TE

JAS

PA

RA

SH

ER

Continued on page 3

Adnan Najmi, VP Internal and University A! airs, responds to a question

regarding public access to the UTSU’s policies and bylaws.

AL

EX

NU

RS

AL

L

Victory just out of reachThe Varsity Blues men’s hockey team jumped at the chance but could not get the jump on Brock at last Saturday’s game. The Blues put up a good " ght, but were always just a little bit behind the play and ultimately lost 2-1.

UTSU held its Annual General Meet-

ing (AGM) on Thursday, November

19 to discuss upcoming plans and poli-

cies, go over the past year’s fi nances,

and respond to students’ concerns.

Both union-members and unaffi liated

students showed up in large numbers

for a chance to communicate directly

with their elected representatives.

UTSU President Sandy Hudson

went over the major initiatives under-

taken in 2008-2009 — such as Drop

Fees, International Student Orien-

tation, and the Sustainability Com-

mission — and listed the goals which

UTSU hopes to meet in the coming

year—namely, two Xpression Against

Oppression Weeks, increased fund-

ing for nearly three hundred clubs,

a campaign to ban bottled water on

the newspaper November 26, 2009University of Toronto’s Independent Weekly Vol. XXXII N0. 13

Lights, camera, 1 Spadina.On the set of When Love is Not Enough: the Lois Wilson Story

on the inside!

UTSU AGM sparks debate on future at U of T

UTSU sta� urge students to get involved via Commission meetings

TEJAS PARASHER

DAN CRAIG

Continued on page 3

CUPE ratifiesCourses will continue

without interruption

CUPE local 3902 announced today,

November 19, that 93% of their

membership voted to ratify their

new contract with the U of T ad-

ministration.

The dispute over wages, benefi ts

and job security for U of T’s ses-

sional lecturers lead the union to

threaten a strike on November 9th

that would have crippled a number

of courses being taught by CUPE

members. In the early hours of the

morning on November 8th, a ten-

tative agreement was reached and

then recommended to the CUPE

membership to be ratifi ed.

The vote, which happened from

last Monday through Wednesday

on campus, fi nally put to rest any

worries of classes being interrupted

by striking lecturers.

CFS pens letter to Ontario GovernmentAMY STUPAVSKY

The Day of Action student pro-

tests to drop tuition fees continue

to exert influence over two weeks

later. On November 19, the Ca-

nadian Federation of Students

(CFS) presented its first set of

recommendations to the Ontario

post-secondary education secre-

tariat.

CFS-Ontario, an organiza-

tion that represents more than

300,000 post-secondary students

across the province, has divided

its recommendations into catego-

ries for minor and major changes

to make education more acces-

sible. A series of submissions is

set to be released over the next

few weeks, with topics includ-

ing credit transfer, financial aid,

funding, and regional issues. This

first installment deals with ancil-

lary and tuition fees.

Riding on the Day of Action

successes, CFS-Ontario focussed

its attention on the province’s

high tuition fees, debt loads, and

youth unemployment. With most

jobs requiring some post-second-

ary training, accessible education

is paramount, according to CFS.

When the Liberals froze tuition

for two years, they capped future

increases at an average of five

percent annually. The recommen-

dations call for an end to those

increases and a plan to gradually

reduce tuition costs. All the rec-

ommendations are based on pub-

licly available data.

“We believe that education is

a right,” said Shelley Melanson,

Chairperson of CFS-Ontario.

“This is a historic opportunity for

the way we view post-secondary

education and how it plays a role

in strengthening the economy.”

“We have received the CFS re-

port and we are reviewing it,” said

Patrice Butterfield, a spokesper-

son for the Ministry of Training,

Colleges, and Universities. “The

EU has a new prez. He’s Belgian! In the news on p. 3

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the newspaperEditor-in-Chief

Helene GoderisManaging Editor

Dan Craig

Arts EditorMiki Sato

News EditorAmy Stupavsky

Layout EditorNatalie Rae Dubois

ContributorsAndrew Gyorkos, Will Martin, Tejas Parasher, Thiru Shathasivam, Cailin Smart, Amina Stella

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 editorial

Photo EditorAlex Nursall

Illustrations EditorMike Winters

Associate Arts EditorCailin Smart

Associate News EditorTomasz BugajskiTejas Parasher

Science EditorTim Ryan

Web EditorLaurent Noonan

Canadian Forces on patrol in Afghanistan. These arrid mountains are just one

example of the rugged terrain that makes life easier for guerillas (the mice),

but a lot more di!cult for conventional infantry (the cats). Canada plans to

withdraw their troops by 2011. Dan Craig thinks that is too far away.

We invite letters to the editor. Please keep letters

under 300 words. Send to thenewsaper@gmail.com.

U of T alum unleashes political firestormAdds one more to the list of several reasons to get the hell out of Afghanistan

DAN CRAIG

Last week, senior Canadian foreign

service employee, and former U of

T International Relations student,

Richard Colvin, “blew the whistle”

on the Canadian government’s lack

of response to several reports of de-

tainees being abused at the hands

of Afghan security and intelligence

forces.

The reason that Canadian gov-

ernment complacency is so scan-

dalous is two-fold: a. Canada offi-

cially supports the government that

is carrying out these atrocities and

b. we also provide them with large

quantities of prisoners, who more

often than not are completely in-

nocent or useless for intelligence

purposes and thus set free.

So far, amid calls for public in-

quiries, the PMO’s reaction has

been to attack the character and

credibility of Colvin, who, unfortu-

nately for his accusers, has a spot-

less record and has been upwardly

mobile through difficult offices in

Sri Lanka, the Palestinian Terri-

tories and later Afghanistan. Also,

Colvin’s testimony is only a small

part of what is turning into a flood

of allegations of rape and torture

in Afghan prisons.

Revelations about detainee abus-

es were mainstream news-worthy

in 2007, but the Red Cross and oth-

er human rights groups have been

warning about how normal it is to

torture or be tortured in Afghani-

stan for the past few decades. In a

country run by warlords, the ability

to kidnap and torture people is po-

litical currency. Only rhetoricians

or naive warmongers could think

that Afghan security forces aren’t

abusing detainees.

And yet, here we are, the true

north strong and free, committed

to getting shot at and blown up in

the 21st century’s longest running

quagmire:

Pledged to protect the govern-

ment of a corrupt president who

won a UN-certified rigged election.

Karzai is most likely closely linked

to the drug-trade and various rag-

tag warlords, but he’s our guy so we

risk life and limb to protect him.

In full support of a government

that recently re-awarded the right

of Afghan husbands to rape their

wives. As if the plight of women’s

rights in Afghanistan wasn’t al-

ready something to be proud of

since the 2001 invasion.

Sworn an oath to be target prac-

tice for all manner of ambush, snip-

er, and explosive attacks, whether

suicide or otherwise. If it’s not the

Taliban, it is probably some com-

munication mix-up between Amer-

ican officers hopped up on amphet-

amines. These days, it’s more likely

the Taliban to blame because they

are, as escalating violence indicates,

as strong as ever since the initial

invasion. Eight years of fighting is

average for them.

After taking all of this into ac-

count, I cannot see how anyone

would want our soldiers to stay in

a war zone such as this for anoth-

er month, let alone until the 2011

deadline the Conservatives have

committed to. And we don’t need to

feel bad about not being successful,

we are in good company through-

out history.

The Soviet Union was stuck in Af-

ghanistan for almost a decade, and

they didn’t wear the human rights

kiddy-gloves. They levelled whole

towns and villages. Soviet tanks

and helicopters unapologetically

ravaged the country side as civil-

ian deaths shot towards the 1 mil-

lion mark. All of this in the name of

breaking the back of a Mujahideen

insurgency that wouldn’t go away.

Their tactics, though seemingly ef-

fective (and what some people wish

our Western coalition troops would

adopt), eventually got the Soviets

nowhere against clever guerrilla

opponents in the rugged terrain of

Afghanistan.

The British Empire tried to take

Afghanistan at least three times

prior to the Soviets, and they ulti-

mately failed despite being famous

for their relatively successful colo-

nies. If you wish to go back even fur-

ther in history, Alexander the Great

had to keep backtracking, burning

crops and villages as his insurgent

opponents kept resurfacing despite

these harsh measures of an ancient

warfare variety. Those mountain

rebels threw spears rather than

Stinger missiles, but the parallels

are didactic.

And yet here we are, the normal-

ly-humble Canadian Armed Forces,

with trivial support from the Amer-

ican Forces for the last 6 years, try-

ing to accomplish what some of the

greatest military powers in world

history have not. I think we should

get an E for Effort, a full 10 marks

for participation, but ultimately we

should have dropped this course.

the brief

HOW TO GET INVOLVED AT UTSU

The AGM is essentially a chance for any full-time undergraduate to

be kept up-to-date with the workings of the student union. Whatever

issues arise, both during the AGM and in general, are then taken up

individually by one of UTSU’s five Commissions.

All full-time undergraduates are encouraged to attend Commis-

sion Meetings, so they can have a direct say in the student union’s

major decisions. These meetings occur regularly; their dates, loca-

tions, and times can be found both online and in the UTSU member

handbook and dayplanner. The Equity Commission meets 1:30pm

on December 2 at 12 Hart House Circle. Visit the ‘About UTSU’ page

on utsu.ca for more information on how to get involved.

3November 26, 2009 the news

the campus Registration has opened up for the 2010 Health and Human Rights Conference (HHRights). Tickets are currently being sold for $10 (students). There are also many opportunities to get involved or volunteer. Visit: www.hhrights.ca

the local The TTC will be selling tickets instead of bulk tokens to reduce hoarding be-fore the Jan. 3 fare increase. Since the announcement of the fare increase, token sales have been reduced to fi ve per purchase, although they can still be purchased without a limit from vending machines. Adam Giambrone, TTC Chair, says that the TTC is losing an estimated $5 million from to-ken hoarding.

the world With upcoming elections, the politically vola-tile Nuba Mountains in cen-tral Sudan is facing a critical time. In 2005, the ex-rebel Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A) signed a peace deal for au-tonomy for the largely Chris-tian south from Muslim north. Two million people died and four million were displaced before the deal was reached. A referendum on full southern independence is set for January, 2011. Although the SPLM/A currently con-trols Nuba, it lies fi rmly in the northern territory. Debates rage on over who will control the land. The International Crisis Group has called the area “the next Darfur.”

the weird Britain’s etiquette authorities claim that ex-changing kisses on the cheek is more hygienic than shaking hands. With this in mind, the current swine fl u pandemic should not deter people from kissing under the mistletoe this holiday season!

campus, and a revitalized Taskforce

on Racism.

In light of recent developments like

the Flat Fee Proposal and the Towards

2030 Plan, this year’s AGM also focused

on a sense of growing discrepancy be-

tween the university administration

and the general student-body. During

a panel discussion, Adam Awad, VP

University Affairs, pointed out a grad-

ual devaluation of the undergraduate

experience at U of T. Both Awad and

Hudson said that the administration’s

zeal to turn U of T into a completely re-

search institution is bringing increased

corporate involvement in university

affairs, and diverting attention from

undergraduate-based academics.

“There is nothing wrong with uni-

versities becoming economically and

commercially viable,” said Awad. “But

when they begin to sacrifi ce programs

that foster critical thinking in favour of

those which merely appease corpora-

tions and donors, they are going against

their essential founding principles.”

Awad went on to give already visible

examples of this—such as the suspen-

sion of the History and Philosophy of

Education program at OISE, the pro-

posal to affi liate the Transitional Year

Program (TYP) with Woodsworth Col-

lege, and the fact that the Department

for Near and Middle Eastern Studies

still does not have a Professor of Arabic

Literature.

Student response to the discussion

revealed that there were doubts about

whether UTSU is equipped to respond

to such changes in a fair and balanced

manner. Students cited concerns that

the organization’s current structure

and agenda are not faithful to the larg-

er university community.

“Colleges increasingly prefer to

organize events and deal with issues

on their own,” said James Finley, a

council-member from St. Michael’s.

“They feel that UTSU is incapable of

understanding their individual con-

cerns. I, personally, have yet to see

anything tangible on UTSU’s part

that shows they are eager to either

mend or develop relationships with

the colleges which comprise their

constituents.”

Similarly, University College stu-

dent Graeme Maitland maintained

that UTSU’s administrative workings

are often too cliquey and opaque for

those not affi liated with the organiza-

tion. He requested that union policies

be posted online, so that transparen-

cy can be guaranteed to all members

of the U of T community.

UTSU members and unaffi liated

students disclaimed such criticisms

as unfair. “It isn’t completely realis-

tic for any single body to represent

all 41,000 undergraduates,” said

Daniella Kyei, VP Equity. “But we

really are trying our best. We make

ourselves much more visible than be-

fore, get as much feedback as we can,

and regularly visit different colleges

and faculties.”

Kyei recommended that students

attend the various Commission

meetings to express their concerns.

“In fact, I encourage people to get

actively involved. It’s very irrespon-

sible of us to complain and bicker

amongst ourselves while the admin-

istration is busy making such sweep-

ing changes.”

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UTSU AGMcont’d from page 1

government is committed to On-

tario students having access to a

high-quality post-secondary edu-

cation.”

As an example of this com-

mitment, Butterfield noted the

government’s 2006 decision to

implement a regulated tuition fee

framework “to ensure that post-

secondary education in Ontario is

CFScont’d from page 1

President E... who?AMY STUPAVSKY

The world knows very little about

Herman Van Rompuy. The newly-

minted EU President is quiet, unas-

suming, and writes Flemish haikus.

He served as Prime Minister of Bel-

gium for just short of a year before

European leaders chose him over

high-profi le candidates, like former

British Prime Minister Tony Blair,

as the fi rst president of the European

Union.

“It was a safe choice,” said Prof.

Jeffrey Kopstein, Director of the

Centre for European, Russian, and

Eurasian Studies at the Munk Cen-

tre. “Between France and Germany,

Belgium is the compromise.”

The wallfl owers have won out

against the popular contenders. The

27-nation organization voted in an

equally obscure EU Foreign Minis-

ter in the form of Catherine Ashton,

a member of Britain’s Labour Party

and former anti-nuclear activist, who

has never been elected to public of-

fi ce. She was the EU Trade Commis-

sioner for the past year.

The EU created the new posts as

outlined in the Lisbon Treaty, which

will take effect on December 1.

Europe made a conscious decision

to select a low-profi le president. EU

heavyweights France and Germany

did not support Blair’s bid, despite

his ability to boost Europe’s infl uence

on environmental and trade issues.

“It’s a sign that Europe’s leaders

view these offi ces as leadership by

negotiation, not inspiration,” said

Kopstein. “The indispensable skill is

not the ability to give speeches, but

to broker powerful deals.”

Kopstein also highlighted the

strategic benefi t. Van Rompuy lies

centre-right politically and Ashton

is centre-left, ensuring political bal-

ance.

Critics have upbraided the EU for

its unambitious choices, who, they

say, will do little to promote Europe

worldwide.

While Van Rompuy may lack

Blair’s panache, Kopstein believes he

may galvanize transatlantic relations

as well as any high-profi le pick. He is

a known atlanticist, and Belgium is

the epicentre of the EU and NATO.

The treaty is ambiguous about

what the president’s duties entail,

apart from promoting European in-

tegration.

According to Kopstein, at this point

it is premature to speculate about what

Van Rompuy will accomplish.

“The pre-Lisbon presidencies ro-

tated every six months,” he said. “With

rapid changes, it’s sometimes hard to

get things done. The purpose of this

treaty was to make the EU more gov-

ernable. We’ll see what happens.”

As foreign minister, Ashton will

control the EU’s annual € 7 billion

foreign aid budget, head a diplo-

matic corps, and promote the EU’s

interests.

Time will tell how these non-en-

tities show their chops on the global

stage.

accessible, affordable, and of top

quality.”

Butterfield also stressed that

institutions cannot raise tuition

levels without participating in

Student Access Guarantee, a min-

istry initiative that ensures insti-

tutions provide students with ad-

ditional financial assistance.

The current tuition framework

will expire at the end of this aca-

demic year. The secretariat is cur-

rently looking at options for a new

funding framework in 2010.

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“Cancer cannot touch the spirit...”

4 November 26, 2009the inside

HOT-BIKRAM YOGAright next to U of T

$30 for 30 daysINTRODUCTORY OFFER

www.hotyoga.ca

720 Spadina Ave.

“I’d write something about kumquats.”Jessie, Geography

“Efficient market hypothesis as it applies to deriva-tive markets.”Helene, the newspaper gal

“ the campus comment ”

“I would write an essay on how I don’t want to write an essay.”Grace, 3rd year Architecture

“Well, I’m interested in theories of taste. Maybe about allergies, and how they interact with con-ceptions of food and conceptions of the body.”Chris, victory lap Philosophy

“I wouldn’t write anything.”Abdul, Health Sciences

“I’d write about how JFK forced Canada to get nuclear weapons in 1963.”Jimmy Dukes, History

“I would write about how to be an art-school dropout.”Liz, OCAD Illustration

the newspaper asks: if you could choose

any essay topic, what would you write on?

“Don’t take my photo yet. I’m not sure I can come up with a witty response.”Bryan, 2nd year Medicine

It’s Always SomethingGilda’s Club raises money for cancer with laughs

MIKI SATO

The 8th annual It’s Always Something

variety show took place on November

23 at the swanky Princess of Wales

Theatre. The sold-out show was an eve-

ning full of comedy, music, and dance by

some of the biggest names in Canadian

talent.

Beloved comedian Russell Peters

flew in to town especially for the event,

hosting for his third consecutive year.

Entertaining the black-tied crowd with

some new racial jokes, Russell intro-

duced a stellar lineup of Canadian celebs

- including Eugene Levy, Dave Thomas,

Sean Cullen and Divine Brown - who

all performed in support of Gilda’s Club

Greater Toronto.

Steven Page (formerly of The Bare-

naked Ladies) treated the audience with

“something new, something old, some-

thing borrowed, and something blue”

Page told the newspaper that his new

album, set to be released in Spring 2010,

“will be a bit of everything - folk, alterna-

tive, rock...”

During his set, Page recalled visiting

his friend, and Barenaked Ladies band

member, Kevin Hearn, at Gilda’s when

he had leukemia.

The performers, who all donated their

time for It’s Always Something, men-

tioned throughout the evening that they

felt honoured to be part of such a great

event in support of such a great cause.

Comedian and writer, Irwin Barker,

partway through his stand-up, reminded

the audience that he is still fighting the

disease to this day, but stated that “can-

cer cannot touch the spirit... humour and

creativity.”

Gilda’s Club is named after late come-

dienne Gilda Radner, who is well-known

for her sketch comedy on Saturday

Night Live in the 70s. Radner’s death

from ovarian cancer increased aware-

ness of the disease and encouraged earli-

er detection. “It’s always something” was

a catchphrase from her beloved SNL

character, Roseanne Roseannadanna,

and also the title of her memoirs.

Gilda’s Club provides free emotional

and social support for men, women, chil-

dren, teens - and their friends and fami-

lies - who are living with cancer. Cana-

dian artists in support of the non-profit

organization come back year after year to

lend their voices and talents to this great

cause.

For more information, visit www.gil-

dasclubtoronto.org.

5November 26, 2009 the inside

The hallowed halls of 1 Spadina Cresent have been home to many things: a hospital, an eye bank, the UofT art department, and the newspaper offices, but recently it also became the setting for the made-for-TV movie When Love is Not Enough: The Lois Wilson Story. Starring Winona Ryder and Barry Pepper, the movie focuses on Lois Wilson, one of the creators of Alcoholics Anonymous. Editors Helene Goderis and Alex Nursall went star-gazing (or set-gazing, to put it more accurately) on the first floor to check out the action.

Canadian/American dual-citizen director, John Kent Harrison (top right) takes a break to pose for the camera. When Love is Not Enough is a period piece that takes place in the 1940s, so 1 Spadina was a nat-ural #t. After four days of working, 1 Spadina was dressed up to look like a hospital. They #lmed for 2 days over the weekend, and then they were gone.

The stage was set. Apparently 1 Spadina looks like a good, ol’-fashioned hospital.PHOTOS BY ALEX NURSALL

Tim Ryan celebrates Darwin’s 200th and Thiru goes DNA CSI

the science

Before the modern scientific era,

there existed a class of scien-

tists whose expertise knew no

boundaries. They would seamlessly

transition between fields and sub-

specialties, shortly after which

they would produce a brainchild

that would evolve into a scientific

law. Aristotle, Newton, Galelei,

the list goes on, but since Charles

Darwin, no one has since matched

his contributions to the natural

and social sciences; on politics,

religion and philosophy and on art

and cultural relations.

Darwin is approaching a pair of

milestones, his 200th birthday will

be celebrated in February of 2010,

but more importantly 2009 marks

the 150th anniversary of his most

influential work, the theory of

evolution by natural selection. His

work was published after twenty

years of theorizing and field work

in On the Origin of Species.

The theory was born during a

period of stark creationism and

immediately sparked controversy.

Essentially, Darwin was refuting

the Book of Genesis, inferring that

there were no seven days of cre-

ation, that Adam and Eve were

imaginary and that Noah and

his species didn’t need an ark

because there was no flood. His

idea was one of simplicity, that

complex organisms emerge from

a series of accumulated modifica-

tions, each one of which increases

the organism’s chance of survival

and reproduction. Darwin called

this “descent with modification”

and not “evolution”. He only used

the word “evolve” once in his

book; it was the last word.

Darwin backed his theory

with numerous principles never

before presented to the scien-

tific community. He employed

genetic variation as the vehicle

for natural selection; that as or-

ganisms increase in complexity

over time, natural selection has

a wider variety of traits to work

with. Speciation, although dif-

ficult to observe because it takes

many generations, can be observed

among several plants, amphibian

and fish species and is the crown

jewel of Darwin’s theory.

A good example of this is the fe-

males of a cichlid fish species that

vary genetically in their prefer-

ences for males who are coloured

red and blue. Red males inhabit

the lower depths of Lake Victoria

in Africa while the blue males re-

main close to the surface. Females

with a matching preference follow

either red or blue males, essen-

tially splitting the population,

forcing the single species to split

into two.

150 years later, Darwin’s theory

of evolution is still going strong;

he has even convinced the Pope of

the evolution of a single species

(although the Pope draws the line

at speciation). Nonetheless, it still

has firepower. Happy Birthday

Charles!

Everyone has their list of fa-

vourite TV shows, and mine is

composed primarily of medical

and crime drama shows (though

Glee is one of my guilty pleas-

ures), such as Law & Order:

SVU. In last week’s episode,

Detective Benson was accused

of murdering a notorious biker

gang member based on DNA

analysis of blood found on the

murder weapon. However, it

later became evident that she

was framed using DNA gar-

nered from discarded cutleries.

“Now wait a minute! DNA

analysis was performed with

blood samples, not saliva,”

you may think. Apparently the

DNA evidence was fabricated,

using common laboratory tech-

niques.

Despite their disclaimer,

the episodes often have re-

semblances to real events (i.e.

Mayor Spitzer and the prosti-

tution ring). My inquisitive

nature (nerd!) led me to seek

the original scientific sources.

As it turns out, four scientists

based in Israel led by Dr. Dan

Frumkin, recently published

how DNA evidence can be

engineered, with or without

a source of DNA containing

tissue.

In the first scenario, DNA

was extracted from biological

samples, such as hair strands

or dry saliva from cigarette

butts, and amplified in quan-

tity using a standard technique

called whole genome amplifica-

tion. Next, blood was collected

from another participant and

spun to remove white blood

cells, the only source of DNA

in blood. Finally, the ampli-

fied DNA was simply mixed

to the resulting blood sample.

Since red blood cells do not

contain DNA, all the genetic

material present was artifi-

cially created.

Furthermore, the researchers

demonstrated that if the DNA

fingerprint of an individual is

already known then biological

samples become redundant.

DNA can easily be synthesized

using sequences present in

databases such as Combined

DNA Index System (CODIS),

which contains the profiles of

convicted felons.

In either case, when the arti-

ficial samples were analyzed

by an independent forensic

lab they failed to recognize

the samples as manufactured.

Considering the simplicity of

their methods, Dr. Frumkin,

the lead researcher on the

project, worries about the

possibility of DNA evidence

forgeries.

But there may be a solution

to avoid the unraveling of our

criminal justice system. Nu-

cleix, Ltd. has just developed a

technique for DNA authentica-

tion based on the methylation

differences between real DNA

and synthesized DNA. Spe-

cifically, fake DNA lacks the

addition of methyl groups (a

molecule consisting of one

carbon and three hydrogen

atoms: -CH3), which functions

to inactivate genes within

cells.

It must just be a coincidence

that Nucleix, Ltd. was co-

founded by Dr. Frumkin and

another scientist involved in

the original project.

6 November 26, 2009the science

Special Guest readers:

A Christmas Carol

Join us for a dramatic reading of Dickensí timeless classic

December 9th, 2009 - 7:00pm

The Great Hall @ Hart House

General Admission: $21 ($15 for students)Tickets available at the UofTtix Box Ofä ce

www.uofttix.ca or 416-978-8849

All proceeds to the UofT

Food & Clothing Bank

Ralph Benmergui, TV & Radio Host, JournalistBob McDonald, TV & Radio Host, JournalistDavid Gardner, TV & Theatre ActorAllie Hughes, Singer, Songwriter, Actor

THIRU SHATHASIVAM

TIM RYAN

7November 26, 2009 the arts

MIK

I SA

TO

A pair of patrons browse various pictures of Jeremy Sturgess’ work.

Devo: As famous for their hats and suits as they are for their music.

Sharks girls getting dolled up at !nal dress rehearsal.

The orchestra runs through another one of those catchy tunes.

Bam. Devo. Fuck, what a lovely op-

portunity to see a classic band play two

of their classic albums, and a lovely way

to spruce up a Monday and Tuesay - two

notoriously shitty days. First up on Mon-

day was Q: Are We Not Men A: We are

Devo! The Brian Eno-produced record

is an absolute triumph, and to hear it

played live in its entirety is an occasion

not to be missed.

If man has indeed devolved, it’s damn

hard to tell, as the album sounds mighty

good thirty years down the road. Com-

ing out in classic Devo jumpsuits and

hopping up and down in unison at the

end of the opening track Uncontrol-

lable Urge, it felt like Star Wars and

Jimmy Carter all over again (truly a

better time to be alive).

I’m reluctant to apply labels like

‘post-punk’ or ‘new-wave’ because they’re

simply better than that. It just sounds

like Devo, and that’s all one can say.

For a band who looks fucking an-

cient, they sound as crisp and tight

The Faculty of Architecture is a

little outside most students’ daily

campus route, but this month, the

exhibit “Themes and Variations,”

featuring work by Alberta architect

Jeremy Sturgess, just might attract

the curious and architecturally-in-

clined to the building’s Eric Arthur

Gallery.

Sturgess, a Calgary-based ar-

chitect and graduate of U of T’s

Architecture program, has won

numerous awards - including the

Governor-General’s award - for

his innovative and sustainable de-

signs since the beginning of his

career in the ‘70s. Over the years,

he has garnered recognition as one

of the country’s best talents in the

field - working on everything, from

theatres and houses to parks and

subway stations.

Architect Kevin Harrison, assisted

by student David Tyl, (both of whom

work in Sturgess’s office), assisted

curator Geoffrey Simmins in the

compilation of the exhibit.

“Jeremy Sturgess designs build-

ings known for their striking forms

and their dramatic use of colour,”

says Simmins, who is currently

working on a book about Sturgess’s

designs entitled Full Spectrum. “Al-

though [Sturgess is] known especial-

ly for houses, he has also designed

many other different types of build-

ings, something that this exhibition

intends to convey.”

The exhibit is composed mainly

of large photos “intended to evoke

the whole buildings by means of

evocative fragments, in striking

photographs by Robert Lemer-

meyer,” says Simmins. The first

collection of photographs are of the

Theatre Junction at the Grand in

Schiffon, eyeliner, tight pants,

and colourful dresses are scattered

around inside the Betty Oliphant

Theatre at the final dress rehearsal

for the St. Michael’s College produc-

tion of the broadway classic, West

Side Story. Actors run through lines

and orchestra members practise the

show’s musical score, before a row

of dresses lowers onto the stage re-

creating the set of a charming New

York City boutique.

The Tony-award winning produc-

tion, and popular 1961 film featuring

Natalie Wood, is being presented by

St. Michael’s College Student Union

and SMC Theatre.

West Side Story is a modern ad-

aptation of Shakespeare’s Romeo

and Juliet, set in 1950s Manhattan,

where two rival gangs, The Sharks

and The Jets, do everything they

can to keep lovebirds, Tony and

Maria, apart.

as they did in 1978, and play with the

energy of - well something with quite

a bit of energy - the Dyson, maybe.

They are old though. Watching Mark

Motherbaugh hop into the crowd and

attempt to get back on stage with the

assistance of a stage-hand looked ter-

rifyingly like an orderly helping your

father out of a seltzer bath.

And when they did rip off the jump-

suits, Gerry Casale struggled to get it

off his ankles like an old man racing to-

wards a prostitute. If anything though,

the disconnect between sound and ap-

pearance only made it better.

Maybe it was the quart of rye, maybe

it was the half-quart of mushrooms, but

the first night seemed distinctly better.

The second show lacked the same enthu-

siasm, as they seemed to be simply going

through the motions for Freedom of

Choice.

No matter, the songs were impec-

cable and Girl U Want is just brilliant

no matter what.

All said, it was a: (insert Are We Not

Men pun here).

The sweet and naive Maria is

played by Amanda Indovina, who

says this isn’t her first time in this

role; the psychology undergrad also

took part in a high school produc-

tion of West Side Story. She notes

that her favourite part of being in

the show is “the adrenaline of being

on stage.”

Alex Morrow, an English major

at U of T plays Tony, the boy “look-

ing for something more.” Mor-

row looks forward to performing

his favourite scene, “right after the

rumble, where Tony dies in Maria’s

arms.”

Director Shak Haq encourages

people to come to the show and see

“the amazing talent that the stu-

dents have to offer.”

St. Michael’s College’s produc-

tion of West Side Story runs from

November 26 - 28 at Betty Oliphant

Theatre (404 Jarvis St.) Tickets are

$15/$12 students, and can be pur-

chased at www.uofttix.ca.

Calgary, Alberta. The Theatre’s de-

sign focuses on paradoxes between

shadow and light, old and new.

One room’s old paint-flaked

ceiling is juxtaposed with a wall

of modern mirror design. Another

room marries decaying brick walls

with structured metal beams. “The

lobby was left fragmentary and in-

complete deliberately, to show the

ways that the building had been

treated in the nearly hundred years

since it was built,” says Simmins.

The exhibit displays an array of

designs including The Water Cen-

ter, an LRT Station, as well as a

house on Bowen Island. Sturgess’s

most characteristic architectural

elements are large windows and

sturdy elaborate metal beams. His

designs are futuristic and grand,

and his love of colour is expressed

through the fuschias and bright

greens of the exhibit’s walls.

The exhibit’s success comes from

its multimedia element. Besides pho-

tographs and models, there is also a

video projector, a television playing

an interview and plans of some of

the designs, “to display the whole dy-

namic process of architecture,” says

Simmins. “We were thinking of the

viewer. We wanted to get people ex-

cited about architecture.”

Jeremy Sturgess: Themes and

Variations runs through December

12 at The Eric Arthur Gallery (230

College St.). Admission: Free.

Devo still kicking80s sensations play through 2 albums in 2 nights

WILL MARTINCAILIN SMART

St. Mike’s does West Side StorySharks and Jets rumble at the Betty Oliphant Theatre

MIKI SATO

Themes & Variations in architectureThree decades of Jeremy Sturgess designs at the Eric Arthur Gallery

8 November 26, 2009

the crossword

AN

DR

EW

GY

OR

KO

S

the comics

MIK

E W

INT

ER

S

Last week’s answers are posted

on our website, thenewspaper.ca.

First complete crossword gets a

free drink on us!

Across

1. Quaker Oats product3. Male sibling6. Murder professionally9. Atoll11. Detect via the nose12. Competent16. Torment18. Feast19. Irish revolutionary organi-zation20. Fall back21. Place 23. Pine or traffic

24. Begin27. Sports network30. Data31. Packs it in32. Storm

Down

1. Ancient flute like instrument

2. Trivial4. Australian gem5. Ask for7. “Cogito ergo ___”8. Malaise 10. Ease the load of13. Contusions14. Sources15. Ginger ___ (Christmas biscuits)17. Attack18. Awful20. Palindrome beginning with “R”22. Smallest25. Asphalt26. Electronics company28. At a distance29. Solid