grifter winter 2010

Y e a r I I I s s u e I I W i n t e r 2 0 1 0

theGrifter

R o y a l S t . G e o r g e’ s C o l l e g e

theGrifter

Editorial Board

Nick Medline Managing Editor

Michael Lemanski Layout and Design

Jack Gettings IT and Logistics

Staff Supervisor

Ms. Somerville

Contributors

Colton Creber

Daniel Gold-Bersani

Mark Kryshtalskyj

Michael Lemanski

Evan Luke

Anthony Mariano

Nick Medline

David Perl

Andrew Savory

Noah Stanton

Photo Credits

cover: RSGC GALLERY-Mr. Stevens, Adapted by

Michael Lemanski page 1 (all): RSGC GALLERY-Mr.

Stevens page 4: NEW YORK TIMES-Doug Mills (top),

GETTY IMAGES (bottom) page 6: RSGC GALLERY-

Mr. Stevens page 10 (all): RSGC GALLERY-Mr.

Stevens, Adapted by Michael Lemanski page 12 :

WIKIPEDIA page 15 : TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS back

cover: RSGC GALLERY, Adapted by Michael

Lemanski

Official Royal St. George’s College Publication

To contact theGrifter please email :

Nick Medline - Managing Editor

[email protected]

Ms. Somerville - Staff Supervisor

[email protected]

If you have an opinion on anything in

the Grifter, or have a new idea, we

encourage you to submit an article or

letter to the editor.

mailto:[email protected]




theGrifter

Featured Columns

Everybody’s Best Buddy!! 3Colton Creber & Evan Luke

What Are They Thinking?"" 4Michael Lemanski

The Arts

Grifter Movie Review" " 6Nick Medline

Grifter Music Review" " 8Evan Luke

School Play Review"" " 9Colton Creber

Age of Boy Bands Continues"11Anthony Mariano

Fiction

Tattoo" " " " " 13David Perl

Sports

Shake Up in Leaf Land" " 14Andrew Savory

Commissioner‘s Corner! ! 15Mark Kryshtalskyj

Olympic Memories" " " 17Daniel Gold-Bersani

Politics

Defending the Left..." " 18Noah Stanton

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theGrifter

What would we do without our routines?

One way or another, we are all slaves to the routines

that give our days balance and keep us sane as we

trudge through the winter months. It!s amazing how

significant the smallest link in our chain of routines

can be, and how breaking that link can have a

rippling effect on our entire lives. It could be

something as small as forgetting your keys,

forgetting where you parked, or missing out on the

uplifting “Hey Buddy!” that you!re used to hearing

every morning.

As you all know, on December 21st RSGC!s beloved

Dale Hume was admitted to the Cardiac Intensive

Care Unit at Toronto General Hospital where he

received cardiac by-pass surgery.

On February 8th, The Grifter visited with Dale to

check in and ask him some questions

So, how are you doing?

I!m really good, getting better everyday. I!m feeling

much more healthy and obviously can!t wait to get

back to the school. It gets boring sitting around here

every day, and I miss all my buddies!

Will you be returning to RSGC and if so, when?

I!m not sure, I have to wait and see what the doctor

says because I start doing exercises on Wednesday

and am not sure how long I!ll be doing that before I

can return. I!m going to come in and run on those

machines in the FTC, and you!d better be around to

cheer me on.

How do you feel about what happened? And

what process of recovery are you in?

Well, you know, it just happens so I!m just taking it

one day at a time. They told me to do my exercises,

and when the weather gets better they said biking

would be a good source of exercise. So I!m just

doing what I!m supposed to and eating lots of fruit

and green vegetables. I!m doing my best to take

care of myself. I guess it!s about time, eh?

How many bypasses did you have?

It was a double. Thankfully it wasn!t a triple, or I!d

have been out for even longer.

How long have you worked at RSGC and what

would you consider to be your fondest

experience?

As of this January I!ve been at RSGC for 20 years.

For fondest experience, I don!t know, there are

millions of them. Being there with everybody, getting

to know people, in the lunchroom, and sitting on the

stage are some of them. I!m just a frustrated actor,

buddy, that!s all I am.

What are you doing these days during your time

away from the school?

Not much really, when I get tired I rest. I also go for

walks, and I watch TV once in a while. I!m doing my

best to take it easy and rest up for my big return.

Is there anybody specifically you!d like to come

and visit you?

Whoever wants to come! It!s an open invitation to all

my buddies. It gets boring sitting here unless I have

people with me.

Everybody’s

Best Buddy...

An Interview

with Dale Hume" Colton Creber

" Evan Luke

theGrifter

What has the hardest part of the experience

been for you?

Not being able to go to work, and that!s the truth.

Well, we all miss you a lot, is there anything

you!d like to say in closing?

Say hello to everybody. I miss everybody and I can!t

wait to come back. Maybe I!ll wait until the snow is

gone, or just make you all do the shoveling.

Do you have any words of advice for your

substitute?

Just be good to the kids. Take care of my little

buddies and do the job like I would.

Special thank you to Ms. Wagar who contributed

to our questions.

UPDATE: Recently, Dale has returned to work,

and is looking forward to enjoying the rest of the

year in the place he loves.

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Dale Hume sitting in Ketchum Hall after lunch

The greatest threat to our civilization is the

incompetence in our political establishment. Although

trust in governments worldwide is very low, and there

are movements that promote "outsider! candidates in

election campaigns, as a society we have not yet

changed. Our elected representatives continue to

use generalizations to demonize opponents and

push flawed legislation through legislative bodies

with a determination and arrogance that defies

reason.

At this point, I do not intend to enter into an anti-

government rant. I do, however, believe that it is

important to be aware of the bad ideas, and

blundering actions that can permanently scar our

future. After all, we do live in a world that is

interconnected politically, economically and culturally.

First, President Obama!s administration appears to

be inconsistent at best. The healthcare legislation

that the President championed includes accounting

provision for companies that, as one Wall Street

Journal opinion columnist observed, appear to have

a lot in common with those of Enron immediately

before its bankruptcy and the subsequent legal

proceedings. The "Obamacare! law stipulates that

What Are They

Thinking?" Michael Lemanski

! “We need to vote for

either new ideologies, or

ones that have worked in the

past, not new parties, or the

ones that we replaced last

time at the polls”

theGrifter

against non-nuclear states, instead opting for a

conventional response. The document does,

however, state that all options will be considered

whenever the Unites States is attacked. Although the

new wording is likely to have little impact on the

practical implementation of the nuclear policy, it,

along with recent nuclear stockpile reduction

agreements with Russia, is not good politics. This is

neither the time nor the manner in which to try to

achieve the ultimate goal of a nuclear-free world.

Although this goal is noble, it is not practical for the

foreseeable future. There are too many liabilities

associated with being "soft! on the use of nuclear

force in a time when countries like Iran attempt to

develop their own atom bomb.

The United States also has trouble in Afghanistan.

Afghani President Hamid Karzai has also become a

liability lately. He is posing a risk for both his own

nation and the international military task force that is

trying to stabilize it. After having his legitimacy

questioned by the international community following

questionable elections, President Karzai has most

likely decided to put on the "macho-man! persona in

order to gain the support of his population; however,

his motives remain unclear. He has accused the

people that helped him gain power and establish a

government of meddling in the affairs of Afghanistan.

Furthermore, he suggested in an off camera

interview that he may consider joining the Taliban.

These troubling statements will make the job of

international troops in the country even harder and

may strain the resolve of many world leaders to face

the challenges in Afghanistan.

Before I end, I would have liked to say something

about the political situation of our own country.

Unfortunately, nothing significant has happened on

the Canadian political scene. The Harper

government continues to stand, albeit with its hands

tied by indecisive and hostile opposition parties.

These parties continue to threaten the current

minority government with an election; however, these

threats have been empty so far. The opposition has

decided that since it does not have the support or

political capital to come up with any bold ideas of its

employers enter into their books speculative future

"savings! from federal subsidies and the transfer of

retired employees from company insurance to

government programs. When companies began to

comply with the new requirements, the

administration!s Commerce Secretary criticized the

move not realizing that it was demanded by the law

the administration supported.

Aside from the apparent ineptitude to project a

unified message, there is another troubling aspect to

this case. The policy change in question is itself a

cause for concern. The "Obamacare! law requires

that employers move privately insured retirees from

the company!s plan for former employees—a system

planed, and even partially subsidized to reduce

Medicare costs—to Medicare and other government

paid programs. Contrary to the Democrats! claims

that "Obamacare! will reduce costs, this significant

policy change will very likely raise them.

The administration fares no better in foreign policy.

Unless President Obama is trying his hand at

reverse psychology, his actions surrounding Israel

are also counter intuitive. His recent shunning of

Israel!s government following a high-profile

announcement about the expansion of settlements is

a perfect example of how to play hardball with the

wrong people. Although the Israeli government!s

actions were a horrible miscalculation on any

account, the condescending American response was

unwarranted. Instead of trying to smooth out any

disputes that could have arisen as a result of Israel!s

actions, the Obama administration wanted to send a

firm message. All this head butting was, of course,

followed by several high profile speeches about The

United States! commitment to Israel. It is unfortunate

that these words of support no longer mean as much

as they once did. The damage had been done by

both sides, and President Obama did little to bridge

the gap.

The President!s new policy on the use of American

nuclear weapons is also a step in the wrong

direction. The newly introduced guidelines limit the

number of situations that the use of nuclear force

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On March 7th, forty million viewers witnessed the

monumental disappointment of the 82nd Academy

Awards, which failed to adequately portray an

excellent and record-breaking year in cinema. While

Avatar (the highest-grossing film of all time) and The

Hurt Locker (a critically acclaimed and highly

ambitious treat) battled for top prizes at awards

ceremonies, film connoisseurs enjoyed many sleeper

hits and science-fiction tales, but endured unlikely

misses. Here are some of the highlights and

lowlights of 2010 in film:

HITS

An Education: Danish filmmaker Lone Scherfig!s

striking portrait of an innocent yet restless teenager

achieves success not only from flawless acting and

an intelligent screenplay (by Nick Hornby), but also

from the highly provocative questions it raises.

Ambitious 16-year old Jenny Mellor (Carey Mulligan)

is wooed by David Goldman (well-cast Peter

Sarsgaard), a gentleman nearly twice her senior,

who exposes her to cultural experiences beyond her

wildest dreams. However, the pleasures Jenny

encounters have a dubious origin, and she begins to

consider the several warnings issued by her

protective parents (surprisingly hilarious Alfred

Grifter Movie

Review" Nick Medline

! “the 82nd Academy

Awards...failed to adequately

portray an excellent and

record-breaking year in

cinema”

own, to instead complain about insignificant

technicalities of government plans that it voted for.

Recently all the habitual yelling on Parliament Hill

has been about a mere six hundred troops that the

Conservatives want to keep in Afghanistan to train

local police after the official withdrawal date in 2011.

Our MP!s throats may have become sore from yelling

in vain, considering Hamid Karzai!s recent

comments.

All this apparent incompetence begs the question:

“What are they thinking?” The answer is simple—

they are thinking exactly what we voted for. In order

to change what our politicians think, we must change

the way we think. We need to vote for either new

ideologies, or ones that have worked in the past, not

new parties, or the ones that we replaced last time at

the polls.

Top : President Barack Obama signs the

Democrats’ recently passed healthcare bill into law

Bottom : Russian soldiers guard an intercontinental

ballistic missile delivery vehicle

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Molina and Cara Seymour). Ultimately, Jenny comes

to the realization that though her endeavours have a

seemingly negative effect on her life, the education

she draws from them are priceless. While the

newcomer Mulligan has taken her share of credit

(along with an Academy Award nomination), the

supporting cast is equally impressive in embracing

their pithy roles. Nick Hornby!s inspired script

perfectly captures teen angst through an unlikely

victim, and this culminates in a polished masterpiece.

A Single Man: Under the firm direction of acclaimed

fashion designer Tom Ford, it is no surprise that A

Single Man feels more like a museum than a movie.

Lush visuals and spellbinding performances from

Colin Firth, Julianne Moore, and Nicholas Hoult

counterbalance the film!s inherently plodding nature

to provide a hypnotic experience. English professor

George Falconer (Firth) has decided to construct a

clean suicide due to his inability to escape the grief

of losing his longtime lover Jim (Matthew Goode) in a

car accident. Over the course of one day, Falconer

lectures his class, converses with intrigued student

Kenny Potter (Hoult), withdraws valuables from his

safety deposit box, and struggles through a

depressing meal with his friend Charley (Moore).

Firth embodies the role to the point where the viewer

completely forgets about dear Bridget Jones while

witnessing his career-marking performance. Despite

Jeff Bridges! best attempts at portraying a broken

down country singer, his poor-man!s Mickey Rourke

fails to match Firth!s poise and impact, and it is clear

that Firth should have been awarded the Oscar. A

Single Man has justifiably earned praise for its

mature approach to the relevant theme of

homosexuality, and its versatility and refined nature

make for a superb theatrical experience.

Broken Embraces: After the success of Talk to Her

and Volver, expectations for Pedro Almodovar!s

latest film were stratospheric. Though critical

consensus indicates that it fell short of the mark, the

movie succeeds as pure entertainment. In a strong

year of foreign language films (The White Ribbon, a

stellar German installment and A Prophet,

considered one of the best crime films ever made),

Broken Embraces was a thrill to witness, and one

can barely notice the distinct English subtitles lacing

the bottom of the screen. In last year!s Grifter, I

voiced my outrage at the Academy for nominating

Penelope Cruz for yet another Oscar. However, in

her primary language, it appears difficult to find a

better actress, and throughout this film, Cruz

masterfully filters her emotions. Almodovar uses his

signature complex plot, but manages to add

excitement at every turn. Broken Embraces

overcomes its extreme and occasionally

overdramatic nature and earns a spot as one of the

top films of 2009.

MISSES

(500) Days of Summer: Screenwriter Scott

Neustadter credits the inspiration for this low-budget

film to a trying relationship he endured as a student.

Taking this into account, it is no wonder that the

movie carries a delusional sense of self-importance

through ninety-five painfully overrated minutes mired

in a confusing, non-linear format. The "rom-com"

genre has survived for decades due to partially

likeable characters and reasonable doses of

creativity (see Some Like it Hot and When Harry Met

Sally). However, (500) Days of Summer contains

many cringe-worthy moments, and is unsatisfactory

as a whole. Tom Hansen, a greeting card writer

(played by the incessantly enthusiastic Joseph

Gordon-Levitt) falls in love with Summer Finn, a new

assistant in his office (Zooey Deschanel, who has

regressed since her star turn in Almost Famous).

While Tom actively pursues romance, Summer is

cynical regarding the concept of love, which creates

obstacles in their relationship. They manage to

overcome their differences, but eventually grow

apart, as she is unable to return his zealous

affection. The lone memorable scene has Tom

dancing along the streets of Los Angeles to "You

Make My Dreams" by Hall & Oates while onlookers

unrealistically join him. It feels cute and familiar, yet

the optimism is soon smothered by the contrived

performances, as Levitt and Deschanel are limited to

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In music, the word "supergroup! makes me cringe.

Remember Chickenfoot back in 2008? It was

comprised of Sammy Hagar (Van Halen, Montrose),

Joe Satriani (Deep Purple), Michael Anthony (Deep

Purple), and of course Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili

Peppers). All were extremely talented musicians, and

they came up with one heck of an album, but it failed

to live up to what Cream, the first band to be

awarded the title "supergroup,! delivered in the 60s.

We all seem to jump to the conclusion that when

several notable musicians come together, they will

produce something that lives up to the works of Eric

Clapton, Ginger Baker, and Jack Bruce.

The new self-titled album by Them Crooked Vultures

has received an incredible amount of attention. The

UK leg of their tour is rumoured to have sold out in

under twelve minutes, even without a single song

having been released at the time. Of course, with a

line up like Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age,

Kyuss), Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters, Nirvana), John

Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin), and Alain Johannes

(Eleven) how could we possibly stay away from that

familiar word, "supergroup?!

Are these four men worthy of the moniker? Each

musician shows off his incredible talent in every song

of the record. If you were to catch them making a

mistake live, you may as well go out and buy a

lottery ticket. It!s not just that they!re good, it!s that

Grifter Music

Review" Evan Luke

" A review of the self-titled

album by Them Crooked

Vultures

playing a pathetic couple under the heavy-handed

supervision of music video director Marc Webb.

According to the film's promotional poster, (500)

Days of Summer is a story about love. Unfortunately,

it was nearly impossible to have any critical love for

one of the weaker films of 2009.

Up in the Air: Canadian Jason Reitman is widely

considered to have been the most successful

screenwriter/director of the decade, yet his first two

films, Juno and Thank You for Smoking, felt shallow

behind their intriguing facades. In his third effort, the

cast is beautiful as usual, and George Clooney!s

teeth deserve a round of applause. However, despite

its relevance to the decade!s rough economic

climate, Reitman fails to control the flight of Up in the

Air, grounding the latter half of the film. Ryan

Bingham (Clooney), a middle-aged man whose

profession is to fire workers on behalf of their

bosses, is seemingly content with avoiding personal

relationships while pursuing his childlike dream of

compiling ten million frequent flyer miles. Suddenly,

the energetic and appropriately named Natalie

Keener (Anna Kendrick) proposes to cut the

company!s travel costs by laying off various

employees online instead of in person. Keener is

assigned to accompany Bingham in order to gain

experience in the field, which results in an eye-

opening experience for both of them. Bingham is

also forced to deal with the fascinating Alex Goran

(Vera Farmiga), who gradually impacts his outlook on

life. Though the screenplay has garnered rave

reviews, the script digresses to the point where

Clooney abandons his acting range and becomes

sentimental leading to up to an ironic plot twist.

Additionally, the film struggles to maintain audience

interest without Kendrick on screen, and does not

earn the must-see status granted by numerous

critics.

theGrifter

they all bring something to the band individually that

develops an interesting sound.

In Homme, we hear the familiar desert influenced

psychedelic tone, though it!s been molded into

something different. It!s clear he is the driving force

behind the band, but at the same time, all the

members have a say. His Elvis-like, hip swaying, on-

stage persona has been rivaled by the presence of

other musicians, yet they still have fun.

In Grohl, that thundering Nirvana sound can be

heard, while he shows shades of Bonham. He plays

hard and with a lot of passion. The first few times I

listened to the album, I almost thought he was

ignoring beats one and three, being as fancy as

possible in his compositions. After a while, his

drumming started to fit into place. It takes some

getting used to, but Grohl has really put something

special together.

In Jones, well, we see Jones, the multi-instrumental,

modest man who was in the most notable rock band

ever to play. He brings a wide variety of sounds to

the equation. Switching effortlessly between

keyboards, four and six string basses, and even a

keytar, he proves why he is quite possibly one of the

most talented musicians to walk the earth. Rumor

has it, he even plays a mean Mandolin.

Then there!s Alain Johannes, who is a live member

of the band. His name is unrecognizable, but he!s

worked with a massive list of musicians. Look his

name up on Google, and I!ll bet you he!s worked on

or played with at least two bands you!ve listened to.

In Them Crooked Vultures he shows why he!s

worked with so many people, sporting an incredible

voice and some amazing guitar work.

If you get a chance, go and pick up a copy of Them

Crooked Vultures, and you won!t be disappointed.

This lone album likely won!t live up to what Cream

accomplished, but it!s still a gem. Rumor has it, the

boys are already planning to go back into the studio

for another album this summer. It!s looking like the

Foo Fighters and Queens of the Stone Age won!t be

getting their frontmen back for quite a while.

January 26th marked the beginning of a three day

run that celebrated the tireless collective effort of

many RSGC students. The Senior School

production, Romeo and Juliet left many of us

wondering:

“How did we do?”

In The Grifter!s continual search for new and

interesting topics to report on, some public thoughts

on the play have been gathered and conclusions

have been formed based on these opinions.

A final, sincere “thank you” must go to Dr. Newton,

who stayed at school until six-thirty at night every

day, and spent his time at home responding to all of

our e-mailed concerns. He brought in personal items

for us to plunder and his dedication was admirable.

We saw Dr. Newton and asked for his thoughts and

reflections following the play!s conclusion, and he

had this to share:

“I was very satisfied with the final production. I think

a lot of the reward from the short run of the show

was how insanely cursed the rehearsal process had

been. I felt at times like I was in a dark comedy about

a show where everything collapses with utmost

effect. But all the adversity made those left standing

so much more surprised and thrilled when the final

work got in front of an audience. The cliché of it all

coming together in the end proved a truism this

time.”

The cast and general student body were then asked

two simple questions that attempted to identify the

strengths of the production.

School Play

Review " Colton Creber

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1. Who was your favorite character in the play

(besides yourself if you were in it)? Why?

“I'd have to say Friar Lawrence, who despite his best

intentions, ultimately caused trouble in the classic

romance.”

“I really liked Paris because he exuded an aura of

sleaziness which was perfect for his character.”

“I'd have to say Tybalt. Burt fit the character perfectly

and had a voice that matched his persona.”

2. What in your opinion was the biggest strength

about the play?

“The choreography was very well done, especially

during the party scene. It was a lot of fun to be up on

stage watching the dances.”

“Even with all the delays, set backs, and conflicts, we

were able to put to together an excellent show filled

with humor, drama and great acting (not to mention

superb music from ManTuna).”

“The biggest strength was that we didn't take

ourselves too seriously, and had fun with interpreting

Shakespeare's work to suit our own means.”

Our final stop was to acquire the opinions of our

terrific Etobicoke School of the Arts talent to find out

how they felt about working with RSGC students for

such a long period of time.

“Honestly, the RSGC guys did freak us out a little bit

in the beginning. They all seemed prepared for us to

stop showing up, which didn!t instill much confidence

in the production. However, this feeling quickly

disappeared and we all got along amazingly well. All

the boys were funny and easy to work with during

practices. We had so much fun acting with such

welcoming people and won!t forget the experience.”

A special thank you goes to David Perl, Rudro

Chakrabarti, Nick Medline, Evan Luke, and Dr.

Newton for submitting their thoughts.

Page 11 theGrifter

People may believe the boy band era is over, but

from the days of the Jackson 5 to the more recent

Backstreet Boys and NSYNC, it was “never gone.”

It began in the 1960s and 1970s when the Jackson 5

and Osmonds were famous. They sold millions of

records and pioneered the boy band era. Just as

Michael Jackson and Donny Osmond were pursuing

solo careers, local Boston producer Maurice Starr

created New Edition. After the group parted with

Starr, he sought revenge by forming the New Kids on

the Block, who chopped two #1 albums and three #1

singles.

In 1990, Nigel Martin-Smith from Manchester,

England, saw how popular the New Kids were and

created Take That, a band which became the most

successful British act since the Beatles.

A year prior to the New Kids! split, Orlando

businessman Lou Pearlman, head of

Transcontinental Airlines, made the group airplanes.

Pearlman realized the large sum of money he could

make by forming a band and founded The Backstreet

Boys in 1993. After two years of fame in Europe,

The Backstreet Boys returned home and released

their debut album in 1997. They have since released

two #1 albums, fourteen Top-40 hits and have

The Age of

Boy Bands

Continues" Anthony Mariano

! “People may believe

that the boy band era is

over...but it was ‘never gone’”

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earned five Grammy nominations. Two years later,

Pearlman used the same formula to create NSYNC,

which would launch the career of Justin Timberlake.

Meanwhile back in Europe, Irish manager Louis

Walsh was inspired by Take That in concert and

formed Boyzone, which has compiled three #1

albums and six #1 singles. Take That split in 1996

after Robbie Williams departed for a solo career, but

reunited in 2005, and have since released two #1

albums and three #1 singles.

The Backstreet Boys took a hiatus in 2002, but

reunited three years later to release “Never Gone”

and continue to sell out shows around the world. In

2008, New Kids on the Block reunited to release

“The Block” and went on the road once again.

The boy band era is definitely not over. These boys

turned into men have a lot of music left in them and

continue to change the face and world of music

forever.

Top 10 Albums:

10) Where We Belong (1997)- Boyzone!s final

album, which featured two #1 singles: “No Matter

What” and “All That I Need.”

9) Backstreet Boys (1997)- The Backstreet Boys!

debut album in the US consisted of the two albums

released in Europe, and put the band on the US

market.

8) Hangin! Tough (1988)- The New Kids! second

album gave them national and international fame. It

produced five Top-10 hits, two of which would go to

#1. This was a step up from their debut album, as

Donnie Wahlberg, Jordan Knight and Danny Wood

were executive producers along with Starr.

7) Nobody Else (1995)- Take That!s third album,

which was written by front man Gary Barlow,

produced 3 #1 singles and was the last to feature

Robbie Williams before his departure.

6) NSYNC (1998)- This debut album put the group

on the US market and remained on the billboard

charts for more than a year.

5) Step By Step (1990)- The New Kids! third album

and title track both went straight to number one on

the charts, and has proved to be one of the group!s

finest efforts.

4) 98º and Rising (1998)- The second album by 98º

turned the R&B group into a world wide pop

phenomenon and featured solo star Nick Lachey and

his brother Drew.

3) Black and Blue (2000)- The third album from

Backstreet marked a step of maturity, as the band

members co-wrote most of the songs on the album.

2) No Strings Attached (2000)- NSYNC!s second

effort sold two million copies worldwide, notched

Grammy nominations and said “Bye Bye Bye” to

manager Lou Pearlman.

1) Millennium (1999)- Backstreet!s second album

was marked by their signature hit “I Want It That

Way.” It sold over 1.5 million copies worldwide,

garnered five Grammy nominations, and was the #1

album for ten weeks on the Billboard chart.

theGrifter

How long he had been running for, even Samuel was

unsure. His throat was dry and sore and every time

he swallowed what little saliva his mouth could

generate it stung his esophagus. He was light

headed now, his vision was blurring and he could

barely see. He!d been running for longer than he!d

ever remembered, with the possible exception of

when he first tried to outrun the law, nearly twenty-

five years ago. He felt his body grow tired and

weightless, his fingers numbing, first at their tips,

then down to the centre of his palms. His thighs

burned and demanded he stop and prop himself

against the scarred, concrete wall. He knew a rest,

even for a moment, was completely out of the

question as the sound of a screaming alarm called

out for his name somewhere far behind him and

motivated him to push his heavy legs beyond their

breaking point.

As he ran, he gazed down at the prison identification

tattoo, laser etched in dark blue on his upper arm. He

remembered the pain that ran through the nerves of

his arm and the smell of burnt flesh and singed hair

as the machine moved at light speed and branded

his bicep. The mark of a murderer. It consisted of a

barcode nearly an inch long, made up of bars

ranging in width from pencil point thin, to magic

marker thick. Above the barcode was the prison!s

name, Nova Prospect. Below it was the prison!s

symbol; a triangle with a circle placed in its centre

and the initials "NP! inside. Beside the symbol was

the letter P followed by the number 105 347. Ever

since day one of lock up, he had the number

memorized and would mumble it under his breath

before falling asleep on the thin, hard mattress.

Underneath the number was the letter C followed by

another number: twenty-four-A, his cellblock.

Samuel hated the branding that reminded him of his

past crimes and the sins he could never hide from.

On some days he would find himself sitting on his

mattress, staring dumbly at the barcode for hours on

end, as if in a trance. The first thing he was going to

do when he was free was remove the damned thing

from his arm. He was willing to carve it out of his skin

with a sharp object if necessary.

Samuel was surprised when he found himself still

barreling down the dimly lit maintenance corridor,

which now seemed to close in on him. It got narrower

and narrower as he made his way to where he

presumed an exit would be. Faded blue, crusty paint

chips peeled from the cinderblock wall as his

shoulders scraped against it, resulting in a Hansel

and Gretel breadcrumb path he left behind. His forty-

four year old body was reaching its limit, and his

heart felt as though it would explode through his

chest. He began to lean into the wall as he ran,

creating the irritating sound of hundreds of paint

chips being ripped from their place and sent

flickering to the ground. Only moments later his bare

shoulder and upper arm were raw. At least now the

barcode was hidden. He heard shouts behind him

and then the prison!s announcement system spoke

out in a calm, robotic voice, that said in fragments,

“Attention, code: pressure, sword, neutralize in

effect. Nova Prospekt units dispatch to maintenance

and storage sublevels. Intercept and prosecute

perimeter violator and report containment status.”

Samuel made it to the end of the corridor just as he

thought the walls would swallow him up. A grin

inched its way across his narrow face, as only

seconds earlier he thought he was going to cough up

a lung. At the end of the dilapidated corridor an exit

sign flickered and only a few feet away was a

Tattoo" David Perl

! “Samuel hated the

branding that reminded him

of his past crimes and the

sins he could never hide

from”

theGrifterF i

c t

i o n

dented, red fire escape door with a silver window

running down the centre. Samuel forced himself to

an abrupt stop and wobbled up to the door on jelly

legs. He took a moment to peek through the window

and make a guess as to where his escape would

take him next. He pushed hard on the door!s stiff

push plate and cringed as he imagined an alarm

alerting even more guards of his location. None

sounded, and now Samuel found himself outside on

an expansive asphalt tarmac that stretched out in a

sea of black until it hit a ten-foot high, heavy, chain

linked fence crested with barbed wire that ran around

the prison!s perimeter.

The sky was unpromising and sinister looking grey

clouds, swollen with rain blocked out the sun. A light

mist sprinkled down on the tarmac, making his skin

shine and causing the blue paint to dissolve,

revealing his tattoo once more. He glared at it

momentarily before tearing a loose section from the

leg of his faded jumpsuit and wrapping it around his

arm. Beyond the fence was a wasteland. Barren

plains with little to no vegetation, dry ground with

deep fissures running through the topsoil and stunted

skeletal trees that reached to the heavens with

twisted, gnarled branches surrounded him and

continued to the horizon. No matter how dismal and

appalling the outside world looked, he still had to get

over the fence and out of the confines of Nova

Prospekt.

“Attention malignant, you are convicted of multi-

anticivil violations. Failure to cooperate with Nova

Prospekt units will result in permanent relocation or

termination,” the robotic voice stated over the sound

of more screaming alarms. Samuel noticed a parade

of guards scramble across the raised, metal catwalks

of the prison, and the clanging of their boots shook

his eardrums. He was surrounded. It was now or

never.

So, the big Irishman, Brian Burke, has finally made a

notable and perhaps worthwhile transaction. Of

course, the ever-anxious “Leaf Faithful” jumps right

on a trade such as this and immediately begins to

prophesize success and assume that the players we

have obtained are hockey deities. Unfortunately, to

the disappointment of countless fans, this trade is not

the blockbuster deal that we have been made to

believe it is. Although it is a seemingly beneficial deal

from a technical aspect, it is not as beneficial in

relation to what the Leafs need in reality.

In the recent deals, the Toronto Maple Leafs

acquired Dion Phaneuf (along with his massive $ 6.5

million contract) Fredrik Sjöström, Keith Aulie (all 6!6”

of him) and J.S Giguere in exchange for Matt Stajan,

Niklas Hagman, Jason Blake, Ian White, Vesa

Toskala and Jamal Mayers. This deal can be broken

into two perspectives.

The primary element was obtaining a hard hitting,

strong defenseman in Dion Phaneuf. Unfortunately,

his large contract is going to hit the Leafs! salary cap,

and will ultimately prevent them from pursuing a high

quality playmaker that they desperately need.

Shake Up in

Leaf Land" Andrew Savory

! “Just sit back, relax, put

your feet up and go jump on

the bandwagon for another

team because it’s going to

be a long time until we get to

witness the glory days”

theGrifter

Furthermore, Toronto had to give up a very

inexpensive and underrated defenseman in Ian

White. Moreover, Ian White can practically do

everything Dion can do (four more points this

season), for $5.65 million less. Would it have been

more favorable if the Leafs kept Ian White for the

remainder of the season, instead of dealing him for

an over-priced and currently under-achieving

defenseman? In theory, if Ian White had remained a

Leaf, Stajan and Hagman could have been moved

for an efficient playmaker to get the puck to Kessel,

who has been skating around the neutral zone

aimlessly, leading to several turnovers.

The second part of the equation is dumping salaries.

Jason Blake!s contract was giving him an average of

$20 million dollars over five seasons, while Vesa

Toskala!s exorbitant contract of $8 million over two

years proved to be unreasonable. Therefore, by

taking on J.S Giguere!s six million dollar contract in

return, combined with Dion Phaneuf!s contract for a

flurry of Leaf!s players, the Leafs cleared up roughly

2 million dollars in cap space for the upcoming free

agency season.

Regrettably, another problem still remains even after

completion of the trade. The Leafs are still without

first round draft picks for the next two years. This

situation can be attributed to the incredibly steep

price that General Manager Brian Burke paid for the

services of Phil Kessel. What!s even more

unfortunate is that the next two NHL entry drafts are

deemed to be deep with talent. It is evident that

Burke and the Leafs upper management will have to

put their heads together once again to try and gain a

first round draft pick. To add insult to injury, on a

team with valuable assets (aside from Tomas

Kaberle, who can!t be moved because of his no trade

clause, thank you John Ferguson), a task of the

utmost importance will be virtually impossible.

So, with all the facts being presented, the future is

not bright. As a matter of fact, it is quite dreary, with

the slightest shed of sunlight on the horizon. The so-

called American trio of Viktor Stalberg, Tyler Bozak

and Christian Hanson that was once regarded by

Burke as the future, has performed short of

expectations. In addition, when Brian Burke!s tenure

began, he preached patience to the Leafs Nation,

saying that this rebuilding process would take time

and that the desired results would come. Judging

from what!s been done, there has been absolutely no

rebuilding. During a rebuild, a team isn!t supposed to

try and sign immobile defenseman such as Mike

Komisarek and Garnet Exelby. They aren!t supposed

to trade away potential top five-lottery draft picks in

return for a “sniper” (Phil Kessel) whose stats have

been inflated due to him having one of the best

playmakers in the game (Marc Savard) by his side.

To add fuel to the fire, who is Jeff Finger anyway?

You aren!t supposed to sign a practically unknown

defenseman out of Cloud St. University who is

known merely as a “shutdown defenseman” for $14

million. What you are expected to do is stockpile

draft picks by trading off all your assets that aren!t

registered as building blocks to enable your franchise

to build from the bottom up. Can anyone say

Washington Capitals?

So Leaf fans, due to some errors and lack of proper

judgment from Burke Management and Co. we are

going to have to be a lot more “patient” with the

Leafs than what was once originally thought.

Therefore, just sit back, relax, put your feet up and

go jump on the bandwagon for another team

because it!s going to be a long time until we get to

witness the glory days similar to those witnessed in

1967.

Toronto Maple Leafs

General Manager

Brian Burke during a

press conference

theGrifter

While thirty-four grueling games out in the bitter cold

of winter can seem like an eternity to many people,

as a grad I am stunned that I am playing my second

last game on Monday. I remember entering grade

nine thinking that my ball hockey career would be

long, but time flew. It is fitting to reflect on some of

the greatest surprises and memories of the previous

year. So here we go!

#5 – Hitmen go to Alex Cleveland

On many occasions, some of the best players in the

RSGCBHL come into the draft as “sleepers.” While

you get the first round studs such as Snucins,

Ammendolia, Rifle Reble and Ukie Wall, there are

also sleepers like Adrian Steen (!07-!08 third round),

Michael Dawson (!06-!07 third round), and Matt

Darcy (!07-!08 fourth round). Alex Cleveland was

drafted by the Hitmen in the fourth round this year

and has been an impact player. This season, he was

one of only three grade nines to be selected as an

All-Star. He has collected 27 points (11G, 16A) in 14

games. This total leads all grade nines, and if this

trend continues, Alex will find himself hoisting the

Stevens Trophy for Rookie of the Year. He!s also had

two incredible shootout goals, which you can see on

our website. Many are worried that the Hitmen are

losing big pieces after this year, but with Alex!s

S p

o r

t s

leadership guiding the team over the next four years,

this reporter isn!t concerned one bit.

#4 – Rylie!s Cookin!

You know a guy is good when he!s been out three

weeks with a concussion and still ranks sixth in

scoring. What!s been so amazing about Rylie is the

journey he!s taken to stardom. In his grade nine

preseason, he was competing for a goalie job. In

grade ten, he made the shift to forward and

accumulated ten points. This year, he has thirty-

seven, and is making his Sean Avery-like presence

felt by all opposing goalies. He has emerged as a

great leader, and has helped the Steamers soar to

first place. Look for him to be a big factor the

playoffs.

#3 – Injuries

Never in my life have I seen this many people hit the

disabled list in one season. So far this year, injuries

to Rylie Cook (concussion, 1 month), Bradley Walker

(broken thumb, 1 month), Will Guest (broken wrist, 1

month), and Adrian Steen (ankle, 1 week) have had

a great impact on the standings.

#2 – Savory Saves the Day

In Choice!s 8-3 loss to the Roughnecks in last year!s

Love Cup, one big story was the goalie battle

(Andrew Savory vs. Jimmy Boyle). Earlier in the year,

the Roughnecks found themselves without a goalie,

and Choice kindly gave them Boyle, a tall grade 12

veteran. Ever since the departure of legendary Mike

“Stinger” Hastings, Choice cycled through a variety

of goalies, but had not found a solid replacement.

Boyle!s dominance in last year!s playoffs left many

fans wondering if Captain Dawson had traded away

the right player. This year, Choice drafted goalie

prospect Patrick Quaggin-Smith first overall. After

giving PQS a break for one game, Savory has

shined, posting a 5.86 GAA in 7 games, while

leading his team to a 4-2-1 record in that span. While

it is certain that Quaggin-Smith is the goalie of the

future for Choice, this is Savory!s time. His

Commissioner's

Corner" Mark Kryshtalskyj

! “I remember entering

grade nine thinking that my

ball hockey career would be

long, but time flew.”

theGrifter

leadership has rejuvenated the spirit of a Choice

team with a history of losing, and has served as an

inspiration to many other players and fans. Could this

guy bring Choice its first Love Cup? Is he destined to

be the league!s next Commissioner? We!ll have to

see in the coming weeks.

#1 – Imagine

Last season, the Hitmen were snuffed out of their

first five draft picks. While the priority was to fill

Choice and Roughnecks with players, the Hitmen

had not been informed of the draft order. Their first

round pick would have been AJ Buchanan, who was

taken in the third round by Choice. This year, AJ

leads the league in points with 54 (37G, 17A) in

sixteen games, and the Hitmen are allergic to

scoring, with an average of only 5.86 goals per

game. We will never know what the Hitmen would

have looked like with AJ in their lineup, but we can

always wonder…

What!s truly amazing about this league is the stories

its participants write. You may not realize it now, but

every game out there, you!re writing the story of your

life. A couple of years down the road, you!ll be talking

about your shootout goals at university interviews,

putting your captaincy roles on job applications, and

will look back at some of the greatest times of your

life, all spent with your friends. This is what ball

hockey at RSGC is all about.

Do you agree with our top five surprises? Send your

feedback to [email protected] to have your

say!

I begin my walk down Avenue Road and groan as I

look at my watch. The time: 5:30am. However, my

exhaustion and grogginess is countered by the

anticipation of what is about to happen. The massive

figure of Queen!s Park looms in the pre-dawn

darkness as I approach. There is already a small

group of people gathered around the front steps of

the building who share my excitement. It is about to

begin. The haunting chant of an Ojibwa prayer soars

high above the crowd and into the darkness that is

the city. Then it arrives. It has already traveled 40

000km and is nearing the end of its trip.

Two guides are dressed in Ninja uniforms. They

unlock the lantern and transfer it. Finally, the torch is

ignited. The Olympic Flame suddenly fills the area

with an impossible brightness. The man carrying it

looks as old as the Olympic games. He does not run,

but instead strolls casually down the street as the

crowd follows. The flashes of cameras brighten the

sky every few seconds.

He reaches the point where he must surrender the

flame to the next person in line. The crowd cheers as

the next torch bursts into flames. For a moment there

are two torches burning as bright as the smiles on

the runners! faces. As the next torch-bearer starts to

run, I think “Why am I running at 6:00 in the

morning?” The small crowd is also running and

snapping photos. Three more transfers take place as

the torch moves down University Avenue.

Sweating in my down parka and exhausted from the

early hour I decide that my journey should end here.

The flame continues down University until it hits

Front Street where it turns right and continues on.

Olympic

Memories" Daniel Gold-Bersani



theGrifter

Obama is enforcing socialist policies on Americans,

when actually many of his policies are quite centrist.

Glenn Beck is one of Fox!s main culprits in creating

false fear. His statements could even be seen as

harmful to the president!s safety. Glenn Beck has

made extreme statements, saying “Obama has a

deep seeded hatred against the white culture.” Along

with these claims, Beck has a plethora of edgy

graphics going on in a compilation. Though many

can see through his silly and ignorant statements,

there are millions who seem to share his extreme

beliefs.

The media has created false fears for Obama!s

administration. Some legitimately believed that death

panels were in the House!s healthcare, and blamed

the inclusion of this amendment in the bill on Obama.

This was all caused by the Fox News Corporation!s

work with the GOP and their efforts in convincing the

American populace that Obama!s policies might kill

your grandmother. These myths were seen as a real

reason why “Obamacare” could not come into law, as

many other news organizations addressed this issue

with great specificity. Obama said that the

amendment that was under fire was actually put in by

a Republican, and had to do with providing pre-death

services information to comatose patient!s families.

Because of the political chaos it caused, the senate

removed it from their bill. This is an indirect intrusion

into the political-legal world by FNC. They used their

accessibility to preach to the masses.

These intrusions into the political process are

constitutionally valid, but slow down the legal side of

things. This makes new laws very hard to pass

because of the strong partisanship in Congress,

which I believe can also be partially blamed on FNC.

Obama planned to pass healthcare in August 2009,

but by March 2010, the failure to do so shouldn!t be

blamed on the president. I believe that it should be

blamed on the FNC and other news organizations

who only blurt out quick headlines, but don!t look into

the whole story.

P o

l i t

i c s

The present day American political scene is not what

many citizens were hoping for. There is now a

congress that refuses to allow bills to be passed into

law. This is far from the campaign that President

Obama was promising. The Obama Administration

had been weak when handling certain criticism, but

when he came out to talk to the GOP recently, he

was on the offense. He confronted media rumors,

which had convinced many Americans that the

Obama Administration is very far left on the political

spectrum. Small movements known as Tea Party

groups have become important in the political world,

but these don!t represent the interests of many

Americans, although they still allow the Republicans

in the Senate to block the normal political processes.

There has been one media power, which has led this

so-called “Grassroots” movement, and it is the FOX

News Corporation. They have funded conventions

and publicized events for the group. The Tea Party

groups deny that the FNC is helping them because

they are Republican and that the GOP motivates

their ideals, but this has been proven wrong many

times. Now that the media has blown up the

importance of these far right groups, American voters

are confused. The change has not been made,

partisanship has grown, and FNC fear tactics have

also affected Obama!s popularity. Fox says that

Defending the

Left..." Noah Stanton

! “Small movements

known as Tea Party

groups...don’t represent the

interests of many Americans”

grift·er /!gr"ft#r/ noun - a swindler, dishonest gambler, or the like...

theGrifter

YEAR II ISSUE II

grifter winter 2010

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