November 14, 2011

THE Varsity

14 November, 2011

Vol. CXXXII, No. 10

U of T remembers

see the photo essay p16

Provost stirs frustration at Towards 2030 town hall Audience troubled about university governance and student fees Akihiko Tse

Higher tuition fees

U of T says: Increased tuition fees will improve the undergraduate experience by creating a larger fund dedicated to students.

The university plans to keep the university accessible to marginalized students by offering more bursaries and scholarships.

Critics say: Higher tuition rates will make U of T even more inaccessible, and added financial aid will not be able to bridge the financial gap, putting students in more debt. Marginalized students will be discouraged from coming to U of T and the student population will become less economically diverse.

VARSITY STAFF

A town hall addressing U of T’s Towards 2030 plan left many audience members frustrated as Vice-President and Provost Cheryl Misak remained tight-lipped over issues like governance and student funding.

Called “The View From 2012,” the town hall was held on November 4 at the Bahen Centre. It took issue with the plan, which, according to U of T, envisions that by 2030, the University will be globally recognized in graduate research, have extended more autonomy to its satellite campuses, and have forged partnerships with more corporations that will provide further research funding.

James Nugent, a graduate student from the Department of Geography, began the discussion by questioning why the “desperately needed” Doctoral Completion Grant was “unilaterally cancelled without any consultation with chairs or students.”

Under U of T’s graduate funding structure, students, over the course of their doctoral years, were eligible for a funding package that “consists of an amount equal to the cost of academic tuition fees plus $15,000.”

Nugent said that the average completion time of a U of T doctorate is around five to six years. With funding now only available for four years, however, domestic and international students have to pay tuition fees without the $15,000 grant once their funding has expired. To compensate for the loss, the University now offers a Doctoral Completion Award.

With the award funds going directly to departments, he said that department heads are left to decide how to distribute the funds.

A Towards 2030 primer

Corporate partnerships

U of T says: The university will forge more partnerships with corporations in order to bring in more funding for cutting-edge research.

Critics say: Corporate partnerships will divert attention from less profitable projects to those prioritized by corporations. In fear of losing their funding, possible whistleblowers might be forced to keep quiet.

Graduate students Graduate students raise concerns about Towards 2030 plan to Provost Cheryl Misak. Sarah TaguiAM/THe VArsity

“The award is a competitive one… The problem with that is if a department gets $90,000, they can give that all to one person, but nobody knows how much each department gets,” Nugent said.

Misak replied, saying that the decision to switch from a grant to an award was made with “a huge amount of consultation” because funding students beyond four years was unsustainable.

Blaming the University’s limited pool of money to the 2008 financial crisis, when hiring was frozen and faculties had to “cope with their loss of endowment” — around the time Towards 2030 was compiled — Misak said that the award is necessary for some departments because “it is very

hard to have a one-size-fits-all model.”

She gave the example that some students in the Department of Classics usually require extra years in order to fully learn Latin.

Ashleigh Ingle, another PhD student in the Department of Physics, said that in order to guarantee graduate funding, graduate students are “expected” to work as teaching assistants, placing PhD students in a disadvantaged employeeemployer relationship with the University.

“Even when we are no longer guaranteed our poverty-level funding, have no guaranteed TA CONTINUED ON P7

U of T says: 35 per cent of St. George’s population will be made up of graduate students. This move promises to elevate the university’s research reputation while still focusing on quality education for undergraduates, the bulk of which is expected to study in UTM and UTSC. Critics say: Some are concerned that lower undergrad presence at St. George means undergraduate education will become less of a priority.

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Alberto Bustamante talks to women’s hockey captain Hanna Tighe in the End Game series

The Iliad, reimagined Open Source Indicators allow governments to predict disasters ASSU president talks “Towards 2030”

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Ancillary increase in the works If successful, new fee will go towards club funding Jonathan Scott VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR

A dollar increase in student ancillary fees is currently being considered by the Office of Student Life in an effort to offer more support to campus clubs and organizations.

“Every year, I am approached by student groups asking for money,” said Lucy Fromowitz, Assistant Vice-President, Student Life. “In every case, their case is compelling and the work they are trying to accomplish admirable… I always had to say no because I have no money to draw on for this purpose, and it would be unfair to make money available only to those who happened to find me.”

The University of Toronto Students’ Union presently funds up to 50 per cent of a club’s budget, while the other half must come from fundraising and other external funding like the Hart House Good Ideas Fund.

The Office’s current support for campus clubs includes website hosting, training seminars, and office space. But should the fee increase go through, it would seek to supplement UTSU’s contribution to clubs, allowing the Office to more directly support student organizations.

Fromowitz said she wants to have a “designated sum of money” and a “transparent process in which to distribute it,” but some students wonder if it’s appropriate for administration to be funding student groups.

Michael Scott, Trinity College’s UTSU director, questioned whether Fromowitz’ plan will create an adversarial framework in which “the administration will have to prioritize some groups over others.” He worried about how the proposed system would work with partisan clubs or clubs dedicated to issues the university doesn’t support.

The proposed plan, according to him, “speaks to a very controlling administration interfering with student discourse” if not properly executed. “I really think there is a need for more [club funding] on campus; I mean a lot of clubs have a lot of difficulty finding sources of revenue, so this could address those needs and improve student life. U of T does need to increase its

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student life, and this could be a beneficial step in the right direction, so long as there is student direction,” he said.

To avoid these concerns, Fromowitz plans to create an annually-chosen student committee to oversee the fund’s allocation and distribution.

“I see the students as the owners of the process,” said Fromowitz, explaining that the committee would follow the principles set out by a student working-group and would annually post information on how the money was distributed.

Other students wonder if creating this new fund is a move to break UTSU’s hegemony over clubs, but Fromowitz doesn’t see UTSU’s role changing. “[UTSU] offers support, as does Hart House

through its Good Ideas Fund. This would be one more fund available to students,” she said.

Fromowitz began to establish this new fee last October 31 by speaking with the Chair of the Council on Student Services, whose committee has final say over any increase in student fees.

With the committee’s schedule, discussions should begin sometime in January, and a decision will likely be made around the winter reading week, according to Fromowitz.

The COSS consists of the university president, two members from the Association of Part-time Students, two members from the Graduate Students’ Union, four members from the UTSU, a member each from the University of Toronto, Mississauga and the University of Toronto, Scarborough, and six

members appointed by the university.

In the past, UTSU has voted down any fee increase sought by the administration. Since UTSU can generally wield a voting majority on the committee, previous attempts to increase student fees to allow the administration to fund student groups have failed.

Danielle Sandhu, UTSU president, did not respond to enquiries about her opinions on Fromowitz’s plan.

Aware of the situation, Fromowitz herself noted that the Office has not had “an overall successful vote at [the committee],” but she remains optimistic for the plan’s success.

“The proposal I will be presenting around creating a fund to support student group activity is new and has not been presented in the past,” she said.

UTM opens doors to new health complex

Terrence Donnelly Health Science Complex promises to be one of Ontario’s premier medical education facilities Sarah Niedoba VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR

photoS FROM UTM MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS

On November 1, 240 guests witnessed the ribbon-cutting for UTM’s new Terrence Donnelly Health Science Complex.

The four-story complex, the newest addition to UTM’s campus, will house the Mississauga Academy of Medicine, the Department of Anthropology, and U of T’s biomedical communications program, as well as several lecture theatres, classrooms, and research labs.

Speakers at the event included Mississauga mayor Hazel McCallion, project donor Carlo Fidani, and the building’s namesake Terrence Donnelly.

U of T president David Naylor, U of T vicepresident and UTM principal Deep Saini, and vice-provost and Faculty of Medicine dean Catharine Whiteside were also present to represent the University. The project entered construction in the summer of 2009 and was a $37 million effort; the money for the project is a combination of government funding and private donations. Fidani gave $10 million to the cause while Donnelly donated an additional $12 million, the largest donation ever given UTM.

Fidani’s and Donnelly’s contribution will be put towards building costs and scholarships for deserving students.

“We are very grateful to the provincial government as well as Terrence Donnelly and Carlo Fidani, two great friends of the university and generous benefactors who together have made this health sciences complex a reality,” said Naylor during the event.

In addition to the research labs, lecture theatres, and medical classrooms, there will also be two new smart classrooms linking UTM’s medical academy to St. George’s campus, seamlessly delivering lectures from one campus to another through high-definition televisions.

According to Saini, the building is a both a “game-changer” and a “very prestigious new development for the campus,” which previously focused on arts and humanities.

Ontario Minister of Health and LongTerm Care Deb Matthews agreed.

“This new complex will not only provide medical students with world-class education and hands-on training, but ultimately, all Ontarians will benefit with improved access to highly skilled doctors and health care practitioners,” she said during the event.

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Social media, remembering in the new age Online campaigns help reach youth and adults across the country Sunnie Huang VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR

As thousands gathered for Remembrance Day ceremonies across the country, many organizations turn to social media to honour the contributions made by Canadian soldiers.

Founded in 2009 by U of T students and recent graduates, Canadian Hero Fund, a grassroots charity dedicated to Canadian soldiers and their families, is one of the frontrunners in using social media to raise awareness for similar initiatives.

Its second annual “11 for 11” fundraiser drive — launched simultaneously on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Vimeo — encourages Canadians to donate $11 during the first 11 days of November to raise scholarships for children and spouses of fallen soldiers. Last year, the fund awarded its first $10,000 scholarship to Matthew Mellish, the son of late Warrant Officer, Frank Mellish, who was killed in 2006 while serving in Afghanistan. Four more students this year received scholarships to pursue post-secondary education at two Canadian universities.

Co-founder Tim Peters told CBC Metro Morning in an interview that 95 per cent of donations are received online.

“As a relatively small charity with

a large focus and trying to have a national reach, we find the best way to do that is online,” said 11 for 11 campaign manager Johnny Henderson, whose grandfather served in the Second World War. The volunteers who manage the group’s online presence have experience dealing with the social media aspects of several political campaigns, according to Henderson.

CHF’s Facebook page and Twitter account have close to 2,000 active users and followers each. It also keeps a blog on Tumblr.

“Social media is a natural outlet for us,” Henderson said. “[It’s] a way to really quickly penetrate our audience across the country and get the message out.

“It serves our youth base quite well,” he added.

The group’s next step on its social media agenda is to produce more multimedia content. It has posted internship opportunities of a multimedia producer and a graphic designer on the website.

Henderson also encouraged students to follow CHF on social media for future job postings and volunteer opportunities.

Another veteran advocacy group on campus, the Soldiers’ Tower Committee of the University of Toronto Alumni Association, created a

Facebook page three years ago.

“We recognized that a lot of students engage in social media. It’s something we needed to do to catch up with other student organizations on campus,” said James Janeiro, the page’s administrator and the vicechair of the Committee, explaining the initial purpose of the page.

The Committee is made up of a diverse crowd, including retirees, working alumni, and student representatives. Although not all members are well-versed with the new forms of communication, Janeiro said that the older generation is “surprisingly familiar” with the concept of social media, as the initial proposal of starting a Facebook page came from one of the older members who used Facebook to connect with family and friends overseas.

Both Henderson and Janeiro pointed out that knowing the audience is key for cause-oriented organizations to launch effective social media campaign.

“If you shape your social media policy around that target audience, you’ll see a lot more conversion and a lot higher success rate,” Henderson of CHF said.

“It’s very important to start with a broad base, but also know who you are talking to,” added Janeiro, echoing the same sentiment.

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Incident leads to questions over effectiveness of U of T security Sarah Taguiam NEWS EDITOR

The abduction of a woman in broad daylight at the University of Toronto has cast a shadow of doubt over the effectiveness of the university’s security measures.

At approximately 11:40 am on Friday November 4, a parking control officer heard a woman cry for help in an underground parking garage at 107 St. George St. beside Rotman School of Business.

“She heard frantic screams, a woman shouting ‘Help me, help me,’ and then saw the woman being forced into the back — not the trunk, but the back seat — of a car,” said 52 Division lead investigator Detective Paul Ward in an interview with Inside Toronto.

The witness ran towards the scene only to see a black or blue four-door sedan speeding away with the victim inside, Ward added.

Another witness surfaced Monday after a surveillance photo of her (the witness) entering the garage was circulated by the police.

According to Constable Tony Vella, the woman, a non-U of T student, confirmed seeing the altercation.

The witnesses described that the victim is possibly a female of Asian descent with straight, shoulder-length hair.

The parking lot’s video surveillance is being examined by police

to identify the car and its owner.

“We are working on trying to get the plate number to the media … and trying to enhance it as we speak,” said Ward, mentioning that he has yet to get through a “mountain of files” from the Ministry of Transportation.

Little else is known about the mysterious disappearance but a U of T press release stated that the abduction was an “isolated incident” according to the police.

“They have no reason to think that any predator is hiding within the parking lots or other university property,” the release indicated.

In response to the safety concerns spreading across campus, the university has also reportedly ramped up security in its parking facilities.

“One of the things that we’ve done is to increase the patrols of garage and parking lots around campus,” said Michael Kurts, Assistant Vice-President of U of T strategic communications and marketing department.

These extra safety measures aren’t visible, however, in Rotman’s sparsely patrolled parking lot, according to some students.

“I have certainly not seen them beef up security,” said Kate Rootman, a Rotman student who parks in the garage daily. “It hits close to home, and I’m scared especially since I spend so much time here.

Even my husband says he’s going to buy me some mace and told me to

walk with someone when going to the car.”

Asked about the exact precautions they’ve put in place, Kurts replied that he’s not at liberty to get into specifics, mindful that it might jeopardize the added security’s effectiveness.

On the other hand, he added that the university has provided information to St. George students, campus groups and residences, warning them about the incident.

“Once we understood what had happened, we wanted to ensure we got information out as quickly as possible,” he said.

However, some remarked that the university-wide release issued Saturday was sent out too late.

“I understand that they don’t want to spread hysteria but it would’ve been nice to be informed about it on the day of [the incident],” said Ryan Shupak, another Rotman student present in the building during the incident.

To discover the identity of the victim, a mandatory roll-call for Rotman students is currently in order.

Students are expected to email, confirming their presence on campus.

“We were asked to do a roll-call on Monday [but] I’m curious as to why it took that long to do a roll call,” Rootman wondered.

Kurts was unable to confirm if similar incidents have occurred in U of T’s recent history.

News in brief Fired physics professor wages Pub crawl takes Remembrance war against U of O Day celebration a drink too far Physics Professor Denis Rancourt’s battle against his old employer, the University of Ottawa, continues at court after his 2009 dismissal.

Fired after a 30-year career, Rancourt’s case questions the issue of academic freedom versus university governance. As a professor, Rancourt assigned his whole fourth-year physics class a mark of A+ at the beginning of the term, feeling that he had the academic freedom to use teaching methods he found appropriate and efficient.

“Grades are the carrot and stick that shape obedient employees and that prepare students for the higher level indoctrinations of graduate and professional schools,” said Rancourt in an interview with rabble.ca.

His approach sparked controversy with the University, which claimed that Rancourt didn’t have the authority to defy grading policies and procedures, as the institution provided Rancourt with benefits and support.

This dismissal of academic freedom, according to Rancourt, was unjustified, leading him to file a complaint to the Ontario Labour Relations Board.

Estimated to go well into 2012, his recent trials heard U of O claim that Rancourt’s teaching methods constituted experimentation on human subjects.

Rancourt received his Masters and Doctorate degrees from the University of Toronto.

—Irina Vukosavic

New Brunswick Community College (NBCC) students have put a controversial twist on usual Remembrance Day celebrations — by commemorating Canadian soldiers through a pub crawl.

Prominently advertised on Facebook, the event called NBCC students to visit 11 pubs in 11 hours.

Though intended to be fun, the event has set off students and teachers alike.

Jack Watt, a student representative for NBCC, told the Telegraph Journal that the event was “disrespectful” and “in bad taste.”

Larry Lynch, president of the local Royal Canadian Legion Branch 69, admitted that he would not be in attendance at such an event but said that “people have a right to remember however they want to remember.”

“It’s a free country, and that’s what our soldiers fought for,” he added.

The event’s main organizer, NBCC student Edward Jenkins, informed the local newspaper that the idea was “clever.”

To him, the pub crawl was a “way to express our dedication to the men and women that fought for our country.”

Aware of the negative reaction, the organizers later renamed the event the “Uptown Tour.”

—Jennifer Gosnell With files from MacLean’s and Toronto Star.

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Lack of bottled water has forced students to buy water off-campus. Bernarda Gospic/THe VArsity

Bottled water ban backlash

Students demand more water fountains and refilling stations Dalana Parris VARSITY STAFF

University of Toronto’s tri-campus ban on bottled water has prompted a backlash from students.

Officially carried out this fall, the ban ensures that water is no longer sold at campus cafés, libraries, and other U of T buildings.

The water ban was initiated by the student organization, Public Water Initiative (PWI), that lobbies for public accessibility to drinking water through social equity.

“The decision to ban the sale of bottled water on campus is a huge step forward in developing social and environmental justice on campus,” said Corey Scott, UTSU’s VP Internal and Services.

In the last few years, U of T Food Services has worked in collaboration with PWI for various projects in an effort to achieve this goal. “[We’ve been working] towards creating a climate where we could finally remove bottled water from the shelves without too much resistance from food providers, or the community,” said Anne MacDonald, director of ancillary services at U of T. Additional support has come from the UTSU Sustainability Commission, which has been providing students with literature highlighting harmful effects of bottled water

on the environment and individual health. It describes the environmental impact of improperly recycled bottles and states that public water is less damaging to one’s health than water packaged and sold by private companies.

The union has also been distributing reusable water bottles that are free of Bisphenol A. However, many students are responding negatively to the ban. They argue that there was no adequate transition period that enabled them to adjust to an absence of bottled water on campus.

Some students criticized U of T for not installing enough water fountains and water refilling stations to accommodate the lack of bottled water.

Third-year student Supriya Joshi spoke against the inefficiency of the university’s decision.

“You have to ensure the necessary accommodations before you get rid of water. It’s like writing an essay before you do the research,” she said.

“I feel that it’s a decision that was made as a feel-good project because it has made no difference. There’s not less plastic, there’s just less water,” she continued.

Joshi described the inconvenience of travelling to off-campus locations for bottled water and resorting to bottled juices from the university’s vending machines when thirsty.

Coincidentally, she wasn’t alone in her disapproval of the new bottled water ban. A Facebook group entitled “Bring Back Bottled Water at U of T” has emerged in response to the University’s actions.

The Facebook group petitions to bring back the students’ right to choose whether or not they want to buy bottled water.

It highlights the inconvenience to students — again referring to a lack of accommodation — and questions the reasoning behind the university’s decision. The group also argues that students can still purchase other bottled drinks and canned beverages that pose equal health and environmental risks as they too contain BPA. Although U of T is to remain a bottled water free zone, UTSU is lobbying for the installation of additional accommodations.

“The University needs to ensure that there is a plan to ensure public water infrastructure which includes developing public and accessible water fountains and refilling stations,” said Scott. “We will continue to push for establishing more fountains and ensure that people can get water for free from cafeterias, like is currently possible at Hart House, [and we will work] with administration to ensure that students have access to water.”

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Arts and Science releases academic plan draft

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In a widely circulated memo dated October 24, Dean Meric Gertler proposed an initial draft of the academic plan that will guide the Faculty of Arts and Science through to 2015.

The 30-page document suggests new interdisciplinary initiatives aimed at improving the breadth of undergraduate education. It charts a frugal course for the cashstrapped faculty, while also steering clear of the more far-reaching changes that doomed last year’s proposed plan.

Upon presenting the document to the Arts and Science Faculty Committee, dean Gertler stated that there were “few surprises” but the plan has retained the “same five foci” from last year.

Most of the proposals lean towards affordable, small-scale efficiencies and improvements. They include an expansion of access to research opportunities for undergraduate students, the universalization of college-organized “One” programs, considerable improvements to the university’s electronic resources, and an integration of graduate and undergraduate teaching streams wherever possible.

Notably absent from the memo was last year’s proposed School of Languages and Literature. An amalgamation of numerous language departments and the Northrop Frye Centre for Comparative Literature,

the School was initially suggested as an effort to find efficiencies in the human resources of the university’s many language departments. Soon after its announcement, the proposed School became a focal point for criticism from students, faculty members, and press.

Spared from the revised plan’s chopping block were the Centres for Ethics, Society, and Law, Diaspora and Transnational Studies, and East Asian Studies. In place of last year’s closures, the new plan offloads handling of select courses to other faculties and divisions of the university, a practice that’s already underway and will likely expand in the future.

Asked about previous plans to close or combine divisions, Dean Gertler replied that “those original proposals have indeed been dropped” and that instead, the planning committee decided to “consider other ways of achieving our academic goals.”

At present, the most expensive component of the plan involves the wide-scale hiring of up to 61 new professors and teaching staff, mainly in departments that suffer from a poor faculty-student ratio.

The plan also has U of T bucking the recent trend among Ontario higher education institutes, proposing to decrease the number of incoming undergraduate students by a projected 700 spots. Restrictions will be primarily imposed upon domestic applicants in favour of admitting additional international

students whose lucrative tuition fees are largely unregulated by the provincial government.

“It is partially about the money,” said Bruce Bowden, Trinity College Registrar. “But of course, every registrar is interested in having a diverse incoming class.”

The plan, however, doesn’t offer any alternative actions to address the faculty’s growing debt, which is a predicted $60 million by the end of 2011-12 academic year.

Its relative lack of concrete proposals compared to last year’s document has left some observers worried.

“Students should be wary about the vagueness of the document as a whole, which was an issue raised by several people at the last Arts and Science council meeting,” said Katharine Ball, president of the Arts and Science Student Union.

These concerns, raised repeatedly at the October 31 Faculty Committee meeting, were met with a response from dean Gertler.

“This document is attempting to sketch out some broad priorities, but it leaves a lot of room for specific initiatives to be enacted,” he said.

“I don’t intend for this document to be the last word or the definitive statement on what we’re planning to do over the next five years.

There’s a danger of locking yourself in and not being able to respond to specific circumstances as they arise,” he added.

The draft is expected to undergo some revisions before being presented again in early December.

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“Towards 2030” town hall controversy CONTINUED FROM P1 hours, and are not taking any courses, we are still expected to pay between $8,000 and $18,000 every year,” Ingle said.

Misak replied, saying that, “If we had the money, we would do a whole range of things.”

“While it is true that graduate students are employed in teaching assistants and research assistants, this is not a business, and I am not a CEO. The fundamental relationship is not that graduate students are employees… that would be a terrible, terrible outcome,” she continued.

However, Ingle said that working as a TA “would imply the University owes us some sort of wage,” making them employees.

Frustrated, she also added, “How is it legitimate than an ‘employer’ can tell me at a certain point that I don’t deserve to get paid anymore?”

“I cannot speak to anything that’s going on with any live bargaining process, so I will not answer that question with very good reason,” Misak said.

UTSU and other participants, however, are pushing for more

transparency.

“Our members want to see open and inclusive processes for academic planning and governance at the University to ensure our priorities as students are reflected,” said Danielle Sandhu, president of the University of Toronto Students’ Union, in an e-mail to The Varsity.

“We want to see a genuine commitment from the administration to improve the quality of our education and our student experience, and to ensure that our education remains affordable.”

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Editorial Board

Editor-in-Chief Tom Cardoso editor@thevarsity.ca design@thevarsity.ca Design Editors Matthew D. H. Gray matthew@thevarsity.ca Mushfiq Ul Huq mushfiq@thevarsity.ca Photo Editor Bernarda Gospic photo@thevarsity.ca Online Editor Sam Bowman online@thevarsity.ca Senior Copy Editor Maayan Adar copy@thevarsity.ca News Editor Sarah Taguiam news@thevarsity.ca Comment Editor Alex Ross comment@thevarsity.ca Features Editor Erene Stergiopoulos features@thevarsity.ca Arts & Culture Editor Ariel Lewis arts@thevarsity.ca Science Editor Bianca Lemus Lavarreda science@thevarsity.ca Sports Editor Murad Hemmadi sports@thevarsity.ca Illustrations Editor Jenny Kim illustrations@thevarsity.ca Associate Design Editor Vacant Associate Photo Editor Vacant Associate Online Editor Patrick Love Associate Copy Editor Vacant Associate News Editor Vacant Associate Comment Editor Vacant Associate Features Editor Simon Frank Associate A&C Editor Assunta Alegiani Brigit Katz Associate Science Editor Ken Euler Associate Sports Editor Zoë Bedard

Contributors

Assunta Alegiani, Katherine Ball. Rachel Bulatovich, Alberto Bustamante, Jennifer Gosnell, Julia Herrick, Sunnie Huang, Juan Carlos Jiminez, Brigit Katz, Maggie Keenan, Sean Kennedy, Danielle Klein, Nishi Kumar, Melissa LoParco, James Maiangowi, Dan Miller, Sarah Niedoba, Jonathan Scott, Abdullah Shihipar, Andrea Themistokleous, Nish V, Jessica Zou Copy Editors Emily Dunbar Reshara Alviarez Elizabeth Benn Robert Boissonneault Emily Dunbar Nikita Gill Susan Gordon Ryan Hanney Tina Hui Jasmine Pauk Sheena Singh Daniel Smeenk Designers Yasi Eftekhari Suzy Nevins Michelle Yuan Cover photo Bernarda Gospic

Fact Checkers Reshara Alviarez Elizabeth Benn Emily Dunbar Nikita Gill Laura Mitchell Sheena Singh Daniel Smeenk Photo and Illustration Rochelle Aranha Aggie Gao Bernarda Gospic Murad Hemmadi Shannon Hsieh Anamarija Korolj Sarah Taguiam

Board of Directors

Chief Executive Officer Paul Humphrey ceo@thevarsity.ca Chief Financial Officer Vacant cfo@thevarsity.ca Chief Operations Officer Vacant coo@thevarsity.ca Editor-in-Chief Tom Cardoso editor@thevarsity.ca Speaker Arman Hamidian speaker@thevarsity.ca Secretary Bethany McKoy secretary@thevarsity.ca Board Members Lauren Ash (St. George) Jessica Denyer (St. George) Paul Humphrey (St. George) Ariel Lewis (Staff) Andrew Rusk (Staff) Erene Stergiopoulos (Masthead) Vacant (St. George) Vacant (UTSC) Vacant (UTM) Vacant (ProFac) Vacant (ProFac)

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VARSITY COMMENT

comment@thevarsity.ca

“Towards 2030” tribulations There needs to be a more respectful dialogue between the administration and critics of its policies Katharine Ball PRESIDENT OF ASSU

Knowledgeable and passionate people populate both sides of the debate over governing practices at U of T, but the dialogue lacks respect. In the “Towards 2030” plan and the St. George Campus Town Hall designed to discuss it, this lack of respect is obvious.

Provost Cheryl Misak, an active participant in the Towards 2030 debate, is a highly-regarded professor of philosophy; likewise, whether or not you agree with their opinions or decisions, the members of our university’s administration are accomplished in their respective fields, having risen to their current positions through dedication and passion for education. T he ideas they bring to the Town Hall are thought out carefully and merit real consideration.

Similarly, the students and faculty in attendance at the St. George Campus Town Hall deserve more respect than they are receiving. The opinions of undergraduates, graduate students, and faculty should be heard and have more influence in administrative decisions at U of T. The concern raised by several of the attendees regarding university governance practices stems from the reality that there are members of the U of T community that feel unjustly excluded from the decision-making process. Therefore, the debate over U of T’s governing practices sparked by policy documents such as Towards 2030 needs to be had in a way that will allow for genuine dialogue.

Admittedly, I cannot propose a concrete solution for the bitterness in the dialogue, but I can make three

suggestions that I feel would improve the situation for administration, faculty, and students alike: 1) “Give credit where credit is due.”

This adage is one that the administration should keep in mind. If the idea for a new policy, fund, or initiative comes from a student union, a focus group, or any entity outside of the administration, ensure that they are given recognition for the idea in some way. There are few things more frustrating than seeing someone take your idea and act as if they independently came up with it.

2) “Keep calm and carry on.” The administration, students, and faculty should remember this when deal-

ing with contentious issues, such as the Towards 2030 document. It is easy to let emotions get the better of you; constructive dialogue is lost all too easily to emotions, leading to sensationalistic rhetoric and snarky comments. Emotions should drive the passion to voice one’s opinions, not overshadow it.

3) More student representation. At the Towards 2030 Town Hall, one person pointed out that 18 per cent of Governing Council board seats are held by students, yet student fees cover 39 per cent of the operating costs of the university. There are plenty of students at U of T that are eager to get involved with university

governance practices, and all with the intent of working with administration and faculty to ensure a high quality education and a positive experience for both undergraduate and graduate students.

These suggestions express my hope that the seemingly stagnant discussions between administration, faculty, and students can be improved with constructive dialogue. I cannot see how the continuation of animosity among these three groups will benefit the raison d’etre of this university: students.

Katharine Ball is president of the Arts and Science Student’s Union.

Bernarda Gospic/THe VArsity

Comment in brief What courses would you like to see at U of T? Teaching Modern Greek Estonian, Finnish, French, Gaelic, German, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Inuktitut... Wait, I passed by G: where is Greek? Skimming again through the list of more than 40 different languages offered by U of T’s St. George campus I find an Ancient Greek language course. But what about Modern Greek? I was shocked to discover that there is no Modern Greek language course currently being offered. Many other languages on the list such as French, German, Hebrew, Irish, and Welsh are offered in both modern and older styles.

Greek is the official language in Greece and Cyprus, and is one of the 23 official languages used in the European Union. Unsurprisingly, according to the 2006 Canadian Census, Greek was among the top 20 languages spoken in Canadian households. I don’t understand why such a popu-

lar language, used world-wide and in Canada, is not offered by U of T, a school known for its wide selection of courses and more than 800 undergraduate programs. Many other universities such as McGill, Guelph, Waterloo and York offer both Ancient and Modern Greek courses.

Although the process of adding a course is a challenge, the Greek Student Association (GSA) is willing to take it on. Recently, the GSA has taken the first step by starting a petition for adding a Modern Greek language course, which I hope they accomplish in the next four years so I will be given the opportunity to take it, and if not, at least get the process started for future students.

If you would like to support the addition of a Modern Greek language course go online to www.utgsa.com where the link for the petition can be found.

—Andrea Themistokleous

Bringing Hogwarts to U of T Jedi, Pokémon, protests The Harry Potter series is without a doubt among the most popular and influential to have been released in recent decades and should be taught at U of T. The bildungsroman arc of the series chronicles the adventures of Harry and his friends at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and is of great artistic merit.

The books have intellectual weight and deal with complex themes such as death, loss, and the line between good and evil. People discriminate against books like these because they are popular and easy to read, but so what? Many of the works now studied at universities and regarded as classics were intended for mass consumption when they were written (like Sherlock Holmes). The danger in shunning contemporary popular literature is that it creates a divide between what is pleasing to the academics and what is pleasing to everyone else. U of T should take a more open-minded approach to what has academic merit and give Harry Potter a chance.

—Dan Miller

One of the reasons I chose U of T was for the immense amount of courses offered by the university. Indeed, it is one of things that sets us apart from the other universities. That being said, there is always room for improvement when it comes to course offerings. Here are my suggestions: YOD200Y1: The Ways of the Jedi PKB340H1: Pokémon Anatomy TTC100H1: Subway Psychology 101 DOH300H1: Homer Simpson’s Odyssey These courses would likely be turned down by those who insist on rigorous academic standards. In response to this, I have proposed a more serious course, PRO101: A History of Protest. This course would deal with the history, psychology and political motivations behind protests and social unrest, as well as analyze the role technology plays in these protests.

Also, a journalism program at the downtown campus wouldn’t hurt.

These courses would surely elevate U of T over McGill.

—Abdullah Shihipar

comment@thevarsity.ca

VARSITY COMMENT

monday, NOVEMBER 14, 2011

9

Debating our national symbol Beaver versus polar bear: the cage match to represent Canada Jessica Zou VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR

If you are an advocate for species equality or deeply appreciate the contributions of the beaver towards the development of Canada, you may find Senator Nicole Eaton’s statements offensive. Her comments were seemingly adapted from George Orwell’s Animal Farm: all animals are equal, but some are more equal than others. In this case, she meant the polar bear. Her infatuation with the white carnivores of the North led her to publically mock the beaver, which has been a national symbol since the early days of Canada to demand that we adopt the polar bear as our symbol instead.

Our insightful senator condescendingly pointed out that the beaver was merely a “dentally defective rodent.” This unsupported claim is not scientifically correct, nor is it emotionally acceptable.

First of all, according to the theory of evolution, Mother Nature never encouraged the existence of useless, let alone defective, biological traits because natural selection, the undisputable mechanism of na-

ture, works against it. In fact, the beaver’s powerful front tooth is an important survival tool with which it cuts and chews wood for food and builds dams and lodges.

The so-called dental defection is actually a piece of art, a result of Mother Nature’s deliberation,

which is no less impressive than the snowy fur of the polar bear.

Second, let’s be honest: without the presence of the lucrative trade in beaver pelts, the early money-driven European settlers might not have bothered to settle in and explore this cold land

that has since become the modern and beautiful society that we enjoy and cherish today.

In contrast to her merciless disdain for the beaver, Eaton admiringly referred to the polar bear as “Canada’s most majestic and splendid mammal.” Unfor-

tunately, her sentiment doesn’t resonate with me at all. The truth is, whenever I think about polar bears, only two images come to mind: either the image of a polar bear tearing a vulnerable animal apart, or one of a bear standing on a small piece of floating ice surrounded by the vast ocean, lonely and hopeless in the face of climate change. Neither projects a desirable image of Canada, unless the senator, at the pinnacle of her political career, has a secret conviction for Canada to take over the world.

Personally, I find the beaver cute and harmless; it seems to perfectly fit Canadians’ image of being friendly and approachable peacekeepers. I also marvel at the beaver’s building ability, its commitment to its family, and its resistance to the harsh climate, with its otherwise smooth fur disturbed by the penetrating wintery wind, its robust body and vigilant senses.

Let the polar bear continue to swim freely in our frigid Arctic.

There is no reason to reconsider our national animal, as the affection we Canadians feel for the buck-toothed builders is dmbpride/sxc.hu here to stay.

A tale of two riots

Looking at the media coverage of the riots in LA and London Juan Carlos Jimenez VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR

Los Angeles, April 29, 1992. Riots occurred across South Central LA as the African American community raged in response to a court verdict on the beating of Rodney King, an African-American man, by LA police officers. Rioting lasted days as it spread throughout the Los Angeles area. 53 people died. Media, politicians, police departments, and reactionary groups cried for the blood of the rioters.

This event marked the latest episode in the storied history of American race relations — a history that includes slavery, Jim Crow laws, the Black Liberation movement and the imprisonment of the black community through a neoliberal era of austerity in the ‘80s, bringing about poverty and service cuts.

For those who remember the history of racism in North America, the scenes from the LA riots were all too present in their minds this summer.

London, August 6, 2011. Riots broke out in Tottenham, where a

protest denouncing police brutality led to violent riots in response to the fatal shooting of 29-year-old local Mark Duggan, a black man, by police officers. Riots continued for days. Cars were burned, shops destroyed and looted, and police crackdowns ensued.

At first glance, the similarities between the two riots are endless.

In England, The Guardian and the London School of Economics and Political Science will be conducting a study to investigate the causes of the London riots. High rates of poverty among racialized persons were present in both instances; England, Greece, Spain, Portugal, and Italy had been implementing austerity measures, which would cut social spending to public services used by racialized communities. Anti-Middle Eastern and black attitudes were common in England. And, most importantly: police brutality in those communities was evident and manifested itself throughout the riots.

It is interesting to see how the riots were framed in both contexts.

Looters, rioters, thieves, savages,

It is interesting to see how the riots were framed in both contexts. Looters, rioters, thieves, savages, brutality, beatings, killings, chaos, and criminals, were words that were used to describe the LA riots. Fox News and similar news organizations depicted the riots as being savage, irrational, and violent.

brutality, beatings, killings, chaos, and criminals, were words that were used to describe the LA riots. Fox News and similar news organizations depicted the riots as being savage, irrational, and violent.

In London, poor-bashing and racist sentiments were vulgarly displayed. English Prime Minister David Cameron stated on August 10, “Picture by picture, these criminals are being identified and captured … we will not let any phony concerns over human rights get in the way of the publication of these pictures and the arrest of these individuals…”. Kit Malthouse, Deputy Mayor of London and Chair of the Metropolitan Police Authority, told the BBC that the last two nights were “disgusting” and added: “Obviously, there are people in this city … who are intent on violence, who are looking for the opportunity to steal and set fire to buildings … whether they’re anarchists or part of organized gangs or just feral youth … who fancy a new pair of trainers.”

It is interesting that words like “criminals,” “gangs,” and “feral youth” are being used in London, 20

years after the events in Los Angeles. This kind of language has been used to describe the black population in North America and Europe for decades, where the notion of blacks being violent and irrational is prevalent. In England and North America, post-9/11 discourse often brands Arabs and Muslims as “terrorists,” with media and politicians fuelling the anti-Muslim narrative.

These kinds of narratives were used consistently in describing the events in both London and Los Angeles.

Racism and anti-poor sentiments, which turn rioters into criminals and irrational youth who deserve police beatdowns, perpetuate resentment towards racialized communities. In many ways, pre-riot LA resembles to the sociopolitical atmosphere of 2011 England; with the release of the upcoming study by the LSE and The Guardian, one can conclude that the recent London riots are not an isolated incident, and that the oppression faced by racialized groups will not cease without action, whether in Parliament or on the streets.

‘‘

10 monday, NOVEMBER 14, 2011

VARSITY COMMENT

comment@thevarsity.ca

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VARSITY COMMENT

comment@thevarsity.ca

monday, NOVEMBER 14, 2011

11

More seminars!

Extending a helping hand to first-years James Maiangowi VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR

University life always seems to be getting better and worse. Every new improvement is balanced with a negative side: a prestigious new lab or research centre is matched by an increase in tuition and fees; a new building means months of construction and delays; every new crop of first-years gives rise to dark circles under the eyes of teaching assistants.

Two problems that universities constantly face are class sizes and a lack of student-teacher interaction.

Both are issues facing the University of Toronto today. The average high school class has between 20 to 35 students, while over half of the first0year courses offered between 2003 and 2008 in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences had more than 200 students. First-year students are plunged from the comparatively small world of high school into an educational institution with over 40,000 students, with little warning of the difficulties ahead.

It’s not difficult to spot the problems in such an arrangement: a Globe and Mail university survey, released October 26, revealed that undergraduates at the St. George campus gave U of T a B- for student-faculty interaction, a B- for overall student satisfaction, and, damningly, a C+ for class size. In all three aspects the St. George campus placed far below other Canadian

universities of comparable size.

Larger class sizes also lead to a decline in student-teacher interaction. A tri-campus, qualitative assessment called “In Their Own Words,” released July 2010, explains how the two problems are related: “Students described feeling significantly more comfortable approaching a faculty member outside of class time when they felt that they had already connected with the

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Faced with this problem, one solution seems both theoretically valid and experimentally proven: first-year seminars. The St. George campus first-year seminars are limited to 24 students each and are usually tailored to the professor’s interests. They thus provide both the enjoyable experience of a small-sized course and a rare opportunity for in-depth research: one full-year seminar offered this year examines society, religion, and architecture in the ancient Mediterranean world, while a halfyear seminar looks at the fascinating world of biopolymers.

A difficult but laudable solution would be to require Arts and Science students take at least one halfyear seminar in an area of interest.

Though this would no doubt require an expenditure of considerable time and money from the university — ­ time and money which may not be available at present given the current economic turmoil — and necessarily mandate an increase in teaching responsibilities on behalf Bernarda Gospic/THe VArsity of the faculty, the long-term benefits professor in the class — and this is significantly to the students would be undenieasier to do in smaller classes.” able: smaller class sizes, a more active engageIn larger classes the absence of student- ment in the research aspect of campus life, and teacher interaction is no fault of the professor: closer interaction with faculty. one 2011-2012 class reputedly fills Convocation A change of this size won’t happen today or Hall, while certain life and physical sciences next year, but expanding the First-Year Semicourses are standing-room only. No person nar program next year or setting up more First could be expected to meet all the students in Year Learning Communities would certainly be such a large class. steps in the right direction.

It works in theory, but will it work in the real world?

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12

monday, NOVEMBER 14, 2011

VARSITY FEATURES

U of T remembers

Remembrance Day ceremonies were held on campus last Friday, November 11, 2011.

photos by Bernarda Gospic

features@thevarsity.ca

VARSITY ARTS & CULTURE

arts@thevarsity.ca

MONday, NOVEMBER 14, 2011

13

Something wicked this way comes Hart House Theatre does justice to Shakespeare's classic tragedy VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR

The Hart House production of Macbeth, directed

by Jeremy Hutton, remains faithful to the original text and setting of Shakespeare’s play. Sticking to tradition, with a few thoughtful updates, serves the show well.

The play contains elements of the supernatural, which create an atmosphere of horror surrounding the political and emotional upheaval occupying the stage. Hutton’s Macbeth begins with an exhilarating opening scene, in which the witches chant their lines over a cauldron and black and white lights flash rapidly to a harrowing screeching sound. This visual display is intriguing at first, adding a cutting-edge facet to the horror of the plot. However, this same sound and light motif is repeated throughout the play, eventually becoming a disruption rather than an enhancement.

The cast is talented, demonstrating a natural ease with Shakespearean material and producing an infectious energy. The various large-scale fight scenes are ambitiously executed and entertaining. The show is often humourous, and the audience chuckled frequently. Michael McLeis-

ter's delivery is particularily amusing in the roles of the porter and the doctor.

William Foley, who plays Macbeth, portrays his character with fitting intensity. Lady Macbeth is played deftly, albeit slightly gratingly, by Jackie Rowland. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth's relationship is carried out with feverish passion through their many make-out sessions, complete with excessive groping. Although both actors are admittedly skilled, this fiery interaction is gratuitous.

In pointed contrast to the strong opening scene of the show, the final scene is abrupt and off-putting in this production. The effects, used formerly to convey the sense of chaos surrounding the play, are used once more in this finale. Continued drumming sounds contribute to a sustained alarming, fearsome tone, but the production neglects to aesthetically convey that the completion of the play represents the triumph of good with the end of Macbeth’s tyranny.

Though the play wears near its completion, overall, it is an entertaining production, thanks to its purist approach, an enthusiastic cast, and (at least initially) exciting effects.

Image Courtesy of Hart House Theatre

Danielle Klein

Macbeth runs at Hart House from November 9–26, 2011.

She’s no Debby downer

The Varsity sits down with Debra DiGiovanni to talk about stand-up comedy, women being funny, and awkward flirting Assunta Alegiani ASSOCIATE A&C EDITOR

Debra DiGiovanni came to Toronto to become a fashion illustrator and thinks that she probably would have ended up as a teacher had she not found her true love — stand-up comedy. As one of the judges on MuchMusic’s Video On Trial and CBC’s The Debaters, she is keeping busy enough without doing stand-up. However, this November she is touring Ontario with her Single Awkward Female Show, inviting audiences to recognize themselves in her tales of misadventures. When The Varsity caught up with her on the phone, she had just landed in Calgary earlier that morning.

She is coming to Toronto’s Panasonic Theatre this Sunday, November 13.

The Varsity: I saw on Twitter that you squeezed in a nap before our interview — does it get hard to muster up enough energy every night to be funny?

Debra DiGiovanni: You know, it actually does. I love what I am doing and I am so lucky, but at the same time, you travel a lot, and when you fly a lot, you tend to get sick all the time and you are by yourself. But the lucky thing is you get to a club and you have all these people there, and the energy just helps. I’m pretty lucky, but it’s less glamorous than you think.

TV: You are doing a mini-Ontario tour this November called Single Awkward Female Show. Tell me

about that.

DD: Yes, I am doing a DVD this year with my management. And we thought it was just a funny name, kind of a thumbs up for what I do — the gist of my show, really. I’m pretty excited; this is the first tour I have ever done by myself! It’s fabulous but it’s also scary. It is a lot of pressure, but I’m moving forward and that is good.

Always onward!

TV: What has been your single most awkward moment?

DD: Oh gosh (laughs). I have a lot, to be honest. I am not that smooth;

my friends make fun of me all the time. I had a guy come up to me after a show and I guess he wanted to talk to me, but I had no idea. He was trying to buy me a drink but I don't drink and I turned away and he was like, “Er … do you want a bottle of water…?” and I said “No, thanks” and he looked at me like “Really?

Are you really doing this?” and all my friends were in the corner of the room looking at me. That’s just me, I really have no concept at all. Like flirting, I really don’t know what happens when I try to flirt.

TV: Well, in recent years, “awk-

ward” has become the new “cool.”

We can see that in popular TV shows, nerd culture, etc.

DD: Exactly, the weirdo is sort of cool right now. It’s a new trend, especially in comedy as well. It’s like the weirdo is the new anti-hero.

TV: Lots of your comedy is based on poking fun at yourself, pointing out your insecurities. Is it hard to make self-deprecating jokes?

DD: I think it’s all about identifying with my audience. We have all been single and awkward at one point in our lives. That just seems to be where people go click and say “Oh, I get it.”

And that’s one of the things that really connects the audience with the performer.

Often people will come up to me after a show and tell me that I remind them of their babysitter when they were little or their favourite teacher in grade school.

That’s how you create fans, you know, make connections where people remember your name.

TV: Do you think audiences have different expectations for female stand-up comedians? Would you say it’s harder to convince them that girls are funny?

DD: It can be. There is always a bit of a struggle because when men see a woman on stage, they associate her with their mother, their sister, their daughter. They are more protective. There are certain groups of men that I find a little difficult to sway.

They’ll be like “Whoa, there is a woman on the stage?!”

TV: “Not sliding down a pole?!”

DD: Yeah, and you often have that guy, you know, sitting across from you, arms crossed. But when you get a chuckle out of him, it is the greatest thing in the world. And it’s always those guys that will come up to you after the show and say “Yo, you are pretty funny for a girl…” Thank you very much (laughs)!

CONTINUED ON P15

14

MONday, NOVEMBER 14, 2011

VARSITY ARTS & CULTURE

arts@thevarsity.ca

A Trojan surprise

Stephen Mitchell reinvigorates Homer's Iliad with a bold new translation Brigit Katz In Book 21 of Homer’s Iliad, the Trojan War reaches the heights of Mount Olympus when brewing hostilities between the gods finally erupt in an earth-shattering battle.

Leading the charge on behalf of the Trojans is Ares, furious that he had been wounded by the Greek warrior Diomedes in a previous battle. Ares turns on Athena, Diomedes’ divine protector, brandishing his weapon and accusing the goddess of guiding the spear that had struck both his body and his pride.

It is one of the most tense and exhilarating scenes of Homer’s epic poem, but the momentum falls somewhat flat in many English translations of the text, when the irate Ares turns to Athena and shouts, “You dog-fly!”

To a contemporary, Englishspeaking audience, the insult is simply laughable. And so, in his recently released rendition of the Iliad, renowned scholar and translator Stephen Mitchell decided to replace the phrase with “you nasty bitch.”

His choice of words is undoubtedly a daring step away from both the literal meaning of the Greek and from the type of high-flown language that normally characterizes English translations of Homer. It is also only one of many alterations that Mitchell makes to the original text, in an attempt to transmit the spirit of the Iliad to a modern audience.

Mitchell’s translation of the Iliad marks his most recent effort to bring classic works of literature to the masses. His past translation projects — which include The Book of Job, The Gospel According to Jesus, and Selected Poetry of Rainer Maria Wilke — often forgo a stilted, literal translation in favour of a more fluid rendition of the text in idiomatic English.

The liberties that Mitchell takes with his interpretations of classic texts tend to ruffle the feathers of conservative-minded scholars, but that hasn’t prevented his translations from cracking the bestsellers’ lists. And while Mitchell is proficient

rochelle aranha/THe VArsity

ASSOCIATE A&C EDITOR

in German, French, Italian, Danish, Hebrew, Latin, and Greek, some of his most successful works have been adaptations of texts written in languages that he does not speak. Indeed, his popular versions of the Chinese philosophical text Tao Te Ching, the Hindu Bhagavad Gitai, and the Babylonian epic Gilgamesh are all poetic interpretations of existing translations.

Mitchell began working on his rendition of the Iliad several years ago, after growing frustrated with the pervasively dull language that afflicts other translations of Hom-

er’s epic poem.

“I tried to read the Iliad for years and I could never get past Book One because the power of the language never matched the power of the story,” he says. “[Translating the Iliad] was an opportunity for me to read it, first of all, and to spend time with this vast mind of Homer and the gorgeous music of the Greek original… I wanted to recreate something of that music in English because I thought that we needed it.”

In order to capture the melodic quality of Homer’s poetry, Mitch-

ell modernized any language that sounded awkward or cumbersome in translation. He claims that this relatively liberal approach to the original text was inspired by “On Translating Homer,” a famous essay by the 19th century poet Matthew Arnold. “[Arnold] makes the very insightful point that the essence of Homer is speed, simplicity of thought, content, and nobility,” Mitchell notes.

“And anybody who doesn’t translate those qualities isn’t translating Homer. So rather than a faithfulness to the literal meaning of the Greek

words, I felt that another kind of faithfulness was necessary: a faithfulness to the story, to the great drama — in other words, finding what works in contemporary English.”

Mitchell’s translation of the Iliad also leaves out most of the epithets — stock character descriptions like “white-armed Hera” and “swiftfooted Achilles” ­— that were repeatedly used by Homer to complete the metre of the verse.

“To me, the epithets are an important part of the Greek because they form a part of the high level of diction of the style, and they contribute to the nobility in Greek,” Mitchell says. “In English, most often they’re simply tedious… I felt that my loyalty to the speed and simplicity meant that a lot of the epithets … needed to be dropped, and there was no sacrifice in nobility when I did drop them. As a matter of fact, to my ears, the nobility only increased.”

Mitchell’s quest to create a more refined translation of the Iliad was also guided by the textual scholarship of M.L. West, a renowned classicist who has identified passages of Homer’s Iliad that appear to be interpolations by other authors. Mitchell decided to omit these passages from his translation, even leaving out the whole of Book 10, which describes a raid against the Trojans.

The product of Mitchell’s finetuning is a taut, fast-paced drama that reinvigorates the excitement and the pathos of Homer’s original text. Mitchell is currently working on a translation of the Odyssey, allowing him to spend more time with Homer and to explore the profound beauty of yet another canonical text.

“The texts that I find myself attracted to … have a clarity of mind about them that brings them beyond the ordinary human experience of conflict and separation, and having the world divided into for and against, and good and evil,” Mitchell says. “There’s a kind of vastness of mind at work in a great poet like Homer or one of the anonymous writers of texts like the Tao Te Ching … and a kind of luminescence about them.”

$10 Restaurateur with Laura Kathleen Maize 589 College Street

A

s soon as I read Jennifer Bain’s article about pizza cones, I knew I had to try one and write about it. The pizza cone is already making a splash in at least nine other countries. However, it’s still fairly new to Canada, where people are hesitant.

When I went to the Mad Italian, the only place in downtown Toronto that has the cones (the Italian has a second location on Bayview), there was no one inside. Granted, this was a cold day and the Mad

Italian deals mostly in gelato, but I thought that the big sign in the window reading “ZAZZU PIZZA CONES INSIDE” would catch the attention of the crowds. I was left wondering what Bain herself questions in her article — are pizza cones really worth all the hype? I can answer this simply: of course they are. The pizza cones are delicious, and though they take a little while to heat up, they’re worth every penny. Picture this: you get a personal-size pizza and then it is

baked into a cone shape, with all the ooey gooeyness in the middle.

Sure, it drips a little, and sure, the server told me that getting one was enough (much to my chagrin, as I initially ordered two), but you have to try these. There are ten flavours to choose from (try the meatball!) and more on the way. They might not be the next big thing, but with most flavours costing $5.49 (get a Brio and you’ll still be under $8!), what’s the harm in trying them? I promise you won’t be disappointed.

CONTINUED FROM P13 TV: How did you get into stand-up comedy? Was there a specific event or point in your life when you knew you would pursue this as a career?

DD: In high school, I was always the funny one; I always made my friends laugh. And when I went to college and had part-time jobs, everyone said I should be performing but I was just like “Oh whatever,” didn’t really think about it. But I would hear it over and over again and it got me thinking that maybe it’s true, maybe I could do this.

And then, luckily, Humber College started their Comedy: Writing and Performance program in 1999, and I took that. I went through first year with honours and it was fabulous. I got to learn about screenplay writing, improv and acting — it was the first time I had ever gone on stage. It just worked; I immediately loved it. It was true love. And I knew stand-up was going to be it, my area of expertise.

So I did that but had a day job. Probably the year that I went to Just For Laughs for the first time and Russell Peters invited me to open for him on his tour, in 2005, was the moment I realized I could do this for a living. It was great! I was able to quit my job and — knock on wood — I have not had a day job since.

TV: You have a lot going on; tell me about some of the projects you are currently involved in.

DD: I am working a lot more in the States now, which is wonderful. It’s very hard but

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Coupon holds no cash value.

Expires December 31st, 2011.

VARSITY ARTS & CULTURE you have to continually knock on the door.

Right now, I am working on getting some more TV projects off the ground. I love, love, love working on Video On Trial but there has got to be “the next show” and that is what we are working on right now.

Again, it’s all about progress, keep moving up. And I would like to have more control with my next show. On Video On Trial, it is all up to the editors what they cut and what they use. Sometimes I watch an episode and I think “Hey, I made a really funny comment there — where is that?”

I also went to the UK for the first time this year, so I’m reaching out a little bit now.

TV: Did you do stand-up there?

DD: Yeah, I did. I was in Scotland and England, and it was a very new experience.

TV: I’m sure the audience was different.

DD: Well, their comedy style is different; they are somewhat more wary than North America. It’s a little more difficult. Also, their comedy culture is big on storytelling and those kinds of jokes. In the end it’s just a new place, and you have fun and try something new.

TV: What are the main differences between working in TV and doing stand-up?

DD: On camera, you just reach so many more people. But you can’t control editing, and I think for comedians, that’s the hardest part. On stage we can say whatever we want. When you get on TV, you have no control over what they put in and what they don’t put in. So, complete control is what is missing when I work in TV. But hopefully one day, I’ll have the final say.

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VARSITY ARTS & CULTURE

MONday, NOVEMBER 14, 2011

arts@thevarsity.ca

reviews ALBUMS

CONCERTS

FILM

Days

Anonymous

Noah and the Whale

Nothing but the Beat

by David Guetta

by Real Estate

dir. Roland Emmerich

Noah and the Whale returned to Toronto on November 8 for the second stop of their current tour. The show was opened by Nikki Lane, a country singer whose looks have been compared to Zooey Deschanel (hipsters of the world, swoon away).

Lane has a surprising Southern accent and plenty of charm, but her sound is still developing and her set was repetitive and lacklustre.

Noah and the Whale did not disappoint with their energy-infused show. Lead singer Charlie Fink explained to the crowd that their setlist is divided into three “courses”: the starter (to get the audience moving), the romantic section, and finally, the “pudding,” a sweet, satisfying finale. The concert benefited from Fink’s delightful, disarming dance moves and the band’s overall allure and liveliness, with highlights including “Life is Life” and “Love of an Orchestra.” The night ended with a notable, soul-stirring performance of “The First Days of Spring.” Just as their albums relay narratives, so too did their show craft a certain, heartening story of its own.

—Danielle Klein

David Guetta’s latest album Nothing but the Beat, is at least honest in that it actually delivers nothing. Almost exclusively about sex or putting one’s hands “in the urrrr” (air), these types of songs require very little skill, originality, or imagination to produce. It seems that Guetta invented some sort of formula in which he thought up 13 different ways to sexualize and objectify women and put them to some “fly beats” that, ultimately, all sound exactly the same.

The only praise to be sung for this album is for the great myriad of artists that are featured in each song. Some are expected, like Snoop Dogg and Nicki Minaj, but, quite unexpectedly, Sia makes an appearance in the last song, “Titanium.”

Maybe while drunk at a club, this album would not seem so bad, but without a buzz and the desire to dance, Nothing but the Beat seriously fails to impress.

—Julia Herrick

The cover art for Real Estate’s second album Days features a faded photograph of a row of seemingly identical suburban houses — a mixture of nostalgia and banality. In a way, that sums up the album. The sound is breezy indie rock and feels like the soundtrack of a sappy, West Coast road film movie in which a coming of age hero on his way home looks at passing fields and beaches and then contemplates friendship, growing up, girls, and other stuff.

The album fluidly transitions from one song to the next, the difficulty in deciphering when they change and how they sound different is comparable to the passing of wasted summer moments.

The band’s lyrics can be fun. On the second last song, singer Alex Beeker chimes, “If it takes all summer long / just to write one simple song / There’s too much to focus on / Clearly that is something wrong.”

But the band has given more than just one simple song, and has offered ten charming and slow tracks for a long and boring summer.

—Jakob Tanner

Roland Emmerich’s new historical thriller, Anonymous, delves into the complex conspiracy theory, espoused by Mark Twain, that purports that William Shakespeare (Rafe Spall) was not actually the author of his famous plays. Shakespeare is portrayed as a drunken illiterate wastrel who is used as a pawn to present politicized plays by the Earl of Oxford, Edward de Vere (Rhys Ifans). In the film, Shakespeare is constantly scamming the populace and gouging de Vere for money. Although constant flashbacks make the film a bit difficult to follow, sudden twists and turns in the plot keep it continually intriguing. Ifans, in particular, dominates the film with his presentation of a man struggling to balance nobility with his secret passion for writing.

Incredible backdrops coupled with elegant costumes bring the dreary streets of 17th century London to life. Despite the arguably far-fetched subject matter, Anonymous is definitely worth a trip to the theatres.

—Sean Kennedy and Maggie Keenan

at Phoenix Concert Theatre

A confusing collection The ROM's latest exhibit is eclectic, though a bit incoherent Nishi Kumar VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR

The Royal Ontario Museum opened a new exhibit last weekend, “The Art of Collecting,” with the hopes of acknowledging the many donors that the museum has worked with over its history. The exhibit is designed to be “eclectic,” and it certainly delivers on that. It includes everything from furniture to silver to paintings from all over Europe and spans a time period of over 500 years.

While I'm usually a huge fan of anything ROM, this exhibit lacked cohesion. There were some beautiful artifacts, but as far as I could tell from the exhibit's display,

they had nothing to do with one another. As a visitor, I was left wondering how a 17th century silver tea set from England and a 1970s desk chair from Norway were related. Such a wide range of objects made the exhibit feel more disorganized than diverse.

Aside from a panel explaining the various federal laws governing artifacts (which read like a textbook), there was no further information about the individual items.

The exhibit explained that each artifact represents the “best or most typical” of the era, but without any further context it was impossible to understand the significance.

A museum is more than a room full of pretty artifacts, and “The Art of Collecting” falls short.

The Pond Lily lamp by Tiffany Studios, ca. 1902, is one of the items featured in "The Art of Collecting" exhibit.

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VARSITY SCIENCE

monday, November 14, 2011

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Data roulette

AGGIE GAO/THe VArsity

NISH V. explores the tango between US intelligence and public data

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overnments everywhere would love to be able to foresee and respond to tumultuous events like natural disasters, economic instability, political disruption, or warfare. Thanks to a project recently approved by the US Director of National Intelligence (DNI), head of the Intelligence Community (IC), the idea is not far from reality.

This past August, the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA) approved funding for a three-year Open Source Indicators (OSI) project. The risky project uses publicly available data harvested from an array of sources such as traffic webcams, Wikipedia edits, blogs, and web search queries in order to supply intelligence agencies with accurate predictions of major events. It does so by relying heavily on past models that have successfully predicted disease outbreaks and consumer behaviour.

The OSI program is only one of many programs undertaken by the different arms of the US government that synthesizes mathemat-

ics, computer science, economics, and the social sciences into a predictive model for sociopolitical systems. Programs like OSI pay homage to the fictional mathematics professor Hari Seldon, from Isaac Asimov’s Foundation series, who formulates the mathematical laws of “psychohistory.” Psychohistory is only useful for large groups of people: the larger the group, the more accurate the predictions. In the novels, Seldon uses psychohistory to predict the collapse of the Galactic Empire and sets in motion a secretive plan to spark the rise of a second empire. The Galactic Empire and the US are like apples and oranges, but hopefully similar benefits will be reaped.

The recent explosion in “big data” and social media is what takes the OSI from the domain of science fiction into that of cuttingedge research. “Big data” refers to the exponentially increasing number of large datasets that can be stored on computers. It is only possible thanks to the dirt-cheap price of data storage. The dropping

price of data storage and the development of new software tools coincided with the rise of Facebook, Twitter, and the other paragons of social media. The widespread use of these services generates a large capacity of data that records user activity. User activity can be analyzed for sentiment, allowing researchers to separate data into three general levels of sentiment: Negative, Positive, or Neutral. The fluctuating direction of levels provides strong leads for businesses looking for profitable information.

More so than governments, businesses are eager to mine the datasets generated by social media and join OSI. Recorded Future uses proprietary software to sift through 300,000 different sources every hour in order to predict the movement of the stock market and even terrorist activity. Recorded Future is one of many companies applying to the OSI project.

Other companies, although not directly related to the OSI program, are still developing technology that effectively mines these

datasets. For example, Torontobased Sysomos provides businesses and organizations with tools to monitor and quantify the sentiment in online conversations happening on social media outlets regarding their brands. Sysomos uses proprietary natural language-processing technology to extract sentiment from relevant text online. Klout, on the other hand, is another company attempting to measure and rank the influence of individuals on their peers in social networks. Klout uses your online social footprint — based on how your network engages the content you create or share — to gauge three different indicators: the number of people you influence, the extent to which you influence those in your network, and how influential the people in your network are. Using these three indicators, Klout derives a ‘klout’ score, on a scale of one to 100, for each individual.

Though scores aren’t always perfectly accurate, most companies would nevertheless love to market

themselves directly at the most influential people.

Some academics are worried that models of sentiment analysis and influence designed for predicting consumer behaviour on social networks is inapplicable to sociopolitical prediction.

Robert Albro, an anthropologist at American University, expresses concerns that consumer behaviour-driven models and their assumptions will eventually influence IARPA. Kalev Leetaru, a computer scientist at the Univerity of Illinois, believes the OSI project is better off attempting to predict trends, like the Arab Spring, instead of discrete events. In his view, the technology used for predicting stock market movements or consumer behaviour is a far cry from predicting a riot next week.

Whether or not the OSI project succeeds, governments and corporations everywhere will be attempting to predict the future.

One thing we may expect to see is further expansion in the data mining market along with increased capacity for big data.

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monday, November 14, 2011

VARSITY SCIENCE

science@thevarsity.ca

Seven billion and counting What world population numbers entail Sean Kennedy Since we hit the one billion mark in 1804, we have seen an explosive increase in the world population. In the past 12 years alone, the population has increased by over one billion and now, according to the United Nations, has reached seven billion. Reasons for this include plunging infant and maternal mortality rates as well as soaring life expectancy. Three hundred years ago, most people would be lucky to see middle age, but now, the average person’s lifespan is expected to extend to their seventies.

Our soaring population reflects the tremendous advances ushered in by modern technology. In the early 20th century, the development of the Haber-Bosch process to synthesize ammonia-based fertilizers kick-started the global population. Agricultural output skyrocketed, enabling billions more humans to be sated with food. Additionally, revolutionary changes in the availability of medical resources have further increased survival rates.

For example, previously menacing diseases such as smallpox and the bubonic plague have been heavily tamed through vaccination and sanitation programs.

Unfortunately, these advancements have been outpaced by the devastation wrought by overpopulation. The crippling force of overpopulation is almost exclusively felt by the poorest nations on Earth. Currently, the populations of most developed nations are actually shrinking. Despite incredibly low infant mortality rates and very high life expectancies, people in developed nations are having very few children. The Canadian fertility rate is 1.66 births per woman. Contrast this with an impoverished nation, such as Niger, where the fertility

anamarija korolj/THe VArsity

VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR

rate is a whopping 7.12 births per woman.

Rampant poverty, unemployment, disease, and malnourishment are all banes of the

modern developing world and are worsened by overpopulation.

Knowing that half of the world’s popu-

lation lives on less than two dollars a day, or that over one billion people are starving, makes it easy to posit that the earth is overpopulated. Current population growth models provide little room for optimism since the world population is set to hit nine billion in 2043. Africa, the world’s poorest continent, is set to double in population between 2010 and 2050. The United Nations believes the world’s population is growing too quickly and is currently engaged in birth control promotion and family planning initiatives in the world’s poorest nations. These educational programs are vital to quelling population growth and will certainly go a long way in reducing economic suffering.

Yet, the real problems faced by developing nations cannot necessarily be pinned solely on overpopulation. According to United Nations University data from 2006, the world’s richest one per cent owns 40 per cent of the world’s wealth and resources. This unjustifiable gap between the rich and the poor is undoubtedly exacerbating the population dilemma. If these resources and wealth were fairly distributed, issues such as global hunger could easily be eliminated. Sadly, global economic hardship has led to significant decreases in foreign aid from developed nations to crowded developing nations.

The world’s population is increasing drastically and overpopulation has reared its ugly head in many parts of the world. Simply reducing population growth through family planning initiatives will not solve all future problems. Instead, it is essential that significant changes occur in the distribution of wealth between developed and developing nations. Until then, an expanding population may be more of a problem than a cause for celebration.

A hologram how-to Student-made holograms will rock your socks Bianca Lemus Lavarreda If studying leaves you wanting more campus adventure in your life, then postpone your date with Robarts and take a stroll into the U of T Art Centre, located inside University College. Aside from its stunning Malcove collection, the centre is currently hosting a holography exhibit put together by U of T students. Running from November 8 to December 2, the exhibit features quirky and creative holographic images ranging from cute space themes to deep abstractions.

Many of them are finely detailed and incorporate motion to create what appear to be moving images.

In one hologram, a personal favourite, a prescription drug container looks sturdy, as if you could reach in and grasp its hardline edges.

The exhibit will remind why you should take up art again, or at the very least, awaken an appreciation for optical sciences. The students in this exhibit are from the course, JOP210H1S, Holography for 3D Visualization, which is a joint course between the Institute for Optical Sciences (IOS) and the physics department. It is an excellent introduction for anyone looking to learn about commonly encountered op-

reference beam. The object beam bounces off a mirror, focuses on the object of interest, and then sends the information to a holographic plate or film. At the same time, the other beam, the reference beam, focuses directly onto the holographic plate or film that has recorded the information from the object beam. The holographic plate or film records the interference coming from the two light beams, ultimately resulting in the projection of a three-dimensional image of the object. Since a threedimensional object can be viewed from several angles, the illusion of object motion can be easily produced. Although they seem like foreign optical trickery, holograms are found in everyday objects such as CDs, credit cards, and those glossy holographic stickers on trading cards. If you ever try to cut up a hologram into portions, you’ll find that the entire original image is preserved albeit scaled in each portion.

But no description of holograms can compare to the real-life experience of the ones elegantly displayed in the Art Centre. There are also different types of holograms and since artistic expression is very flexible, you’ll be in for more than just a science lesson.

Bernarda Gospic/THe VArsity

SCIENCE EDITOR

tics phenomena through the technical and artistic aspects of holography. The chance to understand concepts like interference, diffraction, and lasers, as well the inspiring childhood memory of a pleading Princess

Leia, are reason enough to join.

Holograms, like photographs, are essentially recordings of reflected light. A basic set-up for a hologram starts with a laser that is split in two: an object beam and a

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VARSITY SCIENCE

monday, November 14, 2011

19

To catch a fraud

After fabricating data in dozens of published articles, social psychology wunderkind Diederik Stapel has finally admitted to academic fraud Erene Stergiopoulos It’s one of the worst cases of fraud ever reported in science.

Dr. Diederik Stapel, a social psychologist at the University of Tillburg in the Netherlands, has admitted to fabricating data in a significant number of studies spanning a decade of research. With over 150 publications to his name, all of Stapel’s work is now under review in an ongoing investigation led by the University of Tillburg.

Stapel’s post at the university was suspended in September, when three junior researchers reported suspicions of fraudulent data. An interim report from the investigation, released on October 31, revealed that Stapel made up data in at least 30 peer-reviewed publications. The committee expects this number to grow as the inquiry proceeds.

Already, the heavyweight journal Science, where Stapel co-authored a paper earlier this year, has issued an “Editorial Expression of Concern” to alert readers to the concerns raised over the validity of the published findings. The study, which has not yet been identified to contain fraudulent data, found that participants were more likely to engage in racial stereotyping when they were in a messy environment, compared to an ordered one.

Stapel worked in the area of social cognition, a branch of social psychology that studies how our thoughts, emotions, and behaviours are influenced by the presence of others. His research addressed topics ranging from advertising to stereotyping and discrimination.

At U of T, researchers in social psychology, whose work addresses similar questions to Stapel’s, are left troubled by the case.

“My personal reaction is a great deal of dismay that someone would perpetrate those kinds of acts, and engage in that kind of fraud in our discipline,” says Dr. Alison Chasteen, a social psychologist at U of T St. George campus whose research includes work on prejudice and stereotyping. “It’s been very disappointing and very disturbing to learn that those types of things were happening.”

Dr. Michael Inzlicht, a social psychology and neuroscience researcher at UTSC, adds, “I think many psychologists — social psychologists in particular — are very shocked with what happened … and are fearful for the repercussions … [Stapel] is not a marginal researcher, someone on the fringe.

He was someone very much in the mainstream, and he was very prolific. It was just a shock.”

Yet the consequences of scientific misconduct reach far beyond Stapel himself. While media reports have focused on the fate of Stapel’s fraudulent publications, those in the field consider the real-life consequences for the researchers involved.

While the investigation has confirmed that Stapel acted alone in

SHANNON HSIEH/THe VArsity

VARSITY STAFF

his acts of fraud, all those who collaborated with him are now also under scrutiny.

“Stapel’s students are definitely the true victims in all this,” writes Samantha Joel in an email. Joel, a graduate student in Dr. Geoff MacDonald’s lab at U of T, continues, “Their careers have been unfairly damaged, if not ruined, by the unethical actions of their advisor. Even if their PhDs aren’t revoked, many of their publications will be, which is everything when you’re trying to get a job in academia.”

According to the Tillburg committee, 14 of the 20 graduate students that Stapel supervised now hold doctoral theses containing fraudulent data. As Joel explains, “The idea of having years of work discounted through no fault of your own is unimaginable, especially when it’s the result of a person who you have come to trust as a mentor.

“We’re talking about people’s lives being ruined,” Inzlicht concludes.

As for Stapel’s colleagues, the consequences are less predictable.

“For the collaborators, I think they can more or less mitigate the damage, depending on how established these people are,” says Inzlicht.

“But then you’ve got more junior people whose reputations are fragile to begin with — all of a sudden they’ve collaborated with this guy, and now maybe all their work might get discounted, even the work that’s not with Stapel. It’s a huge ripple effect. Especially with him, because he’s so prolific.”

While the scientific community has been working to get back on its feet following the shock of such serious misconduct, the media has stirred up a maelstrom of its own. On November 2, the New York Times published an article about Stapel following the release of the investigation’s interim report. Uncharacteristically for an article about science, the story

made the front page.

“One reason it’s caught the media’s attention is that in this particular case, it seems to be that Professor Stapel was very active in trying to publicize and promote his work to the media in the past,” says Chasteen. “So that sense of betrayal not only exists for those of us in the field of psychology, but probably in the media as well.”

If this is the case, then betrayal comes at a high cost. Coverage of the Stapel case has been used as a plat-

There’s a growing awareness, at least at U of T, that there needs to be some sort of seismic change in the way we conduct research to make sure that the effects that we discover are in fact real and replicable. form for broader critiques of psychological research methods, and even for scrutiny of science as a whole.

Particularly in recent years, a handful of findings have lent psychological research its fair share of controversy. An article published last year by the prominent psychologist Daryl Bem claimed to provide evidence for extrasensory perception and foreseeing the future.

Bem, a well-established researcher who teaches at Cornell University, managed to get the paper published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, the most prestigious journal in the field.

When the paper was released, researchers and reporters alike were shocked at Bem’s ability to publish his seemingly “unscientific” findings in the first place.

“Some people were outraged that this could happen,” says Inzlicht.

“How could this be accepted? It was treated the same way as any other article. People were saying, ‘Maybe there’s something wrong with the way we accept articles. Maybe the kind of statitics we do aren’t appropriate. Maybe our very underpowered studies are contributing to this.’”

Of course, the case of Stapel’s fraud and issues surrounding publication and peer review are very different ones. Yet, they both point to deep-set flaws in scientific research.

While completely fabricating data, as Stapel did, is extremely rare, manipulating or “massaging” data is far more prevalent in science.

Inzlicht explains, “What we’re talking about right now with Stapel is outright fraud, which I think is very rare. But there are other areas where it’s a little shadier. We’re talking about what people call ‘massaging your data.’ So, looking at it one way, another way, taking out outliers, or covarying your analysis for some other peripheral measure — all to get at some sort of significant effect.

“In theory this probably shouldn’t affect things that much, but it probably does. So we need to clean up our act.”

Fortunately, the Stapel case has launched discussion within the scientific community in hopes of doing just that. At U of T, researchers are already talking about ways of improving the system of disseminating research.

“We actually had a meeting devoted entirely to the notion of false

positives, shortly after the Stapel case came out,” says Joel, explaining the weekly meetings held by U of T researchers in personality and social psychology. “A lot of discussion was had about how we could improve our peer review system to better prevent findings from being published that aren’t actually true.

I’d say that everyone agreed that it’s a problem. The variability in opinion was more about what to do about the problem. “It was a lively discussion, to say the least.”

Chasteen adds, “Hopefully, this will lead to greater rigour in making publication decisions about papers that are submitted, greater rigour in what is expected of statistical aspects of how data is treated, and hopefully greater rigour in how people collaborate with one another — to really have a better feel for where data comes from.”

“Some people suggest that we post all of our raw data online, or in some sort of repository, so that other people can look at it,” explains Inzlicht. “They can look to see what you’ve done.”

Inzlicht adds, “There’s a growing awareness, at least at U of T, that there needs to be some sort of seismic change in the way we conduct research to make sure that the effects that we discover are in fact real and replicable.”

In spite of the productive discussion among researchers, they also worry about the shadow cast on science by recent media coverage.

In this case, there may very well be such a thing as bad publicity.

“I do worry that the general public will start being more skeptical of the credibility of psychological findings now, expecting every researcher to be a Stapel,” Joel says. “When in truth, the vast majority of us are honest scientists, just trying to better understand how people work.”

Dr. Peter Herman, a prominent U of T social psychology researcher, echoes these thoughts. “It’s certainly too bad that the Stapel case is throwing so much negative attention at psychology — not that fraud is not a serious infraction. It’s just that it probably goes on, at a very low rate, in all academic disciplines — always has, always will. I’m skeptical that it can be entirely eliminated.”

Even so, the case exemplifies scientists’ responsibility to the public. Stapel’s misconduct not only emphasizes the importance of academic honesty for the pursuit of reliable scientific knowledge, but it also serves as a reminder that scientists rely on the public to fund them.

“All of us are beholden to federal agencies, or to our grants,” explains Inzlicht. “If now there’s another reason to suspect science, [the public will ask] ‘well now we’ve got some fraud, so why should we put money toward something like this?’

“At the end of the day, all university professors — in Canada at least — are public servants, and we’re beholden to the public. And if the public starts doubting what we do, then we’re not long for this world.”

VARSITY SPORTS

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sports@thevarsity.ca

Shootout revenge for Toronto

Varsity Blues women’s hockey team beats Queen’s 4–3 in shootout at home

Melissa LoParco VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR

Callie Bazak scored the shootout winner to lead the Varsity Blues women’s hockey team to a 4–3 victory over Queen’s University Gaels, Saturday at the Varsity Arena. The win improves the Blues’ record to 4–5–1 for the season.

The Blues lost their game at Queen’s last Saturday, so beating them on home ice was a bit of revenge for the team.

“We always have a good battle against [Queen’s],” said Amanda Ricker, the player of the game. “So it’s nice to come out with a win for sure.”

The first goal of the game came six minutes in from the Gaels’ Morgan McHaffie.

Queen’s held that lead until U of T player Marlie McLaughlin scored, 51 seconds into the second period.

Just two minutes later, however, Queen’s took the lead again, with an unassisted goal from Brittany McHaffie, who capitalized on

a Blues giveaway.

“We just try to keep a positive bench,” Ricker said about falling behind. “We can play well together, and you just have to make sure that you focus on the team and not individually. I think that’s huge, staying positive” Ricker scored on a five-on-three opportunity to even the score.

Just before that goal, there was some confusion over a goal for the Blues that was called off by the referee.

“I think the net went off on that play; the goalie kicked the net and it was dislodged,” Ricker explained “The [referee] actually told me to go [to the penalty box] and pointed that way … but apparently [that wasn’t the case].”

The goaltenders at both ends were on

their game, making numerous timely saves.

Blues goaltender Krista Funke’s glove saved an important penalty shot in the second period that would have put the Gaels up by one.

“When you’ve got your goalie playing as well as they are, it gives you confidence that they are going to have your back on first shot, second shot, third shot,” Bazak said.

“It just helps the whole team.”

With less than half a minute left in the second, Bazak scored to make the score 3–2, putting Toronto ahead for the first time in the game. In the third, Taryn Pilon scored for Queen’s on a power play to tie the game once again.

With a physical game at hand, the teams both put their special teams to work, tak-

“The coaches told me to have fun, which was basically a green light to just take a [slap] shot.”

ing a combined 18 penalties, seven of which were against the Blues.

“We tend to get a lot of penalties, so if we keep our power play and penalty kill going with it, it makes a huge difference,” Ricker said.

Cazak added, “The power play goal in the second tied up the game, and that shifted the whole momentum of the game.”

Both teams had excellent chances in overtime, but the goalies continued to make important saves. Both teams were scoreless in overtime, so the game went to a shootout.

The two goaltenders were once again excellent in the shootout, taking it to four rounds before Bazak’s shot ended up behind Queen’s goaltender Nicole Kesteris.

“The coaches told me to have fun,” Bazak explained, “which was basically a green light to just take a [slap] shot.”

The Blues play the University Of Ontario Institute Of Technology on Sunday at 4 pm at the Varsity Arena.

150 years of football at u of t

The first recorded game of football on the U of T campus.

1881

First Canadian intercollegiate game, against McGill. The first inter-university game played by U of T was in 1879 against the University of Michigan.

1861

1963

The first time edition of the Yates Cup, the OUA football conference trophy. U of T won three of the first four, including the inaugural one, and wins in 1899 and 1901.

TH

The first of the Blues Vanier Cup wins. The Blues other CIS victory was in 1993.

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1861

Photos: U of T Archives & rob leone

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1993

The last time U of T won either the Yates or Vanier Cup.

Write for Sports! sport@thevarsity.ca

2011

Senior quarterback Andrew Gillis passes 4000 yards in his final game against Waterloo, becoming only the fifth quarterback in Blues history to do so.

sports@thevarsity.ca

VARSITY SPORTS

monday, November 14, 2011

21

Anti-Triumph?

jenny kim/THe VArsity

U of T athletes aren’t convinced by Toronto’s lingerie football team

Zoë Bedard ASSOCIATE SPORTS EDITOR

Lace-trimmed bras and underwear don’t exactly bring to mind hard-hitting tackle football, but that’s precisely the uniform in which the Toronto Triumph lingerie football team takes to the field.

The Triumph have made headlines since their arrival in Toronto this past summer as an expansion team from the US Lingerie Football League. The team was initially met with harsh criticism from feminists and concerned citizens alike who, understandably, argued that the city did not need to support such a scantily dressed team.

The Triumph have also recently graced the pages of Toronto sports sections for reasons other than the team’s dresscode. In October, 22 of the original 26 players on the team resigned over disputes about unqualified coaching staff and unsafe equipment that included hockey helmets and one-size-fitsall shoulder pads designed for male youths.

The players quit after only the first game of the regular season, which the team lost 48– 14 to the Tampa Breeze. By the next match, 12 of the 16 players preparing for the game at Ricoh Coliseum had only just completed their first week of team training. The most recognizable member of the Triumph, Krista Ford, daughter of city councillor Doug Ford and niece of mayor Rob Ford, was one of the first players to quit.

If these women were playing flag football, proper padding would not be as serious a concern. There’s a reason that football teams only play once a week while other sports can play on several consecutive days, and it has nothing to do with the determination or resilience of the players.

Football is a full-contact game in which players line up nose-to-nose and face off in a battle of “who can hit the guy on the other

side of the ball the hardest?” Without proper padding and educated coaching staff, it is not a matter of if injuries will occur, but when. “[As] a [woman] who plays a full contact sport, I am fully aware of [the] need to have a proper coach and equipment. If you don’t, accidents and injuries will occur,” says Amanda Capone, intramural representative for Woodsworth College and a Varsity Blues rugby player. “I play a full contact sport, and if I were to play in nothing, I think I would feel a little more vulnerable in terms of getting hit.”

In late October, Dalla Giustina, one of the disgruntled players, told the Toronto Star, “When the head coach and the other offensive coordinator ran a practice, it literally felt like we were having a golf instructor teach us how to play professional football.”

“Professional” seems like quite a stretch.

As a woman who spends the vast majority of her time consumed by football related activities, I don’t believe that women cannot, or should not, be interested in sports, or that “real” football is reserved for men. But equally I cannot reasonably argue that any group of players — not necessarily women — wearing just their undergarments and some strategically placed padding can possibly constitute a “professional” team.

“There are also full contact football leagues for women who are fully clothed, but

they get no recognition,” Capone points out.

“I feel like even other leagues — like teamCanada leagues for other sports — don’t get as much attention as this team does. And … as much as people don’t want to say it, it’s because [the players are] almost naked.”

The Triumph’s team website (lflus.com/ torontotriumph) shows about as much cleavage as any a magazine hidden in the top rack of a seedy convenience store. “I know some of these girls, and they are competitive athletes,” says Capone. “But it still reverts back to that [question] of ‘why do you think you need to do that?’”

There’s no doubt that some of these women are real athletes, who have been training their whole lives, and wake up with a yearning to hit the field to perfect defensive formations.

“They actually are pretty tough,” admits Michael Prempeh, one the Varsity Blues football team’s leading receivers this season. “You see girls running into each other at full speed, and I was surprised.

“Some of the girls looked like they could run me over if I got in their way. If it wasn’t for the lingerie, it wouldn’t be that much of a [big] deal.”

So would Prempeh be willing to play in boxers in a male-equivalent of the Lingerie Football League? “I would feel a little bit weird. That would be way too weird for me; I don’t think I’d be able to do it.”

“It devalued the athlete and any sort of athleticism that they had. They had to basically run around in nothing, to prove to themselves, and to prove to other people, that they’re worthy of competing.”

Though the athletic requirements are clear, lingerie football does make good-looks a prerequisite for participating. Enough Hollywood movies have enforced the idea that girls aren’t comfortable with sports; are we then to tell them that to play football in a large-market city like Toronto, they must be minimally clad?

“When I first heard about this, I was kind of torn because I did have a friend that was trying out,” admits Capone. “But my own personal thoughts were that it kind of just devalued the athlete and any sort of athleticism that they had.

“They had to basically run around in nothing, to prove to themselves, and to prove to other people, that they’re worthy of competing.”

Members of the Chicago Bliss, another LFL team, had to sign contracts recognizing that they would face fines if caught wearing any additional undergarments beneath their uniform. The Chicago players also had to agree to “accidental nudity” during games and practices.

Clearly, sex sells.

Chairman Mitchell Mortaza told the Calgary Herald that the LFL is the fastestgrowing professional sports league in the United States, but changes to the league mean that once-paid professional sports franchise now rely on players who are essentially volunteers. Players are offered a limited insurance plan for team injuries and tanning and have to pay a $45 participation fee to take the field.

“They’re athletes: they train, they study football, they’re out on the field putting in work,” says Prempeh. The LFL apparently does not think it needs to pay these athletes for the “privilege” of playing football.

To Capone, the lingerie angle is unnecessary. “You can be an athlete without having to take your clothes off.”

22 Monday, November 14, 2011

VARSITY SPORTS

sports@thevarsity.ca

Blues victorious over Patriotes

Men’s hockey team beats UQTR 11–5 on Remembrance Day Rachel Bulatovich VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR

The Varsity Blues men’s hockey team cruised to a 11–5 victory over the Université du Québec à TroisRivières in an ill-tempered game Friday. The win puts the Blues’ record at 5–4–1 this season.

The Patriotes got on the board first, with a quick snapshot from the slot by winger Charles Bety in the fourth minute of play. The Blues responded 30 seconds later with a rebound goal by Paul Dupont, assisted

by Robert Kay. Emmanuel Boudreau of the Patriotes then took a holding penalty, which lead to U of T scoring again a minute later, forward Blake Boddy capitalizing on the powerplay.

UQTR, back to regular strength, had several attempts on goal. Blues goalie Brett Williows stopped three rapid-fire one-timers to keep the score at 2–1 midway through the first period. After several minutes of Patriotes offensive domination, Blues winger Dan Brewer chipped the puck past the Québec defence for an unobstructed rush. Brewer’s shot was stopped by UQTR goalie Nadeau, who let out a large rebound off his blocker, allowing Toronto’s Preston

to bury the puck to score the third for U of T. The first period ended with the score 3–2 to the Blues, and the start of the second was slow in terms of scoring. Toronto scored their fourth on a cross-ice pass from Elliott to Liukkonen following six minutes of scoreless play, and Québec quickly answered with a onetimer from the right slot, catching the U of T defencemen flat-footed.

Ten minutes into the second period, U of T scored their fifth goal, with Tyler Turcotte shoveling the puck to forward Bergin who, after a deke, sunk a slap shot past Nadeau. Bergin’s goal was the first of six consecutive goals by the Blues, including a shot by Boddy from behind the Patriotes’ goal line that deflected off Nadeau’s skates into the net. UQTR, after five goals and 38 minutes of play, withdrew Nadeau for second goalie Vincent Lamontagne.

The second period saw unmitigated physicality and a dramatic increase in penalties. UQTR’s Ouellet and Boudreau both took penalties that led to Toronto goals and by the third period, multiple fights had broken out.

UQTR’s Ouellet and Boudreau both took penalties that lead to Toronto goals and by the third period, multiple fights had broken out.

Four minutes into the third period, Patriotes forward Tremblay was ejected from the game following a scrap with the Blues’ Walters and a verbal altercation with the officials.

Despite the six-goal lead, Williows still faced challenges, with Quebec rattling off several point-shots and Ouellet sinking a point shot in the upper right-hand corner, putting the score at 10–4. UQTR took two more penalties, giving Toronto a two-man advantage for a minute and 30 seconds. Toronto scored their 11th goal on the 5-on-3. Minutes later, the Blues took two penalties which led to Quebec’s fifth goal, an impressive snipe by Felix Petit.

The Blues lost 4–3 in overtime to the Concordia Stingers Saturday. The single point Toronto picked up left them sixth in the OUA East.

Blues goalkeeper Garrett Sheehan made 27 saves in the loss, while Byron Elliott, Paul Van De Velde, and Kyle Ventura scored for Toronto.

Classifieds MENTORS NEEDED To guide one-on-one creative 5-8 graders to complete exciting selfchosen projects meeting one hour weekly for 10-12 weeks. Weekend orientation at OISE/UT. CONTACTS: LISA MALONEY (905-882-5482) or primementors.oise@utoronto.ca

WANTED Christmas Gift Wrappers Creative individuals, Locations -Downtown Toronto, North York, Brampton. Managers to $11.50/hour + bonuses. Wrappers to $10.50/ hour. Full & Part Time Avail December 1 – 24. TO APPLY, GO TO: www.TorontoWraps.com

EDITING Expert copy editing services available to graduate students for their research papers and dissertations Five years’ experience editing for both native and non-native speakers of English. Contact Patricia by telephone at (416) 922-2804 or by email at mpbishop@rogers.com.

FOR SALE Vinyl Records & CDs High quality, hand-picked selection.

Major & minor musical genres. We buy and sell. 3 minutes S of College & St. George, 18 Baldwin. 416-9792822. Around Again Records.

VOLUNTEER The Adult Disabled Downhill Ski Club of Toronto is looking for enthusiastic intermediatelevel ski volunteers for our Saturday program, starting January 2012. Lift tickets/transportation are provided.

Skiing is at a private club.

Please contact Fred Gaby at (416) 4456160 before November 30

MEDITATION Stressed out? Want to live life more deeply and happily?

True Peace Sangha offers weekly mindfulness and meditation sessions here at University of Toronto. No charge and all are welcome. Mondays 5:30 - 7:30 pm, Multifaith Centre, second floor. www.truepeace.ca.

sports@thevarsity.ca

VARSITY SPORTS

monday, November 14, 2011

23

“I’ll always be a Varsity Blue”

BLUES

Varsity Blues women’s hockey player Hannah Tighe is the next athlete in our End Game series

NUMBERS

Alberto Bustamante VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR

She may not be from Toronto, but after five years on the women’s field hockey team, captain Hannah Tighe now proudly says, “I’ll always be a Varsity Blue.”

“I didn’t really know what I wanted to do in school; I just knew I wanted to play field hockey at the university level,” Tighe admits. “So I looked at good schools with good field hockey programs, and U of T was definitely one of the ones that came up.

“The best part was the fact that I arrived here August 20, and on August 21, I had 18 friends. I had my team. I met my teammates, we started our pre-season, and they’ve been my friends ever since then.

My teammates guided me in school … Any questions that I had, especially the ones I felt stupid going to the registrar and asking, they were there to help me.”

Tighe, a European Studies major, found swift success with the Blues. The team won the CIS championship in her first year, and her impact was immediate. “In [a game during] her first year, she ran 50 yards to save a goal,” head coach John De Souza recalls. “She then carried the ball back 50 yards and helped us score the game-winning goal to win the CIS championship in 2007, our first together. That’s when I knew she was going to be an impact player.”

The Blues followed up that championship-winning season with two consecutive fifth-place finishes at CIS championships. “It was hard, especially as I came in in my first year and we won, I was just sort of along for the ride,” Tighe says. “I feel like I rode the coattails of the vets who knew what it took to win a championship, and knew how much effort went into it …

It was hard to face the reality that it’s not given — you have to really earn it and work really hard.”

Tighe was named one of the team’s captains in her third year; her work ethic and leadership skills made her an obvious choice. “Being captain in my third year … was a pretty big honour. Having the respect of my teammates and my coaches, wanting to give me that responsibility: it’s something that I’ll take away and [that] I

$

4.00

DRINKS

This team has been my life for the past 5 years. I don’t know Toronto, I don’t know the University of Toronto without the Varsity Blues Field Hockey team.

BY THE

identified as a potential [candidate] to make the national team.

“It’s a matter of doing the work and committing to that path, and I haven’t decided if I want to take that route. [Then] there’s always the option of going overseas and playing.

There are a lot of high-level club teams that I could play for, and that would be an amazing opportunity, but right now, I don’t know.”

Tighe is positive that great things lie ahead for the women’s field hockey program.

Only three players from this year’s team will be leaving, and Tighe knows her teammates are headed in the right direction. “The sky is the limit, honestly. The CIS rookie of the year [Amanda Woodcroft] is one of our own; last year’s athlete of the year [Kaelan Watson] has another year in her.

“We had amazing rookies last year, and they’re just going to keep getting better …

I think that in the future, the work ethic is going to keep increasing and they’re going to do amazing. As much as I like to think they’ll miss me when I’m gone, they’ll be fine without me. I’ll be on the sidelines cheering them on.”

After spending five seasons with the team, the time has come to close this chapter of her life. “It feels like I’m losBernarda Gospic/THe VArsity ing part of my identity,” she Hannah Tighe played all 12 of the Blues regular season games and scored five goals. says. “This team has been my life for the past 5 years. I don’t learned a lot from.” with the Blues, but she is trying to know Toronto, I don’t know the UniThe Blues clearly learned their les- remain positive. “Losing that bronze versity of Toronto without the Varsons — in Tighe’s fourth year, the medal game was devastating,” she sity Blues Field Hockey team. team won an improbable CIS gold. admits. “I was really upset. It’s hard Coach De Souza recognizes Tighe “Going into the championships, to end my career on a low note like as the type of player a coach doesn’t we were the underdogs,” Tighe ex- that but I keep reminding myself come across every day. “I have seen plains. “No one really expected that I’ve had this great career.” many athletes go through this promuch of us. We peaked at the perAs for her future, Tighe has sev- gram. Every now and then, a spefect time [and] everything fell into eral paths to choose from, but no cial one will come along and impact place perfectly. decisions have been made yet. “I’m you as much as you impact them.

“Going into this year, [my mental- still figuring out what I’m going to I will miss Hannah as a player and ity] was to savour every bit of it. No do come December, when I’m done leader. She brought the best all the regrets. I wanted to leave a positive classes,” she says. “I’ve been look- time, which forced this staff to do mark on the program and help the ing into doing nursing school. That’s the same. rookies and the younger players un- my ‘Plan A’ at the moment but that “Hannah has been reliable, derstand what it means to really im- might change.” No matter where she helped me stay on track and ormerse yourself in the team and be ends up, Tighe is adamant that she’ll ganized, but most of all, always a part of something that’s so amaz- “always be a Varsity Blue.” put the team first. She has made ing.”

So is this the end for Tighe and being a Varsity Blue field hockey Unfortunately, Tighe’s final season field-hockey? “No. I don’t know player something to be proud of. did not end as planned. She consid- what I’m going to next, but no, I’m She led from the front in all asers the disappointing fourth place definitely not done. There’s the na- pects and worked hard not to be finish at this year’s CIS champion- tional team option,” she says. “I’ve the best on the team but the best ships as the low point of her time been to a couple of camps and been in the country.”

7.5s

The time difference between silvermedalist Blues athlete Tamara Jewett and the first-place finisher at the 2011 CIS cross country championships. Jewett was also named a CIS first team all-Canadian.

75-66 The score when the Varsity Blues women’s basketball team beat Wilfrid Laurier Saturday. Jill Stratton scored 22 points, while Sherri Pierce had 16 points, five assists, and four steals.

1

st

The place in which both the men’s and women’s swimming teams finished Friday’s meet against the University of Ottawa. Toronto athletes won all but three events at the Varsity Pool.

102 PETER STREET

www.MansionToronto.com

DIVERSIONS

24 monday, NOVEMBER 14, 2011

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Call out for nominations The Varsity is calling out for motivated student leaders to run for its Board of Directors!

The duty of the Board of Directors is to act as student oversight for the Varsity’s financial and legal well-being as well as to help set long term goals for the corporation. Individual duties of directors can include consideration and monitoring of the annual budget, selection of staff, and discussion of ongoing issues of the corporation at monthly board meetings.

Available Positions 2 University of Toronto St. George Directors 2 Professional Faculty Directors Profacs: Engineering, Dentistry, Law, Medicine, Nursing, Music, OISE, Pharmacy, PhysEd 1 University of Toronto Mississauga Director 1 University of Toronto Scarborough Director Please complete and submit a nomination form to the Varsity Offices at 21 Sussex Ave., 2nd floor no later than Friday, November 18, 2011. Forms can be downloaded from the Varsity website and picked up from The Varsity Office.

The election will be held Thursday, November 24, 2011.

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At the moment with Ivana Listen

Whenever I try to be intimate with my girlfriend, she shows very little interest. Is this a girl thing or should I be concerned?

It sounds like your girl might be out of touch with that part of herself. If she generally shies away from intimacy, it could be that she feels emotionally guarded. If not, you might just not be tickling her fancy. Avoid getting on her nerves (in a bad way) by taking baby steps each time you touch or talk intimately. Carefully observe her response. Girls usually have to be turned on mentally before the games begin, so get into her mind first, not her pants.

The Varsity

abcd efgh ijkl Weekly Horoscopes

by Destiny Starr

Aries

March 21 – April 19 Aries, remember that you are the fiery ram of the cosmos. As the weather gets colder, you may want to invest in a warmer coat.

Taurus

April 20 – May 20 Your earthly common sense will come in handy this week. Avoid walking naked through Queen’s Park in daylight.

Gemini

May 21 – June 20 The planets are asking you to consider enrolling in a new subject PoSt. Specifically, Pokémon Card Collection (it’s offered at New College).

Cancer

June 21 – July 22 Cancer, your deeply intuitive nature has not served you well. Consider getting tested for a wide range of STIs.

Leo

July 23 – August 22 Listen to what your ruling planet, the sun, is telling you this week. Rent Dirty Dancing and buy edible underwear in preparation.

Virgo

August 23 – September 22 Romance is running high in Virgo’s celestial palace. Adopt Mystikal’s “Shake Ya Ass” as your mantra this week.

Libra

September 23 – October 22 Drink more tea. Also, pick up your phone goddamnit, people are trying to call you.

Scorpio

October 23 – November 21 Scorpio, people are getting tired of your cool and aloof bullshit. Your ruling planet, Pluto, isn’t even a planet anymore. Get over yourself.

Sagittarius

November 22 – December 21 As the travelling philosopher of the Zodiac, you are often restless and eager for change. Calm the fuck down, Jupiter says relax.

Capricorn

December 22 – January 19 Capricorn, you may have curly goat horns, but that never got anyone anywhere.

Consider a hot yoga class.

I suck at oral sex. When we’re trying to get it on, we both usually give up and just put it in. Help me stop doing it wrong.

Aquarius

The key to any kind of oral sex is patience. Like most things in life, you need to expect the best, plan for the worst, and not be afraid to fail. Sometimes oral sex becomes boring because both people either jump the gun or expect things to fall perfectly into place. What makes oral sex better in the long run is clarity of body language. Remember, every person’s love buttons are pressed differently, and you never know what the red button does until you press it.

Pisces

Got a question? Need some relationship advice? Email Ivana at ivanalisten@thevarsity.ca

January 20 – February 18 The word “aqua” is in your name, but you’re an air sign. What the fuck is up with that? The stars recommend a career as a nude life drawing model.

February 19 – March 20 You are artistic and compassionate, and you really need to update your Facebook profile picture. No one cares about your baby photos.