the eyeopener — january 12, 2011

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volume 44 / issue 14 Wednesday, January 12, 2011Ryerson’s Independent Paper

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The Eyeopener 3 Wednesday, January 12, 2011 NEWS

BY GRAHAM SLAUGHTER

Student sues students’ union over health planBY JEFF LAGERQUIST

The Ryerson Student’s Union will

appear in small claims court in early2011 to determine if second-year

engineering student and former RSUpresidential candidate Mark Single is

entitled to the $290 in his tuition feesallocated to the RSU Members’ Health

and Dental Plan.“We plan to respond based on the

policy that has been established byour board of directors,” said RSU presi-

dent Toby Whiteld. The student policy offered by

Green Shield through the RSU in-cludes 80 per cent of prescription

drug costs, $500 for massage therapy,$300 for chiropractic care, and $240

in physiotherapy, as well as basic den-

tal and travel coverage to a maximumof $750 per year.

“I should have the freedom tochoose how I take care of my personal

health,” said Single, whose opt-out re-quest was declined.

Students with coverage througha family member or spouse have the

opportunity to opt out of the planand recover the fee if they have “simi-

lar benets,” according to the link onthe RSU website. Single submitted

an out of province health insurancepolicy and expressed his intention to

personally pay for additional expens-es. However, he was unable to prove

that he is sufciently covered and his

request was declined.Single isn’t convinced that he

needs coverage for items like custom

foot orthotics.“OHIP covers all the basics, any-

thing beyond that should be up tothe students, not shoved down their

throats by the student’s union,” hesaid.

Armed with a video camera, Singleserved RSU President Toby Whiteld

with court documents on Dec. 10.Whiteld allegedly called security ser-

vices, claiming he was being harassedby Single.

“Some of our staff didn’t feel com-fortable being videotaped. There was

a back and fourth about that,” saidWhiteld.

Last March, Single introduced a by-law amendment motion at the RSU

Annual General Meeting that would

allow students to opt out of the RSUentirely, a move he now admits would

be “virtually impossible.” The $110 annual fee that students

pay for RSU and Canadian Federa-tion of Students membership sup-

ports campus groups like CKLN, theEyeopener, and the Used Book Store.

Despite the set back, he sees thehealth plan issue as a practical rst

step. Single’s case against the RSU isnot a class action and is not intended

to set any kind of ofcial precedent.“I’m not convinced I will win, but I

do want to open the eyes of students.What the RSU does is not always in

their best interest.”

The Ontario government has an-nounced they will add 42,000 stu-dents to universities and colleges

this year by building more classroomspaces.

However, Ryerson received this fund-ing last year for 319 more spots — less

than one per cent of the new spaces.Ryerson received $16 million last

year through the Knowledge Infra-structure Program. Ryerson’s closest

neighbour, the University of Toronto,got $151 million – more than nine

times Ryerson’s sh are. York Universitywas given $35 million.

Ryerson used this money last yearfor renovations to the Image Arts

building.

York and the University of Toronto’sprojects will each open up about1,670 spaces in new science buildings

— ve times more than Ryerson’s al-lotted spots.

Ryerson president Sheldon Levycouldn’t conrm the 319 new spots,

saying that Ryerson asked the gov-ernment for around 2, 000.

“You’d think th at just on balance, wewould be in a good position because

we’re in the GTA obviously, where thegrowth is, and we have the highest

demand for number of places avail-able of any university in Ontario,” said

Levy.“This is a continuing investment in

Ryerson’s infrastructure,” said Tyler

Charlebois, a representative from theOntario Ministry of Training, collegesand universities.

Charlebois said, “If there’s a dis-crepancy between the numbers it’s

because [the ministry of training, col-leges and universities] has said we’ll

fund 319, and Ryerson is opening upmore.”

Robert Marshall, an instructor inpolitics and public administration,

thinks the government invested lessin Ryerson because of the university’s

reputation as a polytechnic institute,and the government’s interest in cre-

ating science-based jobs.“U of T and York are bigger schools

with stronger and longer traditionsand history of doing research,” said

Marshall.But Levy says that the science pro-

gram is what Ryerson is interested inexpanding.

“It’s no secret, we want to build th efaculty of science, which is in the aca-

demic plan. But both the operatingand the capital will have to be there

in order for us to be able to do that,”he said.

In an email to the Eyeopener, On-tario premier Dalton McGuinty briey

explained that increasing enrolment

will “help Ontario meet the demandsof the new economy. “

Liana Salvador, vice president

education for the Ryerson Student’sUnion, referred to this announcement

as an “optical illusion” because Ryer-son cashed in on the funding last year.

“They’re repeating stuff we alreadyknew,” said Salvador.

A government press release on Dec.27, outlined how boosting enrolment

would make “a high quality educationmore accessible than ever,” but Salva-

dor disagrees.“When you’re considering going

to a university, you don’t consider thebuildings on campus. You think about

whether or not you can afford it,” she

said.But Levy says that these are two

different issues.

The funding that the government isdiscussing is to help additional stu-

dents who want to attend post sec-

ondary.

“The funding that we’re talkingabout is necessary to increase thenumber of students that have an op-

portunity to attend post secondary,”Levy said.

Rather than revamping buildingsand adding students, Pamela Palma-

ter, an associate professor of politicsand public administration, thinks Ry-

erson needs to invest in the people atthe front of the class — the professors.

“You can’t put the cart before thehorse,” said Palmater.

“You can’t add students and hire pro-fessors later. You need to do that up

front.”Marianna Angotti, a second-year

lm student who sits on the imagearts course union, agrees.

“If they’re increasing enrolment, I`dlike to see them consider hiring inter-

national faculty to better representthe multiculturalism of Toronto,” she

said.She said she hopes that the new

spots won’t affect the unique profes-sor-student relationship that results

from small class sizes.“It’s a really tight knit group and

I don’t think it would stay that way if the start accepting more and more

students,” said Angotti.

You can’t add students and

hire professors later.

— Pamela Palmater,

politics professor

I should have the freedom

to choose how I take care of

my personal health.

— Mark Single,

engineering student

Investigation o YongeStreet fre closesA week o investigations over the fre that ravaged Yonge and Gould

BY SARAH DEL GIALLO AND EMMAPRESTWICHNEWS EDITORS

The re investigation on the corner

of Yonge and Gould streets nished

on Monday. The building has been

taken down to the second oor and

re ofcials were nally able to enter

to conduct the investigation.

Bill Hiscott, a supervisor for the Fire

Marshall’s Ofce said samples that will

hopefully determine the cause and

origin of the re have been sent away

to the lab for tests.

“We’ll do our best. We’re lookingat all the debris that’s there, and we

will be taking samples that will be go-

ing to the lab. Hopefully the samples

will identify what the cause of the re

was,” he said.

Results will not be back for another

couple of months.

The six-alarm re overtook the heri-

tage building at Yonge and Gould just

after 4 a.m. on Jan. 3, 2011. It was the

same building that stood empty for

eight months after one of the walls

collapsed last April. The building had

been slotted to open Jan. 15 follow-

ing renovations by Toronto Hydro.

Police announced that they had

found a person of interest on Friday,

who was captured on security camer-

as entering the back alley of the build-

ing around 1:30 a.m. and exiting the

alley around 3:50 a.m.

The aforementioned back alley has

no street exit, only loading docks at

the back. The person is shown in thecamera footage exiting onto Gould

Street and walking north-east, which

would indicate a path through Ryer-

son’s campus.

Det. David Love of the Toronto Po-

lice would not identify the source of

the camera footage, saying only that

it came from a local business.

However, Ryerson security has 280

cameras positioned around campus

and several at the intersection of

Yonge and Gould.

Now that the investigation has n-

ished at the site of the re, debris can

be cleared off Yonge Street, machin-

ery and fences that occupied trafc

lanes all of last week. It will be opened

back up to vehicles, and stores on the

east side of the street will be able to

reopen.

Pedestrian trafc may be lighter as

both sidewalks will be open.

Fire ofcials went in to conrm that

there were no victims in the building,and the search yielded no bodies.

The Investigation only started this

weekend as no one could enter the

building until it was deemed safe by

engineers. The building had to be

lowered to the second oor so that

there was no risk of falling debris.

Investigators have not yet identi-

ed a cause of the re, but an arson

investigation has been ongoing since

Jan. 5.

Detective constable Dave Love shows photos o a person o interest in the fre investigation. PHOTO: LIN NGUYEN

Rye gets shafted bygovernment program



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Playing the role of the Annoying

Talking Coffee Mug this week...

Computers breaking down, never say never and talk of raising TTCprices. (REALLY!?!)

The Eyeopener is Ryerson’s largest

and independent student newspaper.

It is owned and operated by Rye

Eye Publishing Inc., a non-prot

corporation owned by the students

of Ryerson. Our ofce is on the

second oor of the Student Campus

Centre and you can reach us at

theeyeopener.com

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Shannon “MAD MALTWORM” HigginsNEWS

Sarah“GAMMOM OF BACON” Del GialloEmma “ VEXING MAGGOT PIE ” Prestwich

ASSOCIATE NEWS

Rebecca “BEEF-WITTED EGG” BurtonFEATURES

Mariana “ YEASTY TOAD” IonovaBIZ & TECH

Brad “SPOTTED VASSAL” WhitehouseARTS & LIFE

Gianluca “FROTHY MAMMET” InglesiSPORTS

Sean “CREATURE OF BOMBAST” TepperPHOTO

Marta “TAIWAN MOLE OF NATURE” Iwanek Lindsay “SAUCY MINION” Boeckl

ASSOCIATE PHOTO

Chelsea “SHEEP-BITING BAGGAGE”Pottage

The EyeopenerFUN

Kats “BOW-BOY BUTT SHAFT” QuintoCOMMUNITY

Allyssia “HUGGER-MUGGER” AlleyneONLINE MEDIA

Lee“ VENOMED FUSTILARIAN ” RichardsonONLINE GURUS

John “DREAD BOLTED SCUT” Shmuel Aleysha “FROTHY MISCREANT” Haniff

GENERAL MANAGER

Liane“MALMSEY-NOSED JOITHEAD” McLarty ADVERTISING MANAGER

Chris “HALF-FACED LOUT” RobertsDESIGN DIRECTOR

J.D. “BUNCH-BACK’D TOAD” MowatCIRCULATION MANAGER

Megan “FLAP-MOUTH MEASLE” HigginsVOLUNTEERS

Gabe “SASHA ” LeeJeff “THE DUDE” Lagerquist

Brittany “DRAMA QUEEN” Devenyi

Follow@theeyeopener for your

daily dose of kittens, music,news, photosand nakedpeople. (Butnot photos of naked people.)

New year. New catastrophe.New property?

Hell-o 2011.

Ryerson crashed into the newyear with a reporter’s wet dream.

A suspicious six-alarm fire dev-astates the cursed heritage build-

ing Ryerson has been droolingover for years.

Flash forward a week later andpolice have declared the site a

crime scene and there’s a securitytape showing a mysterious “per-

son of interest” in all black.It’s serious business. During the

blaze three firefighters were tak-en to St. Michael’s Hospital after

sending up maydays.

And as the clean-up crew dili-gently works to clear the ash

SHANNON HIGGINS

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Fireghters work to stop hot spots at Yonge and Gould after a six-alarm blaze left the heritage building in

shambles. PHOTO: MARTA IWANEK

and rubble from the street, you’d

think that President Sheldon Levywould give the situation some

time to perculate before making acalculated move.

Not quite. Instead, with gunsblazing he called on Queen’s Park

and Mayor Rob Ford to “get onwith the job” in the Globe and

Mail on Jan. 04.Levy wants the old Empress Ho-

tel location as Ryerson’s personalentrance to the Dundas subway

station and sees it as the miss-ing link for Ryerson’s gateway to

Yonge Street.He’s had eight months to stew

over the heritage site’s misman-agement since the north wall

collapsed in April. “The fact thatthere was no urgency, I think is

insulting to everyone in our com-munity. And I hope now there’s an

urgency,” he said.But even Levy concedes there’s

a serious catch to his plan. Hedoesn’t know how Ryerson would

Out with the old

QUICK!Go to page15 and nd

out how youcan win $50

pay for the purchase, what busi-

nesses would be game for a pub-lic-private partnership, or even

what the university would buildon the property. There is no mon-

ey and no plan.And while I would love Ryerson

to ditch the invisibility cloak andget ownership of the property,

Levy should have let the dust set-tle before swooping in and throw-

ing down a premature proposal.Go to page 8 for more cover-

age from features editor Mariana

Ionova.

Have a burning desire to yell

at me? Send letters to editor@

theeyeopener.com or tweet me

@murphyhiggins.

EYE DECIDEGo to theeyeopener.com

and tell us if you thinkRyerson should pursue the

burnt out property at Yongeand Gould.

Go totheeyeopener.com for a chanceto win cashmoney, watchvideos, learnsimple recipes,and leave

incredibly wittycomments.

Harlan “ YOU ROCK ” NemersTerry “TONY CLEMENT” Sparkes

Nicole “STREETCAR” SienaGrace “FURRIES” Benac

Remington “COOL” JosephGraham “319” Slaughter

Ian “HIPS DON’T LIE” VandaelleMichael “GENES” w



Briefs and Groaners Just to augment our collec-

tive Christmas spirit, Ryersonsecurity was called on Dec. 22to the womens’ bathroom onthe frst oor o the RCC tofnd a man possessing drugsand pornographic material.He had also circled PitmanHall and the library on a map,and reused to tell securitywhy. (We say he just wantedto be your Santa Claus.)

On Dec. 23rd at 11 a.m.,

security was called to the Im-age Arts building constructionsite to put out a small fre inone o the big garbage bins.There was no damage to thesite. We don’t care, the oldSalad King burned down. Twowords to the garbage bin ar-sonist: Showed. Up.

Security was called to theTheatre School on Jan. 5 torespond to a woman in her mid-thirties who was throw-ing desk objects at a sta member who reused to

give her money. She missed.She then ran up to a policecar that happened to beparked outside, stuck out her tongue, and blew raspber-ries at the ofcer inside. It’sprobably the most action hegot all day.

A residence student wastreated by campus emergencysta or minor burns to her hand ater she accidentallyput her hand on a stove el-

ement while talking on thephone. Learn how to cook...Otherwise, better have beenhella good phone sex.

Somebody has it out or theEyeopener News team. Two o the three news editors havehad their phones stolen lastweekend. One may have all-en out o a bag. The personwho ound the second phonekept picking up, but carriedon some strange conversa-tion in the background anddidn’t say anything. Saying

that we were Jesus may haveled to the phone’s return.

Just in case you bought anew bathing suit, the RACPool will be closed or themajority o February andMarch or renovations un-der the pool deck. The RAChas an agreement with the

Jewish Community Centre atBloor and Spadina to let their patrons swim there when-ever there are renovations. I

Google Maps says it takes 3ominutes to walk to Bloor andSpadina, you’re better o inyour bathtub.

Ryerson senate will fnallydecide on Jan. 25 to grantstudents a all reading week.They’re considering either giv-ing the rest o the week o ater Thanksgiving Monday,or an extra day ater Thanks-giving, and then Thursdayand Friday o a ew weekslater. We’re STOKED!

—Emma Prestwich

Standoff closes YongeTwo men being investigated or alleged frearm possession near RyersonBY SARAH DEL GIALLONEWS EDITOR

Two men were questioned after astand off at Yonge and Gerrard Streets

Tuesday morning.Toronto police received an emer-

gency call at approximately 6:50 a.m.on Jan. 11, 2011, from a citizen driv-

ing behind the two men. The callerreported seeing a rearm.

Police pulled over the dark greyNissan Altima in front of local pizzeria

Big Slice.The standoff with the driver and

passenger had surrounding streets

closed for two hours.

Pedestrian and vehicle trafc wasblocked on Yonge St. as far south as

Dundas, and as far east on Gerrard asChurch St.

Negotiators were called to the scene

to coerce the men out of the car. Thepassenger exited rst, followed later

by the driver. Only the driver was tak-en into custody.

“They negotiated with the opera-tor of the vehicle and after a period of

time, they exited,” said Hugh Fergu-

son, superintendent of 52 division.When the men were out of the car,

investigators were able to search thevehicle, but found no rearms.

Police went on to conduct a foot

search on Yonge St. in case a rearmwas ditched, but nothing has been

recovered.Ferguson said that the standoff was

“textbook” and was pleased that noforce was needed.

The standoff withthe driver and pas-senger had streetsclosed off for twohours.

— Hugh Ferguson,

52 Division

Check for more

updates and

photos at

theeyeopener.com

One of the men involved is pinned against a police vehicle. PHOTO: LINDSAY BOECKL

The Eyeopener Wednesday, January 12, 2011 NEWS 5

PHOTOS ABOVE: MARTA IWANEK



BY SARAH DEL GIALLO

NEWS EDITOR

$45,000 for better profs

The Eyeopener6 Wednesday, January 12, 2010NEWS

Students scrambled to ll empty

timetables and replace droppedclasses after RAMSS booted themout of classes after the winterbreak.

Third-year civil engineering stu-dent Basil Hammoud signed intoRAMSS to nd himself dropped outof all his courses, making it a chal-lenge to re-enrol, especially in hisrequired labs.

Registrar Keith Alnwick saidthe problem wasn’t technical butinvolved students on probationarystanding.

“It is assumed that studentswill successfully complete prerequisites. After the fall grades areprocessed, a number of students

will not. As a result [the students]are automatically dropped,” saidAlnwick.

While Hammoud had beenon academic probation for thepast two semesters, this semesterhe passed with clear academic

RAMSS drops the ball on studentsBY REBECCA BURTONASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR

The director of the Learning and

Teaching Ofce at Ryerson has re-ceived $45, 000 in funding from the

Higher Education Quality Council of

Ontario (HEQCO).Professor Judy Britnell will be re-

searching the Instructional SkillsWorkshop (ISW) at Ryerson, in col-

laboration with Universities of Wind-sor and Western Ontario, and Geor-

gian College. The money will be used to fund

salaries of the four research assis-tants, and to pay for travel expenses

and long distance phone bills be-

tween the four sites.“We think it’s a program that can

be helpful to anyone that is teachingat a university level,” said Britnell.

The ISW has been at Ryerson sinceDecember of 2008. It’s an inten-

sive three-day program, totaling 24

hours in the workshop plus home-

work. Professors can take the pro-

gram voluntarily to improve theirinstructional skills using models

based on optimal teaching prac-

tices.So far, 54 professors have taken

the workshop, which runs aboutfour times a year. The program, be-

ing so intensive, only has 40 placeseach year, all of which are difcult to

work around professor’s schedules.Britnell’s program won a compe-

tition that HEQCO hosted last sum-mer. Of 36 submissions, HEQCO is

funding 13 of them. Britnell’s sub-

mission was one of the 13.“It clearly was one of the stron-

gest proposals that we received,”said Richard Wiggers, a research di-

rector at HEQCO. The ISW was originally for new

professors, but when it began,

there was a lot of interest from ex-

perienced professors as well. So far,

Britnell hasn’t noticed a monopolyof professors from one faculty over

another in the program.

The research will consist of study-ing volunteers before they take the

program, and studying them againfour months later to judge the effec-

tiveness of the program. The study does not look at how

students are affected by professorswho have taken the ISW.

Britnell said, “We’re doing it onestep at a time. Our focus has always

been on the teachers.”

While it’s currently in the earlystages of completing an ethics re-

view, the research will conclude inMarch 2013.

“I think is makes sense to have atleast some supports for people who

want to get a better handle on their

teaching abilities,” said Britnell.

I’m in second year now.

It should have gone

smoothly.

—Hayley Syrja McNally,

second-year social work

Judy Britnell has received $45,000 to research new teaching methods. PHOTO: CHELSEA POTTAGE

standing.“Maybe they just made as-

sumptions,” said Hammoud. This year not all students were

dropped automatically after the fallgrades came out. Instead a numberof students had courses droppedfrom their schedules during theweek of Jan. 3; a problem Alnwick said he is still looking into.

The automated drop featurewas added to RAMSS in fall 2005,

the year the program was imple-mented. During winter enrollmentof that year, the Eyeopener reportedthat students experienced incidenc-es of RAMSS randomly pulling stu-dents out of their registered coursesbefore the semester began.

Alnwick said students shouldbe reminded that course intentionsdo not guarantee spots but ratherwhat a student is interested in tak-

ing. The timing of winter enrolment

itself makes it difcult for studentsas there are no staff members avail-able to answer questions duringthe break. All a student will knowimmediately comes from the letterthey get indicating that they are onprobation.

Some program departmentswill choose to drop students outof courses as a way of getting thatstudent to come in to talk about theprobationary contract, says Alnwick.

Second year social work stu-dent Hayley Syrja McNally, like Ham-moud, logged on to nd an emptyschedule. McNally both completed

her course intentions and had neverbeen on academic probation. Shestruggled for two weeks to getreenrolled back into her six-classcourse load.

“I got back into one class, aweek later [I was in] four classes and

then nally the full six. But by then,everything was full so I wasn’t ableto switch my schedule around. NowI have class every day,” she says.

Jeff Edmunds was the man re-sponsible for getting McNally back into her required courses. Edmundssaid students get into trouble when

they do not register for requiredcourses because they assume theydon’t have to.

Still, McNally, who had com-pleted course intentions, was leftwith no answers.

“[Required courses] shouldn’tbe dropped,” said Edmunds.

RAMSS, a program used byover 200 universities in North

America, is hosted by PeoplesoftCampus Solutions. Since its imple-mentation, the system has since hadits fair share of complaints among

the student body.During its high-trafc times

including enrolment periods andmark release dates, students havereported multiple failures in thesystem.

“The day the marks came out,there was a jam on the website. Icouldn’t check my marks for aboutan hour,” said fourth year engineer-ing student Eric Liu.

Alnwick said his departmentintentionally set the enrolmentperiod at 5:30 a.m. to try to balancethe load of students logging on.

Both McNally and Hammoudremain unhappy with their lack of choice when it came to their

timetables.Hammoud said he already

skipped two classes on his rst dayin order to pick up a shift for work.

“I’m in second year now. Itshould have gone smoothly,” saidMcNally.

The day the marks

came out, there was a

jam on the website.

— Eric Liu,

fourth-year

engineering

O U R V O I C

No m i n a t io n p ac k a

ge s a re a v a i l a b le a

t t he

R S U ma i n o f f ice: S t ude n t

Ce n t re, S C C 311

Mo nda y to F r ida y, 1 0

a m to 6 p m

Fac u l t y Re p Pos i t io

ns

• A r ts

• B us i ness

• Co m m u n ica t io n & Des ig n

• Co m m u n i t y Se r v ices

• E ng i nee r i ng, A rc h i tec t u re & Sc ie nce

E xec u t i ve

• P res ide n t

• V ice - P res ide n t Ed uca t io n

• V ice - P res ide n t Eq u i t y

• V ice - P res ide n t O pe ra t io ns

• V ice - P res ide n t S t ude n t L i fe & E ve n ts

G rad ua te E xec u t i ve

• C ha i r pe rso n

• De p u t y C ha i r pe rso n Ed uca t io n • D

e p u t y C ha i r pe rso n F i na nce

• De p u t y C ha i r pe rso n S t ude n t L i fe

R S U E lec t io n

No m i n a t io n s O pe

n

T h ursd a y, J a

n 1 3 a t 11 am

The Ryerson Students’ Union represents over 24,000 full time undergraduate studentsand all graduate students. Each year a Board of Directors is elected by the

membership to represent and advocate for all RSU members.

O U R U N I O

ELECTION DAYS ARE FEB 7,8,9

www.rsuonline.ca



The Eyeopener Wednesday, January 12, 2011 NEWS 7

BY REBECCA BURTON

ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR

Full-time undergraduate

students enrolling in night

school courses at the Ray-

mond G. Chang School are be-

ing hit up with an extra $500

in fees for each course they

take.

Full-time student fees are

the same for anywhere be-

tween ve to seven courses.

This doesn’t account for the

Chang School fees, even

though many of these night

courses simply mirror day

courses with exactly the same

curriculum. “Full time fees

provide students with a full

course load of day classes,”

said Registrar Keith Alnwick.

If a students has less than

a full course load during the

day, the money can be put

toward night courses. He said

if they have a full course load

they will be paying additional

fees.

“We expect part time,

adult learners to enroll [in the

Chang school],” said Alnwick.

Nisreen Rawdah, a fourth

year business management

student, began taking Chang

school courses because they

were more convenient for her.

As she simultaneously balanc-

es a part time job and other

school activities, night courses

became a simple option. With

the challenge of not being

able to get into full courses,

night courses were her only

option to nish her degree

in time. Over her university

career, Rawdah has spent ap-

proximately $500 extra at

least three or four times just

to take Chang School courses.

“The Chang school is still

part of Ryerson. I don’t know

why I’m paying extra,” said

Rawdah. Rawdah signed up

to take Finance 601 through

the Chang School this year, a

course required to nish her

degree. She is enrolled in six

courses, but it would cost her

less to take seven daytime

courses.

“I never noticed it until

recently. I didn’t even notice

it when paying my OSAP,” she

said.

Part of Chang enrollment

fees also include union dues

for CESAR, association for

part time students that full-

time students do not actively

benet from. In the Ryerson

Students’ Union (RSU) board

meeting on Monday, the

board decided to take action

to eliminate these fees for

full-time undergraduate stu-

dents. The next step is up to

Vice Provost Students Heather

Lane Vetere to determine how

many students are affected by

these extra costs.

If the number is high

enough RSU Vice President

Education Liana Salvador sug-

gested it may be easy to get

the university to implement a

change. If the university sug-

gests otherwise, the RSU has

said they will take action.

“The matter of fee policy

is in a process of continual re-

view. I wouldn’t rule the possi-

bility [of eliminating or reduc-

ing fees for full-time students]

out. It might be considered as

an option in the future,” said

Alnwick.

BY SARAH DEL GIALLO

NEWS EDITOR

In her mother’s words, she

lived tremendously.

Over the winter break,

fourth-year new media stu-

dent Cristina Taborda had a

seizure in her sleep and died

on Dec. 7, 2010.

Taborda was an avid com-

munity member. She made

time for her friends and obliga-

tions, playing in her band Ra-

dio Belle (one of the 10 bands

she was involved with), play-

ing at a retirement home, and

working for OMNI Portuguese.She wasn’t prone to seizures.

She suffered one for the rst

time last August and was wait-

ing for an appointment with a

neurologist at the time of her

death.

“It came as a complete shock

to me and to the doctors,” said

Taborda’s mother, AnaBela.

She was in the process of

nishing the last semester of

her degree at Ryerson.

Taborda was a creative soul

and poured her talents into

the arts, loving lm, painting

and music.

In her spare time, she liked

to listen to records.

“She needed to be creative,”

said AnaBela.

Taborda was born in Van-

couver, but moved with her

family to Portugal when she

was ve.

In Portugal, she played mu-

sic for a band called Cristy Tabs

and eventually decided to re-

turn to Canada.

When she was 18, she

moved to Toronto.

Close friend Jenny Johnston

met Taborda through her step

brother two years ago.

“She had a lot of energy and

zest for life that you don’t really

nd in everyone. She was one

of a kind,” said Johnston.

“The energy that came fromher, everyone just wanted to

be around her.”

When Taborda nished her

degree at Ryerson, she wanted

to nd a placement where she

could work in movie or com-

mercial editing.

She was planning on tak-

ing a job where she could in-

tern under a friend, so that she

could continue focusing on

her music.

“If we didn’t see each other

every day, we’d talk on the

phone. It’s hard not having

that person anymore. There’s

so much I already want to tell

her,” said Johnston.

“It will be hard not to have

her here.”

BY EMMA PRESTWICH

NEWS EDITOR

Last fall, developers stalked

Ryerson to partner with them

for a residence building. Now,

Ryerson is putting out Re-

quests for Proposals (RFPs)

from developers with creative

new housing plans, and no

one’s biting.

President Sheldon Levy,

who has admitted that a pub-lic-private partnership is the

only nancial option for a new

residence, said Ryerson has

only received two proposals.

He expected more.

Ryerson rst put out feel-

ers by announcing Requests

for Information (RFIs), which

stayed open for one year.

“The purpose of going out

in two stages was to seek out

innovative ideas for develop-

ment of new student housing

options,” said Julia Hanigs-

berg, vice-president of admin-

istration and nance.

Those who were approved

in the RFI process would be

allowed to submit a response

to the RFP, which has more de-

tailed requirements, she said.

Ryerson is not currently ac-

cepting any more RFPs and isevaluating the submissions.

Horizon Legacy, which

owns Campus Common, has

said they are ofcially mak-

ing a submission to Ryerson,

according to Lourie Chopra, a

company administrator.

Levy said, however, that he

hadn’t heard about any pro-

posal by Horizon.

The developer originally

approached Ryerson three

years ago to build Campus

Common, but the university

turned it down over disagree-

ment about length of leases.

Horizon decided to offer one-

year housing agreements,

while Ryerson wanted eight-

month leases that t with the

school year.

Brian Freeman, vice-presi-

dent at Campus Living Cen-tres, which has also built resi-

dences for Seneca College, the

University of Guelph, and the

University of Western Ontario,

said that he’s very interested

in partnering with Ryerson

but said they haven’t submit-

ted a proposal.

“It’s too premature to say,”

he said.

Chad Nuttall, manager of

student housing services, said

that he thinks there is a great

value in residence life services

for students, and he has an op-

portunity to inuence the RFP

process.

“I’ll need to insert myself to

include Rez Life staff,” he said.

He said that rms have ap-

proached him looking to use

Residence Life services, but

that he has directed them tonancial services, who deal

with purchasing.

Levy said that he’d like to

see proposals for housing

ideas that can link campus

with the Ted Rogers school

and Maple Leaf Gardens, or

even part of MLG. “Those are

ideas that would be exciting

for the un iversity.” he said.

Campus Common on Gerrard Street is owned by Horizon Legacy, a company making an ofcial submission to Ryerson or

a new residence partnership. PHOTO: CHELSEA POTTAGE

Student dies in sleep

over winter break

Chang School overcharges students $500

The Chang school is

still part of Ryerson.

I don’t know why I’m

paying extra.

— Nisreen Rawdah,

Business management

student

Search slows for new rezDevelopers leave Ryerson high and dry in search for a new residence partner

PHOTO COURTESY OF ANABELA TABORDA



The Eyeopener8 Wednesday, January 12, 2011FEATURES

For months, most students and

passersby paid little attention

to the pile of crumbled facade laying

on the sidewalk in front of the cen-

tury-old Empress Hotel. It was only

when a six-alarm blaze engulfed the

heritage building last week, reducing

it to ashes and rubble, that the city

took notice once again. But Ryerson

President Sheldon Levy had kept an

eye on the property and now thecharred corner of Yonge and Gould

has shot to the top of the university’s

wish list.

Ryerson rst expressed interest in

the deteriorating 122-year-old build-

ing after part of it’s exterior crumbled

last April. Levy has been clear about

his intentions to acquire the property

since then.

The building’s opportune location

right above the end of the Dundas

Station subway platform makes it vi-

tally important to the university, who

planned to create a campus subway

entrance since 1998 but has lagged

in starting the project.

The university’s last bid to move

the plan forward was in 2008, when

it announced it would connect the

subway to the Student Learning Cen-

tre (SLC) it planned to build on the

former site of Sam the Record Man.

However, the high cost of tunnelling

under Gould Street forced the uni-

versity to halt its plans once again

late last year.

And, while owning the former Em-

press Hotel would make a subway

entrance possible, the university is

not equipped to purchase a multi-

million dollar property.

“We don’t have the funds now

to say we’re going to purchase this

and build on it. This is now looking

at $60-70 million and we don’t have

that type of money to pu t towards it,”

Levy said.“Everything is about money in

the end. You can have all these great

ambitions but there is only a certain

amount of money you can put to-

wards it.”

Instead, the best option would be

for Ryerson to work with the private

sector and the Toronto Transit Com-

mission (TTC) in a collaborative effort

that would create both university

and commercial space. Also, much

like Ryerson’s partnership with Lo-

blaw in the renovation of MLG, a joint

effort would take some of the nan-

cial pressure off the university.

“I have always been hoping that we

would have a partnership between

the private sector, the TTC and the

university and, therefore, not put the

full burden of that cost on the univer-

sity because I don’t see how we could

possibly afford it,” Levy said, adding

that the project would also help the

TTC reduce some of the rush-hour

congestion at its other entrances. A

2008 report by the TTC found Dundas

Taking over Gould Street While police investigate how the historic former Empress Hotel was set ablaze,

Ryerson President Sheldon Levy is busy planning to take over the property and turnit into Ryerson’s gateway. All that’s missing is the cash to do it.Features editor Mariana Ionova reports

The Empress Hotel was built in 1888 but was later sold and reopened as the Edison Hotel, an entertainment

hotspot in the 1950’s and 1960’s. COURTESY OF CITY OF TORONTO ARCHIVES

The Empress Hotel in January 2010, before the collapse of its north wall. PHOTO: WILLIAM MEWES

April 2010

The saga of the Empress Hotel beganwhen the north wall collapsed at around

12:30 p.m. on April 16, 2010. Despite a

large lunch crowd in Salad King at the

time, nobody was injured. The incident

closed Gould Street and the collapsed

wall was never cleared from the site.

July 2010The Lalani Group, the owners of the

former Empress Hotel led a request to

demolish the building. But, within a few

days, City Council voted to designate

the site a heritage property under the

Ontario Heritage Act and rejected the

owners’ request.

December 2010The Lalani Group is set to meet with

city ofcials to discuss the future of

the building, only a week before it was

engulfed by ames.

January 2011A six-alarm re is reported at around

4 a.m. on Jan. 2. The re is attended

by 125 reghters, who work to put

blaze out for more than six hours. Police

launch an investigation into the possi-

bility of arson and identify a “person of

interest” in the case.



9 Wednesday, January 12, 2011 FEATURES The Eyeopener

The Empress Hotel was almost entirely destroyed when a six-alarm re engulfed the heritage building on Jan. 2.

PHOTO: MARTA IWANEK

Station to lack sufcient fre exits and

proposed a collaboration with Ryer-

son to correct the problem.

But Ryerson already has several

major projects in the works, includ-

ing the construction o the SLC, the

renovation o the School o Image

Arts and the restoration o Maple

Lea Gardens. All three ventures have

multimillion dollar budgets and are

riddled with problems, rom the year-long delay o the School o Image

Arts to the looming Mar. 31 deadline

or the still unfnished MLG.

Despite the university’s determina-

tion to undertake the Empress Hotel

project, another new property could

place an additional fnancial strain on

the university.

Even i the university does gener-

ate the unds to purchase the lot,

Levy doesn’t have any ideas yet as to

what the university would want to do

with the property.

“We would have to go through

the process o making sure that it is

used or the whole city,” he said, add-

ing that the building’s ground level

would most likely be used or retail

and commercial space.

But Ryerson’s plans come at a time

when the property is surrounded by

controversy. The Empress Hotel went

up in ames when the gas and elec-

tricity in the building had been o

since April. And police are investigat-

ing the possibility o arson.

Although Ryerson was ready to

work with the city on heritage pres-

ervation, the fre and subsequent

demolition o the Empress Hotel has

eliminated many o the obstacles

associated with the landmark prop-

erty. A ew months ago, new owners

would have been required to ollow

strict regulations when renovating

and restructuring the building.

But its demise has cleared the wayor new construction and made it

much easier or Ryerson to material-

ize it’s plans.

But Levy maintains that acquiring

the property is not opportunistic and

sees it as a possibility to positively

transorm o the corner o Yonge and

Gould Streets.

“I don’t see acquiring that property

or jointly acquiring that property as

anything but a good thing or the

university.”

One o the reasons is that Levy sees

Gould Street as the entrance to the

university and hopes that, by making

the property a part o it, he can create

some cohesion on an urban campus

that is oten seen as scattered and

ragmented.

“It would be like saying, ‘We are

here and this is our space, our cam-

pus.’”

The Lalani Group is not accepting

media requests at this time and was

not available to comment on Ryer-

son’s interest in the property.

Everything isabout moneyin the end.You can haveall these greatambitions butthere is only acertain amount

of moneyyou can puttowards it.

—Sheldon Levy,Ryerson president

Part of the facade of the Empress Hotel collapsed on April 16, 2010, partially closing Gould Street. PHOTO: CHRIS DALE



The Eyeopener10 Wednesday, January 12, 2011ARTS & LIFE

Go west in 2011

Shopping

Theatre

Dining &

Nightlife

The noisy Eaton Centre crowds can get annoying for even the most savvy

of shoppers. For a change of pace, take a streetcar ride to Jacfash at 1036Queen St. W. for the perfect blend of class and edge. The boutique boasts

designer labels, many of which are Canadian (including accessories byRyerson alumni Amanda Lew Kee). Or spend a day in Kensington Market and

stop by Model Citizen. Unlike its vintage neighbours, the store sells designerclothing from across the country. With regular on-site silk-screening work-

shops they can also equip you with the tools and skills necessary to makeyour own cheeky and cheesy graphic tee’s.

With Billy Elliot and Lion King taking the Toronto stage thisspring there will be plent y of theatre buffs ock ing down Yonge

to the Elgin Theatre. But if you’re looking to save money andstill see live productions try TOtix’s special student program

HipTix. With a wide selection of dramas and comedies, studentscan take a trip to the theatre for only $5. The shows play at vari-

ous theatres around the city including Theatre Passe Muraille which is known for its interactive experience.

Or if you’re looking for an even cheaper laugh check outSecond City’s free improv shows. Every week night they host free

productions featuring some of the company’s top comedians.

Looking to add more class to your drunken weekends?Visit two of the city’s most cultural sites in the heart of

the art and design district. For dinner and music enter

The Gladstone Hotel for a intimate and delicious diningexperience or spend time next door in their Melody bar forlive performances or karaoke.

If you’re looking for a bar outside of the entertainmentdistrict check out The Drake Hotel’s three distinct levels.

Start your night on the ground oor that features a full barand booths to t your entire party. For an extension of the

lounge scene travel upstairs to the rooftop Skybar for scen-ery and comfort. But if you’re looking to pick up the pace

move downstairs to the underground which has a full danceoor and live music. And if you don’t feel like travelling

home at the end of the night consider staying in either of the establishments beautiful hotel rooms.

Arts & Life editor Gianluca Inglesi highlights some hotspots to check out in the new year

PHOTO: DAVID WALDMAN

PHOTOS: NICOLE SIENA

Jacash (left) sells women’s and men’s clothing, foot-

wear and accessories. Model Citizen, 279 Augusta Ave.

(above) is known for its unique blazers, accessories and

t-shirts.

Theatre Passe Muraille was founded in 1968 and is located at 16 Ryerson Ave. PHOTO: NICOLE SIENA

The Drake Underground (top left) provides an

atmosphere perfect for those who are just looking

to let loose. The Gladstone Hotel (left and above)

is a swanky place to dine, jam and view art.PHOTOS COURTESY OF GLADSTONE HOTEL



The Eyeopener 11 Wednesday, January 12, 2011 ARTS & LIFE

No more stufng

Gone is the excuse that it’s the special time

of year and it’s alright to indulge in so much

chocolate, egg nog and gingerbread that you

feel sick. Get back to eating veggies and fruits.

They’ll give you the essential vitamins you

need to stay healthy for the rest the frigid win-

ter. Also, choose light, fat free, or low sodium

options when possible.

Save the date: Rye Arts & Culture AttemptsonHerLife presented by Ryerson Theatre School

Feb. 8 to 17

ChoreographicWorks

presented by Ryerson Theatre School

Mar. 9 to 19

NewVoices presented by Ryerson Theatre School

Mar. 28 to Apr. 2

MassExodus presented by the School of Fashion and Ryerson Theatre School

Apr. 7 & 8 (more dates to come)

META presented by New Media

Apr. 7 to 9

MaximumExposure presented by Image ArtsLate April

See something strange on campus?Administration got you down? If

you’re on Twitter, use the #eyeforat-weet hashtag to share your Ryerson

frustration, or just make us laugh. If we like what we see we may just print

it! And follow @theeyeopener for allyour Ryerson news.

@MeganKreitzerFirst day back was spent icing a bro-

ken toe and eventually sitting in the

ER. Back on campus tomorrow, look

for the pimp walk.#eyeforatweet

@anitadancs 1st day back was awesome, espe-

cially Muchnick’s humour. Gotta love

him! The not so awesome part: the

$550 spent on textbooks

#eyeforatweet

@jeremygesualdo Really Ryerson? I have now received

the EXACT same grade on every nal

for the past 4 years, this has got to

be a conspiracy... or laziness

@Max_MertensSo I’m the only guy in my photojour-

nalism class. Hello #Ryersonjournalism

and its unequal gender distribution.

@brysongilbertI love it when profs expect us to be

far, far better organized than they

are. Do as I say, not as I do — the

Ryerson way!

@MattDemersMy veteran business reporter prof

just typ ed “Google” into Bing, and

then clicked on the search result. I

love #Ryerson so much.

@murphyhigginsWelcome back #Ryerson. You look good. All rested and well fed. RE-

MEMBER THIS FEELING. #eyeforatweet

@stephanieieOn the rst day of every class, they

have to tell us not to use Wikipedia

for research for essays. Really? Every

class.

‘Tis the season to recover

Give less & Save Money

After a season based on gift giving, your bank

account is probably hurting. It may be appro-

priate to be selsh this month and try hoarding

the little money you have for yourself. For those

pesky friends or family members who have early

birthdays, consider re-gifting some Christmas

presents you don’t care for. They’ll never know.

Get moving

I’m sure you got used to cuddling by the re

and wasting away watching holiday marathonsand countdowns, but it’s time to get your b ody

moving. Forget paying more for the TTC and

try walking when the weather isn’t too bad. Or

get a membership at the RAC and try stretching

those neglected muscles in yoga classes.

Hitting the sack

Late afternoon sleep ins are exclusive to week-

ends now. Try making yourself go to bed earlierevery night until you’re back to getting a full rest.

When school gets stressful in a few weeks you’re

going to wish you spent less time on Facebook

and YouTube and more time with your head on

the pillow.

PHOTOS: MARTA IWANEK

LastSundayat3p.m.Ryersonstudentsshedtheirpantswhileridingthesubway.ItwasImprovinToronto’sfourthannualrunwiththeNo Pants Rideandparticipantscamepreparedinbrightly-colouredundergarments.Withconcernsabouthygieneoutthewindowtheyprovidedgreatphotomomentsandaresuretohaveshockedtheelderly.Formorephotosofdelicatesonthesubwayvisittheeyeopener.com/arts-life

BY ARTS AND LIFE EDITOR

GIANLUCA INGLESI

No pants, no problem



12 COMMUNITYThe Eyeopener Wednesday, January 12, 2011

See where your love of cosmeticscan take you.

Paid for by the Government of Ontario

ontario.ca/myfuture

With a range of grants,

scholarships and loans, keeping

your career goals on track may

be easier than you think.

Turn your passioninto a career.

_ _ _ _ _

A week of winter trysts The weather may be cooling off, but

that doesn’t mean your relationshiphas to. Yes, it’s cold. Yes, we all have

budgets to follow. But don’t let thatget in the way of indulging your ro-

mantic side. Take this chilliest of sea-sons to show how much you care

with your hat on, boots tied and lessthan thirty bucks in your pocket.

MondaySkating and hotchocolatePrice: Free-$5Whether it’s skating at the Harbour-front overlooking the lake or at Na-

than Phillips Square, this classic datecan be fun, romantic and wallet-

friendly. You can replace skating withany other winter activity, like a snow-

ball ght or sledding at Riverdale Park.Afterwards, you both can head over

to a nearby café — be it an intimatelocal spot like Rooster House Coffee

or the nearest Starbucks — and warmup with a cup of hot chocolate or

steaming apple cider.

TuesdayExplore Toronto’scultural scenePrice: FREE There’s something very sexy about

museums and galleries. Don’t believeme? Try sneaking off to a corner to

create your own performance ar t. TheArt Gallery of Ontario offers free ad-

mission to both its permanent collec-tion and its temporary Maharaja ex-

hibition to visitors 25 and under untilApril 3. The Royal Ontario Museum

has free admission for university stu-dents on Tuesdays, and to the general

public on Wednesdays between 2:30p.m. and 5:30 p.m.

Wednesday Travel the world

Price: $15-$30

Toronto is lled with ethnic communi-

ties. You can head to Chinatown, LittleIndia or Little Italy for an international

experience on a domestic budget. It’sfun to walk around hand-in-hand, and

there are lots of cheap restaurants tochoose from, like Swatow, New Ho

King, Little India Restaurant or TheLakeview. Not only is it a nice way

to explore new areas of the city, butchanging up your routine with your

sweetheart adds a new level of ex-citement to your relationship and will

help you bond. Make sure to bundleup though: you might be out for a

while.

ThursdayOutdoor adventures

Price: FREE-$10Don’t let the cold winds and thick snow stop you from enjoying the

great outdoors. Bundle up and take awalk through Allan Gardens, U of T’s

Philosopher’s Walk, Kensington Mar-ket, or the Distillery District. There are

plenty of cafés and restaurants to visitin these areas, from the Distillery’s

Balzac’s Coffee Roastery and Soma, toKensington’s Ideal Coffee and Wanda’s

Pie in the Sky. If you do end up at theDistillery, you could check out a per-

formance at Soulpepper Theatre —they have rush tickets for a low price

— and there are musical performanc-es around Kensington Market.

FridayHave a movie nightPrice: $15-$30Going out for dinner and a movie

could easily mean dishing out someserious cash. Why not keep the party

at home? Choose a meal you both enjoy, pick up what you need at the gro-

cery store and cook dinner together. To make sure dinner isn’t the only

thing heating up, try mixing culinaryaphrodisiacs into your meals. Aspara-

gus (helps you reach orgasm), eggs(increases sex drive), and gs (which

resembles the, um, female anatomy)are cheap and delicious ways to spice

things up. When you’re done in the

kitchen, light some candles, pour

some wine and enjoy your intimatemeal. Then cuddle in front of a movie

you both enjoy (The Social Network comes out on DVD next week).

Chelsea Pottage, our associate photo editor, knows how to keep warm on cold nights.

The idiot’s guide toRyerson student groups

BY CARLY BASIAN

All work and no play makes for a verydull, poorly rounded student. Pullyourself away from your textbooks

for a few minutes this semester, andcheck out some of Ryerson’s many

extracurricular offerings. Here’s a se-lection that will cater to every taste

and fancy.

For the gamersIf your idea of a good time means

spending hours playing RPGs, Catanand multiplayer video games, the As-

sociation of Ryerson Role-Players &Gamers (also known as ARRG) might

be your bag. The group hosts weeklygame nights in the Dungeon at 6 p.m.

If you’re more interested in creating

games than playing them, join Ry-erson’s Game Makers’ Union for re-sources related to the development

of video games.

For the faithfulGroups like Campus for Christ, theMuslim Students Association and

Hillel@Ryerson let students practicetheir faith and meet other students

who share their beliefs. Non-practi-tioners are also welcome to attend

their events, so curious people arewelcome to come and learn more.

For the activists There’s a corner on campus for most

causes, if you look carefully. Interestedin human rights? Check out Human

Rights for Iran or Journalists for Hu-man Rights. Want to end violenceagainst women? Participate in the

White Ribbon Campaign. The Ryer-son Students’ Union also does a lot of

advocacy.

For the culture clubbersRyerson’s cultural groups offer the

chance to connect with your ownculture or learn new things about an-

other one. The Organization of LatinAmerican students (OLAS) offers

salsa classes throughout the year, andthe West Indian Student Association

is known to organize incredible pubnights at the Ram in the Rye. Most

cultural groups, including the Hel-

lenic Students Association, serve upamazing food.

For the artsy folkIn the Oakham House AmateurTheatre students participate in the

staging of student-written one-actproductions, while students involved

with the Oakham House Choir get toperform with a professional orchestra.

Dancers can nd their legs with theUrban Hip-Hop Union’s dance team.

But if you’re more the type to wasteyour leisure time memorizing the

day’s news, The Eyeopener is alwaysaccepting new volunteers. Just sayin’.

For more information on campus clubs,

check out the Campus Caravan onWednesday, Jan. 12. in the SCC.

Community editor Allyssia Alleyne helps yound the right club to ll those free minutes

PHOTO: CHELSEA POTTAGE



The Eyeopener13 Wednesday, January 12, 2011SPORTS

Last year, the Ryerson University

equestrian team (RUEC) was nothing

more then an ambitious idea. But this

year it became a reality and the rook-

ie team is making big strides thanks

to some dedicated riders.

“I think it’s really special to be insync with a our-legged 1500-pound

animal that has a mind o its own. You

have to be trusting at times,” explains

Jacquelline Stapells, a third-year psy-

chology student who rides or Ryer-

son’s equestrian team. “I don’t think

that you can really compare riding a

horse to any other sport out there.””

Unlike the basketball, hockey or

soccer team, most students body

aren’t aware o the frst-year eques-

trian team, probably because act

that the club is not even listed on Ry-

erson’s website.

“We tried to get in with Ryerson

Athletics to make the club an ofcial

sport club along with the gol, drag-

on boating, and cheerleading team

[but] that didn’t happen in time so

we decided to run it independently,”

explained Andrea Robinson, a third-

year business management student

who along with Caitlin Strelio co-ounded the Ryerson University

Equestrian Team.

Nevertheless, Stappels, who has

riding experience, is proud to be a

part o Ryerson’s frst Equestrian team

she eels the team is bringing a part

o the country liestyle to Ryerson’s

hectic downtown campus.

While they are the newest mem-

ber o the Ontario University Eques-

trian Association (OUEA), many o the

other schools that Ryerson competes

against, such as McMaster and Water-

loo, were only created fve years ago,

in 2006 and while they are the newkids on the block, Ryerson is compet-

ing against some airly new teams.

However, in addition to becoming

the newest member o the 12 team

league, Ryerson’s equestrian club is

the only team without a listed coach

or captain on their website.

Due to the expansive nature o

the club, the team did not hold try-

outs this year. Instead, they decided

to welcome riders regardless o their

experience or skill level.

Because o this, the team has at-

tracted a good mixture o both riders

with experience and riders who have

only recently started to ride a couple

o years ago.

“Every member who joins contrib-

utes to the teams success in some

way,” said Stappels. “The more people

who join the more recognition the

team will gain.“

While Robinson agrees that ex-

panding the club is important, but

acknowledged that the team will be

holding tryouts next semester.

“This year we just wanted to get

our numbers up and keep growing,

so we wanted to give everyone a

chance to compete,” said Robinson.

“We hope to hold tryouts or next

year as only two people can compete

in each o the our divisions.”Halway through the 2010-2011

season, Ryerson fnds themselves

near the bottom o the league as

they currently sit in 10th place with

only our competitions remaining in

the season. Despite the team’s poor

ranking, the riders’ individual results

have been erratic.

At the Queen’s University Show,

which took place in October, Stapells

fnished in second place while ellow

rider Laura Gilligan fnished in third

place.

However, Marisa Millman fnished

in eighth place at the team’s latestcompetition at Brock University.

“Our frst semester as a team has

worked out antastically. Being that

we are a new team I think our results

have exceeded our expectations,”

said Robinson.

“This is a new experience [or] all o

us and the team has been extremely

successul. There are so many talent-

ed and confdent riders on the team, I

eel as though we can only improve.”

While Strelio is just as enthusias-

tic about the progress o the team,

she acknowledged that it has been

hard to overcome the lack o proper

unding.

“The biggest thing we are up

against is unding,” she said. “It’s ex-

pensive or a student to ride.”

Seeing as how the team has no

unding rom the university, all riders

must pay or their own lessons, $45,

as well as their entry into a show, $50.”

Despite this challenge, Strelio ishappy with the team’s season to date.

“At the beginning o the season I

thought we would be one o those

teams that rode just or un,” she said.

“But we have exceeded my expecta-

tions. [With] higher level riders and

some more development we could

be [so much] more.”

Hold your horses

COURTERSY OF THE RYERSON EQUESTRIAN TEAM

Despite being run without any school funding, the newly formed RyersonUniversity equestrian team is making giant leaps. Gabriel Lee reports

I think it’s really special

to be in sync with a four-

legged 1500-pound animal

that has a mind of its own.

—Jacquelline Stapells,

third-year psychology

With only eight games let in the

regular season, the Ryerson’s men’s

volleyball team deeated the Wind-

sor Lancers last Saturday, ater being

trampled by the Western Mustangs

on Jan. 8.

“We lost to Western yesterday, but

Western is undeeated,” said head

coach Mirek Porosa.

Ater Saturday’s 3-1 comeback win,

the Rams, who are fghting with York,

Toronto and RMC or a playo berth,

are now tied in the OUA standings

with Waterloo, and only our points

behind Laurier.

The Rams played a close game or

most o the frst set, but Porosa was

orced to call a timeout ater the

Lancers took an 18-15 lead.

“Ryerson’s the kind o team where

i you give them an inch, they’ll take

a mile,” said Lancer’s assistant coach

Shawn Lippert ater the game.

The Rams got back on track ater

the timeout as outside hitter Greg

McDonald scored three consecu-

tive points, including two blocks and

a kill. Ryerson proceeded to take a

short-lived 22-17 lead, but the Lanc-

ers responded by scoring eight con-

secutive points, as they won the frst

set 25-22.

Windsor was consistently ahead

in the second set until Porsosa called

upon service specialist Robby Libero

and team-captain Robby Earl to take

control o the game. Earl served up an

ace that started the comeback and

McDonald recorded two kills to help

the Ram win the set 25-23.

That was the inch that became a

mile.

The Rams kept their spirits up

throughout the third set despite a

rough start put them behind 4-0. Ry-

erson took charge o the game with

a commanding 13-7 lead, thanks to

middle blocker Roman Kabanov and

outside hitter Chris McLaughlin.

While Windsor began closing in on

Ryerson’s lead, a clutch block rom

Kabanov sealed the set or the Ramswho were leading the game 2-1.

“We weren’t hungry to win, “ Wind-

sor captain and setter Adam Prieur

explained. “We eel that Ryerson is

fghting to make it to the playos and

they were hungry to win.”

That hunger persisted throughout

the ourth set as successul serves

by outside hitter Luka Milosevic and

timely blocks by setter Aleksa Mila-

dinovic got the team o to a quick

start. The game became extremely

tense midway through the set as

Windsor crept up through a series o

bad serves and costly errors by the

Rams. Those errors quickly built up

to a 19-19 tie. However Kabanov and

McDonald stepped it up , paving the

way to a victory as they ended the set

25-22, winning the game with a three

sets to one.

“Ryerson is better than what they

say on paper,” said Windsor head

coach Huub Kemmere.

The Rams will play their next game

against York Friday night at Kerr Hall.

The biggest thing we are up

against is funding.

—Caitlin Strelioff,

Co-founder of the RUEC

Playoff boundThe men’s voleyball team stays in the hunt fora playoff spot. Karen Quinto reports

Ryerson’s the kind of team

where if you give them an

inch, they’ll take a mile.

—Shawn Lippert,

Lancer’s assistant coach

Andrea Robinson competing at the Trent University show.

For complete coverage of Ryersonsports go to theeyeopener.com



The Eyeopener14 Wednesday, January 12, 2011BIZ & TECH

BY JEFF LAGERQUIST

Students who want to sleep

through early morning lectures can

now pay someone to sit in class for

them.

Waterloo upstarts Notewagon.

com and Studymonkey.ca provide an

online market place where students

can buy and sell the notes they take

in class.

“The point of university is to learn

the content, not attend every class,”

said Khaled Hashem, head of market-

ing and advertisement for Notewag-

on.com at U of T and Ryerson.

“Instead of relying on a few friends

you can choose from several sets of

notes on our website,” he said.

Hashem and a small group of stu-

dents started work on the site six-

months-ago. Originating in the U.S.,

this innovative trend in student net-

working raises questions about intel-

lectual property and academic integ-

rity along with the potential benetsfor students with busy schedules.

“We saw the trend in the States

and realized it wasn’t very big in

Canada,” said Vance Lee, one of the

co-founders at Studymonkey.com,

which emerged from Waterloo Uni-

versity shortly after Notewagon.com

with similar ambitions.

Both websites let students select

notes from a semester’s worth of

courses, but the content available

depends on what has been uploaded

by users. Shoppers get to preview a

limited portion, and if they like what

they see they can purchase the notes.

Students who upload their notes get

paid for each download.

“There is a huge opportunity for

students to make money,” said Hash-

em.

First year biomedical engineering

student Faiza Kabir had never heard

of online note markets, but would

consider making a purchase. “We

don’t always have time to take per-

fect notes. We’re under a lot of stress,”

she said.

But Ryerson’s professors say if stu-

dents want good notes they shouldsimply come to class.

“I think this kind of business is ob-

viously catering to those who want to

miss a lot of classes and don’t really

want to be bothered to do the work.

That’s an alarming development be-

cause it feeds into an element of pas-

siveness about student learning that

we see increasing in classroom,” said

English professor Sophie Thomas.

Catherine Ellis, a professor and

member of the Academic Integrity

Council Committee raises the greater

issue of who owns the notes students

take in the classroom.

“The notes themselves are based

on lectures, and the lecture mate-

rial is the intellectual property of the

professor. The professor is providingthe lecture only for the purpose of

communicating the information to

the students who are present in the

room. They have not authorized any

use of those notes for purposes out-

side the course, including the mak-

ing any kind of prot,” said Ellis.

Ryerson’s Student Code of Aca-

demic Conduct makes no mention

of note sharing at the individual or

organizational level. While sharing

material that is “submitted for assess-

ment,” like essays and exams is a clear

breach, classroom notes are not spe-

cically referred to.

“It’s perfectly legal. In the states

there are huge companies that are

doing the same thing,” said Hashem.

Notewagon.com and Studymon-

key.ca are moderated to prevent the

distribution of copyrighted material

and content that can be resubmitted

for marks. Both companies insist they

have been well received at every

campus they visit, and even encour-

aged by most professors.

“People who used to take only

half decent notes are now bringing

their lap tops and producing typed,full colour content so they can com-

pete for buyers on our website,” said

Hashem.

Buying your way through schoolNew notesharing websites let students skip class and pay for notes, but could land you in hot water

The point of university

is to learn the content,

not attend every class.

—Khaled Hashem,

Notewagon.com

Ryerson toschool NHLplayersBY BRAD WHITEHOUSE

BIZ & TECH EDITOR

Ryerson’s list of applicants will look

a little more like the NHL draft this

year.

The Ted Rogers School of Manage-

ment (TRSM) has partnered with the

NHL Alumni Association to introduce

a program called BreakAway exclu-

sively for current and former NHL

players. The program was launched

in December to school NHL players

on skills they could need when they

retire.

“The era that I played in, the play-

ers were very conscious of what they

would do after their careers were overbecause the salaries weren’t such that

you would be able to retire after play-

ing hockey,” said Pat Flatley, director

of BreakAway and NHL alumnus.

He said “the game has changed”

since players now sign multi-million

dollar contracts, but they need to

know how to manage themselves so

their bank accounts don’t dry up.

The program offers four courses to

players that include personal nance,

leadership, privacy law, marketing

and personal branding.

But students shouldn’t expect to

be sitting next to an NHL all-star in

lecture. The courses will be taught

entirely online with a mere 15 hours

of material, and must be completed

within six months.

Players are not required to take all

four courses and the program isn’t

degree-granting.

Marla Spergel, a marketing profes-

sor, said the courses are more of an

introduction to basic business top-

ics since most players stop going to

school after high school. Spergel said

players are marked on quizzes and re-

ection papers.

The courses are meant to t in with

the busy schedules of current players

who are on the road. Flatley said at

least 30 players have already enrolledin the course, but would not disclose

the names of any students.

PHOTO: ISABEL QUINN

Websites like Studymonkey.com raise questions about intellectual property and academic integrity.

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FIRST COALITION MEETING:Tuesday, Jan 18 @ 5:30pmStudent Centre - 2nd Floor Lounge

Hey RAMSS!?I’ve already paid my tuition fees,so why am I being charged anextra $500, just for taking a classin the evening?

TIRED OF GETTING $LAMMEDFOR CHANG SCHOOL COURSES?So are we.

The Ryerson Students’ Union is working to eliminateadditional fees charged to f-t undergrads who takeChang School evening classes.

For more info, email Liana Salvadorat [email protected] visit facebook.com/rsufb



The Eyeopener Wednesday, January 12, 2011 FUN 15

WTF IS IT?

a. root of sorts

b. zoomed in carpet

c. crustacean legs

By Michael Winkler GRAFFITTI

Name: ___________________________________________

Email:____________________________________________

POEMS FROM MY BLEEDING <3

Simon Harris was swearing in his bedroom again“Why do you never bloody t?” he muttered

As he crouched down(Remembering to keep his back straight)

To pick up all the clothes that’d

Dropped off his coathangers‘It’s the fourth time this week,’

Was his most prominent thought

A shiny thing (trophy) glintedIn the corner of his eye

In the harsh morning sun

He rued the day he’d been given that

For being the world’s tallest man.

~L. Richardson

WANT TO WIN $50??SEND IN YOUR ANSWER TO THE LATERAL LOGIC PUZZLE TO

THE EYEOPENER OFFICE, SCC 207 (FIND THE COLOURFUL DROP BOX!)

“SAM SHAM IS A SCAM”

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the eyeopener — january 12, 2011

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