In a broad attempt to reach out toUTM students, the Muslim StudentsAssociation (MSA) explored the ideaof faith and God within a secular andscientific society, holding events forthree days all around campus lastweek.Beginning on February 3, the theme

of “Islam in an Age of Reason” fea-tured prominently in Islam AwarenessWeek (IAW), particularly in thechoice of topics for each evening’slecture: Why God? Why faith? Why

Islam? The Student Centre was trans-formed into a celebration of Islamicculture and religion, with volunteershanding out thousands of flyers andhundreds of Korans.“Each year, the MSA selects a

theme for IAW that is appropriateboth to the context of our campus andwhat we predict to be the interest ofour students,” explained MSA presi-dent Mohammed Ashour. “We havefound that a growing number of stu-dents and academicians tend to frownupon the concept of organized reli-gion, believing that religions areeither deluding or outright maladap-tive – our objective was to addressthis misconstrued judgment.” This isnot an attempt to rationalize religion,Ashour insists, because religion isalready rational in itself.Ashour praised his volunteers and

coordinators for working towards

making IAW a success, as well as thespeakers, Dr. Munir El-Kassem, ImamShabir Ally, and Dr. KatherineBullock. “There were many healthydebates with numerous students dur-ing the events, as well as during andafter the evening lectures that wereheld on all three days,” Ashour added.“Our goal was to educate the generalstudent population about the comple-mentary nature of religion in general,and Islam in particular with scienceand reason, and we do feel that we’veaccomplished that.”When asked why he was volunteer-

ing for IAW, Ridwan Wadhera, afourth-year English specialist, said hewas offering his time because hebelieves in Islam and in IslamAwareness Week.

Howard Hampton has initiated a leader-ship race in the provincial NewDemocratic Party (NDP) by announc-ing that he will step down from theposition he has held since 1996 whenhe took over from former Premier BobRae. As a result, candidates for thesoon-to-be-empty leadership chair ofthe Ontario New Democrats – PeterTabuns, Michael Prue, AndreaHorwath, and Gilles Bisson – havebeen touring the province trying tobuild support. As part of that campaign,a leadership debate was held at UTMon February 5 in the Kaneff Centre.Organized by the UTM NDP club,

three out of four candidates presentedtheir viewpoints on some of the keyissues confronting our society today.Tabuns, Horwath, and late-comerBisson each offered their perspective ofwhere the problems lie and how –should they win the leadership – theywould tackle those problems.UTM NDP executive member

Steven Zhou, who is the group’s eventcoordinator, was pleased with the turn-out of thirty students and staff, andadded that after hearing all the differentpoints of view he is having a hard timedeciding who he is going to support.When asked to address Ontario’s

current economic crisis and how theywould create jobs in the future, Tabunslaid out an all-in-one package which he

referred to as the Green EnergyEconomy. “We’re not dealing with easytimes in Ontario today,” Tabunsacknowledged, before adding that cre-ating new employment or manufactur-ing opportunities that also reduce car-bon emissions is a big part of the solu-tion.On the other hand, Tabuns notes that

there isn’t an economic strategy inplace at the moment. “Currently over$40 billion is spent on energy inOntario each year, and to create morejobs here in Ontario, we need to spendsome of that money here,” said Tabuns.Andrea Horwath went further and

predicted a ”painful recession.” Shemaintained that, “Although big things

like energy manufacturing are good, wealso can’t be losing our good old jobs.Since one out of seven jobs in Ontariodepends on auto manufacturing, if wedon’t have an auto sector, we don’thave an economy anymore.”She referred to her plan as a Legacy

Investment in Public Transportation,noting the long list of communities that

are clamouring for light rail, for exam-ple. Many manufacturers in Sudburywant their goods transported by traininstead of truck, citing growing fuelcosts and environmental concerns.Horwath also anticipated that morepublic transit will also get people out ofcars, and thereby reduce green housegas emissions.The next question was about the

York University strike and the back-to-work legislation introduced by DaltonMcGuinty’s Liberal government lastweek, and all three candidates notedthat they did – and would again, ifgiven the chance – block the legislationfrom quickly passing. Rather than apol-ogizing for delaying the return of50,000 students, the candidates turnedinstead to principle, with Tabuns notingthat it was the Liberal government thatabandoned the students and chose toside with York, which interferes withthe “good faith” aspect of the collectivebargaining process.“The only thing workers have is the

ability to withdraw their labour,” addedHorwath. “Graduate students and TA’sare educational workers, so whyshouldn’t they get a decent pay?”Horwath also pointed out that the uni-versity had no incentive to bargain withthe union (CUPE 3902) because theyhad already struck a deal with the gov-ernment to end the strike and thereforecould reject whatever CUPE offered.

Volume 35, Issue 19Monday, February 9, 2009 www.mediumonline.ca

page10 page11 page14

New Democrats at UTM

Photo/Matthew Filipowich

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IAW: Islam in an Age of Reason

Photo/Matthew Filipowich

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WITH NOTES FROM AANNDDRREEWW HHAAMMIILLTTOONN��SSMMIITTHH

AANNDDRREEWW HHAAMMIILLTTOONN��SSMMIITTHHNEWS EDITOR

See LLeeaaddeerrsshhiipp page 3

See AAwwaarreenneessss page 2

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Islam in a post-9/11 world“I try to take advantage of any oppor-tunity which allows me to show mylove to the creator of the heavens andearth, and Islamic Awareness Weekis one of those opportunities.” After abrief but lively debate about thenature of existence with The Medium- it was agreed to disagree – Wadherareturned to handing out leaflets topassersby.The idea of being Muslim post-

9/11 was a recurring point amongsome attendees, such as MurriumZaheer, a first-year English student,who welcomed the opportunity todiscuss this. “In the modern 9/11world many people have stereotypesabout Islam which are false [and] it isimportant for people to know aboutthe different cultures that exist,”Zaheer remarked. “It is also impor-tant for people to respect other reli-gions as independent beliefs of faith.

It was nice seeing many people cometogether to learn about Islam.”Third-year anthropology student

Steven Zhou agreed with some ofthose sentiments: “We here in theWest have experienced this post-9/11, so it helps to know about Islam,its pluralistic characteristics, its con-tribution to the renaissance, its influ-ence on European thought, and theeffects that Western colonialism hashad on it.” Both Zhou and Zaheerpoint out that building awareness isan important part of showing a posi-tive and peaceful side of Islam, espe-cially considering the kind of dis-course the religion is often exposedto in the mainstream media, such asFox News.In Imam Ally’s “Why faith?” dis-

cussion on Wednesday evening, hesuggests that the idea of secularismattacking religion is shown inRichard Dawkins’ “The GodDelusion,” which attempts to dis-credit faith as a rational means of

existing in an uncertain universe.“Faith is something that cannot beproven, which we accept nonethe-less,” Ally points out. “Faith shouldnot contradict evidence though, butrather should build upon it, followingthe same direction.” Essentially the suggestion here is

that one should hold a belief until itis disproven, and this tends to con-flict with traditional Western philos-ophy, which assumes that no belief isvalid without empirical evidence tosupport it.The role of morality in an increas-

ingly secular society is certainly acontentious one, even in Canada,where laws and traditions that arebased upon Judeo-Christian valuesare now being questioned and some-times repealed – rules regardingabortion is one example. IAW isplaying an important part in educat-ing UTM students in an effort tominimize ignorance and increaseawareness of Islamic culture.Photo/Matthew Filipowich

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Continued from front page

UTM celebratesJashan-e-baharThe Hindu Student Council (HSC)hosted its first semi-formal dinner onFebruary 6 at the Blind Duck Pub. Itwas organized to celebrate Jashan-e-bahar, a traditional South Asian festi-val that celebrates the oncoming ofspring. Due to the hard work of over twen-

ty volunteers and organizers, such asMaryam Masood, Meenal Tayal andNeetipriya Pandey (who was alsoMaster of Ceremonies), the event,called “Basant,” was a success,attracting over 150 UTM students.“HSC organized this to mark the

arrival of the spring season [and]Basant is a festival celebratedthroughout South Asia, but has animportant cultural aspect inPakistan,” explained HSC presidentRohit Dubey. “Thus, at HSC we feltthe dire need to unite everyone in abond that is not limited to religion,cast, creed, race or sex.” Furthermore, as part of efforts to

reach out to all communities on cam-pus, performances were chosen insuch a way in which everyone couldrelate to. In the process of prepara-tions, the HSC also made sure to pro-mote recycling and eco-friendlymaterial by using recycled materialfor all their decorations.When asked about the emphasis on

unity, Maryam Masood revealed thatmuch of the decision to celebrate“Basant,” (celebrated widely in both

India and Pakistan) was in light ofthe recent Mumbai attacks andincreasing tension between Pakistanand India. “Holding this event atUTM promotes the message that weare one. We should not put ourselvesbehind unnecessary boundarieswhich can one day create unwantedhostility.”The event began with a traditional

Indian dance performance by RohitDubey and Nikitha Paluri and a musi-cal performance by Saad T., AhsanA., Ashar, Anum R., Utsab D., RohitDubey, and Arqam P., who per-formed a combination of modern gui-tar-based pop and traditional Indianmusic. Shortly after that, a customary

Indian dinner was served, accompa-nied by another traditional Indiandance performance by South AsianAlliance members Mayukh Mitra,Rupi Mangat, Rajmeet Chohan,Azima Ihsan, and Karun Pathak. Towards the end of the evening a

raffle was held before the floor wasopened for dancing to a uniquefusion of modern and traditionalIndian music. The event wrapped uparound one in the morning.The South Asian Alliance is look-

ing for dancers to participate in anupcoming dance competition inMarch. If you are interested, pleasecontact Mayukh at utm-danceteam@gmail.com.

Photo source/ HSC

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KKAARREENN AAKKHHTTAARRASSISTANT FEATURES EDITOR

CAMPUS CROSS�SECTION NEWSMONDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2009 THE MEDIUM 33

Leadership contest for NDPWith post-secondary students inmind, the leadership hopefuls wereasked about another controversialtopic: tuition fees. Arriving late dueto a schedule conflict, Gilles Bissioncaptured the audience’s interest whenhe took a strong stand against tuitionfees, insisting that we have to movetowards the total elimination oftuition fees. Contrary to the tradition-al system, Mr. Bission mentionedthat post-secondary entrance shouldbe based solely on academic perfor-mance, and not on whether one canafford to pay or pay back tuition.

To finance the repayment of uni-versity tuition fees, he came up withan alternative strategy: instead ofgiving out OSAP and charging hugeamounts of interest on it, which isalso increasing overall student debt,he proposed a one and one-half percent surcharge on income tax. Thatway, students will not be graduatingwith huge financial burdens, butrather pay off their tuition as theypursue their careers.

For his part, Tabuns offered analternative strategy to lower tuitionsfees by rolling them back to 2003levels and freezing them there. Hisanswer, or rather a question, wasquite simple: “Do you want to havean educated population in Ontario?”Tabuns mentioned that in the lastprovincial election, the NDP pro-

posed to raise more funds for post-secondary education by eliminatingcorporate tax breaks and increasingthe taxes of people who are makingmore than $140,000 a year, whichwould allow the government toincrease grants and decrease loans.

Perhaps the most contentious ques-tion was about separate, religiousschool boards created within the pub-lic system, similar to the ill-fatedmusing of Ontario Conservativeleader John Tory in the 2007 elec-tion. Every candidate suggested thatthere may be far more pressing issuesin Ontario right now – jobs, the envi-ronment, or tuition fees – which aremore pressing than separate schools,and this had such a divisive effect inthe last provincial election. AsTabuns put it, “If we care about thefuture of this province, we have tothink about what we want to debate.We have to focus on other principalquestions that dominate the life ofthis province and try to work throughthose issues, rather than dealing withthe issues we find dear to our heart.”

Horwath boldly added that “educa-tion is not the most important issue.”She pointed out that we need to firstdeal with the under-funding of publicschools in general. “We need to lookat schools that do not have enoughresources to provide education forkids whose second language isEnglish,” she explained. “Even chil-dren with special needs do notreceive enough funding…and some

schools are physically falling apart.” Horwath suggested that Ontarians

need to find a common ground andbuild upon that instead of having sep-arate religious schools, since this“erodes money away from the publicsystem.”

In the end, political debates are allabout the candidates’ performance –whoever it is that can look, sound,

and act the most sincere, sponta-neous, and smart under intense pres-sure. From that perspective, eachcandidate performed well, thoughmany students in attendance wereparticularly impressed with Bisson,who one attendee described as hav-ing the “aura of a leader.” ProfessorBrent Wood commented that Bissonwas a “captivating speaker” and that

his “interactive rhetoric was fascinat-ing to behold - 19 years as a con-stituency politician have left him amaster of a kind of dialogue thatwould work with the blue-collar crewas well as intellectuals, country folkand city folk.” The real test, howev-er, will come at the NDP Conventionin Hamilton, when the leader is cho-sen.

No timelinefor Child Care

Fiji Pub turns up heatOn February 5, the Blind Duck Pubwas transformed into an island par-adise by the Philanthropy JigamarieClub, with the mission to raisemoney for the Red Cross. PeterBuczkowski, president of the club,declared, “we're trying to start anight life at UTM, something thatwill attract students into coming outand having some fun while inform-ing the public about new opportuni-ties that people don't know about.”

Last year, the Fiji Pub Night eventmanaged to collect almost $5,000

for the Alzheimer 's Society.Organized in conjuncture with thePhi Gamma Delta, a fraternity oper-ating out of the St. George campus,Fiji Night brought out a large crowdof revelers who danced the nightaway. Providing the music was OhDJ Oh and DJ Rytaxys, who spun acrazy mix of house, euro, rap, R&B,and a few selections from the top40s.

Robert Martin, chapter presidentof Phi Gamma Delta explained thatFiji night was intended to focus onthe promotion of the core values ofthe fraternity, friendship and charity.“Friendship is the sweetest influ-

ence, it’s one of our mottos, and it’sthe atmosphere we're creating here.Tonight, our focus is on philan-thropy, charity and having a goodtime.”

Fiji night was also a celebrationfor the new president of the chapter,William Stefanic, who remarked thathe was really pleased the event wentbeyond expectat ions. “I t was avibrant, good time that was appar-ently enjoyed by everyone in atten-dance.” Lucy Wu, a third-yearforensic science student in atten-dance backed up that claim: “It’sawesome. It only happens once ayear and it’s always a good party.”

As of January 23 the University ofToronto Mississauga (UTM) receivedclearance from the City ofMississauga to proceed with con-struction of the Early Learning Centreon campus. The child care centre wasexpected to open this February butaccording to Francesca Dobbin, direc-tor of Family Programs and Servicesat the University of Toronto, con-struction was delayed during theprocess of obtaining an operatinglicense, zoning permits, building per-mits and other approvals.

The centre is to be built besideLeacock Lane residences and willhave twenty-six spots for children ofstudents, staff and faculty at UTM.The UTM Students’ Union (UTMSU)currently operates an interim childminding service, established inJanuary 2006. Although the service atthe Student Centre is able to providecare for some children, it is at themoment limited in capacity to onlyfive.

At this time an updated openingdate for the Early Learning Centrehas not been released. “We can’tcommit to an opening date yet, butare working with the project’s archi-tects, engineers and contractors, alongwith the operator, to finalize one,”said Dobbin. “[The opening date] willbe shared widely as soon as it isavailable,” she added.

Dean of UTM Student AffairsMark Overton and Dobbin recentlysent a letter apologizing to student-

parents because the centre would notopen in February 2009 as announcedin November 2008. They added thatthe University of Toronto’s FamilyCare Office will assist families whoneed to make interim child care plans.The child minding service at theStudent Centre will continue operat-ing until the new centre opens.

UTM is one of few universities inOntario without a permanent childcare service. The University ofToronto St. George and Scarboroughcampuses both have child care centrescurrently in operation. York, Ryerson,Waterloo, Guelph, Brock, and manyother universities also have similarcentres for their students. The DayCare Centre at the University ofWestern Ontario recently celebratedthirty years in operation.

“In the last three years, we’ve seenOscar Peterson Hall and the RAWC(Athletic Centre) built. Why is it sohard to get the child care centreopened?” commented Saaliha Malik,vice-president Equity at UTMSU.“We know that the University hasinfluence over the city council...[but]because they won’t make a profitfrom [the child care centre] it seemslike it is a lower priority.”

Regardless of an undefined time-line for construction, both Dobbinand Overton reaffirmed that they arecommitted to providing a licensedchild care facility at UTM.

Unity ThroughDiversity feeds UTMRecalling that the path to one’s heartoften lies through the stomach, thefood festival held on February 3 in theUTM Student Centre was a huge suc-cess. As the opening event whichkicked off Unity through DiversityWeek, various associations and clubsparticipated to raise awareness aboutthe cultures and societies they repre-sent.

“This was our first event on campuswhere we received an opportunity tobecome recognized by the UTM com-munity as a proper organization, and

we were hoping to recruit a few newmembers,” said Patryk Laszczuk,prime minister of the newly formedUTM Polish Club.

It was obvious that friends weremade all around as a multitude of stu-dents flowed through the tables andcrowds to sample the fare provided byeach of the various clubs, which includ-ed the the Afghan Student Association,the Italian Club of Erindale, the SikhStudent Association, and many others.From pasta to fortune cookies, perogiesto samosas, there was something foreveryone to enjoy, including diverseitems such as Korean sushi, Cantonesenoodles, Paczki, and Kabanosy.

“The food cleared out pretty quickly.As soon as we unpacked our catereddishes, a line had already started infront of our booth,” said Lisa Yao fromthe Chinese Undergrad Association.“We didn't even have the plates andforks out yet!”

Students were apparently hungryenough for more than just one culture.“It was amazing for all the clubs to pro-vide us with free delicious food. Andthe fact that it was free was even bet-ter,” said Sana Iqbal, an English spe-cialist at UTM. The sentiment seemedto be shared by all who attended, espe-cially when they came back for sec-onds, thirds and fourths.

Photo/Lara Matiisen

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Continued from front page

FFIIOONNAA BBUUCCHHAANNAANNASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

JJOOEELL FFEERRNNAANNDDEESS

JJOOEELL FFEERRNNAANNDDEESS

Should parents be mad?TTeellll uuss wwhhaatt yyoouu tthhiinnkk..www.mediumonline.ca

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 200944 THE MEDIUM

2009 SPRING

Elections NoticeThe University of Toronto Students’ Union is holding its Spring 2009 Elections to fill the following positions:

Position Seat(s)

Division I

Division II

Division III

Executive

To run for a position, pick up a nomination package during the nomination period at the UTSU office. Please keep in mind the dates and deadlines.

Important Dates:

Nomination Pick-up and Drop-off Locations:

For more information, visit our Students’ Union website atwww.utsu.ca or contact the Chief Returning Officer atcro@utsu.ca.

OPINIONMONDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2009 THE MEDIUM 55

Working in the newspaper business, I am often confronted withthe problem of bias in the media. When The Medium runs a storywe try to show all points of view but it is practically impossibleto provide all relevant information related to any given story.Within the context of a campus newspaper especially, it is hardto fit a number of stories within a fixed number of pages, and assuch, journalists often have to pick and choose.

This discretion to select one version of the truth over anotheris a powerful one, and provides the journalist – intentionally ornot – with a great deal of influence over the impression a readertakes away from any given article. When covering politicalissues (and every issue has some political component) this isparticularly true. All facts, regardless of their relationship totruth, contain secondary meanings and carry implied ideas orfeelings. True objectivity can never be obtained because well, toput it one way, language does not have the capacity to do so.

That being said, any journalist worth his or her salt tries to beas objective as is possible if for nothing else, credibility. That iswhy I was struck by the media coverage on the UTM NDP lead-ership debate last week, which was harsh to the point of almostvindictive.

In their account, The Mississauga News ran the headline“NDP hopefuls all sound the same,” ignoring the fact that adebate within a party is likely to be less divergent than onebetween opposing parties. To be fair, there were differencesbetween the plans put forth by the candidates – Peter Tabunsembraces investment in manufacturing “green” technology,whereas Andrea Horwath proposes to build a “LegacyInvestment in Transportation,” for example.

Even more critical was a blog entry by one “Tyler” onBlables.com, who complained that he felt as if he was “sittingthrough a horrible movie, and wishing God would reimburse thetime [spent at the debate] that was forever gone.” Granted, blog-gers are given more leeway to be opinionated, but still...ouch.

I guess the question should be whether or not the NDP some-how deserves this sort of scorn from the media? An associate ofmine tells me that when Bob Rae lead Ontario’s only NDP gov-ernment in the early 1990’s, which was by all accounts a disasterand devastated the province, a popular saying arose that if BobRae’s dog miraculously walked across Lake Ontario, the head-line would read “Bob Rae’s dog can’t swim.” Apparently manypeople would agree that the NDP deserves to be mocked andridiculed after all.

This brings us back to the question of bias in media. Noteveryone would agree that the NDP should be scoffed at by themainstream media, however, and by deliberately attaching a neg-ative opinion to a fact, is this not doing the reader a disservice?Should a reader not be trusted to form his or her own opinion?How far can a journalist stray from objectivity – which is admit-tedly impossible to achieve – before it becomes outright bias, oreven slander?

Some might argue that writing to a certain bias is necessary inorder to reach a specific audience, and some major media orga-nizations today do this very well, Fox News being the foremostexample. By providing “Action News” that is full of opinions –especially those underrepresented by other media outlets – Foxwas able to attract huge numbers of viewers who did not previ-ously watch any news at all.

If one has to be a “little bit biased,” is it wise and pragmatic topick a bias that reflects your audience? I’m afraid I don’t knowthe answer to that myself, but I invite you to join the discussionat www.mediumonline.ca.

AALLII KKAASSIIMMEDITOR�IN�CHIEF

editor@mediumonline.ca

EDITORIAL

LLeetttteerr to the Editor

EDITORIAL EEDDIITTOORR��IINN��CCHHIIEEFFAli Kasimeditor@mediumonline.ca

NNEEWWSS EEDDIITTOORRAndrew Hamilton�Smithnews@mediumonline.ca

AA&&EE EEDDIITTOORRMichael Di Leoarts@mediumonline.ca

FFEEAATTUURREESS EEDDIITTOORRAlain Latourfeatures@mediumonline.ca

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CCOOPPYY EEDDIITTOORRShelley Bahorie

PPHHOOTTOOGGRRAAPPHHYY EEDDIITTOORRMatthew Filipowichphotos@mediumonline.ca

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Ali KasimYours,

Feb 14 doesn’t sit well with allDear UTM students,

I am very annoyed that everyyear people are made to feel badif they’re single on Valentine’sDay or have not found a date bythen. For those who have foundthat special someone, it is thepressure to do something spe-cial, buy that romantic gift, or,now that Family Day falls on thesame weekend, plan the perfectromantic long-weekend. And forUTM students, thanks to thetimeliness of reading week – theperfect week getaway.

Who does this commercialmoney making holiday serve?The boyfriend who forgot? Thegirlfriend who can’t afford aunique gift? Or the group of girlswho are forced to bitterly stayhome in their pyjamas?

How did Valentine’s evenbecome a holiday? Originally itstemmed from a martyred saintand a priest in ancient Romewho aided and marriedChristians. However, since therewere several saints by this name,and his identity was unclear,some implied this holiday wascreated to overpower Lupercalia– a Roman holiday intended tocleanse the city and its citizens.

Another theory comes fromthe story of Saint Valentine. Thisis a story of one man so heart-broken from being rejected hecut out and sent his beating heartto his love interest as symbol ofhis eternal love for her. In thelatter Middle Ages, the holidaybecame romanticized by a groupassociated with GeoffreyChaucer.

It may seem that I am writing

as a bitter female, but I assureyou that I am not. And yes this isa very cliché and typical state-ment but I real ly just don’tunderstand why people mustparade around in red and pinkclad and purchase expensiveflowers, chocolates or jewelleryfor February 14. Is this not whatanniversaries are for – to cele-brate being with your sweet-heart?

Fortunately, for the card andconfectionary people and theflorists, this holiday is celebrat-ed almost worldwide. Well, tothose of whose who celebrate orhave been roped into celebrating– Happy Valentine’s Day.

- Shelley Bahorie

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MONDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 200966 THE MEDIUM

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Pacific MallFirst Markham Place

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During the past month or so, most of themajor designers have been busy releasingtheir lines for fall 2009. As interestingand creative some of these collectionsmay be, the trends for a season more thaneight months away is the last thing on theminds of the general public.However, the designers focusing on fall

means that the trends for spring 2009have been set and pieces will be hittingstores near you very soon. Over the nextfew weeks the Style Sartorialist will out-line some of the must-have pieces andcolours for this upcoming spring whileproviding tips on potential bargains thatcan be found at major retailers for clear-ance winter goods.

HAUTE COUTURE

This week our discussion will start withmen’s fashion for spring 2009. Althoughspring seems like a distant reality duringthese long winter months, many design-ers took a very different approach indeveloping their lines which may make iteasier for you to start thinking aboutupdating your wardrobe sooner ratherthan later.A unifying theme for all of the different

trends is a focus on colours normallyreserved for fall and winter. Browns,grays and black have been used for basepieces in many collections, with splashesof colour and white to add a spring-likeflair to the ensembles. One particulartrend is the decidedly 80s twist on thisgeneral pattern. Seen in the use of boldprimary colours and polyfiber wind-breakers coupled with high top sneakers,many designers have been inspired bythe 80s in developing their collections forthis season.

The lineup that best exemplifies thisstyle is perhaps Kris Van Assche’s linefor Dior Homme. In his show in Parislast summer, models were clad in darkoutfits paired with one or two highlight

pieces, often in bold primary colours,neons, or metallics, which were used toprovide an extra pop of colour needed tomake the outfits suitable for spring wear.However, it can be argued that Asschemay have taken his inspiration from thedays of NewWave a little too far by hav-ing his models sport comical interpreta-tions of futuristic eyewear and moreextreme pieces such as gold denimtrousers encrusted with faux jewels.

On a more subdued level, MichaelKors’ line up includes more simpledesigns with outfits that were more taste-fully paired with a few bold yet under-stated pieces such as a cobalt blue raincoat (made of neoprene) or a yellowturtleneck worn with a black blazer.

Yves Saint Laurent in typical mini-malist fashion also managed to incorpo-rate certain outfits that lead us to believetheir designers took a glance into thepast, showcasing blazers matched withturtlenecks and light-coloured pants.

STYLE TIPS

Because of the colour scheme used bymany of the designers this season, certainpieces will be easy to incorporate intoyour wardrobe before the snow melts.The hidden blessing is that many of thethings that you already own from last fallmay still be trendy.

THE LOOK: This trend is very easy tofollow and you will most likely findyourself re-using items you already ownfor highlight pieces. But beware, 80sdoesn’t mean Miami Vice or yourfather’s 25-year-old neon sweater.

SHIRTS: Dark colours. The colour of theshirt is more important than style for thislook, so stick with black, browns andgrays. T-shirts, both V-neck and roundneck, are great for casual wear. If you aredressing it up, a dark dress shirt with thesame coloured tie or turtle neck pairedwith a similarly coloured blazer worksbest. Remember that base layer clothingis supposed to be more subdued, withbright colours used only for highlightpieces.

PATS: For pants you have two options,dark or white. If you want you want towear denim, pick something with a verydark wash or go with a completely whitepair (and I mean white and not just a verylight wash). For dressing up, keep it sim-

ple with a pair of black trousers.

OUTERWEAR: This is where colour canseriously come in. Be creative and makeyour jacket your highlight piece. Stickwith strong primary colours (red, blue oryellow) if you want something that willlast a couple of seasons. If you want to bebolder, go for metallic or neon. Many ofthe jackets used in the lineups of themajor designers were windbreakers orraincoats made of polyfibers, and if youpick something that is waterproof youwill have something that is both trendyand practical.

SHOES: Footwear is a very importantaspect of this trend. I recommend hightop sneakers, but you must be carefulhow you choose them – avoid the bulkyones. If you spend a little extra you canget a dressier pair, allowing you to dresseverything up a little more. Both up-and-coming trendy shoe companies, as wellas higher end brands, offer their own takeon this type of shoe and they will be bet-ter constructed – you might also treat

them better knowing you spent a littlemore.

ACCESSORIES: If you chose to acces-sorize, exercise lots of freedom. Youraccessories should also be your highlightpieces, so don’t be scared to use somecolour. Stick with cloth or rubber wrist-bands for watches (just replace yourleather one or put it in storage) - you canthankGQ for that one.

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2009 THE MEDIUM 77

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$10,000 plus unique learning opportunities for students who are not only

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Style sartorialist: spring fashionsCCOORRBBAANN CCOONNSSAALLEESS

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MMiicchhaaeell KKoorrss’’ BBlluuee WWiinnddbbrreeaakkeerr..

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENTMONDAY,FEBRUARY 9, 200988 THE MEDIUM

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On Sunday, February 22, 2009 the81st Academy Awards ceremonywill take place at the Kodak Theatrein Hollywood. Oscar-watchers canfinally see whether all those bell-wether awards – the Golden Globes,SAG, Directors’ Guild, Fi lmCritics, etc – really do influence the5,000 or so Academy voting mem-bers (many of whom are so old,they still think Whoopi Goldberg’shosting). All we know at this pointis that cloud of dust over the hori-zon is supposed to have been kickedup by the runaway critical darlingSlumdog Millionaire. What the fuckhappened to Batman man? Herewith, my barely informed

roundup of this year’s winners:

BBeesstt SSuuppppoorrttiinngg AAccttoorr

JJoosshh BBrroolliinn – MilkRRoobbeerrtt DDoowwnneeyy JJrr.. –Tropic Thunder

PPhhiilliipp SSeeyymmoouurr HHooffffmmaann– Doubt

HHeeaatthh LLeeddggeerr – TheDark Knight

MMiicchhaaeell SShhaannnnoonn –Revolutionary Road

Those who know me well will tellyou that I think Seymour Hoffmanis greatest method actor that evergraced the silver screen. Rememberthe hype after Capote? Well, forgetthat. I was enraged that nobody lis-

tened to me two years before thatafter I saw Love Liza. In Doubt, hewas stellar. As usual. Alas, Hollywood loves two things

– a good comeback story and hon-ouring an actor af ter his t ragicdeath. Downey Jr., whose promisingcareer was derailed almost a decadeago by drugs, receives his secondnomination sixteen years after play-

ing Charlie Chaplin. Heath Ledger,well, I don’t need to tell you whathappened to him. I also don’t needto tell you that he’s going to pickthis one up easy. Oh, but wouldn’ti t be so sweet i f everyone wasproven wrong. I just love the under-dog. Josh Brolin anyone?

Prediction: Heath “boo hoo –he’s dead” Ledger

BBeesstt SSuuppppoorrttiinngg AAccttrreessss

AAmmyy AAddaammss – DoubtPPeenneellooppee CCrruuzz – VickyChristina BarcelonaVViioollaa DDaavviiss – DoubtTTaarraajjii PP..HHeennssoonn – The

Curious Case ofBenjamin Button

MMaarriissaa TToommeeii – TheWrestler

There’s something about PenelopeCruz in a Hollywood productionthat I just can’t stand. Maybe it’sthat scene in Vanilla Sky when shesays “open your eyes” in thatannoying whisper. God, I hate TomCruise. On the other hand, Cruz isremarkably convincing in Spanishfilmfare. I’m still wondering howshe lost for Volver two years ago.For Woody Allen’s Vicky ChristianBarcelona, she was a hoot. Henson is an interesting pick,

especially when you consider howwell nominated Benjamin Button isand the fact that i t ’s somehowthreatening to sweep almost everystatu ette in sight. But no, I can’t saythat i t wi l l . Because days af terwatching Doubt, I was still wonder-ing how Amy Adams managed tosteal that movie from MerylStreep.

Prediction: Amy Adams

BBeesstt AAccttoorr

RRiicchhaarrdd JJeennkkiinnss – TheVisitor

FFrraannkk LLaannggeellllaa –Frost/Nixon

SSeeaann PPeennnn – Milk

BBrraadd PPiitttt – The CuriousCase of Benjamin

ButtonMMiicckkeeyy RRoouurrkkee – The

Wrestler

One thing that seemed consistentwith the reviews for Milk was thefabulous acting throughout. Criticseven went as far as to say thatJosh Brolin and Emile Hirsch“gave the performances of theircareer.” Penn of course didn’tneed any praising. After I am Samand Mystic River , people justexpect him to be that good. I’mjust wondering how he’s able toget better and better. But forget all that. What was I

saying earlier about Hollywoodand a good comeback story?Mickey Rourke spent fifteenyears in the acting wilderness.Sin City launched his come-back. The Wrestler confirmedhis arrival. Though Imust say….Langellain Frost/�ixon wasthrilling to watch.

P red i c t i on :M i c k e yRourke

BBeessttAAccttrreessss

AAnnnneeHHaatthhaawwaayy– RachelGettingMarriedAAnnggeelliinnaaJJoolliiee

ChangelingMMeelliissssaaLLeeoo –Frozen

River

MMeerryyll SSttrreeeepp – DoubtKKaattee WWiinnsslleett – The

Reader

Ok no, ser iously, who the hel lwatched Changeling? I did-n’ t . So I’m not evengoing there. I will tellyou though, when Iwatched Mr and MrsSmith (on free cablemind you), I was hopingBrad would ki l l offAngelina and win the war.

Hathaway’schances are“romantic”at best.Still, it isacknowl-edgementthat RachelGettingMarried(which Ithoughtwould be thisyear’s Juno)was her best

work to date. Streep has been nomi-nated (and lost) for way better per-formances and Winslet is nominatedfor the wrong movie here(Revolutionary Road…How couldthey not?) So that crosses out all

except for Leo in Frozen River. Idon’t understand howBenjamin Button gets 13nominations and yet no BestActress nod for CateBlanchett.

Prediction: Kate Winslet

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2009 THE MEDIUM 99

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

BBeesstt AAddaapptteedd SSccrreeeennppllaayy

EErriicc RRootthh and RRoobbiinnSSwwiiccoorrdd – The CuriousCase of Benjamin ButtonJJoohhnn PPaattrriicckk SShhaannlleeyy –

DoubtPPeetteerr MMoorrggaann –Frost/Nixon

DDaavviidd HHaarree – The ReaderSSiimmoonn BBeeaauuffooyy – Slumdog

Millionaire

Not too much to say here. But beforewe ship this one off to India, I just wantto say that Roth (Forrest Gump,Munich) and Swicord’s adaptation ofFitzgerald’s piece of literature wasastounding. Come to think of it, so wasShanley’s film version of his own playand David Hare’s work on The Reader.It’s a pity they released Slumdog in thesame year.

Prediction: Simon Beaufoy –Slumdog Millionaire

BBeesstt OOrriiggiinnaall SSccrreeeennppllaayy

CCoouurrttnneeyy HHuunntt – FrozenRiver

MMiikkee LLeeiigghh – Happy�Go�

LuckyMMaarrttiinn MMccDDoonnaagghh – In

BrugesDDuussttiinn LLaannccee BBllaacckk – MilkAAnnddrreeww SSttaannttoonn, JJiimmRReeaarrddoonn, PPeettee DDoocctteerr –

WALL�E

Remember when WALL-E was releasedand in a week, managed to get into thetop 5 of IMDB’s highest ranked films ofall time? I’m serious, it almost toppledShawshank. Fucking people aye?

Anyone watched In Bruges?Delightful. Chances? Nadda. Unless thiswas Sundance or Cannes. No the acade-my is more susceptible to the middle-upper production type films. But thenagain, Milk was SO uninspiring. JennyLumet’s Rachel Getting Married is anofficial absentee here. Very question-able…

Prediction: Courtney Hunt –Frozen River

BBeesstt DDiirreeccttoorr

DDaavviidd FFiinncchheerr – TheCurious Case of Benjamin

ButtonRRoonn HHoowwaarrdd – Frost/Nixon

GGuuss VVaann SSaanntt – Milk

SStteepphheenn DDaallddrryy – TheReader

DDaannnnyy BBooyyllee – SlumdogMillionaire

First and foremost, omitting DarrenAronofsky (The Wrestler) is downrightdespicable. When Quentin Tarantinorevived John Travolta in Pulp Fiction,he received an Oscar nod for recogni-tion of the fact. Who the hell do youthink Rourke is going to thank when hepicks up the Best Actor?

I have this lousy feeling that TheReader would come so close with all itsnominations and not walk away withanything. We’re talking about what’sarguably the most riveting and reward-ing film of the year here. And I say thisas someone who’s sick of “Holocaustmovies” already. Unfortunately, it does-n’t entertain the same way that Slumdogdoes. And love it or scratch your head,Danny Boyle must’ve worked magic onthe set. However, because we all know what’s

going to happen with the last and mostcoveted award of the night, the academymight just nudge this one over toFincher.

Prediction: David Fincher – TheCurious Case of BenjaminButton

BBeesstt PPiiccttuurree

The Curious Case ofBenjamin ButtonFrost/Nixon

MilkThe Reader

Slumdog Millionaire

Amazing isn’t it? The number two filmof all time (box office earnings) shut out

of this one. This year’s awards woulddraw so much more hype if The DarkKnight were pitted against Slumdog.Now it’s almost a foregone conclusion. Benjamin Button, for all its 13 nomina-tions, is really just a smokescreen for theinevitable. Let’s face it – Slumdog wassimply too enjoyable. The only thing Ican’t quite seem to digest is the film’sposter right alongside �o Country forOld Men. It just…isn’t…right.

Prediction – Slumdog Millionaire

photos/outnow.ch

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SSeeaann PPeennnn ppoorrttrraayyss HHaarrvveeyy MMiillkk iinn tthhee ffiillmm aabboouutt tthhee ppoolliittiicciiaann’’ss lliiffee..

FRUSCIANTE REVELSARTS & ENTERTAINMENTMONDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 20091100 THE MEDIUM

PRESIDENT

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Notice of UTMSU Spring Elections & Referenda 2009:

March 2nd - 12thMarch 10th, 11th & 12th10am - 6pm at CCIT, North & South BuildingPlease bring your T-Card to Vote

Election Campaign Period:Election Voting Dates:

Time & Place:

Thought andlanguage are,to the artist,

instruments of art.There is something to

be said when a musicalartist, rather than limitingthemselves to the recollec-tions of their standards(funk/junkie or otherwise),reflects within themselves

in order reveal a deeper con-nection.The rut to which we have all

been habituated: almost four yearshas passed since John Frusciante’slast release of a new record and lit-tle has changed in the way of ourrecent memories. Immense tal-ent plus layered guitars plusoccasional eclecticismsequals nice yet insubstan-tial Froosh record. Theman’s got soul, but heain’t got no bones.

Think of TheEmpyrean as a

g r a v e -yard.Unlike

its predecessors which were rushed (andas a result poorly mixed), this release offRecord Collection features Frusciante atthe top of his game both lyrically andproduction-wise. It also features helpfrom some of his famous friends includ-ing Josh Klinghoffer, Flea, JohnnyMarr, and The Sonus Quartet (ofGnarls Barkley touring fame).With a firm hand and a taste for the the-

atrics, Frusciante pulls you along anundulating current, from extreme highsto tranquil lows and back again – admit-tedly the concept part of this conceptrecord. As described by John himself,“The main character [of the album] is acreative person who experiences the fullspectrum of life’s ups and downs,” where“the musical dynamics work in tandemwith these inner rises and falls he experi-ences.”This same dynamic is distilled and pre-

sented in the album’s opening track,“Before the Beginning.” Vocal-less andchock full of Eddie Hazel nostalgia,Frusciante plays his guitar like hismomma just died, à la “Maggot Brain.”A soft, perpetual riff underlies thedelayed drums and the soaring andscreeching lead guitar. In true John fash-ion, solos come and go through bothsides of the speakers, and despite theminimalist instrumentation, the soundcovers wide sonic ground.

Not to be outdone, “Song to the Siren,”the second track on the album and a TimBuckley cover, proves to be the yin toBefore the Beginning’s yang. The lyricsare instantly recognizable, but the pro-duction work provides a different spin onthe classic. Waving synths and organsmutate the already emotional lyrics intosomething that can be felt and not justheard.

Though it may come as a surprise tosome, it should be noted that there is verylittle on The Empyrean that is indicativeof Frusciante’s work with the ChiliPeppers – and certainly not of their latestrecord. Songs like “God” and “Heaven”have a tinge of rhythms past, but is main-ly due to Flea’s bouncing and boppinglines. That being said, there is a clearamalgamation of concepts and tricksfrom his earlier solo records. The hazingsynthesizers of A Sphere in the Heart ofSilence, the fuzzed riffage of Inside ofEmptiness, and the complex melodies ofThe Will to Death are all represented inThe Empyrean in one way or another andprovide a more complete view ofFrusciante than ever heard. While his six-albumsin-six-months attempted a stab ateach of his individual musical qualities,The Empyrean provides all within onefocused record.“Central,” arguably the record’s centre-

piece, stands just over seven minutes long

and manages to combine all ofFrusciante’s strengths. The rhythm guitaris relatively simple, but is strengthenedwith all the added layers. The piano,though dissonant, adds a quirky hook tothe chorus to go along with the classicKlinghoffer beat. Amid tempo and timechanges, string arrangements, and over-driven solos, Frusciante’s knack for creat-ing strong melodies stands out. Thevocals are unusually strong for the gui-tarist and add a certain power to thealready robust arrangement.Similar estimations can be made about

many of the other songs, each of whichpossess their own flair. In addition to itsstandout solo, “Enough of Me” features ajangly-pop chorus – no doubt the influ-ence of a certain Johnny Marr. The vocaldelivery and harmonies in “One More ofMe” are enough for impact without anyadded instrumentation, and“Unreachable” is a foray into psychedeli-ca.

The Empyrean is an album of limits.High and low points are visited andexplored and the music expands fromnarrow to wide. This quality, along withFrusciante’s trademark hooks, make for acaptivating record – surely one of hisstrongest to date.

ALBUM IN REVIEW:THE EMPYREAN BY

JOHN FRUSCIANTEMMIICCHHAAEELL DDII LLEEOO

A&E EDITOR

MMMMMMMMMM

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2009 THE MEDIUM 1111

Many students will tell you that uni-versity is about more than just goingto class. To the casual observerstrolling past Starbucks in the CCITbuilding, where fashionable studentsgather for hours to chat and siplattes, or past the glass panes of theBlind Duck Pub, where others gulpdown beer while perfecting their bil-liard skills, that would indeed seemto be the case. But aside from suchcasual activities, there are also morepractical and rewarding extracurricu-lars. The Summer Generator program is

one such activity. Born only twoyears ago, it constitutes part of theMedia Generator, an organizationthat loans out video and electronicequipment to students and hostsworkshops, collaborative projects,and media events. It’s composed ofstudents, faculty, librarians and otherstaff members, and has the noblegoal of fostering student productionand distribution of digital media.The Media Generator is supported bythe Provost’s Student ExperienceFund and has initially targeted CCITstudents but now seeks to addressthe entire UTM student community.The Summer Generator is a fund-

ing opportunity that takes placethrough the Media Generator duringthe summer. Any student can partici-pate. All they have to do is submit aproposal and a budget for a projectinvolving new media. It need notrelate to UTM. The format can varyfrom video (short or long) to a web-site to a podcast. If their project is

chosen, students receive roughly halfof the grant money at the beginningof the summer and they can beginusing Media Generator equipmentwith assistance from a trained facili-tator. The second half of the grant isdelivered in August upon submissionof the final work. “We want students to branch out

into new directions and expand thecurriculum,” says Professor MarcDryer, faculty chair of the MediaGenerator executive committee.“Traditionally, there have alwaysbeen student-run newspapers andstudent-run radio stations. We want-ed to set up something so that stu-dents could do the same through new

media. In other words, it’s about stu-dents producing new media for otherstudents. Plus, they can make somemoney in the summer without havingto take a job unrelated to their stud-ies.”So far, it has proved a popular

idea. Seven projects were granted

funding in the first year; they includethe ambitious Vivid Campus, sort ofa Twitter-like University of Toronto-wide micro-blogging service, and adigital topography site. As for thelatest Summer Generator in 2008, atotal of six projects were funded,three of which were led by student

members of Media Generator. Theremaining three were open-call pro-jects: one documentary, one mocku-mentary, and a trailer for a full-length horror film that eventuallybecame an actual full-length featurefilm. All three videos premiered onJanuary 14. “I’m very excited,” says Cathy

Chen, fourth-year VCC student andwriter/director of “Dystrophyn,” adocumentary about a 13-year-oldboy named Michael who suffersfrom muscular dystrophy. “Michaelis my teammate’s cousin,” explainsCathy, referring to Andrew Hilts,fellow student, producer and cameraoperator. “We wanted to tell hisstory.”The second film, “Becoming...a

Yaoi Fan” by Anielyn Banasa andAnn Liao, explores the process ofbecoming a fan of Yaoi, a Japanesemanga genre that focuses on homo-sexual male relationships eventhough it’s generally created by andfor females.Mark Quintos, Melissa Goncalves,

and Andrew Belram meanwhile arevery enthusiastic about their project,“Watched.” It was supposed to be atrailer for a horror movie, but theyhave since shot enough material tomake a feature-length film. “I’m aBiology student,” says Andrew, “butI really loved the experience of mak-ing a movie. It’s incredible.” An enhanced portfolio, cash, pub-

lic recognition, and free equipmentrentals. What’s not to like about theSummer Generator?

www.athabascau.ca/standout

Making the most of the summer

AA mmoovviiee ssttiillll ffrroomm ““WWaattcchheedd,,”” oonnee ooff tthhee rreecciippiieennttss ooff tthhee SSuummmmeerr GGeenneerraattoorr ggrraanntt..

LLIINNKKSS

MMeeddiiaa GGeenneerraattoorr WWeebbssiittee: http://www.mediagenerator.ca/

MMeeddiiaaggeenneerraattoorr iinnffoo::http://www.utm.utoronto.ca/icc/events.html

““WWaattcchheedd”” ttrraaiilleerr:: http://www.youtube.com/ (use keywords

“watched,” “trailer,” and “utm.”)

PPrreevviioouuss SSuummmmeerrGGeenneerraattoorr aawwaarrdd rreecciippiieennttss::

Digital Topography Site: http://www.dmitrisanimation.com/

Vivid Campus Project:http://vivid.atrc.utoronto.ca/

AALLAAIINN LLAATTOOUURRFEATURES EDITOR

Screen Capture from “Watched”

WHEELS FOR HIREFEATURESMONDAY,FEBRUARY 9, 20091122 THE MEDIUM

While the U-Pass takes some of thestrain off commuter wallets, it alsorenders students dependent on thesometimes irregular, always cumber-some Mississauga transit service. A healthier, greener alternative to

the morning drive or bus ride is thebicycle. And at the St. George cam-pus, Bikechain strives to make thisapproach accessible.Supported by student levies, dona-

tions, and enthusiastic volunteers,Bikechain is a non-profit organiza-tion based in the basement of theInternational Student Centre down-town. It began during the 2004-2005school year under the initiative tofurther develop the sustainable trans-portation of the downtown campus. Bikechain’s mission is to increase

awareness on campus biking, assistbicyclists in mechanical mainte-nance, and lobby for improvingcyclist-friendly infrastructure aroundthe St. George campus. This January,the city of Toronto awardedBikechain the “Best Overall BicycleFriendly Business Award.” Theaward is given to businesses thatdemonstrate leadership in encourag-ing biking throughout their work-place.Sustainable transportation inside

and outside of campus is the goal ofthe organization and others like it.

By offering rental bikes, Allyson,Amster ,coordinator of Bikechain,hopes that the organization will showstudents the ease of alternative trans-portation, and cause them to carry

this lesson outside of Universitygrounds and into the future.Students who use the excuseof not

having themoney to buy a bicycle areout of luck. Bikechain now loansbikes for free to UofT students fortwo business days. Only a twenty-five dollar cash deposit is required,and the T-card must be shown alongwith another form of identification. The bikes are one speed, bright

yellow, and come with a basket forcarrying books. They are easily visi-ble outside the IRC. Helmets andother safety equipment are not pro-vided, although there are plansunderway to change this in the near

future. For student cyclists whosebike needs repair, Bikechain onceagain provides the answer: freerepair service. Also for the future,Bikechain aims to increase its fleetof rental bikes, and equip the bikeswith lights for safer night travelThe staff at Bikechain is a mix of

volunteers and mechanics who useprofessional-grade tools to bringbikes up to speed – pun not intended.A shop also provides inexpensivesmall bike parts such as brake padsand chains.Bikechain also hosts a series of

free seminars aimed at informing stu-dents of bike mechanics and simplerepairs. A wheel-building lecture washeld on January 28, and startingMarch 11, a seminar series will coverbrake and gear repair, accident pre-vention, and basic maintenance. OnFebruary 5 at St. George, studentswill be able to enjoy the Bikechainmovie night, which features freepopcorn and two bicycle-relatedfilms.Students interested in volunteering

at Bikechain may apply for positionsin public relations, mechanics, advo-cacy, and more. Amster describes thecurrent volunteers’ enthusiasm as“fantastic” and adds that many peo-ple who use the service become vol-unteers. More details can be found at

bikechain.utoronto.ca, or at thedowntown office. Just don’t take acar to get there.

A Bicycle built for you

AAMMIIRR AAHHMMEEDD

Students munched and crunched onsamosas, spring rolls and dippedtheir dumplings in various sauces.Laughter and music bounced fromvarious stalls set up at the UTMStudent Centre. Although the tem-perature outside had dropped tominus seven degrees, a vibrant sunshined through the windows, com-plimenting the joyous atmosphere.It was February 2, and many groupshad uni ted for Uni ty throughDiversity week in order to bondthrough sharing food.One group, however, not only

served pizza but also spoke out toconnect with the youth. As studentsgathered around the booth, AnuBhatia, external executive of theclub C.H.A.T., used a projector andmicrophone to outline the reasonswhy you may want to join the club. C.H.A.T. stands for Creating

Healthy Attitudes Today. It wasfounded by Farheen Mohammadwho was greatly affected by theVirginia Tech shootings on April16, 2007. After f inding severallike-minded U of T students, shecreated C.H.A.T., whose goal is tocreate campus unity and awarenessabout healthy living. It also seeksto understand the factors that leadto incidents l ike the Columbine

massacre. Last year, C.H.A.T. held many

events around campus such as aVirginia Tech memorial service, avalentine for the homeless, and ashelter run. This year, C.H.A.T. rana workshop with grade seven andeight students at Lord LansdownePublic School, downtown Toronto.The workshop’s goal was to allowstudents to understand the differenttypes and symptoms of bullying.The students also participated invarious activities to decode differ-ent forms of stereotypes and lateron learned about different ways ofhealthy living. On that sunny February day at

the Student Centre, C.H.A.T. suc-ceeded in recruiting a couple ofnew members. It is, however, stilllooking for students interested increating and fostering healthier atti-tudes. Those who are interested injoining, or want to learn more, cancontact Ahmed Faress at a.faress@utoronto.ca.

This January, the cityof Toronto awardedBikechain the “Best

Overall Bicycle FriendlyBusiness Award.” Theaward is given to busi�nesses that demon�strate leadership inencouraging bikingthroughout their

workplace.

There is always time to C.H.A.T.MMAAYYAA SSHHAAHHIIDD

Have anything to sayabout a Features

article? Go to

wwwwww..mmeeddiiuummoonnlliinnee..ccaa..

St. George’s Bikechain intiative: eco�friendly and cheap

FICTION FEATURESMONDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2009 THE MEDIUM 1133

“I really don’t know how my Dad isgoing to take this. You never reallyknow with him. He acts so toughand never shows his emotions,”Mom says.Mom leads my father and I

through the long, escalading corridorlinking the parking lot and the ERwing of St. Joseph’s Hospital inToronto. I trail behind Mom as sheapproaches the nurse seated at alarge service desk at the front of theroom.“Hiii. Uhh, my mother just passed

away. I was wondering if you couldtell me where she is? My dad shouldbe here already,” Mom asks thenurse. Bold, black letters spell out the

name “SUSAN” on her nametag. “What’s the name?” asks Susan.“Juszkiewicz. Jay, you, es, kay,”

Mom fidgets with her purse, strug-gling to keep it on her shoulder. “Oh, yes. Right this way,” Susan

replies.Susan slowly rises from the swiv-

elling office chair and walks towardsthe automatic glass doors. They slideopen immediately. A large, brightlylit hallway stretches before us. Momlooks at me and frowns, her eyesshining with restrained tears. Momenters the hallway first. Dad gentlypresses his palm against my back,ushering me onwards. I swallowloudly, the wet sound resonatingthrough my ears. Breathe, just breathe.“How you holding up, Mary?”

Dad asks me. “Aheem,” I let out a grunting

cough. “Fine,” I mutter. A tense, strong sensation seizes

the back of my throat. I shake it off.I will not cry in public. My parents and I tread behind

Susan in her pale blue scrubs. Thefluorescent light from the ceilingpours over the yellow drywall divid-ing each room filled with patients,appartus’, and bad food. The hall-way snakes and slithers left and rightuntil we are brought to a segregatedwaiting room. “You can wait here until we locate

the room for you,” says Susan.Susan smiles and turns to leave.

Dad catches her by the arm beforeshe takes off.“Can you tell me where the bath-

room is?” Dad whispers.“Yes, of course. Right this way.” Susan and Dad disappear beyond

the doorway. Mom sits on the bur-gundy cushioned wooden chair. Iremain standing. Mom’s voice is quiet as she

speaks, “You know, I always knewthis was gonna happen. I just didn’tthink it’d be this soon. It’s reallyhard losing a parent for the firsttime.”

“Yeah. I just hope Grandpa isokay. I have no idea how he’ll dealwith it,” I respond.I make my way towards a printed

painting of a sailboat. It hangs onthe wall across from Mom. I gazeinto the scene and lose myself withinthe curling white waves, the sharplinear outline of the boat, the…“Mary,” Mom asks, “How are you

doing? I know this must be hard foryou.”The question strikes me to the

core. The onset of tears is difficult tocontrol. My voices cracks, “I’m…,” I clear

my throat and shut my eyes tight. Iturn to face Mom. “It’s just so… sohard to believe.”

I push my clenched fists againstseams of my TNA jacket pockets.My body has never felt so tense andstiff. I bite down on my lower lip.The pain distracts me.Mom stands up and puts her arm

around my shoulders. “I know, sweety. It’s hard. We all

thought she had a few more months.We all thought she’d make i tthrough the winter. She won’t evenbe around for Christmas this year.” Mom’s eyes are glassy. I look

away, my eyes burning into thepainting. I try not to think of watch-ing Irving Berlin’s White Christmaswith her on Christmas Eve, the wetkisses she smacked on our cheeksupon entering her house on GardenerAvenue. The heavy wooden door sighs

open. A new nurse enters. Diane willescort us to our deceased Babcia.Babcia is the polish word forGrandmother. Diane’s scrubs aresalmon coloured. They make mecringe. We make our way through another

set of winding hallways. I spotUncle Pete standing outside Room331. Pete’s hands are neatly foldedacross his stomach.“I’m sorry for your loss,” he says.Pete’s formality and sombre tone

are foreign. Where is his smile? Hisbright, brown eyes? His outstretchedarms waiting for my embrace? “Thank-you, Peter,” Mom

responds to her brother-in-law.Mom strides forward, searching

for Grandpa within the room. I hangback. “Uhh, I’m just gonna wait for my

Dad. Make sure he gets here on hisown,” I tell Pete.I cross my arms and stand a few

feet away from the open doors ofBabcia’s room. I catch a glimpse ofplastic yellow curtains, some kind ofheart machine, and Grandpa’s face.Grandpa’s large, plastic-framedglasses are drenched in tears. Hissun-splotched hands tremble withinMom’s grasp. I jump. Dad just grabbed my

shoulders.“Let’s go over to Grandpa,” he

whispers. Dad’s strong arms guide me for-

ward. My sneakers tap along thecold, linoleum floor. I can’t do this. I can’t cry. I bite my lower lip harder. The

room reveals itself to me, the doorframe disappearing. I t reeks ofstrange, unfamiliar chemicals.Grandpa is talking to Mom, sputter-ing about Cloverdale Mall, her heartstopping, and how he was in thebathroom when it happened. Babcialies on a metal hospital bed behind

Grandpa. The skin on her face is ashade of pale I’ve never seen before.Her skin is wrinkled and her eyesare shut. A tube hangs out the rightside of her mouth. That’s not Babcia. That’s a

corpse. I avert my eyes.I rest my hand on Grandpa’s left

shoulder. He immediately turns tohug me. He cradles me from left toright before letting go. I can’t handle this.I look up at Mom. She’s crying.

My head begins ringing, my jawstarts to tremble and my visionblurs. Next thing I know, Dad ishugging me and I’m soaking hisblack Parka with tears. My arms arewrapped around him like I’m fiveyears old again. I’ve never felt thissafe.My older sister Natalie arrives.

Her face is beet red and tears arestreaming down her pale face.Natalie bawled her eyes out on thesubway l ine she took from theUniversi ty of Toronto to St .Joseph’s. She didn’t care that people

were staring at her. My brother Michael was having

coffee with acquaintances at YorkUniversity when Dad announcedover his cell phone speaker,“Babcia’s dead.” Michael wept hisway across campus to his apartment,where he was left alone to deal withthe loss.A catholic priest arrives about an

hour later to pray over Babcia. All ofus present clasp hands during theprayers. We wait another hour forGrandpa to collect himself. Natalieand I are designated to take Grandpahome while Mom and Dad make thearrangements. Grandpa continuallyrepeats how Babcia’s heart juststopped working, right there in themiddle of Cloverdale Mall. He’s stillin shock. “I don’t know what I’m going to

do. She’s gone. Just like dat,” hetells me.Grandpa gazes at me, tears still in

his eyes. Tears he had been cryingfor past three to four hours. I do all Ican to contain myself. “I know, Grandpa. It’s going to be

really hard without her.”Natalie and I put out arms around

Grandpa, one shoulder each. “Come on, Grandpa. Me and

Natalie are going to take you home,”I tell him.Grandpa sighs heavily, his chest

heaving. “Okay. I guess it’s time to go,” he

mumbles. The three of us start down the

long, winding hallway of St .Joseph’s hospital, one step at a time.

CCrreeaattiivvee CCoorrnneerr

WARNING: This story might make you cryMMAARRYY DDYYTTYYNNIIAAKK

“I know, sweety. It’shard. We all thoughtshe had a few more

months. We all thoughtshe’d make it throughthe winter. She won’teven be around forChristmas this year.”

Volunteer for The Medium and

write for the Features section. To find out how, email Alain at ffeeaattuurreess@@

mmeeddiiuummoonnlliinnee..ccaa or drop by the

The Medium office.

EXCELLENCE AWARDS

www.utm.utoronto.ca/excellence.0.html

Nominations are now open for the 2009 U of T MississaugaExcellence Awards. Student-led nominations are encouraged. Nomination deadline: May 22. Research Excellence Award (faculty) Staff Service Award (staff) Teaching Excellence Award (course instructors & TAs)Nomination details are available online:

phot

o:M

elis

saH

eide

2008 Recipients

MONDAY,FEBRUARY 9, 20091144 THE MEDIUM

The Majors’ new pink jerseys?

Many would say it’s a little unmascu-line to play on an ice surface that iscompletely blotched in pink. However,the Mississauga St. Michael Majorsfeel that there’s nothing feminine orwrong about supporting a growingcause that can only benefit those in direneed of help. On February 13, the Ontario Hockey

League (OHL) and the Majors will tieup their skates and tape their sticks toaid in the struggle with breast cancerthat many in Mississauga have facedover the past decade. The Majors arerolling out their second year with the“Paint the Rink Pink” event at theHershey Centre, hoping for yet anothersuccessful turnout to witness themagainst rivals Barrie Colts. Imagine a packed house and an

exhilarating game on pink ice. That’sexactly what took place last year whenMajors fans found out about this veryevent. This year, the Majors are hopingfor an even better turnout and biggerspectacle. To achieve this, they haveeven invited Mississauga Mayor HazelMcCallion and OHL CommissionerDavid Branch to participate in theopening ceremonies.All proceeds from ticket sales last

year’s game were handed to theCanadian Breast Cancer Federation(CBCF) and the same form of charity isplanned this year as well. Tickets arepriced at $1 for all group sales and $2for all individual tickets sold. TheMajors could potentially raise over$10,000 that would go toward CBCFresearch. “It’s an exciting event that the whole

team supports. I think it’s a great causethat shouldn’t be left out,” commentedMajors center and UTM student JaredGomes. Not only will the rink be painted

pink on Friday, but the Majors team isset to wear pink jerseys along with theirhead coach and GM Dave Cameronwho will, supposedly, sport a pink tie.

As well, the referees are voluntarilydonning pink and black uniforms.Clearly, it’s set to be a gala of pink fora memorable time in the rink. As an added bonus, all pinks jerseys

and specially-made pink sticks will beauctioned online right after the festivi-ties on Friday. All proceeds from thesesales will go to CBCF as well. “Wearing the pink jerseys is a great

way for hockey fans to be aware ofbreast cancer, and it should be some-thing to support,” added Gomes. “It’sdefinitely going to be a change playingon pink ice.”This is Gomes’ first time at the event

after joining the Majors from the SarniaSting in August. Ever since, he hasbecome a leader and point gobbler forthe Majors, tallying 44 points in 52games played. But the game means a little more

than just a genuine and hearteningcause. The Majors have recently skyrocket-

ed back into fourth place in the Easternconference and are striving to climbeven higher in the rankings. A winagainst the Colts would mean pullingfurther away from the fifth place

Niagara Ice Dogs.The Colts meanwhile are aiming to

surpass the Majors, and after theirrecent win against the LondonKnights, the Colts’ WorldJunior gold medalist StefanDella Rouvere and histeammates are headingto the Hershey Centrewith fire in their eyes.The Colts are seventh inthe Eastern Conferenceand a win can pushthem pass the OshawaGenerals for sixth.This is a game set to be

full of action, hits, fits and awhole lot of goals. More sig-nificantly, it’s an importantgame that will help eitherteam advance to the playoffs.Come show your support andhelp raise awareness with“Paint the Rink Pink 2” atthe Hershey Centre at 7:30p.m. this Friday.

CCHHRRIISSTTOOPPHHEERR SSAA’’DDSPORTS EDITOR

photo/Matthew Filipowich

JJaarreedd GGoommeess sshhoowwccaassiinngg tthhee MMaajjoorrss ppiinnkk jjeerrsseeyy..

Hockey fans in Ottawa have been leftfrustrated lately as the lacklustreSenators have been subject to yetanother coaching change and possiblyanother disappointment at the helms.In a questionable move, Senators

head coach Craig Hartsburg wasrelieved of his duties after only 48games and a 17-24-7 record. Thoughthe senators have struggled this sea-son, their troubles trace back to beforeHartsburg’s term as coach, and in factgo back as far as November 2008.Leading up to the 2005-06 season,

the Ottawa Senators were not knownfor their playoff success. Losing to theToronto Maple Leafs time and timeagain, they were widely consideredplayoff duds.After a successful regular season in

2005-06 however, expectations for theSens shot up, and they delivered on allfronts. The team brushed off their badplayoff reputation and advanced to theconference finals in the 2006-07 play-offs before losing to the AnaheimDucks in five games.Senator fans stood disappointed at

the loss, but their first appearance inthe Stanley Cup final was a breath offresh air from their previous failures

and a promise for the future.Then the unexpected happened.

Instead of rewarding a team that madeit to the finals, Senator’s ownerEugene Melnyk fired GM BrianMuckler and promoted head coachBrian Wilson. The move was deemedquestionable to say the least, consider-ing that it meant the splitting up of thegeneral manager and coach combina-tion which brought the team success.Presumably, the message posted wasthat the only acceptable result was towin the Stanley Cup. Perhaps this waslost in translation.After a good start to the 2007-08

season the Senators began to plummet,failing to advance past the first roundof the playoffs after getting swept bythe Pittsburgh Penguins. It seemed thatthe message sent after the Senators’remarkable cup drive the season priordid not imprint in the players’ heads,and perpetuated the “culture of losing”instead of motivating the team. Whatwas seen as a success in the hockeyworld was treated as a failure inOttawa, and they stumbled over theprocess of mimicking the magic fromthe 2006-07 campaign.

Ottawa have only tinkered withtheir line-up, but have ran the gauntletwith coaches John Paddock, BrianMurray, and Craig Hartsburg all actingas the bench boss at some time oranother. Each experiment resulted inthe same conclusion, begging thequestion: When will the general man-ager or owner take responsibility forthe poor performance of this team? If

the problem is on the ice, the playerholds the responsibility of making itbetter, but it is also the general man-ager’s job to put a competitive rosterin place. Wilson seems to follow thesame tactic as when he was with theLos Angeles Kings, pushing the blame

on others for the purpose of saving hisown behind.The situation in Ottawa is definitely

a head scratcher, as it seems there is arapidly revolving door for coaches, butno one else is taking responsibility.Even if the coaches were a problem,

who is it that keeps hiring these indi-viduals who do not seem to make adifference? The general manager andowner of the Ottawa Senators mustbegin to take some responsibility forthe mess and stop dragging differentcoaches through the mud.

INTRAMURALS: TABLES AND SCORES SPORTSMONDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2009 THE MEDIUM 1155

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The hasty SenatorsOttawa have beenfar fromSensational in their2008�09 campaign, especially with noone carrying theload of a bad season

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UTM Indoor Soccer Intramurals

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PPooooll BBThe TrojansThe U.N. FigiFC BallkickersFC LegacyPLC

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NNeexxtt GGaammee...Week 3

Division 1 � FFeebb.. 1100

FC Legacy v PLC @ 9amFC Ballkickers v Figi @ 12pmThe Trojans v The U.N. @ 1pm

Division 2 � FFeebb.. 1100 Pool A

FC Internazionale v E. Block @ 10amBemardinho’s v FC Ball. @11am.

FFeebb.. 1122Spartans v Bundesliga @ 12pm

FFeebb.. 1122 Pool BSuper Strikers v YSG @ 9amSaint Kitts v Bangla. @ 10amVikings v MASA @ 11am

Unfortunately for Canadian base-ball fans, all of the excitement sur-rounding this year’s WorldBaseball Classic (WBC) will notmeasure into success.Even though first round games

for Pool C wil l be held at theRogers centre in Toronto for thefirst time ever, Canada will mostlikely not be able to field a teamthat will match the hype of such anevent.Canada’s pitching rotation was

expected to display the nation’sstrength heading into the competi-tion, but is now a cause of seriousconcern after three key pitchersrecently pulled out. All expecta-tions have since plummeted downto the bottom of the scale.Jeff Francis, who helped lead the

Colorado Rockies in to a 2007World Ser ies appearance , hasdeclared himself unavailable due tonagging shoulder problems.Chicago Cubs pi tchers RyanDempster and Rich Harden havealso pulled out because of pressuresfrom their c lub. The Cubs arerepor tedly concerned that bothpitchers would risk injury whileplaying for Team Canada and arealso reluctant to have two of theirpitchers missing a portion of springtraining while participating in the

baseball classic.Despite the bleak outlook for

Team Canada, if you’re a TorontoBlue Jays fan, you can look uponthis baseball classic with excite-ment.There are six members from the

Blue Jays participating in the WBCfor their respective countries, pro-viding these players with an advan-tage going into the Major Leagueseason. BJ Ryan and Vernon Wellsare start ing for the USA, whileAlex Rios and Marco Scutaro areoff to Puerto Rico and Venezuelarespectively. Rod Barajas roundsoff the list as he travels south of theborder to Mexico.Setting aside the risk of injury,

you can look at the WBC as pre-spring training. The tournamentbasically serves as an extra monthof conditioning for players to workthemselves into game shape andwork out all the kinks before themajor league season starts. Thisspecifically provides an advantagefor the hitters, who have historical-ly been known to have slower startsto the season in comparison to theirpitching counterparts.The Statistics prove it all; let’s

look at a couple of Blue Jays play-ers and their performances afterparticipating in the 2006 World

Baseball Classic. Toronto centerfielder Vernon Wells went on to hit.303 with 32 homers and 106 RBIsthat season. Not only did that earnhim a spot in the All Star game, butit also convinced the Blue Jays tosign him to a seven-year, $126 mil-lion contract extension. Now Wellsdid not exactly live up to that con-tract during the 2007 and 2008MLB seasons , but i t should bepointed out that the World BaseballClassic was not held during thosetwo years.Right fielder Alex Rios also had

success af ter the 2006 WorldBaseball Classic. Subsequently, hewent on to hit .330 with 15 homersand 53 RBIs heading into the All-Star break, earning him a spot in

the All Star game as well. Sincethen, he too has signed a high-pro-file contract with the Jays.Despite the low expectations for

the Blue Jays heading into thisyear’s MLB season, you can at

least expect an improvement in theteam’s offensive abil i t ies , this ,despite an almost identical lineupto last year’s dismal hitting team.For this, you may well be thankingthe World Baseball Classic.

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BASEBALL CLASSICSPORTSMONDAY,FEBRUARY 9, 20091166 THE MEDIUM

World Baseball Classic may lead to successful MLB seasonIt has become a trend, after every WBCtournament the MLB finds that their starsproduce a little more than expected, andthe Blue Jays are one team to notice thistime around.

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photos/redsox.mlb.com & metsfever.blogspot

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“I don't go out there for the numbers, I just play my game.”

- Lebron James

after his game at Madison Square Garden, where he notched 52 points, 11 assists and 9 rebounds against the Knicks, becoming the only player to have multiple 50-point games since Michael Jordan.

AP, wickedlocal.com

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. (CP) � The Charlotte Bobcats tradedmanaging partner Michael Jordan's first draft pick onSaturday, sending struggling forward Adam Morrison andreserve guard Shannon Brown to the Los Angeles Lakersfor forward Vladimir Radmanovic.

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Toronto (TSN) – The Carolina Hurricanes have acquired for�ward Jussi Jokinen from the Tampa Bay Lightning inexchange for forward Wade Brookbank, defenceman JosefMelichar and a fourth�round draft pick in the 2009 EntryDraft.“Jussi is a skilled, two�positional player that can be used inall situations,” Hurricanes President and General ManagerJim Rutherford said in a press release. “He will add depthto our team at an important time of the season.”

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Mississauga – Toronto Argonauts RB/KR Dominique Dorseyhas signed a contract with the Washington Redskins of theNFL. Dorsey was named CFL Outstanding Special Teams Playerin 2008, and was named a unanimous choice for TeamMost Outstanding Player and Outstanding Special TeamsPlayer.