approach to online education, suggesting that having more expensive “elite” programs within bricksand-mortar university campuses, while offering lower tuition rates for online learning would widen the inequality gap between wealthy and lower-income students.

Alongside these more controversial proposals, the Tories also called for lower student-to-faculty ratios and smaller class sizes, both of which are priority issues for student unions.

var.st/news

VARSITY NEWS

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2013

5

The university’s largest faculty regularly undertakes self-studies to find areas for improvement. MICHAEL CHAHLEY/THE VArsITY

Faculty of Arts & Science embarks on new self-assessment After a last-minute retreat over drastic changes in 2010, administrators are proceeding with caution, seeking input from all quarters Fatima Syed VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR The Faculty of Arts & Science is again embarking on an “external review” to evaluate and adjust the academic and administrative structure of the university’s largest faculty.

The outcome of a previous review, which began in 2008, ended with the retraction of the most drastic measures that would have included the amalgamation of several language and literature departments, amidst vocal protests from students and faculty.

The new review, also known as a “selfstudy,” will be guided by terms of reference featuring extensive consultation and input from departments across the faculty.

The input process, which has been ongoing for much of the previous year, will act as a “touchstone” for the process of considering and implementing any changes.

According to a memorandum from faculty Dean Meric Gertler earlier this year, Provost Cheryl Misak is expected to appoint a team

of external reviewers to undertake the assessment. Priority topics include a progress report on the faculty’s long-term academic plan, its approach to undergraduate and graduate education, its research and support culture, and its relationship to other campuses and local, national, and international communities.

Assistant dean and director Helen Lasthiotakis explains that the external reviewers “will be professors from other universities that we consider peers. So there might be deans from other universities or faculty members.” The team will conduct site visits and eventually publish a report with their observations.

Katharine Ball, president of the Arts & Science Students’ Union (assu), confirmed that “the external reviewers will likely be on campus for 2–3 days at some point between the summer months and the fall semester.” She added that the assu would be “part of the consultations, but not a part of the organizing of the self-study.” (Disclosure: Katharine Ball sits on The Varsity’s Board of Directors.)

Munib Sajjad, vice-president, university affairs, told The Varsity that the utsu does not

have a voting seat nor do they sit on the review committee, but that the central student union supported the assu in offering input to the review process, and would oppose unfair changes.

“We’re waiting to see what actually transpires in this review. What’s the purpose of it? Why do they have to do another review? It’s very unclear right now,” said Sajjad. He adds that the utsu is hoping for a balanced outcome that will be “economically safe, as well as academically safe,” and encouraged students to pay close attention to the procedure and outcome. According to Lasthotakis, the reviewers will welcome written input during their appraisal.

The self-study is a regularly-scheduled undertaking, and Lasthiotakis explains that “every faculty undergoes a review on a cyclical schedule.”

The last self-study occurred in March 2008, with the report it produced advising the faculty to “better define its relationships” with the seven colleges, utm and utsc, in regards to graduate and undergraduate programs, as well as addressing issues with inter-disciplinary programs and other administrative matters.

One of the main recommendations, to create a joint graduate program across the three main campuses, was implemented last year.

Other changes arising indirectly from the 2008 self-study were dialed back after an outcry from students, staff, and faculty. Ball clarified that the bigger changes were not initiated by the external reviewers, but rather by the faculty administration, who devise the bulk of the changes using the external review as a blueprint.

“The plan for the School and Languages and Literature and the program fee were things that were later justified by the results of the last selfstudy, but in no way were the three external reviewers directly connected to these plans or a part of them,” said Ball. “The resulting academic plan after the last self-study was a project of the faculty and the Provost’s office.”

Lasthotakis emphasised that the external review is “different from the academic planning process that occurs internally in the university.” Gertler will present more details about the self-study to the Faculty Council on March 5. The final report is expected to be completed by May 2013.

6

VARSITY NEWS

Vol. CXXXIII, No. 17

news@thevarsity.ca

Jobless after law school? Back to class, for unlucky few Without enough articling jobs for a growing population of law grads, a pilot program sends some back to school, stoking fears of a two-tiered system Hope Caldi & Grace McDonnell VARSITY CONTRIBUTORS

A new pilot program introduced earlier this year by the Law Society of Upper Canada is being billed as a solution to declining availability of articling positions for new law school graduates. Yet, questions remain as to whether the new system will inadvertently create two tiers of graduates, and some say the fix does little to address the root of the problem: Ontario is producing more law school graduates than ever, leaving some with dim job prospects upon graduation.

Articling, which refers to the formal, year-long system of onthe-job training for new law school graduates, has traditionally been the surest path to getting hired at a firm. Yet, like so many other job markets in Ontario, a surplus of graduates pursuing a limited number of articling positions has left many empty-handed at a key moment in their careers.

“Qualified law graduates are barred from access to the profession if they cannot find a position,” wrote dean Lorne Sossin of Osgoode Hall Law School on his blog.

According to the Council of Ontario Universities’ law school applications statistics, between Ontario’s six law schools, there has been a 41 per cent increase in law school applicants, combined with a 27 per cent increase in registered law students, from 1997 to 2012.

With an abundance of law school graduates flooding the legal job market, some in the legal profession have questioned “whether articling was a valid regulatory barrier for entry to practice,” according to one post in Slaw magazine. The bar association created a task force to examine this question and pro-

“FEE INCREASE” CONTINUED FROM COVER association would remain neutral on the question of whether to approve the increase while it was hosting the referendum.

In his letter, McLean says emphatically that even with the proposed increase, students enrolled in U of T’s Music Faculty will be receiving a world-class education cheaper than at comparable institutions: music students at McGill pay nearly $9,000 a year, while for those at the Royal Conservatory’s Glenn Gould School, the figure is closer to $20,000.

The effects of a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ vote were discussed at the student forums held in January. Administrators painted a grim picture for the faculty if the increase is not approved: there would be an inability to hire staff; class would grow in size and decrease in diversity of offerings, leaving only the most basic of courses intact — a bare minimum of theory, history, and ensemble; the faculty would be forced to accept

posed an alternative in the hope that graduates can acquire some work experience without having to find a year-long articling position at a firm.

In November, the task force announced their proposal: a pilot program featuring a four-month long Law Practice Program (lpp), coupled with a four-month co-op placement. A detailed curriculum has not yet been released, but the task force promises that the largely academic solution will be focused on providing practical training in lieu of an articling position.

The decision was controversial from the moment it was first announced, with 20 out of 56 benchers with the Law Society voting against it. Some skeptics wonder if the new program is effectively a waiting room, keeping students in a holding pattern and sheltering them from a job market unable to absorb new graduates in such large numbers.

Others have expressed concern that the move will create a “twotiered” system, whereby only students with very good grades or personal connections could earn coveted articling positions, while the rest will effectively be sent back to school for another year.

There will be heavier financial burden for those in the pilot program, who must pay tuition for an extra year, versus those who achieve articling positions and are instead earning a salary.

Questions are being raised as to whether firms will harbour some bias against students in the pilot program, since articling positions are typically given to the students at the top of their class.

“There is legitimate anxiety accompanying the prospect of a ‘two-tier’ track to licensing,” wrote Dean Sossin on his blog. “One well-

remunerated and well-regarded, the other leading to greater student debt, uncertain career prospects and stigma... I would argue that it is unacceptable for the Law Society to shut the door to those who cannot afford the cost of the pathways to practice.”

“Articling has really outlived its usefulness and it’s time to move on with a different process,” said Peter Wardle in an interivew with the Law Times. Wardle, a voting member of the Law Society who opposed the pilot project, believes that the time has come to dispose of the articling system altogether. “The time to make the hard decisions about articling is now,” says Wardle.

“One of the main reasons I chose to apply to law schools in the U.S. was to avoid articling altogether,” said prospective law student and recent U of T graduate Brandon Bailey. The U.S. allows students to go directly to their state bar exams post-graduation and jump right into vying for positions within firms. This is clearly more appealing, as the income difference between an articling and an associate lawyer position is substantial.

This program is the first of its kind in Canada, and as of yet, no other provinces or territories have deviated from the traditional articling system. Student success in acquiring articling positions var-

ies by school. U of T’s law school, widely regarded as the best in the country, says 90 per cent of its graduating students secure articling positions. Students from lower-ranked schools have a more difficult time, and a growing number of graduates are likely to encounter difficulties as their ranks continue to swell. Lakehead University recently announced the opening of a new law school, the seventh in the province.

The alternative to articling will be available for students graduating in the 2014–15 year. If the pilot program is found to be successful, it will be extended for up to an additional two years.

enrollment in classes from anyone in the university, not only those specially admitted to the program through a rigorous procedure involving auditions.

Even if it is approved, the fee increase will only bring the faculty halfway to its goal. McLean has committed to seeking other ways to contain costs and increase revenues. “We are making progress,” wrote McLean in his letter. “I am confident that the combination of these ongoing efforts in conjunction with a winning referendum from our students will allow us to flourish.”

The administration’s chosen approach to solving the faculty’s financial woes has been met with a stable, if quiet response. “Only a relatively small percentage of the undergraduate student population was present,” said McLean, referring to the town hall events.

“I am naturally concerned that the message gets out.”

“The dean’s proposal to raise the money through a three-year increase is, in my opinion, a sound proposal,” said Paolo Grif-

fin, a fourth-year student at the faculty.

Griffin said that a major concern with the faculty in its current situation is that it is being forced to accept more students than it normally would to offset operational costs. “As a result of the influx of students,” says Griffin, “there are not enough teachers to go around, or at least, the teachers are being saddled with too many students.”

“In my opinion the tuition hike is a necessity if U of T’s Faculty of Music wishes to continue being among the top music schools in the country,” says Griffin.

One option raised by a student at one of the forums was a grandfathering or phasing-in option. According to the faculty, a phasingin option is probable for the final question that will be posed by the referendum. Students will likely be voting on approval of a threeyear contract to pay in increments per annum, until they reach the $1,200 target; so students would pay $600 the first year, $900 the second, and $1,200 the third year.

But the grandfathering option may not be possible because current students may not be able to vote on decisions that only affect incoming students.

Another student proposed that instead of a levy, students could help relieve the faculty of its operating deficit by contributing any money earned at gigs and through fundraising events. The faculty responded, saying that students could make donations if they wish, but the faculty could not force students to give up money earned from outside work like gigs. As for fundraising, the faculty hosts galas and performances, but the money raised through these means would not be nearly enough to cover the amount needed.

One issue raised at the student forum concerned fourth-year students voting, because the consequences of either a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ vote would not affect them. The faculty acknowledges these concerns, but says no students can be prevented from voting in the referendum in order for it to be

considered legitimate.

“It may upset some to know that students who are not affected by the hike get to vote, but these same people also have to trust that these students won’t simply vote ‘yes’ for the sake of it,” says Griffin. “Every person will vote according to what he or she thinks is right, graduating or not. So while it’s understandable that students may be frustrated, I believe that we should be allowed to, since it is and was our school too.”

The faculty said should the levy pass, its priorities are to retrofit the MacMillan Theatre, fix practice rooms, finally gather enough money to run the McLaughlin Planetarium, and hopefully attract more donors, who are less likely to give if they see financial problems within the faculty.

“The upcoming student society referendum represents a significant turning point in the future of the faculty,” McLean concludes in his letter. “Its consequences, one way or the other, will be critical for our path forward together.”

Most of U of T law school students will secure articling positions, but those at other schools might have a harder time. MICHAEL BEDFORD/THE VARsITy

VARSITY NEWS

var.st/news

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2013

7

Turf war over fate of UC backfield Plan to convert popular green space to Astroturf field hockey pitch met with strident opposition Theodore Yan VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR

A plan to replace the natural grass on the University of Toronto’s Back Campus with artificial turf has been met with a growing chorus of opposition from students, staff, faculty, and even former Pan Am organizers.

As part of preparations to host the 2015 Pan and Parapan American Games, the university announced plans to convert the backfield behind University College and Hart House to a field hockey pitch, composed of polypropylene or polyethylene synthetic turf.

Members of the university community are speaking out against what they perceive to be an irresponsible course of action.

The University College Council voted overwhelmingly to register “strong concerns” about the $9.5 million project.

“We’re concerned on three different levels: sustainability, heritage, and student life,” said Suzanne Akbari, professor of English and Medieval Studies. “First, with regards to sustainability, a field hockey surface has to have a tremendous amount of water flushed through it. The drainage is going to go into storm drains, which already have a very high water table.”

“Particularly in the case of a heavy rainstorm, the runoff would overtax the aged storm structure in our water system, and it’s unclear exactly what chemicals, for instance, leach into the water when they run off the field,” adds professor Alan Ackerman.

Environmental considerations also extend to concerns about a possible “heat island” effect as a result of the development. Artificial turf surfaces heat up more intensely than other areas as temperatures rise, in contrast to surfaces of natural grass, which absorb heat and have a cooling effect on their surrounding environment.

“We found Varsity Stadium’s conversion from natural grass turned that northern area of campus into one of the hottest areas on campus,” explains John Danahy, co-director of the Faculty of Architecture’s Centre for Landscape Research. “This runs counter to all contemporary thinking about climate change adaptation in downtown urban conditions. As a professional landscape architect, I am unconvinced that the interests of the performance sports lobby should blindly outweigh all other stakeholders’ interests when the backfield is arguably one of the most core heritage landscapes on campus.”

“On a warming planet, it seems a synthetic surface is not the right way to go,” said Ackerman. “I really think the University of Toronto should be a leader in environmental issues and not a backslider.”

On February 20, the administration responded to the increasingly vocal criticism through a statement released by Scott Mabury, vice-president of university operations, and David Naylor, president of the university.

“There is, of course, a very reasonable basis for debate here,” the senior administrators conceded.

Lacrosse players on the uc backfield. Replacing the natural grass will mean some sports can no longer be played comfortably on the field. FILE PHOTO: BErnarda GOsPIc/THE VarsITy

“Some will argue for maintaining a natural grass playing field, both aesthetically and as a point of environmental principle.” The statement also asserts that “the actual environmental impact of this change borders on negligible.”

The release proceeded to address sustainability objections specifically: “Synthetic turf surfaces do heat up faster than natural grasses. However, overall heat radiation effects from this limited surface area are trivial in the

Putting down artificial turf on the field of Varsity Stadium has turned it into one of the warmest parts of campus, according to one expert. FILE PHOTO: MIcHaEL BEdFOrd/THE VarsITy

context of the region, not least as compared to any number of projects involving paving of large surfaces in Toronto.”

Naylor and Mabury dismissed concerns about water management, suggesting that “storm water drainage layers are customarily built into newer-generation synthetic turf products; that is the case here.”

In advancing the case for the conversion of the backfield, the administration emphasized the increased accessibility the project entails for student athletes and the university community as a whole. “Over 10,000 students are engaged in intramural sports on the St. George campus alone, and that number is growing every year. The University’s physical activity spaces, however, are not expanding,” reads the statement.

The statement also sought to address concerns that the converted backfield could exclude members of the community who are not field-hockey players.

“The fields will remain open for varied recreational uses,” Mabury and Naylor wrote. “More generally, every sport and recreation facility on U of T campuses is developed with our students in mind.”

Paul Henderson, a former member of the International Olympic Committee, and the individual who spearheaded Toronto’s 2015 Pan American Games bid, disagrees. “High-level field hockey pitches are unique; they cannot be used for any other sport,” he said.

“At the end of the games, one of two things will happen. The field must be torn up to be used for intramural sports, or it will be used for field hockey and intramural sports cannot use the backfield.

Everybody loses.”

Henderson offered an alternative which he argued could be acceptable to all parties concerned.

“On those fields, the university should have gotten two soccer venues. A high level soccer field can be grass, and it can be used for other sports, and the field hockey pitch should be at Downsview Airport,” he argued. At Downsview, he explained, the venue would be near a subway station, and all field hockey players from each of Toronto’s universities, as well as high school players, could conveniently access it for competition.

The administration has stated repeatedly, in the initial proposal for the project and in response to the controversy it has engendered, that the proposed venues would provide both hosting opportunities for high-level field hockey competition and increased activity space for varied recreational student use. The growing number of those opposing the artificial turf, however, remain unconvinced.

“It’s really shocking the way things have been misrepresented,” remarked Akbari. “I came to uc freshly out of grad school in 1995,” she said. “I enjoyed seeing the spontaneity of usage on the backfield, both by sports teams, rugby teams, and so on, but also people just playing casually and hanging around.” She went on to lament that “now people are not going to want to play Frisbee there, or soccer where you could fall down, or softball where you could wipe out sliding into a base. It’s going to become a sterile environment.”

University College, along with the campus green that surrounds it, is formally recognized as a National Historic Site by the Canadian Register of Historic Places.

Construction is set to begin this July.

8

VARSITY NEWS

Vol. CXXXIII, No. 17

news@thevarsity.ca

News in brief U of T joins new online education provider U of T is joining edX, a not-for-profit venture offering free online university courses.

Founded last year by Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the US-based consortium has more than 700,000 students enrolled from 192 countries. Starting in the fall of 2013, U of T will offer four courses in the subject areas of energy, public health, behavioral economics and organizational design, taught by U of T scholars.

Joining U of T as new additions to edX are six other schools, including the Australian National University, Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne, Rice University, Delft University of Technology and McGill.

U of T’s participation in edX follows its decision last July to join Coursera, another platform for massive open online courses, with more than 256,000 students signed up for its seven courses.

—Irina Vukosavic With files from The Globe and Mail

McGill seeks to stop students from filing freedom of information requests

President of Emory University under fire for racist remarks

Senior administrators at McGill University are seeking dispensation from the provincial government to deny freedom of information requests filed by students or anyone associated with the McGill or Concordia student newspapers.

The university claims that it is overwhelmed by the “systematic” filing of “frivolous” requests from students. It is believed that a small number of students are responsible for the abrupt increase in freedom of information access requests, from 37 last year to 170 so far this year.

According to a report in The Globe and Mail, the requests have sought information on a range of topics, from connections to energy companies to military research to catering expenses.

Bodies governed by federal or provincial access-to-information laws are allowed to try and designate problem requesters as “frivolous and vexatious” on a case-bycase basis, which would allow them disregard annoying or repetitive requests.

Students at Emory University are protesting a column written by their university president James Wagner, in which he applauded the three-fifths compromise of 1757, which counted each slave as a fraction of a person for census-taking purposes. The column lauded the compromise as a lesson for today’s lawmakers on making hard choices.

In addition to facing student protests, Wagner has been censured by a faculty group, and has been accused of selectively cutting programs that are used by minority students.

Wagner has denied any racist intent and has apologized for the article, stating that he finds slavery “heinous” and asking for forgiveness for his “clumsiness and insensitivity.”

Wagner met with delegates from the Southern Christian Leadership Conference Friday where he spoke about the fight for racial equality. Approximately 45 students marched outside the speech venue in protest.

The president of the Black Student Alliance at Emory, Jovana Jones, said she had forgiven Wagner.

—Simon Bredin With files from The Globe and Mail

Read the news?

Write the news.

—Zane Schwartz With files from The New York Times

Accelerate your studies From media planning and

Choose from approximately 70 online degree credit courses this summer.

management to account co-ordination and sales, this program offers the unique skills you will need to launch your career in an advertising

Registration is easy...

1. Indentify the course you wish to take.

2. Obtain a Letter of Permission from your university.

3. Register as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

or media company.

29, 2012 2013 Registration deadline: April 26, 9, 2013 Courses begin: May 10, 2012 For a list of courses, visit: www.coles.uoguelph.ca

ADVERTISING MEDIA MANAGEMENT email

For further information, contact Mickey Smart at: 519-824-4120 x56050 Email: msmart@uoguelph.ca

POSTGRADUATE CERTIFICATE

news@thevarsity.ca

business.humber.ca/postgrad

www.coles.uoguelph.ca

COMING UP

Commentary on the UTSU executive candidate's platforms

VAR.ST/COMMENT 25 FEBRUARY 2013

var.st/comment

comment@thevarsity.ca

SURVEYING U OF T’S POLITICAL LANDSCAPE The UTSU Election Issue With one week to go before the UTSU election campaigning kicks off, we asked U of T students which issues mattered to them and for their take on campus politics. Here’s what they had to say... inside: six issues that don’t get enough attention in campus politics (Pg 10-12), letters to the editor (Pg 12), and streeters (Pg 13)

Have you ever voted in a UTSU election?

How regularly do you use union services, or participate in union-funded clubs/events?

14.7%

I would be most likely to support a candidate who was...

6.4%

6.4%

6.4%

22.3%

29.9%

32.2% 24.7% 51.8% 70.1%

3.2%

31.9% Yes

Very Often

Rarely

Often

Very Rarely

Never

an incumbent

an independent

the opposition

it depends on the candidate’s platforms

No

How connected do you feel to your student union?

On which of the following should the UTSU focus most?

Rank these issues in order of their importance to you...

(Respondents could choose more than one answer)

1. Quality of Education

7% Very Connected 47.0%

2. University Finance and Tuition

17% Somewhat connected

3. Improving Student Services

76.5% 17.5%

4. Electoral and bylaw reform 5. Increasing student representation in university governance 6. Clubs funding 7. Improving school spirit and student engagement 8. Improving co-operation between colleges and the union

27% Somewhat Disconnected

2.o%

Services, clubs, and events Advocacy on university related matters

Q6

Advocacy on broader social and political matters

I don’t know

49% Very Disconnected

9. Defining the role of the union 10. Ancillary fees 11. Improving equity on campus 12. Student housing 13. Advocacy on broader social and political issues

Top three issues students said were missing from our list 1. Defederation from the CFS 2. Transparency of the union 3. Ending all advocacy on broader social and political issues

Don’t know

Who do you think has the best approach to student issues?

Given the choice between two candidates, I would be more likely to support...

(Respondents could choose more than one answer) 16.3%

Would you support adopting a system where college governments provided all services, clubs funding, and events, while the UTSU focused on advocacy?

20.0%

29.1% 37.9%

54.6% 47.8%

20.0% 20.8% 11.6%

35.9%

11.2%

33.0%

60 the candidate who made tuition advocacy the highest priority

the candidate who made electoral and bylaw reform the highest priority

Don’t know

UTSU leaders

Course union leaders

None of these

College gov. leaders

Club leaders

Don’t know

Yes

No

Don’t know

Results: 251 people participated in the survey. No attempt was made to ensure a representative sample. These results do not necessarily reflect the views of the U of T student population as a whole, nor are they intended to do so. The ranking of issues was arrived at by assigning a point value to each ranking (1 = 13 point, 2 = 12 points etc), adding the total number of points for each issue, and placing the totals in order.

VARSITY COMMENT

10 Vol. CXXXIII, No. 17

comment@thevarsity.ca

U of T lacks affordable, quality residences

Alec Wilson

VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR

With the utsu Executive and Board of Director elections on the horizon, much has been made around campus of hot button topics like online voting and the possible secession of Trinity College, St. Michael’s College, and the Faculty of Engineering from the union. These moves to exit the union come as a result of its failure to implement a number of reform recommendations in time for the impending elections. This political power-play has diminished the amount of attention given to many important issues that affect student life at U of T on a daily basis.

One such pressing issue is that of student housing. Those running to lead the students’ union should consider how the utsu can lobby more effectively to ensure that current residences on campus continue to provide enough affordable spaces to house a massive undergraduate population in the city, while also improving the overall quality of residence life on campus.

In addition, it's time to get moving on plans to provide more residence space so that more students can live on campus, improving their university experience and connection to U of T. Affordability and accessibility are two major issues facing the university’s current student housing offerings. Residence fees across the St. George campus, which often include mandatory meal plans, can run in excess of $10,000, while students attending York University, a school of comparable size, are able to purchase flex-meal plans with more affordable options available. The union could begin lobbying to make residence more affordable by voicing complaints and calling for residential fee changes.

High residence costs are an obvious financial barrier to many students, and an important accessibility issue. Student who are forced by financial circumstances to commute to school spend valuable hours each day in transit and

often find it more difficult to get involved and feel connected to their university. Many people on campus are increasingly concerned about student apathy at U of T, and there is a clear but often unnoticed connection between this problem and the low portion of our student body who can live in residence.

The second issue that needs to be addressed is that of the availability and suitability of university-affiliated off-campus housing, specifically the Chestnut Residence located near Dundas and University.

Originally envisioned as a spill-over residence building fashioned from a converted hotel, Chestnut residents are faced with relatively long commutes compared to those students living in residences on campus while also having to pay fees of $12,000 or more.

Our student population increases each year but residence availability does not. So far U of T has barely been playing catch-up; it’s time to get ahead of the curve.

The university’s most recent attempt to add a new campus residence on College Street was shot down by Toronto City Council after it became clear that the neighbourhood would not be amenable to the proposed high-rise, glass and steel building. It is imperative that the utsu push the university to seek new opportunities to open residential spaces on campus that will meet the demand imposed by students, fit in with our urban neighbourhoods, and incorporate innovative residence design.

Apartment-style residences are among the most popular, while traditional dormitories are increasingly seen as out of date.

U of T doesn’t need another box full of boxes; it needs student residence communities that will foster a vibrant campus culture.

With an estimated 85 per cent of students U of T commuting to the university’s three campuses on a daily basis, the addition of new, affordable options for residential life must be an issue of focus this election cycle.

Alec Wilson studies history and American studies.

Quality of education unites all students Stephanie Gaglione

VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR

Sensationalism often dominates elections. As they oppose ‘unjust’ faculty policies, advocate for student inclusion, and propose the newest measures to assure respect for every utsu-defined student right, students in university election campaigns enjoy drawing parallels between civic action leaders and their own leadership abilities. Yet, beyond campaigning for clubs funding, equity, broad political issues, and school spirit, the most far-reaching and significant concern of students is left on the sidelines. Quality of education rarely inspires enough sensation to capture the spotlight, but students can hope that this year’s election will devote much-deserved attention to academics.

Students are often unaware of the bureaucratic challenge involved in trying to improve education quality.

Each college at U of T guarantees a form of academic representation to students through a student representative who consults with faculty, attends Faculty Council meetings, and suggests academic improvements. Ultimately, whether influencing the creation of e-courses, formulating a student response to the co-curricular record, responding to department-specific student concerns, or ensuring that resources are available for struggling students, the academic representatives shoulder a

considerable burden in attempting to improve the quality of education.

Beyond the student level, faculties attempt to enact changes to the curriculum and improve educational quality internally. The Office of the Vice-Provost, Academic Programs, oversees quality assurance for all faculties, units, and new and existing programs. Educational quality encompasses examinations, teaching facilities, curriculum, teaching quality, academic success resources, and course critiques. Yet, between the faculty level and college representative level, there is a critical void that can be addressed by an incoming utsu executive.

Many of the above-listed areas of concern are not isolated to a specific faculty or college. An over-arching policy or approach to academic issues is essential to ensuring that students receive what they pay for as registered students at U of T — a first-class education.

An elected utsu representative must recognize the significance of educational quality above all else.

While encouraging unity between the academic mandates of academic representatives and committees at the student and faculty level, the utsu can address contentious academic issues to a degree that college or faculty student representatives cannot. As new e-courses, the cocurricular record, and a new course evaluation framework are being established, the time could not be more opportune to devote atten-

tion to education quality. Given the difficulty of enacting large policy changes — eliminating vehicle access to St. George St. for example — and beyond the obvious intention of any utsu executive to host social events, a commitment to improving educational quality is a mature and serious way for candidates to differentiate themselves from their overly-sensational counterparts.

The question remains: what can be done? Creating consistency and unity in course evaluations and deferred exam policies, improving awareness on and access to academic success resources, and responding to long-established concerns on student grading are starting points for a new union executive. Approaching educational quality requires a willingness to consult students and faculty with an open mind for both concerns and solutions. Many students have little interest in campus politics, but we are all united by a common purpose: we are here to become more educated. The utsu can serve the needs and goals of every student by making U of T a better place to learn. Hopefully, improving academic quality will be a hot topic in this year’s utsu election.

Stephanie Gaglione is a TrackOne engineering student at U of T and is the first-year representative on the Engineering Society Board of Directors. The views expressed here are her own.

var.st/comment

VARSITY COMMENT

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2013

11

The UTSU must address the reality of student apathy Wes Dutcher-Walls

VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR

The most serious problem facing the utsu is one that lies outside any particular organization, party, college, or faculty: student apathy, the utsu’s “existential” problem.

In other words, our collective lack of awareness and interest in the political life of our university challenges and undermines the utsu’s existence and purpose.

It must be noted that simply including the entirety of the U of T student body in some sort of homogeneous whole and declaring it “apathetic” dismisses and belittles the efforts and dedication of those who are involved on campus. Whether it is the utsu executives, their opponents, or other students, there is a core “political elite” on campus which should not be ignored, but rather appreciated. Another im-

portant caveat is that asking why students appear to be apathetic is not a matter of assigning blame. To some extent, the utsu and the university community it serves simply defy attempts to foster participation and engagement. Obviously, we are an enormous school, and not even a general meeting of proxy-laden students filling Convocation Hall could directly represent each and every one of the union’s members.

I’ll suggest only briefly that implementing online voting could help to rectify some of the “structural” factors behind apathy.

So, why is it that students are generally so apathetic? Primarily, I think, because of the doubt about what the utsu is and who it serves.

What seems like apathy could actually be uncertainty. The utsu is at least two things simultaneously: a student government, it is a provider of services; it is a union, it’s a student advocate on issues related

to being a student, such as student rights or tuition rates and on issues less related, such as AVoiceforMen. com or Idle No More. In its capacity as a service provider, there is little room for principled disagreement, and therefore little reason for enthusiasm. This leaves only its role as an advocate.

Organizations, whether unions or governments, should respond to and represent their respective communities, the utsu attempts to create one. It is impossible to foster an informed, engaged, and passionate student body simply around the needs, worries, and desires common to all students at all schools. The finest moments in political life are when policies, candidates, and ideas are held up to the standard of what a community collectively imagines itself to be, to want, and to believe in. In lieu of any more substantive sense of what it means to be a student at

U of T, the utsu descends to lowest common denominators, and these so often represent what we seek to avoid rather than our aspirations.

We don’t want to be forced to use Turnitin.com and we don’t want to pay flat fees. What do we want?

To overcome student apathy, the utsu and all organizations that claim to represent us would have to put forward a concrete vision of what the U of T student body is, foster productive dialogue in articulating this vision, and then respond to the needs and wants of the more robust sense of community. This may well be impossible and that’s a good thing.

It’s a testament to our wonderful diversity and breadth that all we can agree upon are the concerns of students as students.

Wes Dutcher-Walls is a fourth-year student of political theory.

If students don't stand for social justice, who will?

Abdullah Shihipar VARSITY STAFF

At the utsu’s Special General Meeting, a motion was proposed to endorse the Idle No More movement.

Although the motion faced considerable opposition, it ultimately passed. The argument used by those

speaking against the motion was that, in order to represent all students, the union must not take a stance on such a “political” issue.

Time and time again, students have seen this argument, along with calls for electoral reform put forth by the opposition. While the calls for electoral reforms have some basis, the argument for an apolitical union does not. Unions are meant to be political, though not partisan.

Historically, student unions have organized politically and taken stances on issues dealing with human rights, social justice, and equity. Students have frequently mobilized on campuses in the past: during the Vietnam War; to demand democracy in Tiananmen Square; and at U of T they pres-

sured the administration to divest from apartheid-era South Africa.

These are just a few examples among hundreds.

It is in the mandate of student unions to take such action for one reason: the union must ensure the voices of all of its students are heard. It does this by providing an outlet for marginalized groups to express themselves.

Some might say that by doing this the union is putting down students who hold opposing views. However, these voices are already adequately represented in society and at the university.

The union is not raising the voices of a few above those of others; it is merely leveling the playing field.

Those who are opposed to the union’s political advocacy claim the union should only speak on student is-

sues. Yet even when it comes to student issues, the idea of pushing for lower fees, criticizing the government for its lack of funding, and standing in solidarity with striking students in Quebec are still all unacceptable. It is clear that under the guise of an argument against all political advocacy, most of those who call for no advocacy do so because the union does not espouse their particular political points of view.

There is also the fact that the union was elected with a mandate of political advocacy, and that the Idle No More motion was backed in a vote at the general meeting. Despite problems with the electoral system of the utsu, the vote count tells a story. The last slate that came close to beating the incumbent slate, Change, didn’t disregard the principles of social justice and equity.

Finally, there is also a moral imperative — on some issues the union must take a stance, particularly if the university is involved.

As students at this university, it is our responsibility to ensure that the university acts ethically, from its investments to its labour practices. Universities are supposed to be society’s projection of an ideal society and, as such, students have to demand justice for all. If we as students don’t collectively demand justice, then who will?

Abdullah Shihipar is a second year student studying cell and molecular biology and a member of the Arts & Science Students’ Union executive.

The views expressed here are solely his own.

Different views on the role of the union underlie most campus political disputes Denys Robinson

VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR

Student politics is messy, and the last few years at U of T have been no exception. Lurking beneath quarrels over campus bars, online voting, and Israeli Apartheid Week lie serious questions.

What is the appropriate business of a student union? What do we want our student union doing? What policies and skill sets do this year’s executive candidates bring to the table in order to accomplish our union’s goals?

The utsu’s bylaws give some insight into past priorities for the union. The priorities they suggest can be roughly categorized as services, community building, and political work. The bylaws treat each category as roughly equal, declaring that the union exists

to do work in each area. This is what students in the past thought the union should do. What do we think today?

What sort of services should the utsu offer? It currently provides discounted products acquired through bulk purchasing, administers the health and dental plan, doles out club funding, and more. Some of these services are great, others perhaps less so.

What further services could the utsu productively offer its members? Which current services should be ended?

What guidelines should determine the types of services the utsu offers?

What political advocacy should the utsu engage in? The bylaws mandate advocacy on behalf of students as well as on behalf of the community at large.

Some have suggested that previous political campaigns have been inappropriate. Are there criteria that ought to

govern the appropriate bounds for the union’s political work? Which political goals should we prioritize, amongst the ones we do pursue?

Community building is in some ways derivative of service provision and political advocacy. Services require distribution and this is often accomplished through events, such as the clubs fair.

Sometimes hosting an event, like frosh week, can be a service in its own right.

Political advocacy also requires community building, such as mobilizing and organizing students to participate in campaigns and protests. Furthermore, community building is useful in its own right. Being part of a positively engaged student community is good for its own sake. Whether this year’s candidates lean towards services or political work, what community building skills do they have to further our goals?

This election season I would like to hear from candidates who have comprehensive answers to these questions.

What is the appropriate balance between services and political work and

what community-building skills will they bring to the executive team?

Denys Robinson studies philosophy.

12

VARSITY COMMENT

Vol. CXXXIII, No. 17

Ebooks are an easy first step to lower the cost of education

David Woolley VARSITY STAFF

Every student knows the anxiety of spending hundreds of dollars on course books. A 300-page paperback could set you back $50 or more, while a hardcover textbook can cost upwards of $100 on its own. Once every required reading has been rung through at checkout, the cash register can often read over $500 — and that’s only for one semester, and only if you are lucky.

In the fight to make higher education more accessible, the bulk of public action and utsu lobbying has focused on bringing down tuition fees. While this is a laudable goal, it is in many senses misled. Tuition fees are an abovious target of contention, as paying large somes of money is relatively constant across the board. Books on the other hand can vary widely in cost, not only from faculty to faculty, but also from course to course. When it comes to quickly effecting real change to improve the lives of students, we should really focus on books.

Lowering tuition fees would require the provincial government to step in and provide greater financial support to help students cover the cost of education. Governments are generally averse to spending large sums of money when revenues are low and the economy is sluggish. Since students are not a sizeable and reliable voting bloc, the powers-that-be feel they are not likely see a surge in voter support from taking up student concerns, and governments are unwilling to expend political capital making life easier for them. Student unions are therefore far more likely to be successful lobbying the university and its staff for simple changes that will materially reduce the cost of education.

comment@thevarsity.ca

Some professors have taken to selecting choice chapters from certain books and combining them into inexpensive course packs. This is a move in the right direction, and can help significantly reduce textbook costs for students. However, action should not end there. Professors could reduce costs even further by skipping course readers altogether and only assigning readings available online — reducing costs to zero.

Where free online readings are not available, ebooks should become a greater part of student learning. A basic Kobo or Kindle e-reader costs under $70 — less than the cost of two paperback textbooks. The average price of an ebook for these e-readers is under $15. A full course load of ebooks plus the cost of an ereader — which only needs to be purchased once in a student’s university career — costs a fraction of that of bound readings, not to mention the obvious environmental advantages.

Is this to say that all courses must immediately transfer to paperless readings?

No. That would be difficult, if not impossible. Those classes that study older, outof-copyright material would find it much easier to find free readings online, while certain readings may be impossible to find currently in ebook form. But if a professor assigns five books, and is able to find ebook or pdf copies of two or three of them, then suddenly the price for the student is cut in half. It will require additional effort from the professor, that is certain, but that effort should not be undertaken begrudgingly since it will help to make a university education significantly more affordable and accessible for all students.

David Woolley is a political science and history student at Victoria College.

LETTERS TO

Vol CXXXIII, No. 16, February 11, 2013 Students charged “illegal” fees Seriously, all this points to is that Students’ Unions do more to help us than hinder us. I’m running for Governing Council this year, and part of my platform is that I want to increase communication between governance and the unions- it’d be a nice system of checks and balances and would help cut down on hidden fees and policies that aren’t doing anything to help students. I can’t believe that there are candidates who have openly opposed having utsu members play a larger role in governance. Follow me on twitter if you want to know more- @TanniPramanick — Tannishtha Pramanick (from web) In reply to Tannishtha Pramanick: Tannishtha, bare in mind that your promotion of the current utsu executive does not mean that they are promoting you in turn. I believe you’re in your first academic year at U of T, and you may not be aware of the history of utsu mismanagement and disregard of student concerns, but one victory does not negate years of student disenfranchisement. I think catching the administration in this error is a huge success, but it doesn’t make up for the active attempts that annual incumbent utsu slates have made to

disregard or delegitimate very valid student concerns.

— Aimee Quenneville (from web) In reply to Aimee Quenneville: On a me-speaking-for-me level, I’d like to remind you all that this isn’t about the internecine politics of utsu — this is about a wider coalition of students — in the Unions and outside of that space — who’ve worked long and hard to make this an issue for the administration. Try and remember that, occasionally, and avoid generalizing such efforts.

— Brad Evoy (from web) The tri-campus effort was amazing in looking into this. I have had the privilege to observe the tremendous work put in by the student union leaders and the thoughtful response package was well-done.

It would also be great if we could see higher student awareness and participation with the bodies of CSS (UTSC), QSS (UTM), and COSS (St George), where students do have a voice and an actual vote.

—Adrian DeLeon approves online voting for upcoming election

SGM

I find this hilarious: “Ashkon Hashemi, chair of both the board meeting and Tuesday’s sgm, explained that the only options the board had were to approve the recommendations of the erc, or to send them back

THE EDITOR to change them. The union’s bylaws do not permit board members to alter the erc’s recommendations in any way.”

First off, I think that this is complete nonsense given that these proposals could have been adopted long ago by the union, and it’s obvious that they intentionally delayed these discussions in order that they could claim to be bound not to change the rules. But secondly, I PROPOSED a BYLAW amendment this fall AND this spring to ALLOW the Board of Directors to debate and amend rulings of the erc in order to increase transparency. The policy and procedures committee did not even allow it to go to a vote. So, the utsu CREATED this situation by refusing to allow commonsense changes.

— Sam Greene (from web)

not occur at the whim of the Board.

I am a stronger proponent of refusing to accept the recommendations of the sub-committee and sending back suggestions for changes, with the recommendation that interested Board members take part in sub-committee meetings.

That being said, I think it is egregious that the utsu removed all power from the Board of Directors in this situation. By scheduling ratification of the erc’s recommendations for the night before nominations open, the Board was being implicitly told to accept them at face value, as there were clearly no plans to even considering delaying the nomination period (and the rest of the election schedule).

— Ryan Bradley (from web)

In reply to Sam Greene: While I am by no means apologizing for what appears to be some careful manipulation to avoid the implementation of online voting, I do understand the desire not to have the Board directly amend the recommendations of a sub-committee.

I cannot speak directly for the utsu, as I have never sat on a utsu sub-committee. However, from my own experience as a student leader, a lot of time and discussion often goes into the decisions made at a sub-committee level. For the Board of Directors to make amendments to these recommendations, the same level of discussion should take place and amendments should

On the logistical issues, speaking as a former cro at the college level with knowledge of the relevant processes and technologies, it will be challenging to get things done for this election, given the timelines involved. But — if undertaken wholeheartedly — it should nevertheless get done on time. Failure to get it done would I think in these circumstances constitute either incompetence or wilful disregard for the opinions expressed by the student body.

I wish the erc and utsu cro the best of luck in rapidly implementing online voting. The student body is watching.

— Alumnus (from web)

University heeds calls for more prayer space This is a joke. We need less of these not more. It’s a place of education, and that’s what the focus should be on. If I subscribe to the belief that being naked for 1 hour per day is beneficial/ mandated by a certain deity, can I have my own space in the University? They may have paid for the construction and upkeep, but the property belongs to the University. It concerns me that with an ever growing nonreligious student population, these special interests are being given more and more leeway in the name of ‘diversity’. Religion is something you should be free to practice, but not at the cost of, or in the space paid for, by other students. I had a personal experience with trying to find a space to study at utsc before an exam (next to impossible), and finally finding what seemed like a quiet, and fairly large space. I proceeded to sit there and study in silence, only to be kicked out as this was ‘prayer space’. I wasn’t making a peep. And now to cram Robarts even tighter.

Nice.

— Our Space (from web) The muslim prayer space/ablution area on campus was funded in part by Emmanuel College and various Muslim organizations!

— Zainab (from web)

var.st/comment

VARSITY COMMENT

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2013

STREETERS What do you think is the most important issue for the upcoming UTSU executive elections?

Photos by: Bernarda Gospic

Stephanie | Linguistics & English, Third-year "Not quite sure, but I'll have to start looking into it."

Ali | Poli Sci & ESL, Fifth-year

Ryan | Poli Sci, Fourth-year

"Transparency about how the union works. The best way to get people involved is to educate them."

"I don't go anywhere near student politics!"

Zayne | Anthropology & Poli Sci

Timea | French & English, Fourth-year

"Accessibility. Being accessible to students.

And student services."

"I don't pay attention to that stuff."

13

Unwind your mind Peaceful places to slow down and face the challenges of U of T As a professor of mine once noted while mentally mapping out U of T’s campus, “real life starts after Spadina.” He was no doubt referring to the University of Toronto bubble, a place of great comfort for many students. But when the semester’s workload nears its plateau, it’s easy to become resentful of the grey campus grounds. Snow and rain showers in February make the days bleak, and recent passing ‘holidays’ like Valentine’s Day, followed closely by Family Day, only serve to scorn

article by Damanjit Lamba photos by Michael Chahley Check out Damanjit’s recommended spots, plus a few more: CLOCKWISE FROM TOP Graham Library at Trinity College Bahen Centre Bahen Centre OPPOSITE, TOP TO BOTTOM Medical Science Building University College quad Terrence Donnelly Building Graham Library at Trinity College 14

lonely and morose students getting by with just caffeine and conveniently located food trucks. A number of shifting conditions can affect how you feel any given day, but when students start camping out to secure study space, chance opportunities for solitude become a source of great sweetness. Here are some places around and in the perimeters of U of T that can aid you in the de-cluttering process and give you a chance to catch your breath.

PIT STOPS The long stretch of pavement along St. George can make U of T feel like a stifling high school, especially when you focus on the sterile study spaces and unappealing cafeterias that students frequent in between lecture slots. The two main exit points of St. George are Beverley Street, where you’re faced with rows of nameless two and three-storey brick houses, and Bloor Street. The Annex offers few surprises to seasoned students, and further east along Bloor the only notable feature relatable to campus life is the student discount at Club Monaco. When you inevitably find yourself in need of a 15 minute break between scatterings of classes along this campus hub, the Woodsworth Residence lobby, right at the corner of Bloor and St. George, is a substantial step up from a typical, far busier college lounge. The residence lobby is small, but it never fails to act as a refuge for students in need of a quick recharge. While the lobby’s choice in furniture is clearly a failed attempt at modern design — think large red leather chairs and awkward, short black coffee tables — the chairs are appropriately sized for naps and so comfortable that you can’t write them off completely. There are also well-maintained washrooms in the lobby that are open to all students, and they are never subject to line-ups.

Innis College has a few prime relaxation spots. If you’re on a mission to get some brain food and don’t want to spend all your money at Fresh, the Innis College Café has amazing lentil soup and mixed salad specials, as well as their renowned chicken kabob, which will rival your mother’s home cooking. I’ve passed the Innis Lounge on my way to the Cinema Studies Student Union office enough to know it’s not on the average U of T student’s radar. Long couches, bean bag chairs, a TV, and a foosball table add up to your third place between campus and your home. And if you need some fresh air, the casual Innis quad has a large expanse of grass and picnic tables bordering its garden.

NOVEL ISOLATION As a film student accustomed to constantly running into classmates on the thirteenth floor of Robarts Library (home to most of U of T’s film books), I’ve found that venturing off into sections of campus devoted to programs other than my own offers a nice change of pace.

One such destination is the Shore + Moffat Architecture Landscape and Design Library located at College and Huron. The interior of this library is defined by endless white walls, low ceilings, and large glass windows that showcase the city. If you choose to soak up warm sunlight from the floor-to-ceiling windows, your direct eyeline will fall on the New York-style fire escape of an apartment building directly across the street; and if American television is anything to go by, this little setup will prove very fruitful in entertainment value. The Shore + Moffat Library feels like a miniature version of Pratt Library, but it’s much less frequented by the general student body.

Another adaptable study space is the atrium in the Royal Conservatory of Music. U of T’s Internet signal is unreachable from this spot, but I like to think of that as a blessing for students suffering from information overload who can’t seem to focus on required readings or looming papers. There is also great coffee to be had from the atrium’s B Espresso Bar, an establishment with some of the finest lattes I’ve had near U of T. The low lighting in the evenings gives the Conservatory a very relaxing atmosphere, and I’ve found it great for everything from studying, to meetups and interviews. There is always a buzz of energy from the young music students and faculty in the building to keep you company, but it’s never so invasive that it becomes a source of distraction.

Back on campus, Trinity College’s Graham Library really reminds you of just how long U of T has been around. It maintains that distinctive old book smell which I encourage everyone to inhale each visit as an act of meditation. The spacious wooden desks and sepiatoned lighting are comforting, and you can always retire to the second floor to enjoy single couches grouped together with a fireplace.

GET SIDE-TRACKED One of my most vivid memories at U of T is of a terrifying first-year political science exam I endured at 8 am. I jittered all the way into the large exam room where my ta wished me good luck, and was still nervous as I stumbled outside the building two hours later. The light was still dim outside, and only a few students were around me, all caught up in their own thought processes. My trek home unexpectedly led me between Trinity and the Faculty of Law, through Philosopher’s Walk for the very first time. The ancient trees, lush greenery, and cobble stone pathways slowly melted away the solemn lines on my face and my internal feelings of deficiency in a way that my little mind tricks during the exam had been unable to. Philosopher’s Walk is always a treat to experience, and if you want to avoid the occasional passerby, you can easily find yourself a resting spot a bit out of the way.

The neo-Gothic University College quad is often more crowded than Philosopher’s Walk, but evokes a similar feeling. The sunken courtyard creates an enclosed utopia fo r students to playfully mingle. There always seems to be a good mix of students who are socializing and deeply engrossed in dense texts. The colonnade is great for students who want to pace in quiet contemplation, or take shelter for a few minutes under beautiful architecture. If it’s too cold, you can always step into University College’s Junior Common Room (jcr) and grab a coffee from the friendly baristas at Diabolo’s Coffee Bar. Though occasionally boisterous, the jcr is still a great spot to sink into a leather couch and soak up the atmosphere.

Your ideas and emotions take on a different light and agency depending on who you share them with and where you are, so next time you and a friend are strapped for conversation and time, consider using these treasured spaces as locations to relax, ponder, or maybe discuss any internalized dilemmas.

15

Arts & Culture

COMING UP

var.st/arts

25 FEBrUarY 2013 arts@thevarsity.ca

How to create an edible garden in an urban space var.st/arts

Ideas and dresses “Marimekko, With Love” offers insight into the philosophy behind an iconic fashion company Sofia Luu VARSITY STAFF

Helsinki and Toronto are separated by thousands of miles, but when it comes to design, the two cities are more closely connected than one might imagine. “Marimekko, With Love,” the latest exhibit at the Textile Museum of Canada, takes a closer look at the history of Marimekko, an iconic Finnish textiles company with close ties to Toronto.

Armi Ratia and her husband Viljo established Marimekko in 1951. The company’s bright prints burst onto the market during the post-World War II years, a time when fashion and design were relatively reserved. Soon after its establishment, Karelia, a Toronto-based design studio, became the exclusive distributor of Marimekko prints, thus introducing avant-garde Finnish design to Toronto tastes.

While “Marimekko, With Love” highlights Marimekko’s Canadian connection, the exhibit offers much more than a

survey of the company’s early beginnings in Toronto.

“Marimekko, With Love” provides a glimpse into the mind of Armi Ratia and a crash course on the Marimekko way of life.

There are large samples of Marimekko prints and dresses on display in the gallery. The prints are mesmerizing and it’s hard to resist the temptation of reaching out and running your fingers through the cotton samples. Most of the prints in the exhibit were made during Marimekko’s early years, the '60s and '70s, but it would be a mistake to peg these designs as outdated. Marimekko’s designs still seem fresh and innovative to a modern viewer.

Floral prints can be found all over the exhibit, as nature is one of the driving influences behind the Marimekko aesthetic. Each designer at Marimekko puts his or her own personal spin on floral patterns. Maija Isola’s poppies are vivid and bold, whereas Fujiwo Ishito’s “Rimpi” print — which has been described as a "flowering rush" pattern — is much more subdued and minimalistic.

“I don’t really sell clothes, I sell a way of life…

I sell an idea rather than dresses.”

—Armi Ratia founder of Marimekko

Marimekko’s design philosophy is more about simplicity and functionality than anything else. Ratia believed that fashion design should infiltrate all aspects of everyday life, and with that in mind, should not be fussy. The cotton fabrics and simple cuts that are on display at the Textile Museum testify to the simple, yet vibrant lifestyle that Ratia espoused. As the designer herself once explained, “I don’t really sell clothes, I sell a way of life… I sell an idea rather than dresses.”

To bring home the idea that Marimekko is a way of life, rather than a mere aesthetic trend, the gallery provides an assortment of photographs, fabric swatches, telegrams, notes, and other relics of Ra-

tia’s history. In order to highlight the versatility of Marimekko’s designs, a projector in the exhibit plays footage of individuals wearing Marimekko while they go about their daily lives and participate in leisure activities.

It is impossible not to be captivated by the plethora of prints on display in the gallery, but there is more to “Marimekko, With Love” than beautiful fabrics. The exhibit is an homage to Armi Ratia, who built a company based upon the simple yet timeless belief that design should be a part of everyday life.

"Marimekko, With Love" runs at the Textile Museum of Canada until April 21, 2013

A home for Ontario’s indies The Ontario Independent Music Archive provides a digital catalogue of the province’s lesser-known recordings Madeline Malczewska VARSITY STAFF

Halfway through my phone interview with Shelley Robinson, she excitedly announced, “It’s just trying to get the word out about amazing music.”

The “it” she is referring to is the Ontario Independent Music Archive (oima), an online database that was launched in January. The goal of oima is to catalogue both new and old music by Ontario musicians that may not have received any online exposure.

Robinson is the Executive Director of the National Campus and Community Radio Association (ncra), a not-for-profit which has more than 80 member affiliates (including utsc’s Scarborough Fusion Radio) and has been in operation since 1986. The idea for oima came from Jonathan Martel, a student working at the campus radio station at the University of Western Ontario. Martel, along with station master Mario Circelli, started a London Music Archive and believed that the project could be implemented across Ontario.

The ncra applied to Trillium for a grant and received $224,500 over two years, which Robinson wryly notes “sounds like a lot, but when you’re doing a project of this size…” She laughs instead of finishing the sentence, but it is clear that the people working on oima have their work cut out for them. oima is unique in that it is broadening the audience of mostly unknown bands.

According to Robinson, the strength of oima is that it allows the user to search regionally and by genre, as opposed to popular platforms like Bandcamp, which depend on a user knowing which artists they are searching for or, in rare cases getting “seriously lucky.”

Beyond acting as a platform for artists who are currently active, oima also aims to catalogue music from older bands — “those local bands who only released … seven inches on vinyl on limited release or cassettes back in the day,” as Robinson puts it.

“That stuff doesn’t exist anywhere for anyone so new audiences can’t get it,” she continues. “A lot of our member stations have that stuff in their

illUstration coUrtEsY ontario indEpEndEnt mUsic archivE

library because they’re naturally repositories where over the years musicians have been dropping their stuff because they want to get their stuff played on the radio.” In other words, oima wants to connect you with that “one band you saw that one time at the Horseshoe Tavern who had that great song but stopped performing.”

The response from local artists has been almost entirely positive. When the site went live, oima already had 2,500 songs in its database. The database will continue to grow as the

public — which includes curators and artists — submit songs. oima is conscientious of possible copyright issues and has a number of measures in place to try to prevent music being posted against the artists’ wishes. Robinson asserts that “[oima is] not trying to step on anyone’s ability to make money from music. We’re just trying to create a wider audience for the music.”

Hopefully, oima will do exactly what it has set out to: connect great artists with people passionate about music, and develop into a digital reflection of its users.

VARSITY ARTS & CULTURE

var.st/arts

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2013

17

Highs and lows of the U of T Drama Festival Every year, a series of student-written, oneact plays compete for five coveted awards on the stage of Hart House Theatre. Here, we sound off on the best and the worst of the four-day festival.

such as the one that UTM Drama Club provided in its festival entry. Bruised Porcelain seemed like the perfect collaboration of visions, beginning with Kaitlyn Alexander’s well-written script, developing further under Eilish Waller’s direction, and EARTH: A SURVIVOR’S GUIDE TO ALL finally coming to life during the excellent THINGS AGRICULTURAL performances of a vibrant cast. The play’s The cast of New Faces’ Earth: A Survivor’s protagonist, Macy (played and narrated in Guide to All Things Agricultural had the tandem by the equally enchanting Rachelle weight of the festival’s opening spot on Goebel and Colette Fitzgerald), is in the their shoulders. Luckily, a cast’s job is al- midst of an exhausting leukemia relapse. ways much easier when they’re working Pushed to the edge by what appears to be with a script as brilliant as that of stu- a futile battle against cancer, she is finally dent playwright Christian Glas. Living in a ready to give up. I’ll confess that the play post-apocalyptic world, Glas’ protagonists brought me to tears, and yet, somehow, are a pair of sibling farmers who have tak- Bruised Porcelain manages to balance its en on the task of re-colonizing a desolate tragic subject matter with uplifting stories land. The plot poses gripping questions about friendship, family, and love. Thanks about relationships and self-reliance, and to the wit of Macy’s best friend Ellie (Britthe dialogue is rife with insightful details tany Miranda), the heartfelt declarations that are just begging to be contemplated of her devoted girlfriend, Erica (Chelsea and discussed. But although Élyse Roy and Riesz), and the turbulent emotions of MaAlex Howard’s portrayals of Alice and Al- cy’s mother (developed with great tact by phonse were worthy of applause it seemed Hannah Ehman), Bruised Porcelain was to me that Glas’ writing hadn’t truly been definitely made its mark. done justice. Alice’s costume was too crisp — VB and white for the play’s gritty setting, and Alphonse’s character was too even-tem- IT COULD BE WORSE pered for someone who eventually snaps Writer-director Adriano Marchese sure in such a truly horrible way. This produc- knows how to make us laugh: St. Michael’s tion simply was too clean for the frighten- Arts Commission’s festival entry kept the ing message it was trying to preach: if you chuckles coming from the start. It Could want to be safe, keep watch on the hori- Be Worse invited us into conversation zon, but if you want to stay human, keep with Marchese’s lead character, a frantic watch on yourself. hypochondriac convinced his end is com— Victoria Beales ing all too soon. Steven Lyons played the awkwardly endearing Oscar perfectly, as if BRUISED PORCELAIN the role had been written for him. Jessica It’s a pretty exciting thing when an audi- Tomlinson played Lucy, Oscar’s pragmatic ence is treated to a dynamic combination and under-appreciated friend, with enough of writer, director, and acting ensemble, sensibility to counteract Oscar’s absurdity.

MINHEE BAE/THE VArsITy

As Oscar jumped from one quirky episode to the next in his search for salvation, he made the audience feel as if they were good friends who were being dragged along for the ride. In fact, when the play came to a

happy but abrupt ending, it was hard not to feel like we’d been unfairly cut off. It Could Be Worse wrapped up too quickly and sim-

CONTINUED NEXT PAGE

Everyone's a critic.

Real challenges.

Unreal rewards.

Advertising – Media Management

Write reviews for arts!

Alternative Dispute Resolution Event Management Fashion Management & Promotions Financial Planning Global Business Management

See More | Possibilities

Human Resources Management International Development Marketing Management

email

FIND YOUR NICHE WITH A POSTGRAD IN BUSINESS

arts@thevarsity.ca business.humber.ca/postgrad

© 2013 Ernst & Young LLP. All Rights Reserved.

Public Administration

10 WAYS TO LAUNCH YOUR CAREER

Yes. It’s as intense as you expect. Tough projects.

Tight deadlines. It can be scary. But the growth is incredible. Because you have the support of your peers, the guidance of a mentor and the wisdom of partners to see you through. All of whom never forget they started out just like you. Visit ey.com/CA/Possibilities.

18

Vol. CXXXIII, No. 17 "DRAMA" CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

ply, especially in comparison to the show’s meandering plot. The play’s own title sums the show up nicely: it could have been worse… but, then again, it could have been better.

— VB THE DL-15 INCIDENT The first of the three plays to be presented on the second night of the U of T Drama Festival was the St. Michael’s Arts Commission’s production of The DL-15 Incident, written by Vere Marie Khan and directed

by Joseph Ianni and Victoria McEwan. The story unfolds through the perspective of the main character Emile Para (Arnold Lan), who is interrogated about the deaths of his friend, Lana (Madiha Choksi), and their sociology professor, Mr. Jacobs (Sandro Pehar). The pace of The DL-15 Incident was exciting, but its plot proved to be quite predictable. Ultimately, the play’s climatic moments lacked suspense, and clichéd depictions of the characters’ heartbreak were unintentionally quite humorous. The DL15 Incident had the potential to be a telling exploration of toxic love, but with its flimsy development of plot and character, the play falls decidedly short.

— Leelan Farhan MARIANNE, ARE YOU ASLEEP? utm’s second contribution to the U of T Drama Festival was Marianne, Are You Sleep?, written by Nicholas Potter and directed by Jaime Hernandez Lujan. This clever and insightful play is ostensibly about a married couple that is desperate to find out why their son has visions of his dead grandmother. Yet at the heart of Marianne, Are You Asleep? is a poignant exploration of family dynamics. Though the interactions between Marianne (Karyn McGibbon) and her husband Devon (Ben Hayward) are often comical, as the layers of the couple’s cheery facade are peeled away, it is clear that their relationship is eroding due to a lack of communication.

The play also explores the toxicity of family secrets as both the audience and Marianne herself come to know the truth about her childhood. All in all, Marianne, Are You Sleep? is cleverly written, brilliantly directed, and presented by a cast that could very well be mistaken for a professional troupe of actors.

— LF

IN THIS LIFE In This Life by the Hart House Players, opened the third night of The U of T Drama Festival. The play is set in a psychiatrist`s office, where 21 year-old hustler Griff has his first therapy session after contract-

VARSITY ARTS & CULTURE

arts@thevarsity.ca

ing HIV. Unfortunately, within the first few minutes the protagonist’s ailment is made clear and the plot transforms into a series of tired scenes that can be easily synopsized: boy is reluctant to discuss his disease; boy cathartically admits his emotional state; boy resolves to tell others about his diagnosis. Despite this unoriginal treatment of the subject, the performance had its comedic moments and Kowlyn McKinstry`s acting kept the audience engaged. The play offered a unique touch by projecting video footage of Griff’s memories of life before his diagnosis onto the back wall of the stage. But, while the footage functioned as an interesting symbol of the nebulous inconstancy of memory, the blurred visuals ultimately proved distracting. Perhaps if the plot had the same innovative character as the staging, In This Life would have been as memorable to watch as it was pleasant.

— Salena Barry SHAZAM! OR SCHISM ON, ETERNITY Pope jokes, geometry, lemon meringue pie, and 1950s espionage are the scattered foundation of the complex yet witty Shazam!, presented by the Victoria College Drama Society. When a mathematician’s business dinner suddenly goes awry after one of the guests spits out his host’s famous pie, sides are taken and a war is waged. Chockfull of intertwined sub-plots, forceful dialogue, and nuanced ideas, Shazam! can be a little hard to follow for those of us who aren’t well-versed in the complex politics of post-WWII America. Yet the bravado of the actors and sharp technical components make the play interesting to watch, even when the plot becomes convoluted.

Although it was not the best act of the festival’s closing night, Shazam!’s wit and satirical style kept the audience chuckling until the very end.

—Emma Kikulis THE GULLY The Gully by utm’s Drama Club is reminiscent of an M. Night Shyamalan film.

The story follows a young uneducated girl named Penny in 1970s rural Mississippi, and her unlikely friendship with an old man she meets by a gully near her home.

The minimalist set made viewers feel as if they were a part of the relationship between Penny and her aging friend, while a haunting journey and unexpected ending left the audience completely stunned.

Whispers of “Wow, I didn’t see that coming,” or “Oh my god, what the hell just happened?!” (as one girl behind me put it) were only a few of the shocked reactions upon the play's conclusion. Rich, haunting and an overall stunning piece of drama, The Gully was by far the best show of the night.

— EK

Picture yourself taking photos?

By Martin Sherman Directed by Carter West

MAR 1 – 9, 2013 BOX OFFICE: w w w. u o f t t i x . c a / 416.978.8849

Adults $25 / Students & Seniors $15 $10 Student tickets every Wednesday!

SEASON SPONSORS:

SEASON PARTNERS:

Take ‘em for us!

photo@thevarsity.ca

WWW.HARTHOUSETHEATRE.CA

var.st/arts

VARSITY ARTS & CULTURE

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2013

19

ARTS' ARTS The Bridge When the morning came we found the huts torn and streets rent. The others said nothing — they would not even turn towards me — but it was clear from their silence what they thought. We crossed the bridge in the afternoon, our packs heavy with salvage. We had found no bodies. No women, children, men. No cries or whispers or gruntings. No blood or bone or organ.

No hair or nail, no gut, no flesh, no casings. But their things — what wasn’t upturned, spilled, or wrecked — we wrapped and put into our bags. Beneath the bridge the smell of bleach, some cords and tires, twisted rods, bent axles, ripped canopies, and the black and bubbling muck. The trees wore fungal bloom: fuchsia, olive, wet, the tips of each papilla white and swollen.

With darkness we set up on the road, laying our weary bodies on our packs. We were afraid to touch all else. A fire: dead stalks that had fallen from the trunks, leaves and weeds that we kicked up from the floor, the odd branch. A nervous hum as we scraped to the bottoms of our cans. And, finally, night. For the others to wait until I ceased stirring, until my eyes closed and breathing steadied, until the rot and bleach and wreckage were overcome by blot, by sleep.

Emma KiKulis/THE VarsiTy

—André Babyn

miCHaEl CHaHlEy/THE VarsiTy

miCHaEl CHaHlEy/THE VarsiTy

miCHaEl CHaHlEy/THE VarsiTy

VARSITY ARTS & CULTURE

20 Vol. CXXXIII, No. 17

arts@thevarsity.ca

Film Review: John Dies at the End Cult hero Don Coscarelli returns with a darkly comic sci fi film Daniel berube vaRsiTy ConTRibuToR

EVENT GUIDE

FEB 25–MAR 3

John Dies at the End is the latest outing by long-dormant cult hero Don Coscarelli, and it’s both exactly what you would expect and something joyously inexplicable. The Phantasm (1979) and Bubba Ho-Tep (2002) writer/ director returns with a heady adaptation of the small-press novel of the same name, reworking his favourite horror tropes — possession, re-animation, and cross-dimensional travel — and filtering them through a nerdy, referential, and dark humour.

The narrative centres around two friends, Dave and John, who accidentally acquire psychic abilities from a sentient designer drug called “soy sauce,” and find themselves entangled in a labyrinthine and basically indescribable sci-fi plot. The first two-thirds of the film somehow strike a balance between cartoonish monster scares and gonzo philosophizing, while managing a genuinely spooky apocalyptic foreboding. Soy sauce allows the characters to see forward and backward in time, which facilitates a number of surreal gags — like Dave talking to his dead friend through a brat-

MONDAY RhubaRb TheaTRe FesTival buddies in bad Times Theatre, 12 alexander st. $20

PHOTO COURTESY MAGNOLIA PICTURES

wurst as though it were a cell phone — but also produces an air of fatalism worthy of an H. P. Lovecraft story.

Coscarelli employs a below-the-line cast of great character actors, including Angus Scrimm from the Phantasm movies, frequent Guillermo

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

aRT baTTle 45

DRake TRivia

Great hall, 1087 Queen W.

Drake hotel, 1150 Queen W.

7:30 p.m. $10

$2

Del Toro collaborator Doug Jones, and Academy Award nominee and actual celebrity Paul Giamatti, who also executive produced the film as a labour of love. The performances are spirited and playful, creating an exuberant feeling throughout. As is the case with all of the best exploitation

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

PoRT CReDiT ComeDy FesTival

iRish Ceili DanCe Classes

various prices and venues

Russian orthodox Cathedral, 823 manning st.

portcreditcomedy. com

films, the cast of John Dies at the End seems truly excited to be involved in the production.

Unfortunately the exhilarating B-movie momentum diminishes around the beginning of the third act, when Dave and Jim cross over into an alternate reality that’s overwhelmed by exposition and bogus-looking CGI creatures and landscapes. Coscarelli forgets that the biggest pleasures of his previous films largely resided in their suspension of logic and their reliance on inventive practical effects and spooky art direction. Here he jettisons the fever dream atmospherics that make Phantasm so indelibly creepy (despite its nonsense plot and goofball protagonists), and opts for a style that is too on-the-nose and way beyond his modest financial means.

Nonetheless, John Dies at the End is refreshingly imaginative throughout, and its biggest fault is its lack of creative restraint despite a miniscule budget — the exact inverse problem of most high-profile genre cinema to come out of the early 2000s. Coscarelli continues to be the pre-eminent high-concept humorist of American horror genre movies, rivalled only by Joss Whedon and Sam Raimi. Let’s just hope he doesn't wait 10 more years before his next effort.

SATURDAY Queen WesT WalkinG aRT TouR Gladstone hotel, 1214 Queen W.

8 pm

12 p.m.

$10

$25

SUNDAY sluRP nooDleFesT The Great hall, 1087 Queen W. 12p.m. - 5 p.m.

10$

Science

FROM THE ARCHIVES

var.st/sCIENCE

How the brain handles anger, aggression, and RAGE

25 FEBrUarY 2013

var.st/science

science@thevarsity.ca

Filling in the gaps in the phylogenetic tree of life How a hamster-like mammalian ancestor was discovered using a database known as The Matrix

WENDY GU/tHE varsItY

Nipa Chauhan

VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR

An international team consisting of 23 researchers has discovered — after painstakingly analyzing thousands of mammalian character traits — that the placental ancestor to all mammals is a fleshy-nosed, furry, insecteating animal the size of a hamster. This was concluded after the research team, which included utsc’s assistant professor Mary Silcox, organized a system that they call The Matrix.

“In [The Matrix] we put all of our observations that might be the look of a bone, or the shape of a nose, or the colour of fur, or something like that. We combine thousands and thousands of data points like this,” said Maureen O’Leary, the team’s lead researcher and an associate professor at Stony Brook University in New York. “For the first time, we did this on a very large scale.”

Through the organization of over 4,500 character traits, and without a known physical fossil, the team was able to determine the shape of the animal’s uterus and brain. As they carefully traced these features backwards, the researchers were able to reconstruct a hypothetical model of the bones of our small scampering ancestor.

It was Silcox’s job to analyze over 1,400 traits of dental records from various living and extinct placental mammals. It was a highly important and informative process.

Since enamel is so resistant to decay, it is the only thing that is left to study in a fossil. The information provided by the analysis of teeth can lead to the discovery of the size of an animal and its diet.

The team also used known data from living and extinct placental mammals to find out when the animal roamed the earth.

The time in which our hamster-like ancestors existed is highly disputed amongst

scientists, since DNA records suggest that they lived with dinosaurs before their extinction, 100 million years ago. However, valuable fossil evidence and the additional clues given by DNA records, suggest that placental mammals only came to be after the Mesozoic Era finished, around 200,000 to 400,000 years after an asteroid wiped out over 70 per cent of all species that existed at the time.

“This was based on data,” said Silcox, the only Canadian member of the team.

“It’s a much more powerful approach than just kind of making up a story based on your expectations.”

O’Leary also explained how specific groups of mammals can be researched given this newfound conclusion. The origin of specialized traits, like flight and swimming, can be specifically worked on to fill in nodes, unknown gaps on the genealogical tree of life.

Anthropologists are generally unaware of the reasons why placental animals have been so successful in dominating most of the Earth, but they do know these mammals can drastically morph over time to increase efficiency. The whale species, which evolved from land animals that developed without limbs over time, is an example of major changes that have occurred in species.

The tree of life and the discovery of our ancestor shows us how humans, bats, cats, dogs, whales, giraffes, and every other placental mammal began to nurture their offspring inside the uterus with the organ placenta, rather than laying eggs or possessing pouches. It allows us to recognize how much time and change is required for evolution to take place.

The massive system referred to as The Matrix can be found publicly online including over 12,000 images at morphobank.org.

VARSITY SCIENCE

22 Vol. CXXXIII, No. 16

Write for science! email science@thevarsity.ca

science@thevarsity.ca

So you want to go to med school?

The popular allure of becoming a physician comes at a price Students go to great lengths to boost their odds for success.

Ashley H., a second-year student from London, will take the mcat this year, two years before she “needs it” to apply to medical school, in order to ensure that she has ample time to increase her scores by retaking the test if necessary. “All of my friends are doing it, too,” she adds. Other students join pre-med societies and hire tutors to prepare for the test. Michael R., a second-year student studying in the premed program at McMaster, emphasizes that having a solid gpa and high mcat scores aren’t necessarily enough to get in. “Grades are baseline,” he says, “It’s how you distinguish yourself from the pack that will make any difference.” He’ll volunteer at a dentist’s office this summer to build his résumé; Sanasi will fly to Saskatchewan to do research on respiratory health.

Most applicants will work hard, but most will be rejected. Across Canada, around 75 per cent of candidates receive medical school rejection letters. Out of the 3,052 students who applied to the University of Toronto Medical School in 2012, only 576 students reached the final interview stage of the application process.

The maximum number of students admitted into the first year program is 259. Less than one-tenth of the initial applicants received a positive response. Competition gets even stiffer for more specialised programs.

Aspiring clinician scientists might apply to the demanding nine-year

Katrina Vogan

VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR

From arbitration to community outreach, this program offers the unique skills you need to launch your career as an arbitrator, conciliator, employee relations officer, mediator and many other exciting career options.

ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION

POSTGRADUATE CERTIFICATE

business.humber.ca/postgrad

Unlike many first-year students, Waterloo native Sanasi J. knows exactly what she wants to do with her future.

“I really want to do something with my life that helps others,” she says.

Her goal is to go to medical school and earn an md. “I think that helping people improve their standard of living through healthcare is something that I want to be a part of.”

It’s a worthy goal, but one that is quite difficult to achieve. The application process is grueling and standards are high. In 2012, successful applicants at the University of Toronto Medical School had an admission average gpa of 3.90. Most Canadian medical schools also require the Medical College Admission Test (mcat), a series of essays, reference letters, and a personal interview. It’s a highly competitive process. How competitive? In 2012, Maclean’s reported that prospective medical school students were moving across Canada in an attempt to take advantage of a quirk of the application rules; in every province but Ontario, medical schools strongly favour residents of their home province to fill a quota imposed by taxation laws. There are fewer spaces available to non-residents, and thus competition is stiffer. By moving and changing their place of residency, applicants compete for a larger number of spaces.

University of Toronto md/PhD program, but the program only accepts 10 applicants from a pool of about 80.

Sandra McGugan, the administrative director of this program, offers the following words of wisdom and consolation to those dealing with rejection: “Most applicants will not receive an offer of admission, but this is not because of a weakness in their application, but because there are so few positions available. There are other programs and opportunities out there, and if someone is truly committed to becoming a clinician scientist, they should consider some of these other options.” While she speaks directly to applicants of her program, the advice resonates with the advice given by guidance counselors and registrars Canadawide: “Always have a plan B!” The pressures of the process often create a sense of failure well before the response arrives. “Well, I was half expecting it,” confessed one anonymous medical school reject, “I knew the average gpa of everybody applying was going to be ridiculously high. I’m probably going to re-write the exam and apply again next year or after my master’s.”

Ultimately, the very real possibility of failure isn’t enough to deter Sanasi. “I am worried that I’m not going to get in,” she confesses. “But in a way, I’m grateful because it’s made me see how badly I want to go.” She’ll continue to work hard and dream of making a difference as a doctor, despite the stress.

2013 SEFTON MEMORIAL LECTURE

Labour’s Responses to

CANADA’S LARGEST INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY AND STUDENT TRAVEL EXPO

Globalization:

Sunday

MARCH 3 1 pm - 5 pm

Metro Toronto Convention Centre

Alternative Forms of Organization This year's lecture will feature a panel discussion, including:

n ing o rt no sta 12 at

When:

Prof. Nelson Lichtenstein, director of the Center for the

Study of Work, Labor and Democracy, University of California Santa Barbara

Dr. Natalie Des Rosiers, General Counsel of Canadian Civil Liberties Association Tony Burke, Assistant General Secretary, Unite the Union (UK)

March 7, 2013 7–8:30pm

Where: Kruger Hall Commons, Woodsworth College, 119 St. George Street

FREE ADMISSION-RSVP required to here Scan er t is g e pre-r er d ent n a e e iz r onlin P rand our G aws Dr

www.studyandgoabroad.com

All are welcome. A wine & cheese reception will follow the lecture.

For further information call 416-978-5301 or email: events.woodsworth@utoronto.ca

The Sefton Award for contributions to labour relations will be presented to Homer Seguin, labour activist and health and safety advocate The Morley Gunderson Prize in Industrial Relations will be presented to Sara Slinn, Professor of Labour Law, Osgoode Hall Law School,York University

VARSITY SCIENCE

var.st/science

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2013

23

New documentary portrays struggles of Huntington’s patients The question of whether to get genetically tested remains a difficult one Christina Olteanu

VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR

Do you Really Want to Know, a new documentary by John Zaritsky, follows three families whose members battle the dilemma of whether or not to get tested for Huntington’s disease (hd). The documentary explores the emotional difficulties involved with deciding to get genetically tested. hd is a debilitating, neurodegenerative disorder that leads to a decline in cognition and abnormal, involuntary movements. Unfortunately, there is no cure and the disease is ultimately fatal.

The hd gene was isolated in 1993, allowing those at risk to get genetically tested for it.

It is inherited in an autosomal dominant pattern in families. Each person who has a direct ancestor with Huntington’s has a 50 per cent chance of inheriting the gene; those who carry the gene develop the symptoms eventually, at some point in their life.

Dr. John Roder, now 65-years-old, is a renowned scientist at Mount Sinai Hospital afflicted with the disease and one of the subjects of Zantsky’s documentary. He lives with advanced symptoms, yet is still working five days a week researching disorders of the brain such as epilepsy and schizophrenia in a quest to find new treatments. He was aware that Huntington’s in his family history when he married his high school sweetheart and had two children.

Roder’s daughter, at 32 years of age, decided to get tested because she was thinking of

having children; her test came back negative. Roder and his wife discouraged their son from getting tested because he was already dealing with schizophrenia and they did not want him to worry about another disease. His test also came back negative. Roder says that he does not want to go through the suffering his dad went through at the end of his illness.

He talks about the possibility of euthanasia, which is currently illegal in Canada.

Dr. Jeff Carroll faced the same dilemma when he wanted to have children with his wife. He was only 20 years old when his mother began showing symptoms of hd.

Although it was heartbreaking to find out that he tested positive for hd, he was glad he checked. Knowing allowed him and his wife to undergo in vitro fertilization with pre-implantation genetic diagnosis, ensuring that his offspring would not inherit the hd gene. He is now the proud father of fraternal twins. He has since become a prominent researcher in the field as well as a public advocate for families battling the disease.

Carroll is one of six siblings. Four of whom have tested positive for the Huntington’s gene.

Carroll believes that it is cruel to let human beings suffer through the end stages of this debilitating illness.

Theresa Monahan is from a large family with a history of Huntington’s. She secretly got tested and did not tell the rest of her family until her daughter got married. She worried about her grandchildren inheriting the hd gene. Monahan tested negative for the hd gene. Her siblings have decided to not

Bernarda Gospic/THe VarsiTy

get tested because they do not want to worry about how the diagnosis will alter their lives.

There are various reasons for wanting to get genetically tested for the hd gene. Some believe that knowledge is your best friend and that it will help better plan for the future.

Others do not want to get tested because they are afraid that testing positive will not let

them live life to the fullest; some just want to live day by day. For some, the possibility of having the gene looms over their mind all the time. In Canada, 75 per cent of people at risk for hd will not get tested. As genetic diagnosis becomes more readily available and popular, the question of ‘do you really want to know?’ will be on many more people’s minds.

Š2013 St. George’s University

CANADIAN DOCTORS ARE IN DEMAND ALL OVER THE WORLD. PERHAPS MOST IMPORTANTLY, RIGHT HERE IN CANADA. STUDY WITH US, AND JOIN OUR GROWING NUMBER OF GRADUATES THAT ARE PROUD TO WORK AND LIVE RIGHT HERE IN CANADA. WHERE WE STAND WILL MAKE YOU STAND OUT. s )N THE LAST TWO YEARS 3T 'EORGE S 5NIVERSITY PLACED MORE DOCTORS INTO lRST YEAR 5 3 RESIDENCIES THAN ANY OTHER MEDICAL SCHOOL IN THE WORLD* s 3'5 S 5 3 AND #ANADIAN STUDENTS WHO TOOK THE 53-,% 3TEP FOR THE lRST TIME IN ACHIEVED A PASS RATE s #LINICAL ROTATION IN THE 5 3 5 + AND #ANADA

JOIN OVER 1,400 STUDENTS AND GRADUATES FROM CANADA WHO HAVE PREPARED FOR THE FUTURE OF MEDICINE HERE.

Upcoming Information Session: Monday, March 18, 2013, 7–8:30pm Park Hyatt Toronto 4 Avenue Road, Toronto ON M5R 2E8 To learn more about SGU’s School of Medicine at our upcoming Information Session, contact Joann Vastola at jvastola@sgu.edu, call 1 (800) 899-6337 ext. 1395, or visit www.sgu.edu/informationsession. *According to published information. January 2013.

Grenada, West Indies

Sports

COMING UP

var.st/sports

Blues baseball works with Jays Care Foundation

25 FEBrUarY 2013 sports@thevarsity.ca

var.st/sports

The Ferguson brothers sailing in the i420 youth class in Buenos Aires, Argentina. photo coUrtEsY Matias capizzano

Waves, dreams, and a boat Ferguson twins discuss balancing Olympic training and university studies Clara Neden

VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR

With the academic year winding down and the stresses of being a full-time student glaringly apparent, it’s hard to imagine that someone training for the Olympics could also be a fulltime university student. But that’s precisely what University of Toronto student Arthur Ferguson and his twin brother John (who attends the University of Calgary) are doing. Together, they make up Ferguson Sailing, a team of Olympic hopefuls in the 49er sailing class.

Originally from Nova Scotia where they began sailing as a hobby, the brothers moved to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil with their parents in 2009. There their hobby became much more serious.

“When we moved to Brazil we hooked up with a team and a really good coach in a class called the 420, which is a youth class,” Arthur Ferguson explains. “We started sailing every weekend, bought a boat and sailed non-stop all year round, and that’s where we made our really significant improvements, and it allowed us to be where we are now.”

In 2011, they moved back to Canada to attend university, and made the switch to the 49er class.

The name 49er comes from the size of the boat itself, which is a two-handed high performance skiff. The boat requires top physical performers with excellent strategy skills. The 49er class only made its debut at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

“We wanted to go further with sailing, and the next step was an attempt at the Olympic spot,” John recalls. “The 49er was

just the choice that made the most sense to us — we wanted to go faster, we wanted to have more of a challenge, and the 49er was kind of what presented itself.”

Arthur concurs: “We always had the image of going to the Olympics. That was the goal, and now we’re just trying to make it a reality.”

With results at various events matching their lofty ambition, their goal suddenly seems attainable. Ferguson Sailing placed seventh in both the 2012 49er North Americans and the 2012 49er cork ocr, and sixth in the 2012 49er Canadian Championships.

What proved to be the biggest accomplishment of all, however, was finishing as the top Canadian boat in their first regatta abroad in Lake Garda, Italy at the 2012 49er Europeans.

This competition had special meaning to the brothers, as their results proved that they could indeed compete and place among the top sailors in the world.

Toronto has played a major role in their journey to the Olympics. Not only are they based out of the Royal Canadian Yacht Club in Toronto, but Arthur also chose to attend the University of Toronto to study political science. “I was accepted to several universities throughout Canada, but I knew U of T was one of the if not the best–ranked, and it was in a really big city, right downtown, which is what I wanted coming from another big city,” he explains.

What is perhaps most impressive about these brothers is that although they are constantly travelling around the world to train and compete, they continue to be full-time students. “I think education is really important, otherwise we would probably just be do-

ing sailing,” John says. “But I think it’s important for us to do both; to achieve good results in both, and I think they complement each other nicely.”

The Ferguson Sailing team will eventually have to put school on hold as 2016 drews closer. “This is the first year after the Olympics so it’s a smaller, low–scale year, and that’s how we can manage school at the same time,” Arthur admits. “I think as we get closer to 2016 we’re going to take some time off of school to focus on the sailing.”

During the winter, the brothers head down to Miami, Florida for training camps and one of the most important competitions for Olympic hopefuls — the Miami Olympic Class Regatta, one of the main stops in the winter circuit for sailors campaigning for the Olympics.

Ferguson Sailing has found great success.

However, like every athlete, they have faced challenges and obstacles along the way. After physical injury, the worst thing that can happen to a sailor is gear failure, and at this year’s Miami ocr, the brothers encountered technical problems that saw their mast snap and their regatta ended.

“We were really looking forward to it, and we’d [trained] twice before the event down there. We were feeling pretty good,” John says, “We were only actually able to sail five out of 20 races on working equipment, which was a big disappointment for us because we weren’t able to show how we can sail and the level we can compete at,” Arthur admits. “We had some really good races when our gear was working and it showed that were capable of sailing at that level I think, but overall it was quite a disappointing regatta.”

However, the Fergusons haven’t let their disappointment at the ocr affect their campaign. They have a series of training camps and competitions in both North America and Europe lined up in the coming months, where they hope to continue improving and pushing forward in their dream of making the Olympics. They are also focusing on making big fundraising pushes in the next few months. Sailing is a very expensive sport, what with significant equipment, coaching, and travel costs. While they’ve received significant private support, in order to make this dream a reality they need to take it to the next level with corporate sponsors. Launching in the next few weeks is a unique project called Pursuit.

“Pursuit is a micro funding website set up by a Canadian athlete for amateur athletes to raise money through the small give back method,” explained Arthur. “We set a goal, make a video, spread it to all our friends and social networks. You can give certain amounts, and for those amounts, you can get small tokens of our appreciation.” Every little bit helps, and for the brothers it’s about making people part of the team and creating a community around this journey.

Given the time that they spent in Brazil, representing Canada at the 2016 Rio Olympics would be very special for the Fergusons, according to Arthur. “I think it would mean a lot to us to prove to ourselves and everybody who supported us that you know the hard work pays off and we’ve made it a reality and we’ve got a great support network behind us.”

VARSITY SPORTS MONDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2013 16 MONDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2012 VARSITY SCIENCE

var.st/sports

While you were away...

The promises and limits of egg freezing Blues’ first gold medal of the weekend. Frank Despond and Zack Chetrat quickly followed suit with Despond winning the men’s 400 freestyle by more than two seconds and Chetrat won his fourth career 200 butterfly title.

Day Three came down to the wire, and the final standings were dependent upon the last races. ubc fought to overcome their Day Two deficit to move into first place after the men’s 100 freestyle. The Thunderbirds won the final 4x100 medley relay event, but Toronto’s 27–point lead heading into the final race gave them just enough points to bring the Nelson C. Hart Trophy back to U of T for a cisleading 17th time.

The Toronto women won the cis bronze medal for the second consecutive season.

Blues’ men’s head coach Byron McDonald told The Varsity Blues, “Our swimmers will go home and they will remember this forever. I’m so proud of this group of guys.”

—Zoë Bedard

s

The proc assist wom VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR CIS family, but conditions Until about five years ago, women traction of seeking to have their eggs frozen woman sho by fertility clinics across Canada zen when s could do so only for medical rea- ing her lat sons. Things have since changed. eggs are th Largely thanks to technologi- storage un cal advances, egg freezing can to retrieve be carried out with much more decides sh success and is now available to thawed, fe women seeking it for non-medical partner, an reasons. Just this October, the uterus. The American Society for Reproduc- a woman c tive Medicine lifted the process’ when she “experimental” label. With its them unde changed status, egg freezing is set While qu to become more widely available ing has its to women, even those seeking it tion maint for non-medical reasons. in the freez Social egg freezing (egg freez- is well past ing for non-medical reasons) the technol seems a promising way to em- the decreas

by PAjoT/VARSITY giving them Rosa Serafini (centre) and the Blues won silver inpower the 4×800women relay. DENNIS bLUEScompanies more control over when they can need to hav have children. Fertility declines use egg free with age and the dip is especially Addition steep for women after their mid- nancially 30s. Women captivated by the al- LifeQuest, lure of a traditional family, where es $8,600 f a woman and her male partner cluding eg have biological links to their and embry children, find themselves in po- also requ sitions where starting a family medication is anything but ideal. A woman which can might want to pursue a career, Social eg establish financial security, or take off an find the right partner first. As it cannot o is the case with numerous wom- fertility dec en, she may hit her late-30s be- who wants fore these conditions are met, at willing to which point the quality of her dole out th eggs is very low. so before it

Recaps of the Blues’ successes during Reading Week from the OUA track and field second place finish Over Reading Week, while U of T shut down for the most part, the Varsity Blues men’s and women’s teams competed in some of their most important tournaments of the season, and did so to great success. The men’s swim team won the cis title while the women’s track and field team claimed the silver medal at the oua championships, but the women’s basketball team sadly saw their post–season come to an end.

25

Elizabeth Cinco

gold medalist swim team to the

Social egg freezing gives women more options, but not many more

TRACK AND FIELD U of T’s women’s track and field team ended this past weekend in Windsor as silver medalists at the 2013 oua championships. The team finished with 147 points, one mere point behind the gold medalist Guelph Gryphons.

The final standings came down to the women’s 4x400 metre relay, the last race of the day. In the race, the Gryphons needed to finish higher than sixth place to secure the title and successfully did so with their fifth place finish in the event. The Gryphons swept the oua track and field titles with the men ans women’s teams coming in first. Despite, being unable to win the entire championship, the Blues did win gold in the final event and set a new oua record.

CONTINUED NEXT PAGE

Rachel Jewett won her second straight oua pentathlon title. DENNIS PAjoT/VARSITY bLUES

Acne + Accutan

CLASSIFIEDS VINYL, CDS, EQUIPMENT High Quality Vinyl & reconditioned equipment AROUND AGAIN 18 Baldwin St

SUBJECTS WANTED Researchers at the Department of Linguistics, McGill are looking VINYL,University CDS, EQUIPMENT forHigh speakers of Russian Quality Vinyl &who were born in North America or reconditioned equipment who moved to North America AROUND AGAIN before or at the age of 5, 18 Baldwin St speak who predominantly English, but whose parents HIRING speak Russian.

Compensation Time between classes?

Earn of $20.

If interested, please great commission by referring contact Cole Imhoff at cole. clients to us through posters imhoff@mail.mcgill.ca. a couple of hoursisper week.

This research being DR. ELON GRIFFITH Join our advertising supervised by Cosmetic & General Dentistry team today.

Dr. Larissa Nossalik at 416 280 6113.

416-923-3386 larissa.nossalik@mcgill.ca

CLASSIFIEDS DENTAL CARE

drgriffith@rogers.com VARSITY CLASSIFIEDS

YONGE ST.

25 Charles CostST.W $12.00 for twenty-five words. each additional word.

Toronto ON$0.25 M4Y for 2R4 Rates include one line of bold type for the ad header. No copy changes BLOOR ST. W. submission. Submit ads by after email, CHARLES ST. W.mail or phone. Ads must be submitted at least four days prior to Our Office publication.

Contact us for more info.

with causing Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Crohn’s Disease and Colitis.

DENTAL CARE

Legate & Associates LLP and Harrison Pensa LLP, have joined forces to accep clients who have been diagnosed with Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Crohn’s D or Colitis, as a result of their experience Accutane or its generic equivalents.

DR. ELON GRIFFITH

Cosmetic & General Dentistry

Contact us for a free consu 416-923-3386

1-888-557-0447 or info@accutanelaw drgriffith@rogers.com 25 Charles ST.W Toronto 2R4 Please visitON us M4Y online

accutanelawsuit.ca BLOOR ST. W. CHARLES ST. W.

YONGE ST.

swimmer of the year Zack Chetrat won the cis grand slam award. DAVID MoLL/VARSITY bLUES

BAY ST.

oua

Inflammator Bowel Dise

WANTED: CHRISTMAS GIFT WRAPPERS Creative individuals, Locations -- Downtown Toronto, North York, Brampton. Managers to $11.50/hour + bonuses.

Wrappers to $10.60/hour.Full Accutane, a drug used for patien & Time - December ThePart Blues’ men’sAvail swim team won a seventeenth national banner. DAVID MoLL/VARSITY bLUES 1 – 24. TO APPLY, GO TO: severe acne, has been associate www.TorontoWraps.com

BAY ST.

SWIMMING The Varsity Blues’ men’s swimming team travelled to Calgary this past weekend and returned as cis swimming champions with U of T’s first national swimming banner since 1994.

The ubc Thunderbirds and the Calgary Dinos had been the only teams to win the banner in the past 18 years.

It was a close race through the three-day championships, but Toronto fought hard to secure their 15–point victory over the second place Thunderbirds and a 25– point margin over the Dinos.

After the first day of competition, the Blues’ men’s team was seeded third and the women fourth. On Day One alone, Toronto secured five medals. Blues’ Andrea Jurenovskis started the competition with a third–place finish in the 50-metre backstroke, and the day would later end with Mike Smerek, Brian Lee, Luke Hall, and Matthew Myers winning a bronze in the men’s 4x100 freestyle relay. Zack Chetrat, who was recently crowned the 2013 oua swimmer of the year, Jeremie Holdom, and Vanessa Treasure each placed second in their respective events.

Day Two saw the men’s team rise two spots in the standings to hold first place heading into the final day of the competition, while the women sat in third place, more than 100 points behind the ubc Thunderbirds. Mike Smerek started the second day of the cis championships by claiming the

AccutaneLawsuitCanada Our Office

LEGA0048_AccutaneUniAd_FA.indd 1

@Acc

VARSITY SPORTS

26 Vol. CXXXIII No. 17 CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE The Varsity Blues won seventeen medals over the course of the two– day championship competition.

Sarah Wells, a 2012 Olympian, won a silver in the 300 metre race and a gold in the 600 metre, closely followed by fellow Blues swimmer Natalie Geiger.

Geiger later teamed up with Alicia Brown, Khamica Bingham, and Hayley Warren to secure a gold-place finish in the women’s 4x200 relay.

Khamica Bingham smashed the oua record in the women’s 60 metre sprint to win the gold medal with a time of 7.41 seconds.

Laura Maessen won her first oua gold medal in the women’s high jump and third-year distance runner Colleen Hennessey won the bronze medal to conclude the weekend’s individual medals.

The Blues’ track and field teams are now focused on the cis championships to be held in early– March in Edmonton.

—ZB BASKETBALL The Carleton Ravens defeated the Varsity Blues’ women’s basketball team Saturday, ending Toronto’s playoff hopes. The oua east semifinal game finished with a score

of 71–47 for Carleton, as they dispatched the Blues to move on to the oua finals.

This is the second year in a row that the Blues have fallen to Carleton in an oua east semi-final; in 2012, Toronto fell to the Ravens by a margin of 22 points.

Carleton, ranked second in the oua and seventh nationally, started off the game strong, ending the first quarter 24–10. The Blues, who ended the regular season ranked third in the oua, seemed ready to stage a comeback in the second as they outscored Carleton on the quarter. But Toronto couldn’t keep up as Carleton finished the game strong, with high scoring throughout the second half. Carleton ended the contest with higher shooting percentages than the Blues, as well as nearly 20 more rebounds than Toronto.

Despite the overall low scoring performance, some members of the Toronto squad performed well in the loss. Third-year forward Rachael Sider notched 12 points and four steals, rounding off her breakout season.

Fourth-year forward Alicia Van Kampen also contributed 12 points, as well as grabbing four rebounds. Jill Stratton, who struggled to sink shots throughout the game, still marked 10 points and five rebounds on the night.

Saturday’s game followed the Blues’ win at home on Wednesday in the oua East quarter-fi-

sports@thevarsity.ca

nals, where they triumphed over the York Lions 88–52. The Blues fought hard early, ending the first quarter up 21–3, and never looked back. Toronto outscored the Lions in every quarter, finishing with high shooting percentages, and grabbing 14 more rebounds than York.

Toronto ended the game earning their highest score of the season with 88 points, with fourth-year guard Jasmine Lewin contributing a career-high 25 points. Blues players Julie Longauer, Sider, and Amanda Lauzon also scored in the double digits, and Stratton ended with a career-high nine assists.

Although the Blues’ season is finished, fans have a lot to look forward to next year, with many strong players returning, and some new talent set to join the team.

—Susan Gordon While many U of T students were basking in the warm sun on a Caribbean beach and even more spent the week buried beneath seemingly endless piles of books, Blues athletes were making history. The Varsity swim team became the first non Canada West team to win the cis title since 1994 and the track and field team witnessed their first podium finish since 2007. Surely this was a much better way to spend Reading Week than writing essays.

Blues second-year guard Melissa Frederick. Bernarda Gospic/THe VarsiTy

MAY THE SPORTS BE WITH YOU! SPORTS@THEVARSITY.CA

COME MEET ALUMNI AT OUR INFORMATION SEMINAR LILIAN SARFATI, MD ’12 Family Medicine Resident

DECISIVE. RESILIENT. COMPASSIONATE. THE DEFINITION OF A ROSS GRADUATE. Ross University School of Medicine (RUSM) has proudly graduated more than 9,000 physicians who are practicing across the US and Canada.

Register at RossU.edu or scan the QR code.

HOTEL NOVOTEL TORONTO NORTH YORK

čŶ ŶċčŶĄĂăąŶēŶĄŶ

Speak with alumni and our admissions staff. Bring your family and friends who are helping you make this important decision; refreshments will be provided.

RUSM-Print 2013-Toronto U (March)-10w.7.5h.indd 1

RUSM provides clinical rotations at teaching hospitals across the US. Our graduates have attained more US residencies than those of any other medical school in the last five years.

Provincial loans and scholarships are available to those who qualify.

For comprehensive consumer information visit www.RossU.edu/med-student-consumer-info 2013 Global Education International.

All rights reserved.

2/13/13 4:45 PM

VARSITY SPORTS

var.st/sports

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2013

27

We’ve got spirit, yes we do. We’ve got spirit, how about you?

The tale behind the white pom poms, dance moves, and the Pom Team’s journey to recognition Riley Watson

“We were a fairly new program so some people didn’t really see the point in our team. I think we have managed to distinguish ourselves from the two teams [dance and cheerleading] and now there are three popular spirit groups at U of T.”

VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR

EVENT GUIDE

SPORTS

There is a story behind the pom poms. U of T’s Varsity Blues Pom Team, a recent spirit-filled addition to our sports games, is a cheering, dancing, screaming tour de force that is attempting to whip U of T fans into a school spirit frenzy.

The Pom Team’s role at games is to perform dance routines, encourage the players, entertain the crowd and keep school spirit at a constant high. The team’s presence on and around campus has been growing ever since their creation five years ago by program coordinator Ivan Canete. Inspired by a long tradition of pom in the United States, Canete created the team to fill the long gaps of silence in games that were not being filled by the cheerleading or dance teams.

The team goes far beyond simply cheering on the Blues’ sports teams; their efforts include working as ambassadors representing U of T at events including the Pride Parade and the Toronto Santa Claus Parade. Their appearances at the Pride Parade help to spread the message that the students of U of T are “firm believers in equality and diversity, and we have nothing but great respect for the lgbtq community,” says Nicole Green, the team’s co-captain. Appearances at events like Frosh Week are equally important, as they encourage students to participate in university life and get involved in extracurriculars. “That is our recruitment time and that is how we encourage new students — especially those who can dance — to get involved on campus,” explained Green.

The team has a busy schedule on top of their cheering during the school year, as they perform and compete at three major events throughout the year. This year they competed at The Falls Freeze Cheer and Dance Frenzy in New York as well as at the Cheer Evolution University and Open Championships. “This year will be our redemption year, as we are determined to beat our rivals, the Queens University Dance Pack,” Green says.

The positive feedback that the team has received this year is a new development and something that the team has had to fight to achieve.

The original members found the reaction from the crowd to be overwhelmingly indifferent and dif-

—Nicole Green, founding member of the Pom Team

BernArdA GOSpIC/THe VArSITy

ficult to overcome, and many left after one or two years on the team feeling disheartened. “The fans didn’t know how to react,” Canete admits.

Current team members, however, say that fan reaction has grown increasingly positive over time. “In the past the crowds were

a bit unforgiving towards us,” Green, who is the only remaining original team member, says. “We were a fairly new program that is a hybrid of cheerleading and jazz dance so some people didn’t really see the point in our team…

I think we have managed to distinguish ourselves from the two

teams [dance and cheerleading] and now there are three popular spirit groups at U of T.” The team has successfully blossomed into a more valuable part of the game experience, cheering for the Blues during basketball, volleyball, football, and hockey games throughout their seasons.

Nevertheless, as the years pass and the team’s presence is becoming increasingly respected, there remains a lack of connection between the team and the fans in the bleachers. One fan recently told The Varsity, “As a student who attends many Varsity games, I have mixed feelings towards the Pom Team at U of T. I feel that the Pom Team is important, and they do add to the in-game experience for those in the stands, but their appearances during many of the games seem very forced. Their appearances and interactions with the fans in sports other than football are not at all connected to the game.

“The Pom Team is important, but their role can be expanded and improved.”

Co-ordinator Canete explains that much of this disconnect is a product of the setup of the Athletic Centre basketball court, and that if there was more room, the team would stand behind the nets and therefore be visible to all. At Varsity Stadium the team is not faced with space constraints, and their presence and influence is recognized by players and fans. “I did think that they were a positive influence on the team,” said Mike Hassard, a former Blues football player. “They lifted the spirits on the sidelines and occasionally got the people in the crowd cheering, and the louder, the better.”

The future of the Pom Team seems bright. As their popularity grows and the quality of their cheering and dance increases with each year, the Pom Team’s presence appears set to become an integral part of home games.

MARCH 1-2

MARCH 1-2

MARCH 2-3

MARCH 7-9

MARCH 7-10

MARCH 8-10

Women’s basketball at OUA final four Location TBA Time TBA Free

Men’s wrestling at CIS Championships in London, Ontario Time: TBA

Men’s nordic at Ontario Cup 4 at Hardwood Hills Time: Saturday and Sunday at 9am

Men’s track and field at CIS CHampionships in Edmonton, Alberta Time: TBA

Women’s hockey at CIS CHampionship at U of T Time: TBA

Men’s badminton at OUA Championship at Ryerson University, Time: TBA

MARCH 21-24 Men’s badminton at Canadian University Championship in Montreal, Quebec

28 MONDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2013

DIVERSIONS

thevarsity.ca

Our greatest disappointments at the Oscars Seth MacFarlane’s continued existence.

Vigo the Carpathian not being the host

No announcement of Tarantino’s latest attempt to finally win: Taran-teen-toes

2012 didn’t win best documentary KONY

Adele performed instead of Kanye West

No public waterboarding for academy members who voted for Zero Dark Thirty

While the CGI Ted bear was in attendance, there was no holograph Tupac.

Who is that lady who cut off Jack Nicholson?

The fall meeting of members

Elections

The Fall Meeting of Members of VARSITY PUBLICATIONS INC. (the “Corporation”), the company that publishes The Varsity newspaper, will be held

Elections for director positions on the Board of Directors of Varsity Publications Inc., the corporation that publishes The Varsity newspaper, will be held

DATE: Wednesday, March 20, 2013 TIME: 5:00 pm LOCATION: 21 Sussex Ave., second floor

ELECTION PERIOD: March 17–19, 2013 LOCATION: online at https://voting.utoronto.ca NOMINATION PERIOD: February 25–March 4, 2013

The meeting will be held for the purpose of: 1. ratify by ordinary resolution the results of the online vote for director positions on the Corporation’s Board of Directors; 2. review and, if deemed appropriate, pass a special resolution to approve proposed changes to the corporation’s bylaws; 3. transacting such other business as may properly be brought before the meeting

Positions Available Five (5) general category seats One (1) seat allocated for a member registered at the University of Toronto’s Mississauga campus (per Varsity Publications Inc. Bylaw 6, article 10) One (1) seat allocated for a member registered at the University of Toronto’s Scarborough campus (per Varsity Publications Inc. Bylaw 6, article 10)

Members unable to attend this meeting in person are able to proxy their vote. Proxies must be returned to the location of the meeting no later than 5 pm on Tuesday, March 19, 2013. Proxy-holders cannot hold more than two (2) proxies. For more information on the Spring Meeting of Members, visit var.st/springmeeting

For more information, and to download the nomination form, visit var.st/board2013