1967 when the Leafs were in the Stanley Cup play-offs.”

In the summers before at-tending University, Naylor worked the typical small-town jobs: schlepping boxes at a cur-tain rod factory, working the golf course, and picking tobacco.

“It was politically incor-rect, but quite a lucrative way to work in the summer,” Nay-lor confesses, not breaking eye contact. “You had to get up at dawn and drive to be in the fi eld as the sun rose. A friend of mine had done it the previous sum-mer. He had a car. He would pick me up. I would stumble out of the house. It’s still semi-dark outside. We’d drive along to the farm and away we’d go, driven out to the fi elds on the back of a tractor and…we’d just motor through the fi elds, pull-ing leaves off the plants...All the sunshine you could eat.”

An unexceptional student with spotty attendance and a rock band to distract him from school work, Naylor only paid attention to his grades towards

the end of high school, when he realized his academics would need to improve to enter U of T.

At U of T, Naylor remembers feeling intimidated: “As an un-dergrad, my aspiration was to avoid getting run over by all the smart people.” Academics became a priority during his two years at University Col-lege, as he aimed to enter either med school, law school, or grad school. Once in med school, Naylor’s extracurriculars kept him out of class for the fi rst few years, but by fourth year, he was intent on becoming a doctor. “I thought about neurosurgery be-lieve it or not, until I realized I was a klutz.”

Since graduating from med school, Naylor has accrued an impressive curriculum vitae: after U of T, he studied at Ox-ford as a Rhodes Scholar; he co-authored 300 scholarly pub-lications; he was chair of the National Advisory Committee on SARS and Public Health;

Governing Council, U of T’s highest decision-making body, will announce its recommenda-tions on whether David Naylor will be reappointed as President of U of T on January 21, poten-tially extending his term for an-other fi ve years. In the review process, the Executive Commit-tee interviewed student unions, faculty associations, and labour unions by invitation-only to in-form its recommendation. It is expected that Naylor will con-tinue as President until 2015.

President Naylor sat down with the newspaper in his Sim-coe Hall offi ce to talk about his road to the President’s offi ce.

“It was an absolutely typical small-town childhood. Wood-stock, Ontario. About 19,000 souls and a household where the main memories I have are of books,” Naylor starts. “Spe-cifi cally, my parents did not allow a t.v. in the house until

President Naylor is expected to be reappointed as President of U of T.

Continued on page 4Continued on page 4

Canadian Blood Services (CBS) has initiated an ambitious ef-fort to collect 5,000 units of blood between January 11 and March 31, 2010. Their chal-lenge, Blood 101: Canadian Stu-dents Saving Lives, involves 23 Canadian campuses, including UofT, challenging each other in a friendly competition to meet or exceed desired blood collec-tion goals.

Canadian Blood Services is a not-for-profi t, charitable orga-nization dedicated to managing the blood and blood products supply across Canada. They col-lect roughly 850,000 units of blood annually, screening each donor for transferable diseases. In conjunction with the Canadi-an Blood Services Youth Com-mittee, they hope to dwarf last year’s tally of 2908 units.

Currently, baby boomers rep-resent the highest percentage of blood donors in Canada. As this generation ages and becomes recipients themselves, the next age group must take the reins to keep the blood pumping.

“It is imperative to educate the next generation about the importance of blood donation

so that they can continue to supply Canadian patients,” said Roop Sidhu, CBS Community Development Coordinator

“Every donation can save up to three lives.”

Blood products are used every day to treat a variety of medical problems from bleed-

At 360 hours into the new year,

exactly 1,088 Canadians have died

due to complications caused by

smoking. That is three deaths every

hour. If we continue on like this for

the next 365 days, 26,295 lives will

be lost in Canada alone.

To coincide with National Non-

Smoking Week, running from

January 17 to 23, the youth-based

anti-smoking campaign Leave the

Pack Behind (LTPB) has organized

a “would you rather...” contest.

Participants quit smoking or stay

smoke-free in the hopes of winning

prizes including free tuition, iPods,

and gift cards.

Funded by the Ministry of

Health, Leave the Pack Behind be-

gan in 2000 as a program to con-

trol tobacco consumption among

young adults in Ontario’s post-

U of T student Sarah McIntosh

donates blood on Wednesday at

the College St. clinic.

Continued on page 4

the newspaper January 21, 2010University of Toronto’s Independent Weekly Vol. XXXII N0. 17

President Naylor looks towards 2015

& HELENE GODERIS

‘Leave the Pack Behind’Kicks butt at U of T

CHRISTINA CIDDIO

U of T sucks blood to save lives

ASCHILLE CLARKE-MENDES

SEMRA EYLUL SEVI

Deibert talks Googlypage 2

Wingin’ itpage 6 & 7

LE

WK

O H

RY

HO

RIJ

IW

AL

EX

NU

RS

AL

L

On January 12, Google shocked the world, especially China’s 384 million netizens. In his statement “A new approach to China,” CLO David Drummond threatened to

pull the company’s business out of China after it discovered that the Gmail accounts of Chinese human rights activists had been hacked. “We have decided we are no longer willing to continue cen-soring our results on Google.cn,” Drummond wrote. “We recognize

that this may well mean having to shut down Google.cn, and poten-tially our offices in China.”

The Chinese government tried to downplay Google’s actions, stating that its internet environ-ment is free and open. Many Chi-nese netizens mourn the retreat of Google, while others dig up conspiracy theories. Western ex-perts and media look to possible reasons and implications.

Last year, as an exchange stu-dent in Shanghai, I experienced internet censorship firsthand. YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and some forums were all blocked. Whenever I tried to type sensi-tive terms into the search box, the page would come up with an IE error message. No matter how many times I refreshed the page, my access to the website was blocked.

If Google does say goodbye, what will that mean for Chinese netizens? Given my personal experience, I feel that Google’s retreat will further alienate the Chinese from engaging with the world, limiting their options. Despite China’s rapid economic development in the global stage, its people will remain isolated by comparison.

An editorial in Southern Me-tropolis Daily, one of the most outspoken media outlets in Chi-na, expresses concerns about the social implications of the world’s largest search engine’s potential pull-out from the fastest-growing internet market. They wrote that the Chinese network is denied ac-cess to most international com-munities, and that integrating its netizens into the cyber age needs to be brought in line with inter-national norms.

Google has taken a major step to combat censorship. “Google’s principled policy may be a wake-up call for those concerned with internet business and security,” wrote Ron Deibert, Director of the Citizen Lab at Munk Centre for International Studies at U of T, in The Globe And Mail. He

sees Google’s actions as a heroic move, setting a precedent for other companies dissatisfied with the Chinese government.

China is not the only country putting pressure on international companies. Rebecca MacKinnon of the University of Hong Kong questions whether Google would stand up to democracies, such as France and Italy, that also impose internet censorship on citizens.

“Other countries are slightly different because there is, at least in most of them, a public law that Google can make reference to when making decisions about whether to remove information,” Deibert told the newspaper. “In the case of China, they were being asked to remove information at short notice. Often these requests were connected to corrupt party officials, and had nothing to do with national security or political stability. There is no law that was backing up their requests.”

Since launching its Chinese-language site in 2006, Google has failed to become the top search engine in China. It controls 31.1 percent of the web search mar-ket, but has not beat out its local rival Baidu, which only displays results in Chinese, at 63.9 per-cent. China only accounts for a small portion of its worldwide revenue ($200 million USD an-nually); therefore, pulling out of the country would not be a disas-ter profit-wise.

While Google would like to hold negotiations with the Chinese government to avoid shutting down their Chinese offices, their relationship has been strained. “I am assuming that [the Chinese government] will not allow an unfiltered search engine,” said Deibert. “They will start filtering Google, and perhaps will make it difficult to operate in the country, forcing them out of the market.”

If Google does pull out, one wonders how long it will take Chinese netizens to adapt. Nev-ertheless, they will be the biggest losers.

CALLING ALL

THE USUAL SUSPECTS:

hardened newswriters,

gossips, ad men, mad

men, writers, cartoon-

ists, more writers!

OPEN WRITER’S MEETING

Every Thursday at 5pm,

newspsaper office.

Google calls out China

NICOLE LEUNG

2 January 21, 2010

the newspaperEditor-in-Chief

Helene GoderisManaging Editor

Dan Craig

Arts EditorMiki Sato

News EditorAmy Stupavsky

Layout EditorNatalie Rae Dubois

ContributorsGord Brown, Christina Ciddio, Aschille Clarke-Mendes, Sandra DeGrandis, Andrew Gyorkos, Lewko Hryhorijiw,

Adam Kupevicius, Nicole Leung,Cara Sabatini, Semra Eylu Sevi, Thiru Shathasivam, Amina Stella,

Joseph Uranowski, Mnrupe Virk

the newspaper1 Spadina Crescent, Suite 245

Toronto, ON M5S 1A1Editorial: 416-593-1552

thenewspaper@gmail.comwww.thenewspaper.ca

the newspaper is U of T’s independent weekly paper, published by Planet Publications Inc.,

a non-profit corporation.

All U of T community members, including students, staff and faculty, are encouraged to contribute to the newspaper.

Business ManagerTaylor Ramsay

ads@thenewspaper.ca

the guest editorial

Photo EditorAlex Nursall

Illustrations EditorMike Winters

Associate Arts EditorCailin Smart

Associate News EditorsTomasz BugajskiTejas Parasher

Science EditorTim Ryan

Web EditorLaurent Noonan

Copy EditorMelinda Mortillaro

ME

LIN

DA

MO

RT

ILL

AR

O

the blotters

In an effort to put a little more pulp in our paper, we present you with the scoundrelly deeds that occurred on campus this month.

January 2 Occurrence type: Controlled Drugs and Substance Act Location: 725 Spadina Details: Campus Police investigated 2 persons for using a con-trolled substance. Both persons released with a caution.

January 6 Occurrence type: Mischief Location: Sanford Fleming Building (Exterior) Details: Campus Police investigated two person(s) for Mischief. All was in order, upon further investigation.

January 10Occurrence type: Indecent Act Location: Philosophers Walk Details: Campus Police investigated a report of an indecent act.

January 12Occurrence type: Trespassing Location: O.I.S.E (Interior) Details: Campus police investigated one person for Trespassing. The person was cautioned and released.

January 14Occurrence type: Theft Location: McLennan Physics Details: Campus Police investigated the theft of copper tubing from a room.

By now we’ve all seen them. Waiting for us by the exit to the wash-room, or by the entrance to the shopping mall, or in the arms of a couple of my drunken friends after Nuit Blanche. Hand sanitizers: Modern, do-good iconoclasts who are stealing the jobs of hard-working hand soaps. Saviour or men-ace? Two writers. Four hundred words each.

Ladies and gentlemen, we live in an era -- and a city – that is hyper-aware of the nature and consequences of the migration of communicable disease.

As a result, containers of hand sanitizers began to appear just about everywhere, including many buildings on the U of T campuses, when the H1N1 virus began to migrate from Mexico to both Canada and the U.S. in the same way that SARS migrated from Hong Kong to Toronto.

Consequently, many of us have begun to get into the habit of swabbing our hands at oppor-tune moments.

But is the use of these products – found at the entrances to build-ings as well as around washrooms and food courts -- a good idea?

The answer: yes they are. They are actually an effective means to fight the spread of disease and to protect one’s own health. There is, however, some misinformation floating around (the blessing and the curse of the Internet) regarding the use of hand sanitizers.

Part of this has to do with the confusion of alcohol-based hand-sanitizers with the growing trend toward using anti-bacterial soap. Doctors and researchers have warned that anti-bacterial soap may have a role in creat-ing super bugs that are resistant to antibiotics. Research on this

issue is inconclusive but worry-ing. Commercial hand sanitizers to combat this recent epidemic, however, are alcohol-based and are quite effective at killing bacte-ria and other pathogens. A dead bacterium can’t mutate. Problem solved.

In fact, a proper sanitizer (i.e. with minimum 62% isopropyl alcohol or the industry standard) are proven to be more effective than water and bar soap in stop-ping the spread of pathogens. To be most effective in stopping the spread of disease, use sanitizer especially before eating or shak-ing hands and certainly after coughing or blowing your nose.

Remember that running water is not always available or handy in these situations. Running wa-ter is still necessary to remove dirt or blood (for you MedSci stu-dents), but again is not as effec-tive in dealing with pathogens.

Sanitizers also have to be in sealed containers (alcohol evapo-rates) and should include mois-turizer (to protect skin). The con-tainers found at the university and in other office buildings meet these criteria. Make use of these facilities (you might also want to keep a small bottle in your pocket or purse) until at least the end of cold and flu season.

After all, nobody want to fill out the paperwork for missing a major deadline or an exam for ill-ness.

Aside from doctors, nurses, and surgeons, the everyday fel-low simply has no use for al-cohol based hand sanitization. The full effects of such steriliz-ing rubs only last for mere mo-ments before open air exposure contaminates the hands once again. While the quick fix may well recreate the end result of soap and water washing in a fraction of the time, it’s still an endeavour that’s nowhere near as robust as a good lather.

Firstly, people need to ac-knowledge that hand sanitizing is a different kettle of fish from hand washing. Hand sanitizers function on an antimicrobial level, primarily used to eradicate the vast majority of germs and effectively sterilize the hand. Hand washing, however, while not committing germ genocide to such an efficient degree, nev-ertheless cleanses the hand of soil, stain, and debris.

Using Purell won’t get rid of the filth present on hands due to everything from finger food to dirty jobs. It will sanitize the mess, sure; but the grime will still be there until you’re both-ered to break out a bar of soap. Hand sanitizers are meant to eliminate the lingering germs on hands that are free of visible detritus, not take care of both in a single fifteen second rubbing.

Then there’s the fact that hand sanitizers are received differently based on skin type. The high alcohol content dries the skin, which makes it unappealing dur-ing colder weather and virtually intolerable for eczema sufferers. If the user is compelled to reach for moisturizer immediately after sterilization, does that not defeat the purpose?

People with weaker skin who use too much alcohol based hand sanitizers at once or too often also run the risk of being more susceptible to germs and viruses. Certain rubs with high alcohol contents are occasion-ally found to chemically dete-riorate the layers of natural oil responsible for keeping bacteria at bay, in turn increasing vul-nerability.

And thus is the flaw of alcohol based hand sanitizing revealed: its goal is not so much to cleanse the skin as it is to destroy the nasties present on it, even if it means undermining the integri-ty of the dermis’ natural defenc-es. Hand sanitizers are a conve-nient and efficient solution for germaphobes who dread using handrails and doorknobs. But when you get right down to it, a quick fix is really all it is. A dab of antimicrobial magic is perfectly fine as a sterile layer of polish on the palms, but there’s simply no replacing the power of the lather and rinse routine.

On December 30, 2009, PM

Stephen Harper prorogued parlia-

ment, creating a catalyst for debate

on accountability in democracy and

the power of elected officials. For

the majority of his political life,

Stephen Harper opposed making

appointments to fill vacancies in

the Upper House, described pe-

joratively as “Canada’s Unelected

Senate.”

A debate over the accountability

of elected vs. appointed officials is

happening here at U of T, although

not in an open university forum.

The UTSU has received criticism

for a perceived lack of transparency

and accountability on the part of its

executive, specifically the VP Cam-

pus Life position.

The Executive has six members:

the President and the VPs External,

Internal/Services, Equity, Univer-

sity Affairs, and Campus Life. All

of them receive a substantial salary

paid for by students’ ancillary fees

(the 2010 budget assigns $745, 000

for the “Salaries and Wages” of the

executive and its employees), wield

considerable power, and manage

sizable budgets. Surprisingly, only

five of these positions are elected.

The VP Campus Life is chosen by

the Executive and ratified by the

Board of Directors.

The change from democratic

election to executive appointment

of the VP Campus Life is a recent

one. At a UTSU (then SAC) Annual

General Meeting in 2005, the posi-

tion was changed as part of a reform

package. The change was justified

to prevent the VP in charge of club

funding from providing “patron-

age” to the clubs who helped him/

her get elected. This argument im-

plies that the VP Campus Life could

get away with such graft without

exposure; simply appointing the

position would not fix the larger

problem of transparency.

The VP Campus Life runs the

UTSU’s club recognition process

and allocates a budget of approxi-

mately $178, 000 dollars to the uni-

versity’s clubs. Recently, the posi-

tion faced controversy when EFUT

was denied funding because it did

not properly follow the club recog-

nition process by not providing a

member list. Instead of being asked

to provide a list, they were simply

rejected and told to reapply.

Clubs must apply for funding in

October and await the Campus Life

Commission’s November verdict. If

rejected, they cannot reapply until

January. In response, the B of D

held an emergency meeting on Dec.

3. EFUT received less funding than

it requested. In the Jan. 7 issue,

The Varsity reported that “UTSU

warns clubs that if they do submit

a statement of appeal, there is the

possibility that they will receive no

funding at all.”

Appointed politicians should op-

erate above politics. They are only

effective if they serve for extended

periods, bringing the benefits of

their experience without pandering

to populist bases. There is no incen-

tive to redress the decisions of the

Campus Life Commission because

the VP is not accountable to the

electorate, although he/she are on

the Executive and paid. It seemed

as if prorogation was an arcane tool

of parliamentary procedure that

could not affect Canadian democ-

racy. Two years and two proroga-

tions later, we should closely exam-

ine our electoral systems, even at

the micro-level of the UTSU.

Sanitizer insanityANDREW GYORKOSGORD BROWN

F O U R H U N D R E D W O R D S E A C H

JOSEPH URANOWSKI

3January 21, 2010 the editorial

the op-ed: Student life or something like it

ME

LIN

DA

MO

RT

ILL

AR

O

he was Dean of Medicine and Vice Provost at U of T; he was appointed President of U of T in 2005; and was appointed Of-ficer of the Order of Canada in 2006.

It’s interesting to note that during Naylor’s student days at U of T, then President John Robert Evans holds much in common with our current Pres-ident. Both were U of T under-grads, both were Rhodes Schol-ars, both were medical doctors by profession. Asked if he con-sciously followed in Evans’ foot-steps, Naylor admits, “to my embarrassment, yes.”

We switch gears to Naylor’s impact as President: “A large part of what you do as President is you set a general direction, try to raise the resources, and take the heat. That’s just the reality – heat rises and credit should be refused.”

And Naylor has faced much criticism on his strategic vision for U of T’s future, including

Flat Fees, Towards 2030, and questions of ethics surrounding U of T’s investments.

As Dean of Medicine, Naylor was caught in the middle of the Dr. David Healy case. Healy was offered a job with CAMH and U of T in 2000. Months after being hired, Healy delivered a lecture discussing Prozac’s link to in-creased rates of suicide; soon af-ter, Healy’s contract was rescind-ed. The move raised questions about the relationship between the university and companies, like Prozac’s manufacturer Eli Lilly, that invest in U of T.

There is complete silence while Naylor pauses to reflect before answering to his in-volvement in the case. Naylor distances himself as a second-ary actor in the Healy affair, “I regret any disputes that are acrimonious to his life, but I am not sure looking back how easily we could have played that one differently.”

Naylor goes on to express op-timism about the future. Despite losing over $545 million in en-dowment funds at end of 2009 fiscal year, Naylor says, “it’s a small blip; it may be a long-term

recovery, but we will recover.” Naylor quotes that fundraising has doubled from $80 million to over $160 million and that admission numbers are also up. “Despite the concerns about the Flat Fees dispute, students are still applying to U of T as their first choice.”

Looking toward 2015, Naylor hopes to complete the gradu-ate expansion, increase student space, and build better facili-ties. “We really have had a mas-sive shift with graduate expan-sion underway primarily on the St. George campus...It is this kind of bimodal universe that we struggle to reconcile when I think the corollary is that as we expand, we have to be very care-ful that we don’t erode under-graduate student experience.”

After sharing his life story with the newspaper, arguably a meteoric rise from picking tobacco to shaping our univer-sity’s future, Naylor eschews the spotlight. “I’m just the old guy in this office who’s trying to set a general direction and find some money.”To listen to the full interview, visit thenewspaper.ca.

ic.gc.ca/careers

secondary institutions. A research-

based cessation program, it works

through campus health clinics and

peer groups. Fifty-one universities

and colleges are involved, reaching

over 540,000 students.

The campus clinics campaign

year-round to provide students with

the information and resources they

need to quit. St. George students

can get information and Quit Kits at

the Koffler Centre, where the LTPB

Campus Coordinator is Lindsay Van-

stone, a fourth-year Physiology and

Health Care Ethics student. “I want to

help students develop and maintain

healthy lifestyles,” she says.

Lindsay Taylor, LTPB Assis-

tant Manager of Communications,

believes that the student-centred

program is what “causes them to

be receptive to it. Students will of-

ten come up and tell us how happy

they are that the program exists on

campus, because they will know there is

somewhere to go if they want informa-

tion about tobacco and how to quit.”

Statistics show that 64 percent of

smokers want to quit. Using tactics

like LTPB’s Smoke/Quit booklets

can reduce smoking rates by 15 per-

cent, compared to an unaided 5 per-

cent. Taylor says LTPB’s main goal

is to reduce the prevalence of smok-

ing among Ontario’s young adults,

who constitute 27 percent of active

smokers. “The odds of quitting are five

times higher for smokers who sign up

for the LTPB contest compared to

those who go it alone,”she says.

When this reporter polled a few

U of T students, however, most of

them seemed skeptical.

“The program is a good starting

point, but it’s not the most useful

tool,” says Katie Pennie, a first-

year student who has been a casual

smoker for four years. “It’s not tar-

geting any reasons why someone

starts smoking in the first place.”

Pennie believes that teaching

students how to cope with stress

and school issues should be more of

a focus to stop people from smok-

ing. As long as there is stress, people

will smoke. She remains skeptical

that she will kick the habit anytime

soon.

ing disorders to cancer patients

and birth defects. Sidhu encour-

ages students to donate individu-

ally or with a group at the 67 Col-

lege Street clinic. Students can also

donate platelets. With a shelf life of

only five days, platelets are used for

heart surgery, chemotherapy, and

marrow transplants.

Waiting to be screened, young

Matthew from Richmond Hill has

been a regular donor for years.

“My father got me into it,” he

said. “It always makes me feel good

to do something for my commu-

nity.”

Meanwhile, Don was given juice

and crackers to begin replacing flu-

ids and to increase his blood sugar

levels after his donations. “Since

my blood type is very rare, they

asked me to donate some platelets

as well,” said middle-aged Don. “I

started donating blood when I was

about sixteen and I’ve been donat-

ing regularly since.”

Siwei Chen, a second-year Toxi-

cology and Psychology student,

is the President of the CBS Youth

Committee. She said the group’s

objectives are to recruit and retain

blood donors through community-

based events, but more important-

ly, to educate the public about the

need for donations.

“I became more informed about

the blood system through volun-

teering for Canadian Blood Ser-

vices,” she said, “and I wanted to

share that passion with others who

wanted to make a difference.”

The 67 College Street clinic is

open for donations four days a

week, 12:00 - 7:00 p.m. on Tues-

days, Wednesdays, Thursdays,

and Fridays 7:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Students can also donate at the

Multifaith Blood Drive (67 College)

on Jan. 27, 2:00 - 7:00 p.m. Reg-

ister at www.multifaith.utoronto.

ca. The Med Sci Mobile Clinic will

run 11:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. on Feb.

11 in the Stone Lobby of the Med Sci

Building.

Naylor shares a tender, mesmerizing moment with Sevi.

Naylorcont’d from page 1

Packcont’d from page 1

Bloodcont’d from page 1

4 January 21, 2010the news

LE

WK

O H

RY

HO

RIJ

IW

the brief

On January 12, Haiti was hit by one of the worst natural di-sasters in the impoverished na-tion’s history. The earthquake, measuring 7.0 in magnitude, caused devastating infrastruc-tural damage, leaving hundreds of thousands of people injured and without medical aid. The death toll has now hit 70,000.

In the wake of this disaster, U of T students have come togeth-er to help the victims. While student organizations raise money for earthquake relief, they also hope to open students’ eyes to the social ills that plague Haiti on a daily basis. Haiti is not only a hot spot for natural disasters, but one of the poor-est nations in the West due to its fragile social, economic, and political institutions.

“As students at U of T, we are equipped with various re-sources that help us to take ini-tiatives to make a difference in our community and globally,” said Maisha Syeda, president of the Kids can Free The Children (FTC) chapter at U of T. “We have the ability to inspire and motivate our society, and we can definitely play an active role

in making positive changes.”FTC has joined forces with

the New College Student Coun-cil (NCSC) to present the FTC Best Dance Crew. The January 28 event will raise funds for Haiti and the group’s Adapt a Village Project. The Best Dance Crew will feature U of T and community dance teams who will compete in a friendly dance competition. The $12 regis-tration fee will go toward the earthquake fund. FTC will also hold bake sales throughout the month of January.

Oxfam at U of T, a humani-tarian aid and human rights organization, is also planning a bake sale and pub night in February. Their efforts are not purely monetary. “Oxfam is providing assistance on the ground in Haiti, focusing large-ly on providing clean water and sanitation,” said Co-President Anda Petro.

U of T will show its support for Haiti at “A Public Obser-vance in Solidarity With the People of Haiti” on January 21 from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. in Hart House’s Great Hall. The event will focus on the earthquake’s impact and educate attendees

the campus U of T engineering researchers Prof. Baochun Li and Prof. Yu Sun and the Institute of Bio-materials and Biomedical En-gineering are the 2009 McLean Award recipients. Jointly fund-ed by alumnus William McLean and U of T’s Connaught Fund, the $100,000 award is present-ed to exceptional researchers within 12 years of their Ph.D. who are conducting work in physics, chemistry, computer science, mathematics, engi-neering, or statistics.

the weird British DJ Steve Penk faced major criticism for playing Van Halen’s “Jump” while po-lice negotiators tried to talk a suicidal woman down from a highway bridge in Manchester last Thursday. Penk said the song was requested by a com-muter frustrated by the high-way shutdown caused by the woman’s suicide attempt.

the local In a surprise move on Jan. 20, a member of the Toronto 18 terrorist group entered a guilty plea. Mohamed Dur-rani, 19, pleaded guilty in the terrorist plot on Parlia-ment. Brampton Superior Court Justice Bruce Durno delivered a 7.5-year sentence. With time served taken into account, Durrani will be free after one day in prison at the Maplehurst correctional facil-ity.

the world Canada is bolstering its relief efforts in earthquake-ravaged Haiti with a deployment of 1,000 more Canadian sol-diers, Defence Minister Pe-ter Mackay said on Sunday. Troops will be involved in peacekeeping and reconstruc-tion in the capital city of Port-au-Prince. -Amina Stella

on Haiti and Haitian culture. Organizers aim to aspire soli-

darity and morale among Hai-tians and the U of T community during this troubled time. “The outcome of this event is twofold: to help people from the U of T community who have family in Haiti, while calling the univer-sity forward and together to see what we can do to help,” says Joan Griffin, Student Policy Ini-tiatives Coordinator.

Guest speakers include Hai-tian-Canadian student Claire-Helen Heese-Boutin, Prof. Melanie Newton of the Depart-ment of History and Caribbean Studies, and Prof. Gage Averill, UTM Dean and ethnomusicolo-gist specializing in Haitian mu-sic.

All members of the UofT com-munity are encouraged to at-tend. While there are many stu-dent efforts to assist, this event also encourages participants to discuss how the university can contribute to rebuilding Haiti.

For more info about the stu-dent-run events, contact FTC at club.ftc@gmail.com and Oxfam at oxfam.ut@utoronto.ca.

U of T raises funds,awareness for Haiti

Students ramp up aid e�orts

SANDRA DEGRANDIS

5January 21, 2010 the news

St. Louis’Duff’s

Ein Stein’s Wing Shop 366

Location : 558 College St.Phone Number : 416-963-4446Price :

$9.75/lbs. of wings

Overall Rating: 3.12/ 5Honey Garlic: 3.22/ 5

Mild Medium: 3.25/ 5

Armageddon: 2.9/5

Serving the famous “Buffalo”-style of chicken wings in Toronto since 1998, Duff’s has built itself quite a local reputation. The most distant from the centre of cam-pus, but also serving up the spiciest wing, Duff’s also has a great atmosphere and even a bit of class. If you want your eyes to water and your throat to burn long after you chomp down on your fi rst wing, then Duff’s is well worth the journey down College St.

Honey Garlic: “Real honey garlic. Real garlic!” - Tim Ryan

Mild Medium: “Great smell! Juicy, not greasy. Wonderfully MEATY. Good spicy bite.” - Lewko

Armageddon: “I can’t do this. I think Tim is crying. Tim looks like he is crying. I’m in pain. And I should’ve seen this coming.” - Helene

Location : 376 Bloor St. W.Phone Number : 416-925-6689Price : $9.95/lbs. of wings (+ fries)

Overall Rating: 2.94/ 5H+H: 3.45/ 5

Mild: 2.63/ 5

Hotter than Hell: 2.8/5

The fi rst comer in what has become a miniature chicken wing district along Bloor west of Spadina, St. Louis’ Wings and Ribs offers a cozy space to settle in for some wings and beer. While their ‘Hotter than Hell’ fl avour was not quite as hot as we imagined Hell to be, overall they provided consistently juicy wings and friendly service. Try their Hot & Honey wings for a well-balanced fl avour and spice com-bo.

Hot & Honey: “I like it! Sweet!” - Ayuko

Mild: “Crunchy. Traditional. Good!” - Semra

Hotter Than Hell: “Sweet. Tangy. I can feel my face again.”- Tim Ryan

Location : 229 College StreetPhone Number : 416-59-STEINPrice :

$9.95/lbs. of wings

Overall Rating: 2.66/ 5Honey Garlic: 2.94/ 5

Medium: 2.31/ 5

Hot: 2.71/5

Ein Stein Cafe & Pub (affectionately known as Einstein’s by most) is a known en-gineering and Latvian national hang-out, conveniently located within stumbling distance of CAMH. On the walls inside the bar are various accolades and awards for “Best Chicken Wings”. We decided to put them to the test. Although their wings did not come out on top, one notable feature that separates them from the rest is their $10 pitcher of beer.

Honey Garlic: “Decent sauce taste. Fairly saucy. Meaty.” - Graeme

Medium: “Pizza wings... Hmmmmm, not bad, not good.” - Tomasz

Hot: “Pretty good. Meaty, not too juicy.” - Amina

Location : 366 Bloor Street W.Phone Number : 647-345-4584Price :

$10.98/lbs. of wings

Overall Rating: 2.31/ 5Mild: 2.71/ 5

Devil Sauce: 2.42/ 5

Chef’s Sauce: 1.81/5

Emerging on Bloor Street this past August, the Wing Shop 366 boasts a selec-tion of 66 different wing fl avours. We decided to look past the interior decorat-ing mistakes and take a chance on their supposed staple food. The results were questionable. But before you discard them as an option, one editor would like to point out that they do have fantastic hamburgers. Maybe they should have called it Burger Shop?

Mild: “What genius cooked this up? The beauty is on the inside.” - Helene

Devil Sauce: “Go back to the chicken you rode in on.” - Tim Ryan

Chef’s Sauce: “Smells like fi sh food. Tastes like sawdust.” - Dan

the newspaper raids 6 local hen houses6 January 21, 2010the inside

Sneaky Dee’s Puck ‘N Wings

416 901 PUCK (7825)- -

362 Bloor Street West

NEW PATIO OPEN SOON 1/2 PRICE WINGS AFTER 5PM ON MONDAYS CHECK OUT OUR OTHER LOCATIONS: 5625 YONGE ST, TORONTO 4450 HIGHWAY 7, MARKHAM/UNIONVILLE

416 224 1661 905 475 PUCK (7825)

JOIN US FOR THE SUPERBOWL OLYMPICS WORLD CUP HOCKEY/BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS ST PATRICKS DAY

Location : 431 College St.Phone Number : 416-603-3090Price :

$8.70/lbs. of wings

Overall Rating: 3.39/ 5Medium: 3.3/ 5

Mild: 3.38/ 5

Hot: 3.5/5

Long-time late-nite dining staple and border-line Toronto institution (Toronto Jokes!) Sneaky Dee’s provided us with a pleasant surprise when we sat down to sample their wings. While their fl avours weren’t all that creative or exotic (Me-dium, Mild and Hot) they certainly delivered in terms of delicious enjoyment. Providing tons of meat, and great consistent fl avours, many of us realized that Sneaky Dee’s is about more than Nachos and typhus. Try their wings next time you’re there!

Medium: “It was good, as sweet wings go. Tasted like they used real honey.” - Tejas

Mild: “Delicious! - Dan

Hot: “I could eat pounds of these all day long.” - Gyorkos

Location : 362 Bloor St. WPhone Number : 416-901-7825Price :

$9.99/lbs. of wings

Overall Rating: 3.64/ 5Pineapple Curry: 3.45/ 5

Baton Rouge: 3.73/ 5

Mild: 3.75/5

Located just west of Spadina on Bloor, Puck’n’Wings is the latest arrival on the Bloor West chicken wing scene. Open for only a few months, this hockey themed sports bar is packed to the ceiling with big-screen TVs and hockey puns, as well as a proud selection of original chicken wing fl avours. In our blind tasting test, Puck’n’Wings shot and scored a game-winner.

Pineapple Curry: “Saucy good! Good unique taste. Good size.” - Graeme

Baton Rouge: “Sour. Good! Meaty. Meatiest wings.” - Amina

Mild: “Very YUM. Very meaty. Good medium. No problem eating a TONNE of these.” - Lewko

the newspaper lays an egg, lets it mature to make other eggs, lets them mature, then slaughters and fries the wings, then eats them.

7January 21, 2010 the inside

PHOTOS COURTESY OF ALEX NURSALL & HELENE GODERIS

BEST OVERALL

WINGSHOP

PUCK ‘N WINGS

BEST OVERALL

WING

MILD,

PUCK ‘N WINGS

BEST VALUE

ST. LOUIS’

MOST OVERUSED

COMMENT

TIE:

‘MEATY’ & ‘JUICY’

MOST LIKELY TO

MAKE YOU CRY

ARMEGEDDON,

DUFF’S

BEST WING FOR

WEAKLINGS

SNEAKY DEE’S

HOT-BIKRAM YOGAright next to U of T

$30 for 30 daysINTRODUCTORY OFFER

www.hotyoga.ca

720 Spadina Ave. Finest Cutting and StyleColour and Highlights

7 HART HOUSE CIRCLEMONDAY TO FRIDAY, 8:30 - 5:30

SATURDAY, 9:00 - 5:00For Appointments Call: 416-978-2431

HART HOUSE HAIR PLACE

EXCELLENT WORK & REASONABLE RATES

HART HOUSE HAIR PLACE

EXCELLENT WORK & REASONABLE RATES

One hundred million sheets of

paper. That represents the annu-

al consumption rate at U of T’s St.

George Campus alone. Further

compounding the environmental

impact of the raw resources re-

quired to make this much paper

is the associated 1,500 tonnes in

greenhouse gas emissions this

consumption produces.

Conscious of this carbon

footprint and the associated

$600,000 in costs, the U of T

Sustainability Office has recently

instigated several paper conser-

vation initiatives, to reduce total

consumption and/or increase the

usage of more sustainable prod-

ucts.

According to the Sustainability

Office, paper recycling at the uni-

versity is quite satisfactory. How-

ever, recycling and utilizing post-

consumer recycled paper only

decreases (not eliminates) energy

consumption and greenhouse gas

emissions. Consequently, a more

significant impact can be made by

reducing paper usage.

The Gerstein Paper Initiative is

a forerunner in addressing paper

usage. Campus libraries, where

students print and photocopy, ac-

count for a significant proportion

of the total paper consumption.

Since last October, all the public

computers at Gerstein Library

are configured for double-sided

printing as a default. Students

are actively encouraged to print

multiple pages per sheet and per-

form double-sided photocopying.

To further promote their cause,

posters were re-purposed from

old print advertisements obtained

from TTC and CBS Outdoor.

The project already appears to

be successful. The public print-

ers are using 31 per cent less pa-

per and over 26,000 sheets have

been saved within the first two

months. Currently only 14 other

campus libraries (out of more

than 30 libraries) offer double-

The need for landfill diversion is becoming increasingly appar-ent in an era of rampant con-sumerism and waste creation. Vermiculture is one method of on-site composting embraced by the Victoria College resi-dence to reduce overall waste through food waste processing.

Vermiculture uses differ-ent species of earthworms, in-cluding white worms and red wigglers, to break down food waste into a nutrient-rich fertil-izer known as vermicast. Fruits, vegetables, coffee grounds, egg-shells, you name it: All can be churned by these organisms to produce a highly effective fertil-izer that enhances the physical

structure and microbial activity of soil, leading to more produc-tive plant germination, growth, and yield.

This process can occur within on-site bins made of various materials, which would house the worms and turn waste into fertilizer. By processing waste on site, transportation is entire-ly removed from the life cycle of the item being processed. This means lower carbon emissions. For this reason, environmental groups looking to improve the sustainability of commercial buildings have embraced ver-miculture.

The Victoria College vermicul-ture program was begun by for-ward-thinking dons four years ago. The college has since made

sided printing. Given this succes,

this program should be extended

to all of the libraries at all three

campuses.

Administrators of BIO150Y,

one of U of T’s largest under-

graduate courses, with an an-

nual enrollment exceeding 1,600

students, have certainly adopted

a similar mentality. Headed by

course coordinator Corey Gold-

man, several changes have been

enforced to reduce paper con-

sumption, including double-sid-

U of T St. George recently got a ‘B’ on the 2010 College Sustain-ability Report Card, the largest survey of environmental com-mitment amongst North Ameri-can educational institutions.

The annual Report Card is published by the Sustainabil-ity Endowments Institute, a Massachusetts-based NGO and research group affiliated with the Rockefeller Foundation. Us-ing both student input and data provided by administrative of-ficials, the institute evaluates over 300 colleges and universi-ties in the US and Canada on en-ergy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, recycling and compost programs, construc-tion methods, and endowment priorities.

Although U of T has improved slightly on its B-’ grade from 2008-2009, it still lags behind a number of major Canadian universities, such as McGill, UBC, York, and the University of Calgary.

The report identifies U of T’s main shortcomings as lax construction standards—“only one building on campus meets LEED-EB criteria”—and a lack of administrative attention to-wards environmental issues. The university received an ‘F’ in the ‘Shareholder Engage-ment’ category, which evaluates whether investors are urged to consider sustainability in poli-cy-making.

But the report also makes it evident that U of T’s strength in tackling sustainability rests not so much with administrative decision-makers, as with the concerned activism of its nearly 50,000 students. Student in-volvement in solving environ-mental challenges at U of T is amongst the highest in North America. The Sustainability Report praises student initia-tives like the Environmental Management Committee, Eco-Challenge, and Bikechain, and underlines their pivotal role in trying to achieve sustainability on such a large, diverse cam-pus.

In light of this, the newspaper presents a two-part series on ongoing efforts towards a more sustainable, environmentally-friendly U of T.

ing of assignments, eliminating

cover pages for assignments, ad-

justing page margins on tests and

distributing TA newsletters elec-

tronically. It is estimated 16,000

sheets were saved last year.

Given the nature of the univer-

sity and the sheer volume of its

papers usage, a similar sustain-

ability ethic should thus be em-

braced by all departments, offices

and courses at U of T. After all,

even simple changes can produce

major savings.

vermiculture bins available to each floor of the residence in an effort to curb landfill waste and reduce carbon emissions. The college has also established a Green Bin program at the resi-dence to redirect organic waste from landfill. Although not as clever or effective as the vermic-ulture bins, it remains a step in

the right direction.The next logical steps would

be to make the vermiculture bins mandatory on each floor, as well as in the dining hall and to use the on-site fertilizer for local gardening efforts. In any case, it is good to see Victoria pulling out their little red wig-glers for the benefit of society.

Gerstein saves a forest with double-sided.

You didn’t want to see the photograph, trust us.

sustainability at u of t: Gerstein saves paperTHIRU SHATHASIVAM

Vermiculture worms its way into Vic

ADAM KUPEVICIUS

TEJAS PARASHER

It’s getting

easier to be

green at

U of T

8 January 21, 2010the science

AL

EX

NU

RS

AL

LA

LE

X N

UR

SA

LL

This past Tuesday at U of T’s Athletic Centre, 100 new solar collector panels became func-tional and began supplying en-ergy to run the facilities within the building. In peak sunshine months, the panels will gener-ate enough energy to contribute approximately 25% of the heat used by the shower and laundry services, significantly reducing overall consumption of natural gas. This initiative is the biggest of its kind in the GTA and U of T believes the largest of its kind at a Canadian university.

Solar panels, commonly made of silicon or cadmium tel-luride “cells”, use light energy to generate electricity via the pho-tovoltaic effect. When photons of light strike the solar panels, their energy is transferred to an electron within an atom in the cell. With its new found energy, the electron can escape its nor-mal position within the atom and become part of a current

in an electrical circuit. The so-lar panel has a built-in electric field with the voltage required to push the current through an external load -- such as a water heater or light bulb.

The reduction in natural gas use will result in fewer green-house gas (GHG) emissions throughout the year. The annu-al reduction in GHG emissions will be the equivalent of taking 11 cars off the road and, simul-taneously, the energy saved will be enough to heat 11 fully de-tached, average-sized Canadian homes.

Finally, although these re-newable technologies come with an initial associated cost, in the long-term, these solar panels will quickly pay for themselves and become a considerable money saver for the university.

Moving forward, solar panel technology, now well past its infancy, needs to be embraced and gradually expanded upon at U of T, where there is no shortage of flat roofs on which

A radical new approach to-wards energy conservation has recently been changing the face of environmentalism on the St. George campus.

Rewire, a student initiative coordinated by the U of T Sus-tainability Office, is a project which gives the university com-munity first-hand experience of the importance of energy-con-servation. Rather than trusting abstruse, bureaucratic policies, Rewire takes involved cam-pus debate and small changes in daily routine as the keys to long-term sustainability.

“Nothing like this has existed on campus before,” says Leah Sumnauth McIntosh, Project Coordinator at the Sustainabili-ty Office. “It is the first program that tries to build a foundation for social change by actually en-gaging people.”

As part of Rewire, residences and offices around campus get monthly toolkits with specific suggestions for more environ-mentally-conscious behaviour. The toolkits have individual themes, such as how to be more efficient with a laptop, or how

to make sure that lights always get turned off. Everything from regular emails to movie-nights is used to get the message across. Each building also has a Lead Coordinator and numer-ous Floor Representatives to oversee the program.

Students from the Sustain-

to place them. Although there is a high cost of installation, there are avenues of subsidization for these projects; one-third of the AC solar panel initiative was funded by the Ontario Solar

Thermal Heating Incentive and the federal ecoENERGY for Re-newable Heat Incentive.

And if that isn’t enough moti-vation, Captain Obvious told me that renewable energy sources

ability Office regularly meet with building-leaders to check on the progress being made at each Rewire site.

Rewire began in 2006, when three Trinity College students sought to develop a more grassroots-level environmen-talism by using social psychol-

ogy techniques. Their idea was supported by the Sustainability Office and given a rudimentary trial run at University College. Its resounding, unexpected success quickly led to it being implemented throughout cam-pus. Currently, Rewire operates in 19 different residence build-ings. Plans are also underway to implement it more intensively in staff and faculty offices, such as Simcoe Hall and 215 Huron Street.

In its first year, Rewire was able to achieve an 8 % reduc-tion in energy wastage. By the end of 2009, after extensive student feedback and a more concentrated focus on electric-

pay for themselves in the long-term! It seems so logical, just take the free energy, yet we con-tinue to struggle with it.

ity-consumption, this decrease had jumped to nearly 15%.

The Sustainability Office is so satisfied with Rewire that it would like to see the program’s impact extended beyond just U of T. “It has been very success-ful for a behaviour-change cam-paign,” says McIntosh. “We are currently meeting with other campuses and institutions. We would love to see our infra-structure exported to other set-tings.”

Any student-groups or orga-nizations who would like to sign up for Rewire are urged to con-tact the Sustainability Office at rewire.utoronto@gmail.com.

The laundry room may not be pretty, but at least it keeps the environment looking nice.

Csenka Favorini-Csorba has a bright idea.

the 2010 progress report

AC Solar Panels TIM RYAN

Rewire: the 4th R

TEJAS PARASHER

9January 21, 2010 the science

AL

EX

NU

RS

AL

L

AL

EX

NU

RS

AL

L

U of T graduate Sandra Laronde’s

pioneering vision continues to im-

pact both local and international

communities. As founder and Ar-

tistic Director of Red Sky - a Toron-

to-based theatre, dance, and music

company - Laronde’s work conveys

the culture and artistic expression

of indigenous peoples on a global

scale.

As it celebrates ten years of

groundbreaking artwork, Red

Sky’s recently acclaimed project,

Tono, owes its inspiration to both

Laronde’s travels throughout Asia

and her Northern Ontario roots.

An arrangement of dance and

live music, deemed “ravishingly

beautiful” by the Globe and Mail,

Tono showcases a triad of indig-

enous cultures from Canada, Mon-

golia, and China.

No stranger to the international

stage, the performance will be a

highlight of the Cultural Olympiad

at this year’s Vancouver Olym-

pics and will perform at the 2010

Shanghai World Expo in May.

A combination of intercontinen-

tal travel and ties to her native land

is the compelling force behind La-

ronde’s creative vision. Growing up

in Temagami - home to the People

of the Deep Water - Laronde feels fortu-

nate to have come from a place with ex-

pansive land on which she could roam

and wander as a child. She sees this

land as “a place to speak, to act, and to

understand from.”

This deep connection with the

land is what bridges the gap be-

tween indigenous cultures across

the globe and allows for a sense of

“cultural reciprocity and dialogue.”

Though she holds strong ties with

her home, it is also her background

that feeds her interest in “the cre-

ativity of all cultures”.

In 2004 - four years after the

birth of Red Sky - Laronde was cho-

sen to participate in the Governor-

General’s Canadian Leadership

program. She calls her work in the

program “a wakeup call”. By being

involved with other progressive

minds, Laronde had a realization

that, “in the real world, with other

promising leaders of tomorrow,

there are still many challenges and

the need for a lot more bridges to

be made.”

While exploring issues concern-

ing the politics, diversity, and com-

plexity of the nation, the insightful

program gave her a chance to work

with other world leaders; among

them Canadian fi lm producer,

Zacharias Kunuk.

Though one of the oldest forms

of human expression, Laronde

notes that “people have not yet

been exposed to the artistic scope

and cultural vitality that indigenous

art offers.”

Celebrating a decade of artistic

expression, Red Sky promises to

bring something fresh to the lo-

cal community this week and to

the world community next month:

“When we are exposed to other cul-

tures we realize both our strengths

and our weaknesses.”

Two performances of Tono take

place Jan 20-21 (8 p.m.) at The

Music Gallery (197 John St.) For

more information and to purchase

tickets, visit www.redskyperfor-

mance.com or call 416-585-9969.

From January 21 to 23, the Gradu-

ate Centre for the Study of Drama

will be holding its annual Festi-

val of Original Theatre (F.O.O.T).

Founded in 1993 by U of T Gradu-

ate Students of Drama, F.O.O.T is

an entirely student-run event that

incorporates theatre, fi lm, dance,

visual art, performance art, and

conference papers which aim to in-

troduce and explore a wide range of

topics.

This year’s festival focuses on

the theme Performing Space/

Space in Performance. “I am in-

terested in cultural geography and

‘scenography’ in production, and

how that can become a very pow-

erful and useful element for inter-

pretation and reception,” explains

Melissa Campbell, a PhD student at

the Graduate Centre for the Study

of Drama and the event’s Artistic

Director. “However, that’s just one

aspect, and this year’s festival has

been developed to include a wide

variety of topics and research inter-

ests.”

Past F.O.O.Ts have seen wide-

ranging themes such as Inter-

cultural Performance (2007),

Feminism(s) in Representation

(2008) and Representations of Vi-

olence (2009).

Campbell and her team of volun-

teer PhD and MA Drama students

deliberately left this year’s theme

ambiguous in order to encourage

a variety of scholars and practitio-

ners from a number of departments

to get involved. “It helps to open up

ideas of ‘performance’ as more than

just a theatre or drama term,” ex-

plains Campbell.

This year’s festival is no excep-

tion to F.O.O.T’s interdisciplinary

vision. Speakers from several uni-

versities will represent their fi elds -

from theatre and dance to journal-

ism and political science.

“There are some fantastic and

original papers being delivered

this year,” Campbell remarks. She

makes special mention of Rebecca

Harries’s paper, SurroundSound,

which will be delivered on Satur-

day. Harries is one of the original

co-founders of F.O.O.T.

This year’s F.O.O.T has been

in the making since June and is

shaping up to be a stimulating and

unique look into ideas of perform-

ing space.

F.O.O.T 2010 runs through Jan-

uary 23 at Robert Gill Theater (214

College St.) and is free and open

to the public. Admission to perfor-

mances held at 8 p.m. on 21-22 is

$5.00 or a canned item in donation

to the University of Toronto Food

and Clothing Bank. To reserve a

ticket for nightly performances,

call the Drama Centre box offi ce at

416-978-7986. For a full schedule

visit http://www.graddrama.uto-

ronto.ca.

* Web Exclusive!Everything old is new again!

Check out www.thenewspaper.ca for Amy Stupavsky’s review of the ROM’s Cut/Paste, a creative

redesign exhibit.

Red Sky lights up with TonoCARA SABATINI

Something is a F.O.O.T. The Graduate Centre for Drama’s annual arts festival is back!

MNRUPE VIRK

10 January 21, 2010the arts

TIFF Cinematheque (previously Cinematheque Ontario) - the year-round screening program of the Toronto International Film Festival - has, under the direction of Programmer James Quandt, compiled a selection of the 50 best fi lms of the past ten years.

Who, you may wonder, is the authority behind this Best-of-the-2000s list? The rankings are based on a poll of over 60 experts from around the world, with fi lms that got equal votes sharing a ranking.

Ranked number one by vari-ous curators, archivists, his-torians, and programmers, is Thai director, Apichatpong Weerasethakul’s bifurcated masterpiece Syndromes and a Century, followed by Platformand Still Life (Jia Zhang-ke, China), Beau Travail (Claire Denis, France), and In the Mood for Love (Wong Kar-Wai, Hong Kong).

The list includes 21 fi lms from France, nine from the U.S., sev-en from Germany, six from Tai-wan, and four each from Japan, China, and Italy.

Canada secured three spots, with Guy Maddin’s The Heart of the World and My Winnipeg, ranking 23 and 25 respectively,

and Zacharias Kunuk’s Atanar-juat: The Fast Runner at 29. Another Canadian who made the list was David Cronen-berg for A History of Violence, though his fi lm was categorized as American.

Some might be familiar with a few of these titles - such as Pedro Almodovar’s Talk to Her, David Lynch’s Mulholland Drive, and Michael Haneke’s Cache - but may argue that the list excludes some undeniably important fi lms of the last de-cade, such as No Country for Old Men or Zodiac.

Though it was no easy task,

The music bubbling out of Arbor Room last Thursday was that of talented Henri Fabergé and his band of travelling gypsies, The Adorables.

Their melodic, feel-good brand includes family classics such as Crawl Back, Rub & Suck & Tug (‘Til My Vacation’s Over)and Ventriloquist Love.

The enigmatic Fabergé began his musical adventures as a dis-graced, exiled prince from an unspecifi ed European country.

“It was a heavy heart that I left behind in my homeland, many hearts to be sure, ach-ing beneath the breast of many beauties, and others,” explains Fabergé. “My proclivity towards these individuals and our enjoy-able times together were not in keeping with the ambitions of my family line. I fear for my safety in saying more.”

He fl ed his home to ven-ture around the world with a constantly changing group of

musicians. If their self-entitled fi rst album’s cover bears truth, The Adorables should consist of about nine members.

“The duo I perform with cur-rently are a husband and wife affair from Belgium,” he says. “I met them in a tavern and we bonded loudly over a shared in-terest in backgammon.”

However, only three graced the stage at their Hart House show, displaying versatility in music genres - from giddy-pop to metal-punk. Bassist, Andy, a U of T English major, explains where the band members fi nd their common musical ground. “We played a cover of White Stain once on tour, and other-wise we play what we feel.”

Their melodies, coupled with Henri’s clever lyrics, also manage to hit the funny-bone. Fabergé weaves together well-thought out verses that leave the audience cracking up.

Henri Fabergé and The Ador-ables venture onward to Kings-ton for a February 13 show.

As for an upcoming album, Fabergé suggests something delightful. “The Fountain of Mouth, an archival institute charged with the documenta-tion of Henri Fabergé’s output over the years, will release its fi ndings in February.” Untill then, you can check them out at www.myspace.com/hfab.

the panel (some of whom did in-deed vote for Lord of the Rings and Gran Torino) narrowed it down to a list that is composed of mainly art cinema. Holly-wood-populist fi lms just don’t make the cut here, and this a good chance to see art house fi lms that have previously only been screened at fi lm festivals and rep cinemas.

Best of the Decade: An Alter-native View runs from Jan 21 - Feb 23 at Jackman Hall (317 Dundas St. W) For more infor-mation and to purchase tickets, visit www.cinemathequeon-tario.ca.

While mix tapes and vinyls might have gone largely out of style, music elitism and snob-bery certainly have not. If noth-ing else, director Mark Selby’s High Fidelity, the musical stage adaptation of the 1995 Nick Hornby novel, certainly re-minds us of that.

Rob (David Light) owns the last “real” record store in town, and has recently broken up with his girlfriend, Laura (Ja-mie Arfi n). In Rob’s quest to win back Laura, he compiles and mulls over lists of songs and break-ups, has a one night stand with songstress Marie La-Salle (Jennifer Walls), and ably demonstrates how not to run a record store.

High Fidelity has many prob-lems, the biggest of which lies in its characterisations. No doubt the core of the performance is built on the tried and true “cou-ple breaks up/couple reunites” method, but while High Fidelityhas no shortage of reasons for why Rob and Laura would sepa-rate, no good reason for why they would get back together is ever presented.

Rob only ever appears more desirable in comparison to those in his immediate com-pany and not in comparison to the average person. We want Laura to get back together with Rob, not because he’s a truly special once in a life time catch, but because he’s undoubtedly a step up from her rebound, Ian (Jason Zinger).

However, I could easily look beyond the sloppy narrative if the writing and music were more entertaining. Sadly, this isn’t the case.

Characters are defi ned sole-ly by their ability to rattle off bands and songs and not by their actions or aspirations, the belief being that it’s not “who

you are” but “what you like” that defi nes a person. The leads think and speak in top fi ves and condescend to those who do not, which admittedly presents an easy developmental arc that (likely deliberately) isn’t capi-talized upon.

The only character that be-gins a metamorphosis is Rob’s meek lackey, Dick (Carl Swan-son), who’s immediately chas-tised for suggesting there’s more to a person beyond their favourite bands. Rob himself doesn’t change at all by the end, and Laura could be understood to have changed for the worse.

The music is certainly a step up from the writing, but still fairly poor in its own regard. On the execution level, the band does well with the slower pieces and ballads, but begins to fall apart during the up tempo sec-tions. On the composition level, it’s generally serviceable, but lacking any real highlight and not a single melody indelibly kept in mind.

So what’s good about High Fidelity, then? Despite all the nasty things I’ve said about the characters, the actors themselves remain apprecia-bly enthusiastic and energetic throughout. The set design and staging are, for the most part, exceptional, and there are some entertaining moments in the second half (a lampoon of Neil Young in particular). It’s just a shame that you have to trudge through a swamp of inconse-quential blathering to get to it. The material may work well as a novel or fi lm, but on stage, it’s just far too saturated.

High Fidelity runs through Jan 30 at Hart House Theatre. To purchase tickets ($25; $15 students/seniors; $10 students on Wednesdays), visit www.uofttix.ca or call 416-978-8499.

Many were pleased to � nd Wong Kar-Wai’s In the Mood for Love in the top 5.

Faberge, AKA Henry Fletcher, is a dis-

graced European Prince

Erynn Brook as Charlie, Cora Matheson as Alison, Jamie Ar� n as Laura, Jordie

Currie as Sarah, and Karen Scobie as Penny in Hart House’s production of High

Fidelity

TIFF lists Best of the DecadeThai � lm takes top spot

MIKI SATO

Henri Fabergé is adorableElusive Indie band rocks Arbor Room

ASCHILLE CLARKE-MENDES

Low FidelityANDREW GYORKOS

11January 21, 2010 the arts

the fashionWe are thrilled to bring you the fi rst entry of the Fashion, U of T’s only Fashion column. Every week, we will explore the art and romance of fashion while mapping out the eclectic personal style of people on cam-pus. No matter what else we might speculate on, in the words of Christian Dior, “Fashion is always right;

it has a fundamental rightness to it, that those who create it, like those who follow it, often do not suspect.” Enjoy!

the comics

Julia Hori, 3rd year, English Specialist

13th floor of Robarts

My favourite place to shop is the boy’s section of the Lansdowne Value Village, its my secret for finding great-fitting blazers and shirts. That said, most of my clothes are hand-me downs—clothing in itself is sort of transient for me. What I get quite attached to are hats and acces-sories—like my Union wool hat from Greenwich Village. If I buy something, like a conversation piece, it will often be out of spite because someone has told me “you’ll never wear that.” Oh yes I will!

Tom Avis, 4th year, English Specialist

Sidney Smith Hall

I think I probably dress the way I do because my en-thusiasm for playing dress-up hasn’t waned despite my no longer being six years old. My favorite item of clothing is an incredibly intricately knitted sweater vest my mother made for my father when she was pregnant with me that has found its way into my wardrobe. My favorite place to buy clothes tends to be suburban charity shops as they are dirty dirty cheap but they’ve generally not been picked clean the way that the downtown Value Villages generally have.

CAILIN SMART

12 January 21, 2010

Across

2. Gases6. Hut7. French fi lm festival9. Roman consul from 87-84BC10. Candid11. Affl iction12. Reduction16. Common male neckwear17. Motel18. Be lenient towards19. Poisonous20. Also22. Go astray24. Hume or Kant27. Embarrasses29. Provoke30. Death notices, for short31. Swaggers32. Windy33. Atlantic or Arctic

Down

1. Mourn2. Truth3. Least4. Damaged sink covering5. Bluish purple6. Underling8. Sixth planet from the sun12. Greek fabler13. Register14. Soldier15. More kind20. Notion21. Credit23. Cure28. Mediocre29. Unique book code