Eyeopenerthe
volume 44 / issue 4 Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Ryerson’s Independent Paper Since 1967
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Student homeless after six-alarm fire
PHOTO: MARTA IWANEK
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The Eyeopener2 Wednesday, September 29, 2010
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The Eyeopener 3Wednesday, September 29, 2010 NEWS
BY BRAD WHITEHOUSE
ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR
When the fire alarm blared in Khad-
ija Boulaftali’s apartment, the Ryerson
student thought it was just a drill. She
didn’t hear sirens or any sounds of emer-
gency. Fire alarms went off for tests all the
time in the building. But when she looked
out her balcony, she saw flames leaping
from the twenty-fourth floor. This alarm
was very real.
“When I looked up, then I saw the
fire. It was a huge fire coming from the
balcony.”
The midwifery student rushed outside
to see what was going on. But when she
stepped out of the Toronto Community
Housing building, there was no going
back. And there’s no telling when she,
and the 1,700 other residents, will be
allowed inside to collect their belongings.
“What I was wearing — that’s all that
I have,” she said. “You need your IDs,
you need money, you need a change
of clothes. No, they don’t let anyone go
back up.”
She only has one set of clothes, which
she washes every day.
The fire broke out around 5 p.m. at 200
Wellesley St. E., near Sherbourne Street.
Firefighters battled the blaze until about
3 a.m. Saturday morning, said David Sheen,
Toronto Fires Services division Chief.
Sheen said firefighters who have been
working for forty years described the fire
as one of the hottest they’d ever experi-
enced. Up to 150 firefighters were on the
scene at the height of the fire, he said.
As many as 10 had to be treated for heat
exhaustion from the six-alarm blaze.
Fourteen people were hospitalized
Friday, including two children and a one-
month-old baby.
Other tenants were sheltered at the
Wellesley Community Centre across the
street, where Canadian Red Cross handed
out blankets and food.
Boulaftali slept there Friday night while
she awaited the fate of her cat, Iza. Ani-
mal services carried her cat down from the
building the next day.
She’s now staying at a friend’s house for
a couple of days, but doesn’t know where
she’ll go after that. She doesn’t have
apartment insurance and officials said it’s
too early to tell when tenants will be able
to move back in.
“They told us at the beginning it’s
going to be about ten hours to get back,
but they start talking about 48 hours and
now there are some who are saying three
weeks,” Boulaftali said. “To be homeless,
that’s the hardest part.”
Boulaftali, who moved to Toronto in
November 2008, has no family in Canada.
The 35-year-old was a certified midwife in
Morocco and practiced there for 10 years.
But when she came to Ontario, her de-
grees weren’t accepted and she had to be
re-certified. She enrolled in the Interna-
tional Midwifery Pre-registration Program
(IMPP) at the Chang School so she can start
working again.
“You have to go back to zero, so I’m
trying just to follow the flow.”
Boulaftali was able to convince fire-
fighters to bring down some of her text-
books, but these are the only belongings
she has.
“I want my laptop. I want my bag,” she
said.
Allison Gaul, program administrator for
IMPP said that she met with Boulaftali and
provided her with text books. She said
she’ll help the student out any way that
she can.
“It’s a difficult situation for immigrants
in general, but to have something like this
Student homeless after Wellesley blazeOfficials say it’s too early to tell when midwifery student and 1,700 others can return home and collect their belongings
Khadija Boulaftali points to her apartment on the seventeenth floor (left). This temporary form (right), is the only piece of identification Boulaftali has. PHOTO: MARTA IWANEK
BY EMMA PRESTWICH
For most students, access to online uni-
versity resources is as easy as logging onto
their my.ryerson account. But George
Brown College students in the collabora-
tive early childhood education (ECE) pro-
gram don’t have that luxury. They’re not
given a Ryerson online identity.
These students do have wireless access
in the Sally Horsfall Eaton centre, but only
if they stay on the sixth floor or in the
study area on the fifth floor.
“There’s too much technicality,” said
Emiline Evangelista, a first-year student in
the ECE diploma program.
George Brown students taking the
early childhood education diploma pro-
gram at Ryerson are given a joint Ryer-
son/George Brown OneCard, which gives
them access to Ryerson services like book-
borrowing and printing in the Academic
Resource Centre.
But they can’t access online databases
or the wireless network.
Brian Lesser, acting director of Cam-
pus Computer Services (CCS), said he has
never received a formal request from
Ryerson to grant wireless access to George
Brown students.
“I don’t think it would be terribly dif-
ficult for us to provide access [for them],”
he said.
“It would just take us a little time — a
month or two — to set it up. There would
also be an incremental bandwidth cost to
us in increased web traffic.”
He said George Brown students don’t
have an online identity because they
don’t use any information technology ser-
vices, but if the two institutions made an
agreement, CCS would set up wireless.
“It’s not like moving a big mountain or
anything,” said Lesser.
For Lisa Veber, a first-year ECE student,
the lack of online accessibility posed
even greater problems. Veber was told
to go through Ryerson instead of George
Brown to fill out her OSAP contract. But
when she went to set up an appointment,
she was asked for a my.ryerson login. She
found the whole process confusing, and
wasn’t able to get any help, she said.
Even something as simple as borrow-
ing a book can be complicated for George
Brown students. First-year ECE student
Meghan Rose, said when she went to the
library, the representative was confused
by her Ryerson/George Brown student
card and had to create a special file for
her.
“They don’t understand that we exist,”
said Rose.
Other George Brown students say
they’re not given enough information on
how to use the Ryerson resources avail-
able to them.
Currently, the only study space for
George Brown students on campus is the
Academic Resource Centre on the sixth
floor of the Sally Horsfall Eaton building.
But the space consists of only one room
with 27 computers accessible to those
with a George Brown ID and six comput-
ers reserved for those with a my.ryerson
account.
Even this limited space isn’t entirely
theirs though, according to first-year stu-
dent Elizabeth, who declined to give her
last name. She said that, during busy pe-
riods, Ryerson students come in and use
the centre because their login gives them
access to the George Brown computers.
“They’re George Brown students who
pay their tuition to George Brown and
that’s their home site,” said Linda Cooper,
Interim Associate Director Collaborative
Degree Program.
“When they are third and fourth-year
students they pay tuition to Ryerson and
are registered Ryerson students. Then
they have access to all the facilities.”
George Brown-Ryerson students left out of university services
They don’t understand that we exist.
— Meghan Rose, first-year ECE student
happen is pretty tough.”
Boulaftali was concerned about how
she would continue her studies, but said
faculty have been supportive. IMPP faculty
emailed Boulaftali to offer her money and
help to find housing. Gaul told her not to
worry about her studies for the moment,
and that she would email Boulaftali’s pro-
fessors to explain her emergency situation.
Gaul directed Boulaftali to CESAR (Con-
tinuing Education Students’ Association Ry-
erson) for help, but she was too exhausted
to wait in the long line up outside.
Boulaftali has been going to the
community centre everyday for updates on
the situation.
Police said there may be water damage
and damage to the building’s electrical
system and, according to the Fire Marshal’s
office, it may take months to determine the
cause of the fire. The apartment where the
fire started was described as belonging to a
hoarder. Officials say it’s too soon to esti-
mate the cost of damage.
“You just have to deal with it and be pa-
tient and thank that we don’t have loss of
life,” said Boulaftali.
It’s a difficult situation for immigrants in gen-eral, but to have some-thing like this happen
is pretty tough.— Allison Gaul,
Program Administrator
To be homeless, that’s the hardest part.
— Khadija Boulaftali,midwifery student
4 EDITORIALThe Eyeopener Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Playing the role of the Annoying Talking Coffee Mug this week...
Rebecca Burton. And rain mist. But mostly Ms. Burton.
The Eyeopener is Ryerson’s largest and independent student newspaper. It is owned and operated by Rye Eye Publish-ing Inc., a non-profit corpora-tion owned by the students of Ryerson.
Our office is on the second floor of the Student Campus Centre and you can reach us at www.theeyeopener.com.
EDITOR-IN-CHIEFShannon “LEX LUTHOR” Higgins
NEWSLee “TAPE WORM” RichardsonMariana “AVOCADO” Ionova
ASSOCIATE NEWSBrad “OAKHAM THIEF” Whitehouse
FEATURESKiera “FACE-STUFFER” Toffelmire
BIZ & TECHMatthew “STALKER BOI” Braga
ARTS & LIFEGianluca “VANILLA NUTS” Inglesi
SPORTSRob “HAPPY HUNTING” Moysey
PHOTOLauren “TRUANT” Strapagiel
Marta “CRACKED” IwanekASSOCIATE PHOTO
Chelsea “STRIPPER” PottageFUN
Kats “TRANNY-BRAGA” QuintoCOMMUNITY
Allyssia “ADHD” AlleyneONLINE MEDIA
Chris “DICK HUNTER I” DaleONLINE GURU
John “MANIC JANNIK” ShmuelGENERAL MANAGER
Liane “TYPHOID MARY” McLartyADVERTISING MANAGER
Chris “BIG COHONES” RobertsDESIGN DIRECTOR
J.D. “WHISKEY SEVEN” MowatCIRCULATION MANAGERMegan “SUPERGIRL” Higgins
VOLUNTEERSDaniela“ONION” GyslerErica “NUDE PIX” Scime
Dominique “DOMIBIZOBURG” Lamberton
The Eyeopener
Of course you do. Just pick up the Eyeopener, fill out the weekly contest on the fun page and drop it off at
SCC 207 for a chance to win $50. And we don’t care what you do with the cash. Buy books. Buy booze. Buy
porn. Whatever. Ask Evan Klasios (above). He won $50 last week. Flip to the fun section now for more details
and check out theeyeopener.com to find out if you won. And as always, email [email protected] or
tweet @theeyeopener if you have letters or questions about coverage. PHOTO: MARTA IWANEK
Want to be $50 richer?
Lindsay “NO PROBLEM” BoeklNicole “HAI THERE” Siena
Alex “MADE MY DAY” LombardiAndrew “WILLY” Williamson
Rebecca “PREY” BurtonEmma“EARTH” PrestwichMichael “WIND” Duncan
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Matthew “PSYCHEDELIC” Prescott OxmanJamieson “FRENETIC” Child
Jasmyn “WHAT?” PSean “PEPPER” Tepper
Brian “PAPERSHOE” BoudreauAndrew “PIECE”Chilton
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Nicole “DEMAND” WitkowskiIan “DICK HUNTER II“ VandaelleTaylor“TEAR ‘EM UP” Lambert
Erica “WARM WELCOME” HuculakAlan “ALWAYS AFTER ME” Hudes
Nicole “HAI THERE” SienaJay “CLUTCH TIMING” Saran
Evan “SLUGGER ” BoudreauRashi“EYE LOVE” GuptaDiana “JOEY BALL” Hall
Letter to the editorRE: Student unions alienating members As queer students we are concerned
that our student paper would choose to print an article that questions our rights to challenge homophobia on our campus. We are outraged and perplexed as to why the paper would print homophobic sentiments expressed in the article. We also feel
compelled to respond to analysis of the article because educational issues are NOT falling by the wayside because student lead organizations like RSU or the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS) are deciding to focus on equity issues.
Attacks based on gender, ability, social class, sexuality, religion, race or any other part of one’s identity does
affect student life and our campus; it is a student issue. This is why the RSU has Equity Service Groups, and why Ryerson funds Discrimination Harassment Prevention Services, and why there was a Taskforce on Racism at Ryerson.
— Victoria Pinhorn, Mo Riazi-Arasi and Cassandra Giorgievski, RyePRIDE coordinators
The Eyeopener 5Wednesday, September 29, 2010 NEWS
BY RASHI GUPTA
Nikki Gershbain put her name on the
wait list at Ryerson’s daycare centre when
she was three months pregnant.
A spot finally opened up for her son,
Max Gilbert, shortly before his fourth
birthday.
This is the experience of dozens of par-
ents looking to place their kids in Ryerson’s
Early Learning Centre, which can only
accommodate 62 children between the
ages of 18 months and six years.
But there are currently 31 names on the
centre’s wait list and, according to man-
agement, most can expect to wait years
for a space to open up.
“The wait list can be very long, for
many families it is up to two years depend-
ing on the time of year and the age of
their child,” said Early Childhood Educa-
tion (ECE) director Sally Kotsopoulos.
“We are always full, as it is essential
to meet our financial obligations to the
university.”
Ryerson students and faculty are given
first priority for admissions, but capacity is
an annual problem.
The wait can be the longest for parents
with very young children since the centre
can only accommodate 10 toddlers and
there are already 14 kids waiting for spots
to open up.
One reason for the expanding wait lists
at university and city childcare centres
is an overall rise in demand over the last
15 years.
The number of children between the
ages of six months and five years that are
enrolled in early childhood education has
increased by 54 per cent since 1995.
However, the number of daycare fa-
cilities, have not expanded enough to
compensate for the growing demand.
“There are only a certain amount of
spaces available which is why we need the
government to provide more dollars for
universal childcare,” said University of To-
ronto associate professor Janette Palletier.
“Lack of space can only be fixed if there
is more funding to build new child care
spaces and to hire ECE’s to run the pro-
grams.”
The space shortages in university day-
care facilities are also partly because
the programs’ good reputation among
parents creates a high demand for spots,
according to former ECE professor and
doctorate student Elaine Winick.
“ECE lab schools have always been the
epitome of excellence in programming,
simply put because they are managed
by the training programs themselves,”
said Winick.
But university campus daycare centres
are worth the wait, according to Gersh-
bain.
“It’s an absolutely amazing program.”
Daycare waitlist grows Parents can expect to wait years for a spot in Ryerson’s daycare centre
BY LEE RICHARDSON
NEWS EDITOR
For students who have wondered why
they cannot simply work straight through
the summer vacation and finish their
degree faster, the answer is in the farming
industry.
“The only reason we have summer vaca-
tion is because in the old days of agricul-
ture we needed students to help with the
harvest,” University of Toronto economics
professor David Foot said. “Obviously that
is no real reason for most people now.”
Some universities in the United States,
like the University of Massachusetts
Amherst, are realizing that point and
increasingly considering and implement-
ing three-year undergraduate degrees.
The shorter degree is created by increas-
ing the student workload by compressing
courses into a shorter timeline, so students
have to work through the summer months
in order to finish earlier.
Ontario does offer three-year under-
graduate degrees in the form of a ‘pass’
degree, which is intended as an introduc-
tion to the liberal arts. But these programs
are different to the typical four year ‘hon-
ours’ degree as they are not intended to
lead into masters programs.
“To some extent it’s kind of a terminal
arts degree,” Ontario Institute for Studies
in Education professor, Glen Jones said.
“But the internal logic of it was to
create a more accessible degree for those
who might not be moving into profession-
al fields, or might not be moving on into a
masters program.”
Such programs, while still available uni-
versities like Waterloo, are becoming in-
creasingly rare due to educational reform
introduced by the Mike Harris government
in 1995. “Universities coincided with the
curriculum double cohort, which was the
notion of reducing the number of years
in secondary school,” Jones said. “That
was believed as a rational reason for not
having as many three year degrees.”
The standard North American under-
graduate degree is longer because of
liberal courses added onto a professional
major, which differs from other countries
concepts of undergraduate education.
“If you go to the U.K your undergradu-
ate degree will be very focused,” Jones
said.
“The notion there is that by focusing
in one area you’re really developing a
strong knowledge.” However, some indus-
tries require a certain amount of schooling.
“A lot of our programs are accredited,
and the length of time is therefore estab-
lished by a professional body, for example
engineering or nursing,” Ryerson presi-
dent Sheldon Levy said.
While a shift to shorter degrees could
easily save money for students, there
is also a potential financial benefit for uni-
versities.
“You obviously wouldn’t have to spend
as much money on teaching,” said Jones.
However, three-year programs are un-
likely to be seen at Ryerson. “There’s been
no Ryerson discussion at all about this,”
Levy said. “Even at four years you look at
the debate of whether we should go from
13 weeks to 12 for reading week and the
big debate is always how do you handle
the amount of content necessary.”
Students on farm cycle
It’s four years now and we’re going through hell.
— Sangam Kaushik,engineering
I’d like to stay and fuck around, I’m in no rush to leave.
— Ryan Ferizovic,business management
Nikki Gershbain and her son, Max, waited over four years for a spot to open up at Ryerson’s daycare centre. PHOTO: LAUREN STRAPAGIEL
The wait list can be very long, for many families up to two years.
— Sally Kotsopoulos,ECE director
To some extent it’s kind of a terminal arts degree.
— Glen Jones, professor
Should Ryerson offer shorter degrees?
The Eyeopener6 Wednesday, September 29, 2010NEWS
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BY MARIANA IONOVA
NEWS EDITOR
Ryerson spent $6000 to “pump up
students” coming to the university this
month, according to Doug Moxon, direc-
tor of university advancement.
The university purchased a one-month
spot on a billboard overlooking Dundas
Square and another one inside the Toron-
to Life Center.
The spaces were used to display a
30-second video of Ryerson students’ work
every 15 minutes and were meant to raise
the spirits of new and returning students.
“The goal is to make students feel good
about choosing Ryerson,” said Moxon.
“Mostly, we wanted to pump up stu-
dents coming to Ryerson.”
The two boards cost a total of $6000 for
the month of September, which Ryerson
president Sheldon Levy said was a steal.
“We got it literally at a tenth of what it
would normally cost,” said Levy.
The typical cost of a similar space could
run between $50 000 and $70 000 dollars
per month, according to Moxon. But the
university wasn’t willing to spend that
much on a video with no sound.
“I didn’t see the benefit of it for that
price,” said Moxon.
The advertising campaign was also
partly an effort to showcase the univer-
sity’s reputation and presence in the area,
according to Levy.
“This is our home we’re going to tell
people it’s our home,” said Levy.
“We have a great place to be able to
shout our name and show the work of our
students and a variety of things.”
But the location of the ads does not do
much to promote the university, accord-
ing to David Dunn, marketing professor at
the University of Toronto. He noted that
instead of advertising around the Ryerson
community, the university should be get-
ting the word out elsewhere.
“Just to stick a bunch of billboards
around campus doesn’t make an awful lot
of sense to me,” said Dunn.
The billboards, although visually ap-
pealing, also have limited ability to draw
in potential new students, said Dunn. In
his view, the university must look to other
mediums to convey its message.
“For recruiting students, I would strong-
ly advise looking at the online world as the
primary source.”
But, according to Moxon, the advertise-
ments targeted the general public and
generated good exposure for the univer-
sity because of their location.
“Yonge and Dundas Square is one of
the most visited spots in Canada.”
And the response was so positive that
the university is open to the possibility of
buying more ad time in the future.
“All the feedback that we’ve been
getting--people really like it,” said Moxon.
“It was a little like ‘let’s try this and see
how it goes.’”
Rye tries to up the hypeUniversity spends $6000 on billboards to “pump up” Ryerson students
Ryerson advertising efforts have expanded from the campus into Dundas Square. PHOTO: JENNIFER CHENG
Sociology professor Dr. Slobodan Drakulic died suddenly and unexpectedly on Sept. 27 at 6:33 p.m. according to Mark Lovewell, the interim dean of arts.
Drakulic’s death shocked Idil Omar, a fourth-year arts and contemporary studies student who has known him since grade 12. “We had class with him last week and he was fine.” Omar said Drakulic was loved by students and she “took classes just to have him as a prof.”
“He was fun, loving, caring and loved to teach.” The Eyeopener offers condolences to his wife and fellow
sociology professor Patrizia Albanese. Read more tomorrow at theeyeopener.com. PHOTO COURTESY OF RYERSON
Beloved professor suddenly dies
BY LEE RICHARDSON
NEWS EDITOR
A court decision to allow Chris Avenir to
hold a class action lawsuit against Ryerson
University will be announced on May 3, 2011
according to Avenir’s lawyer John Adair.
If a class-action lawsuit is allowed it will
be on behalf of student’s accused of aca-
demic misconduct since March 2003, said
Adair. He is unsure when the cut-off date
is, but estimates that the suit will represent
more than 1000 students.
Avenir was charged with 147 counts of
academic misconduct in 2008 after he creat-
ed a Facebook study group where students
could discuss and post solutions to home-
work problems.
Avenir was threatened with expulsion
but instead was given a disciplinary note on
his student file.
He claims that he was wrongfully denied
legal representation during his disciplinary
hearings.
Adair said students are unlikely to make
individual claims against Ryerson. because
of legal costs.
Class action decision set for next spring
The goal is to make students feel good about coming to Ryerson.— Doug Moxon, university
advancement
Just to stick a bunch of billboards around campus doesn’t make an awful lot of sense.
—David Dunn, marketing professor
The Eyeopener 7Wednesday, September 29, 2010 NEWS
Ryerson spent about $250,000 over the weekend to appear at the Ontario Universities Fair. The annual event draws those in-terested in applying to universities. Ryerson introduced a new booth to the exhibit which, while busy, may not have been the most student-relatable. “There’s not many students working,” said Mason Waterworth (pictured right) from Oshawa. “They’re easier to relate to and they give you a better sense of student life.” He did add that the representatives on hand were knowl-edgeable. “They do know what they’re talking about,” he said. PHOTO: MARTA IWANEK
$250,000 splurged on university fair
Briefs & Groaners
In a story that warmed the Eyeopener
news team’s cold dead hearts, a turtle
that was reported as stolen from a
staff member’s aquarium last week was
found alive and well. It had been walk-
ing along the baseboards of the same
office it was reported missing from.
A student is missing his wedding
ring after he accidentally left it in a Kerr
Hall East bathroom last Monday. He
took it off to wash his hands and came
back later to find it had gone. The ring
is gold with a silver band in the centre.
Security was called to arrest a man
who may not fully understand the rules
of commerce. He was swearing at staff
while trying to leave the ILLC cafete-
ria with two cups of tea that he didn’t
want to pay for. Having previously been
barred from campus, he was turned over
to Toronto police.
A student reported her $300 iPhone
stolen after she left it at a Kerr Hall
West computer lab for two minutes last
Tuesday. We say don’t leave anything
anywhere.
A laptop was stolen – possibly by the
Invisible Man – from a student on the
library’s 8th floor. She turned around to
talk to a friend in another cubicle and
when she turned back to her work a
minute later her laptop was gone. No
one suspicious had been seen.
A security member is on light duty af-
ter a conflict with a man who seemed to
be under the influence of crack cocaine.
Security was called to a SHE building
washroom where a man had scattered
his personal property, including crack
pipes, and had stayed for over two
hours.
Locker thefts are still ongoing. A
hard drive was reported missing from
an RCC locker and a laptop has been
taken from a locker in the VIC building.
Because being robbed is awful, we say
that if you live nearby try to leave your
stuff at home, or try to carry your most
valuable items.
A man who must love to learn was
barred from campus after sitting in on
two separate lectures in the same day
and interrupting by constantly asking
questions. Our tips: don’t draw atten-
tion to yourself, and you don’t get any
credit if you don’t pay.
A student called police after being
asked for his ID by pub staff. In a hilari-
ous turn of events, he was then arrested
for being drunk.
And finally, a student ended up in
hospital after cutting her finger while
trying to cut an avocado.
— Lee Richardson
The year of interimInterim positions could potentially cause long-term planning problems
Former Vice-President, Finance and Administration Linda Grayson’s shakes hands with President Sheldon Levy at her goodbye party. PHOTO: LAUREN STRAPAGIEL
BY VIDYA KAURI
Ryerson has been reshuffling its faculty
over the summer, leaving many deans and
chairs in temporary positions.
“It seems to be the year of interim posi-
tions,” said Darrick Heyd, Interim Associate
Dean for the Undergraduate Science Pro-
gram and Student Affairs.
Such temporary positions, typically last-
ing a year, could have an effect on faculty
planning.
“Sometimes it’s challenging for these
people because they’re unable to develop
any kind of plan or vision that could take
that unit through to the next five years,”
said Ontario Institute for Studies in Educa-
tion professor Glen Jones.
“The notion is that you have to be in
the position for long enough to actually
get things happening and that often takes
a year, and year and a half to do the plan-
ning exercises to get a unit to a position
where it can move forward.”
Although the FEAS is not alone in hav-
ing interim deans and chairs, it does cur-
rently have a large proportion of them.
“A number of the chair searches didn’t
materialize and we had to choose an inter-
im,” said Ryerson President Sheldon Levy.
“In other cases like the VP of Research
we just didn’t have time to put in place the
search between the leaving and the person
coming.”
Dr. Darrick Heyd, interim associate dean
for the Undergraduate Science Program
and Student Affairs said the current situ-
ation is, “the consequence of other posi-
tions.”
His predecessor Dr. Chris Evans, was pro-
moted to Vice Provost, Academic before
his term expired and somebody had to be
found quickly to fill his shoes.
This meant Heyd had to leave his posi-
tion as Chair of the Department of Chemis-
try and Biology, with Stephen Wylie chosen
to fill the vacancy until a search committee
could be formed to appoint a permanent
chair.
The search committee’s role involves
establishing a set of criteria that a person
must meet. They usually meet just before
the winter term to establish these criteria
and advertise a position. If all goes well,
they aim to interview candidates in Febru-
ary and make a decision by March or April
so that the new employee can begin the
position on July 1st.
A less formal and shorter consultation
process is used to appoint interim deans
and chairs when a vacancy has to be filled
quickly. Dr. Heyd was ushered into his new
role on June 1st after the dean requested
chairs of various science departments to
put forward names for the job.
He consulted various individuals and Dr.
Heyd was chosen for his outstanding expe-
rience, achievements, willingness and abil-
ity to fill a position of authority on short
notice.
Similarly, Dr. Debora Foster, the interim
dean in the School of Graduate Studies,
was chosen because of her reputation from
her contributions to cellular microbiology,
molecular biology and biochemistry, as well
her substantial involvement in the Gradu-
ate Studies office and her energetic nature.
In the case of Dr. Ana Pejović Milić, the in-
terim chair of physics, the committee search
failed because those recommended by the
committee could not be enticed to leave
their current positions and a new search
committee would have to be formed, said
Dr. Heyd.
“It does seem to be the year of interim
positions. Hopefully, by next year, we’ll
have it all sorted out,” said Dr. Heyd.
Want to volunteer for the
Eyeopener? Email us at [email protected]
An owl appeared on campus recently. What a hoot! PHOTO: BRAD WHITEHOUSE
FEATURESThe Eyeopener8 Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Fresh cheese curds and crispy hand-cut fries smothered in hot, rich gravy. Hailing
from Quebec, poutine has been a Canadian
classic since the 1950s. But the customary
ingredients are no longer doing the trick
for some of Toronto’s trendiest restaurants.
Move over cheese and gravy, make way for
guacamole, bacon and beef chilli.
Poutine’s not the only classic dish under-
going changes. Traditional beef burgers with
all the fixings — lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle,
ketchup and mustard — have also been al-
tered, though they’ve been the standard
since poodle skirts and juke boxes in the
swinging diners of the 50s. But now, the city’s
dining hot spots have revamped burger op-
tions to include lamb, bison and veggie pat-
ties with toppings ranging from goat cheese
to grilled pineapple to roasted red peppers.
Toronto is a food haven — with more
than 10, 000 restaurants to choose from and
countless options bordering our campus, eat-
ing out is hard to resist. But are trendy foods
blowing our budgets, steering us away from
our kitchens, and dictating what and where
we eat? Can we, as strapped-for-cash stu-
dents, afford to pay the bill at establishments
tempting us with their ‘cool’ cuisine?
For students on OSAP, sampling the new-
est trends in the Toronto food scene is espe-
cially difficult. OSAP provides a food allow-
ance of $7.50 per day. This means a single
student has $52.50 each week for food — a
reasonable sum if spent on inexpensive
groceries. However, the coined ‘OSAP diet’,
doesn’t leave spare change for an $8.99
pulled pork poutine from campus-friendly
Smoke’s Poutinerie (Dundas and George), or
a $9.99 lamb burger at W Burger Bar (Yonge
and College).
W Burger Bar is nearing its first anniversary
and its success is illustrative of the growing
trend of the gourmet burger — one that is a
leading trend among students.
W Burger Bar owner Sean Woolf is sitting
at his bar while servers in baby pink t-shirts
zoom past him delivering plates of vegeta-
bles and dip, a complimentary snack every
table is served. The restaurant is packed and
the music is pumping.
Woolf says their location is halfway
between U of T and Ryerson, a strategic
decision. Students flock there and stick
around until the restaurants closes at 2 a.m.
Woolf studied the market, was aware of the
trends and developed his concept accord-
ingly — great burgers for great value.
A hormone and antibiotic-free beef burger
costs $6.99 and is personally customized with
as many complimentary toppings you like at
no extra charge, ranging from cranberries to
cilantro yogurt.
Creative alterations being made to classic
foods make it hard for trend-following stu-
dents to keep their wallets closed and their
cookbooks opened.
Fourth-year arts and contemporary studies
student Michael Searle admits to spending
more than $100 a week eating out. He lives in
Kensington Market and says the convenience
of going out to grab a quick bite, combined
with the abundance of dining choices near
his house — including trend-friendly joint,
Big Fat Burrito — make cooking at home an
unexciting choice. Even with a part-time job,
his budget is shot after choosing trends over
frugality week after week.
Ryerson professor Hersch Jacobs, from the
faculty of Geography, teaches the elective
Food, Place and Identity: The Geography of
Diet. Jacobs sits in his office in Jorgenson Hall,
a large ceramic hamburger rests on the cof-
fee table and empty chip bags taped to his
bookshelf dangle like clothes hanging to dry.
“Food permeates virtually every aspect
of life,” says Jacobs. “It’s a source of pleasure,
peril and survival. We have to eat and we rec-
ognize the dangers involved with eating, but
it’s connected to pleasure.”
Food trends, are similar to trends in any
other industry, Jacobs says.
“Trends come from the imagination of
charismatic leaders in the industry. They cre-
ate a template, and ideas diffuse to others.”
Gourmet grilled cheese, gourmet poutine,
gourmet burgers, gourmet macaroni-and-
cheese, burritos, organic, vegan and gluten-
free fare are all current trends that BlogTO
publisher Tim Shore has identified. Shore
helps keep Torontonians up-to-date on the
latest trends with timely food reviews and
top-ten lists on the popular site.
With the emergence of restaurants and
shops attempting to reinvent classic dishes,
there have been an influx of bizarre foods
breaking onto the market.
In the past couple years cupcakes have re-
surfaced as a popular food trend rather than
just a celebratory dessert and the flavours are
becoming more diverse.
“Cupcakes might have been a trend from a
few years ago. In the last year it got a bit more
specific and ‘mancakes’ came into trend,”
Shore says.
Created by a Liberty Village cupcake shop,
For the Love of Cake, mancakes are exactly
what their titles implies — cupcakes for men.
“In an attempt to change the view that
cupcakes are girly, we decided to create cup-
cakes that guys could appreciate.” The shop’s
website reads. So they incorporate ‘man-wor-
thy’ ingredients like beer, whiskey and bacon
into cupcakes that appeal to the Y chromo-
some. Variations include Guinness chocolate
and maple bacon.
Bacon is another trend, according to Shore.
It’s also listed on Toronto Life’s ‘Seven food
trends we love’ which the magazine publish-
es in April every year. The trend is more about
revamping the meat’s common uses rather
than simply indulging on it as is. Think bacon-
infused alcohol, bacon cream and chocolate-
bacon toffee, according to the list.
The notion of rethinking and making-over
common food, most frequently seen with
comfort food, is a trend Jacobs identified as
‘nostalgia’.
“Hot turkey sandwiches, meatloaf, ramped
up mac-and-cheese, it’s nostalgic; a tip of the
hat to the food of your childhood.”
And for the ‘OSAP diet’ peers among us,
there is hope. You can get these nostalgic
comfort foods for less than $7.50 at what
Jacobs describes as the least expensive
restaurant in the city — Gale’s Snack Bar on
Eastern Avenue.
If the location isn’t a big enough clue,
hipsters beware, this is not a trendy-looking
restaurant. But if this nostalgic trend is some-
thing you’d like to try out, a hot turkey sand-
wich will set you back $3.00.
“Gramps is in the kitchen,” Jacobs says,
“and his granddaughter runs things out
front.”
Of course it’s the trendy restaurants that
are the most detrimental to student bank
NEW FOODSON THE BLOCK
Dominique Lamberton explores the city’s food trends and the strain they put on students’ bank accounts
The “Hog Town Poutine,” decked with double-smoked bacon, Italian sausage, sauteed mushrooms and carmelized onions, from one of Toronto’s trendiest food spots — Smoke’s Poutinerie.
9Wednesday, September 29, 2010 FEATURES The Eyeopener
accounts, not the family-run, greasy-spoon
diner east of the DVP. Guu Izakaya, a new
hotspot within stone’s throw of campus has
everyone talking. Shore, Jacobs and Woolf
all mentioned the new eatery on the corner
of Church and McGill.
Aside from its impressive exterior, which
makes the Indian take-out place next door
look rather sad, Guu Izakaya features dishes
designed for sharing, another hot trend
Jacobs mentioned.
“Tapas, small bites, appetizer-based
menus; portion size is a trend right now,” said
Jacobs.
In addition to these food-specific trends,
Jacobs identified the tendency among a
growing number of chefs and restaurants
to be increasingly ingredient conscious. It’s
what Jacobs calls the holy trinity — organic,
local and heritage. It’s a result of the increase
in health-conscious consumers, with local
and organic food becoming more accessible
and vegan and gluten-free choices becoming
more widespread, customers desire close to
home, unmodified ingredients.
“It’s about putting food on the plate that
is honest, letting people know who made it,
who grew it; food with integrity,” says Jacobs.
Woolf sees the importance of this trend
and the growing preference towards fresh,
locally sourced ingredients.
In addition to working with small local
farms that raise hormone and antibiotic free
beef, they make their own preservative-free
buns every morning and cut their own fries.
“People can taste the difference,” Woolf
says.
While all of these trends are an indication
of the dishes and ingredients customers de-
sire, as well as an illustrative account of what’s
working in the food world, Shore thinks that
ultimately, eating is simply a social behaviour.
“Sure, nourishment is important. But food
just serves as a backdrop to a social gathering
among friends.”
Whether you find yourself at one of the
city’s hippest restaurants with a group of
friends or simply cramped in your base-
ment apartment all together, the experience
of coming together to share a meal is the
longest standing trend of all.
While we shouldn’t feel guilty about treat-
ing oursleves from time to time, the count-
less, ever-changing dishes the city offers can
provide inspiration in our own kitchens. And
our budgets will thank us.
Ingredients 6 slices of multi-grain bread (or any desired variety)
4 tbsp margarine or butter
1 apple, peeled and thinly sliced
½ tsp curry powder, or to taste
½ tsp cinnamon
Squeeze of lemon juice
8 large slices of cheddar
4 tbsp mango chutney
*Recipe makes two triple-decker sandwiches.
Directions:1. Place three slices of bread side by side. Spread 1 tbsp of butter evenly on one side
of two slices of bread.
2. In a small pan melt 1 tbsp of butter and add the sliced apples. Cook, stirring until
slightly softened.
3. Add curry powder, cinnamon and squeeze of lemon juice. Cook for another couple
minutes.
4. Place two slices of cheese on the bottom slice of bread (on the unbuttered side).
5. Cover with 1 tbsp of the mango chutney and a quarter of the apple mixture. Cover
with a piece of unbuttered bread.
6. Place two slices of cheese on this piece of bread. Cover with 1 tbsp of the chutney
and again with the apple mixture. Cover with the piece of buttered bread (butter
side up).
7. Place the sandwich in a pan on medium-heat and cook each side until the bread
is golden brown and the cheese is melted. Repeat with second sandwich.
8. Cut in half and serve.
MAKE YOUR OWN: Triple-decker curried apple and
chutney gourmet grilled cheese
PHOTOS: LAUREN STRAPAGIEL
The Eyeopener10 Wednesday, September 29, 2010ARTS & LIFE
Working ‘till dawnCrumbled papers, energy drinks and sweats. Brian Boudreau, Christina Dun, and Nicole Witkowski report on the students who go bump in the night
The Swans’ Lake by Ryerson’s School of Interior Design and Theatre School.
Going without sleep isn’t uncommon for Mandala Mitton or Craig Eden. Both second-year architecture students say they have had to stay up for the extent of two days to finish all the projects they had on their plate. “And that’s working like 20 out of the 24 hours of that day,” said Eden. For some students at Ryerson this is some-thing that comes with each and every project. Students are constantly battling with having to be creative on demand as our previously technical programs become increasingly more conceptual. Interior design students don’t have it any easier. From the first weeks of school the program demands both passion and dedication from their students. “It’s been really stressful,” said Erika Van Der Pas, first-year interior design student, “I feel like they’ve been trying to weed out the bad guys.” The programs are designed as models of how the professional fields of architecture and interior design work. The practicality of both areas of study gives students what they need to be competitive after graduation. Masha Etkind, a professor in the School of Architectural Science describes the programs focus when he said, “[The program] turned from technical and engineering to conceptual and creative.” “It won’t make them better designers if you make [the program] easier,” said Annick Mitch-ell, Chair of Interior Design here at Ryerson about interior design. Students agree the dedication is necessary to gain the necessary skills involved in these practical professions. “It’s a love-hate relationship. It’s fun work, but there’s way too much,” said second-year student James Saunders about the architecture workload. Mariya Haponenko, a second-year interior design student says with so much work each week it becomes a struggle to do your best. “To be creative you need time to get inspired but with these deadlines it’s hard to. Projects turn out to be mediocre,” she said. And with so many assignments being signed out, students must master the art of time management. “I don’t really have much time for myself, or to go shopping or to party or anything but school,” said Schembri.
Stephanie Wiebe, second-year interior design student, knows the toll that the program takes on students’ lives. “Your social life changes completely. Your classmates become your family,” said Wiebe. With deadline fast approaching on these assignments, students go to whatever extent they need to in order to assure they get the work done. “The longest time I’ve gone without sleep-ing is probably close to 40 hours. I’ve heard of people who have done more. That happened in first year, like when you’re trying to figure out how to manage your time more efficiently,” says fourth-year architecture student Shiloh Lazar. Haponenko, recalls having to look out for her health when skipping sleep. “I’ve come close to passing out. People get shakes when they stay up all night, and you can get sick if you keep pulling all-nighters.” Though students are pressured by dead-lines, Etkind said the profession could not exist without them. “Without deadlines you could spend your whole life on a project.” Azure Magazine named Ryerson’s School of Interior Design in the top three schools of its kind worldwide and the School of Architectural Science is renowned amongst the best in the country, but Mitchell thinks this only motivates the students to be stronger. “We expect them to be leaders, so they have to act like leaders. That striving for excellence can be challenging,” she said. Coping methods vary among students but Lazar says balance is key. “Every week I find time to do some intra-mural sports or something like that. And in as much time you spend in studio, you really have to get outside studio, get outside of architec-ture because life is about balance,” said Lazar. Haponenko describes having to push through it to reach an end result you’re happy with. “To deal you have to put in the extra effort. Time, dedication and research is the only way to cope,” said Haponenko.The work these students produce shows that no amount of pressure can overshadow their talent. “I’ve been east to west,” Wiebe said, “Everyone is sympathetic to interior designers. This is definitely what I want to do, though.”
Matthew Prescott Oxman and Vicki Kuglin give a sneak peek of Ryerson’s part in Scotiabank Nuit Blanche on Oct. 2. For complete coverage visit: theeyeopener.com
Look for the Eyeopener’s tweets this Saturday as we attempt to critique the elaborate exhibits of Scotiabank Nuit Blanche. Tell us about what you see by using the hashtag #eyeforanuit
@AllyssiaAlleyne
@gianluca_i
COMMUNITYEDITOR
ARTS & LIFEEDITOR
EYE’S NUIT OUTPHOTO: MARTA IWANEK — With files from Rebecca BurtonEven in the first month of school students can be found labouring away in the studio.
11SPORTS The EyeopenerWednesday, September 29, 2010
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Double agent Kevin SouterLast year, he was in the pros. This year, he’s on the Ryerson men’s soccer team working as a player and a coach. How did that happen? Sean Tepper reports
PHOTO: MARTA IWANEK
Being a head coach is stressful: orga-
nizing practices, preparing game plans,
managing players’ personalities — it’s a
lot to handle. Now imagine having all the
responsibilities of a university head coach
in addition to being the athletic director
of an up-and-coming university program
that is in the midst of a massive expansion.
Now that’s quite the juggling act, one
that athletics director and head soccer
coach Ivan Joseph has to deal with on a
daily basis, and it simply cannot continue.
Enter Kevin Souter.
The 26-year-old Scotsman is easily the
most experienced, accomplished, and
oldest member of the Ryerson men’s soc-
cer team. What makes Souter the most in-
triguing player on the Ram’s roster is not
the fact that Ivan Joseph coached him at
Graceland University, but that he’s being
groomed to take over for Joseph as head
coach of the team as early as next year.
“I’m not sure if there is any other [play-
er-coach] in Canada,” said Joseph with a
laugh.
There has always been a fine line be-
tween coach and player, but that line has
been muddled for Souter, playing as a mid-
fielder and acting as an assistant coach at
the same time.
“I am coming in a position where I want
to learn as much as I can to eventually be-
come a head coach,” explained Souter. “At
this point it’s a good blend because being
on the field you can see the guys, how they
are moving, where their fitness levels are
at and where they should be in relation to
[where you want them to be].”
Souter is a good candidate for the play-
er-coach role because he knows what Jo-
seph is trying to build. He came to America
by way of Scotland in 2005 and became a
second-team All-American en route to an
NAIA national championship. In 2008, he
turned pro and played Major League Soc-
cer (MLS) for a few years.
“Ivan has a proven method for success
and he’s trying to bring that here. We share
similar values so he knows the team will be
in good hands,” said Souter.
In May 2008, the Kansas City Wizards
signed Souter and he made his MLS de-
but against David Beckham’s Los Angeles
Galaxy. After playing in Kansas City for two
years, Souter was waived by the Wizards
during the 2010 pre-season.
“My time [in Kansas City] was good and
bad. I was hampered by injuries and never
really recovered,” explained Souter. “I was
kind of forced out. They came in with new
ideas and I didn’t really fit in.”
Souter was claimed off of waivers by the
Seattle Sounders, but never signed a con-
tract with them because their front office
was targeting other international players.
“I was a little disheartened,” admit-
ted Souter. “Ivan has always been a good
friend. I talked to him one day and he [told]
me that if you don’t plan on pursuing soc-
cer then there will always be a position [at
Ryerson] for you.”
When Souter first came to Ryerson, he
said that it was strictly as a coach. That all
changed during a pre-season game, when
the Rams squared off against the Univer-
sity of Saskatchewan. Ryerson was down
a few players, and needed Souter to play
as a midfielder in order to have enough
players.
“It kind of ignited the spark a little
bit,” he said. He now takes three classes
through the Chang School to maintain his
eligibility.
Joseph hopes Souter can teach his play-
ers a thing or two by playing with them.
“I think that we have several players on
the team that can kick a ball harder than
Kevin, that have a better first touch than
Kevin and that are faster than Kevin. What
we don’t have is a player that has a work
ethic like Kevin, that is as fit as Kevin and
is as passionate about training and prepar-
ing as Kevin,” said Joseph.
Right now, the plan is for Souter to be
head coach for the 2011 season with Jo-
seph staying on as an assistant until 2012.
“I have a lot of experience but I still have
a lot to learn,” he admits. “[But] I think Ryer-
son has the potential to become one of the
best teams in the [conference].”
BY ALAN HUDES
In hockey, timing is everything. Just
ask newly recruited left-winger Cassandra
Nasso.
Nasso scored a hat trick to lead the
Toronto Stingers past the Barrie Sharks 3-1
in their Sunday afternoon season opener.
“I feel like a leader,” said Nasso after
the victory. “I want to lead this team the
whole season.”
That kind of performance isn’t just a
game-saver — it is a team-builder that is
necessary in setting a solid foundation
in preparation for the team’s entry into
Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) next
season. The Stingers turned in sub-par
results last year and know that this year
has to be different.
“Last year, I found that as soon as we
got to know each other, we started having
better results on the ice,” said second-year
defenceman Jenny Young. “This year we’re
starting where we were halfway [through]
last season. Our team is going to definitely
be improved.”
The fourth-year team currently plays as
the Toronto Stingers in the Golden Blades
Women’s Hockey League, a competitive
women’s league based at York University.
With Maple Leaf Gardens set to be ready
for next year, Ryerson athletics has com-
mitted to icing a women’s varsity team.
“The expectation is that we will go
into the CIS next year,” said head coach
Stephanie White. “That’s what we’re build-
ing towards.”
As part of the major change, the team
would be officially granted varsity status,
allowing them to compete as the Ryerson
Rams against other Ontario universities.
For some of the veterans especially, that
thrilling opportunity cannot come soon
enough.
“I’ve been waiting for three years to
be a Ram,” said third-year defenceman
Lee Ann Pallet. “I’m really excited. When
I was in first year, the team was in tier
four in the Golden Blades league, which
is the bottom of the barrel, and we did
extremely well. Now we’re in tier two and
hopefully next year the CIS. Every year is
a big leap.”
Several new recruits have been added
to the team, with some having experience
playing in the Provincial Women’s Hockey
League.
Coach White says they have the poten-
tial to leave a huge impact.
“We expect a higher level of skill from
some of the players that we’ve brought in
and they will help develop our culture as a
team into a culture of excellence,” she said.
“We’ve had nothing but positive sup-
port from the school, from the president
through to our athletics director. We
want to succeed. We’re not here just to be
mediocre.”
In addition, the coaching staff has
revamped the training program for the
team to include position-specific practices
that will help build fundamental skills.
The continued growth of the program
would not have been possible without the
students who started the club.
“The reason this team exists now and
the reason we have the opportunity to
move into the CIS is because there was a
passion for hockey at Ryerson and there
was a determination with students at
Ryerson to make this dream come true,”
White said.
Turning over a new Leaf
We want to succeed. We’re not here just to be mediocre.
—Stephanie White, coach
12 SPORTSThe Eyeopener Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Positions receive honoraria and are a great way to GET INVOLVED to build Ryerson.
Run for a Position – fill a spot on the Graduate Executive Committee
HEY GRADUATESTUDENTS
Nominations open for:• Chairperson• Deputy Chairperson Education• Deputy Chairperson Finance
For more info visit www.rsuonline.ca/gradsEmail: [email protected]
Nomination packages availableMon-Fri 10am-6pm at the RSU main office: Student Centre, SCC311
Nominations Close Friday, October 1, 2010 at noon
BY EVAN BOUDREAU
It’s halfway through the second period
and Greg Riggs picks off a pass in his own
zone. He looks up and sees a wide-open
neutral zone — the perfect gift for the
shifty 5'7" centreman.
In just a few strides he reaches max
speed and blazes into the offensive zone.
The opposing defensemen move into
position and force Riggs to weave
through dropped shoulders and extend-
ed sticks as he makes his way to the net.
It’s a situation he deftly dealt with in his
junior hockey days, but can he do it again
at a higher level of competition?
Before the 165-pound rookie can
get a hard shot on goal, he’s knocked to
the ice, causing the puck to trickle harm-
lessly towards the goaltender. Not this
time, it seems, but he didn’t get this far by
giving up.
Although Riggs is a proven star in his
junior hockey league, he’s an unknown
quantity at Ryerson. If he has any chance
of getting all-star consideration here in
the OUA, he’ll have to overcome many
obstacles along the way. Aside from his
diminutive size (he’s the smallest on the
team by far) he’s also one of the youngest
players and has no professional hockey
experience.
The first-year business student also
spends 40 minutes commuting each day
to class, two hours practicing and then
another hour-and-a-half heading home
to Pickering from the rink.
“It’s a little tough, I’m really busy, and it
was an early morning,” said Riggs after the
early Sunday game. He’s visibly exhausted
but sublimely confident in his abilities.
He mastered the delicate balance be-
tween school and hockey once before;
now he must do it again.
While his grades have yet to be tar-
nished, the same can’t be said about his
game. He has yet to record a goal during
the team’s four pre-season contests.
“It’s a lot faster of a game, a little bit
rougher, but I’m enjoying it,” he said.
Naturally, the smallish centre doesn’t
see his size as a disadvantage. His phi-
losophy growing up has always been
that size doesn’t matter on the ice. Don
Cherry diehards may disagree, but coach
Graham Wise sure doesn’t. When asked
if Riggs’ size might hold him back,
Wise emphatically shouted “No!”
Wise feels Riggs just needs to settle
into his coaching system, build chemistry
with his linemates, and adjust his game to
George Bell Arena’s small ice surface.
“He’s a pretty gritty kid, an offensive
guy, quick and good on the penalty kill,”
said Wise.
Riggs comes to the Ryerson Rams after
spending five years playing for his home-
town Pickering Panthers in the Ontario
Junior ‘A’ Hockey League. Last season,
Riggs recorded a team-leading 53 points
in 49 regular season games en route to
his MVP nomination.
It was former Rams captain Kevin Kras-
nowski who introduced the coaching
staff to Riggs. Having played against him
in junior hockey, Krasnowski knew Riggs
would be a good fit for the Rams.
It looks to be a match made in heaven,
as Riggs also has a deep connection to
Maple Leaf Gardens. He once scored a
game-winning goal during a tournament
there, and his face lights up like a red
goal-lamp at the thought of doing it on
a regular basis.
“What kid doesn’t want to play in
Maple Leaf Gardens?” said Riggs.
For now the young centre is focused
on impressing the coaches before the
final roster cuts are made. With the Rams
season opener on October 1, that time is
running out.
His position on the team is anything
but secured, as he is battling four other
rookie centres for a roster spot. But
regardless of what happens, he’s already
made friendships that are bound in hock-
ey tape.
“So far it’s been going out with the
boys, meeting a bunch of people, it’s
been fun,” said Riggs.
Little man, big heart
Every Sunday in the quad, Sam Racine
and Suraj Singh can be spotted setting up
quidditch equipment for team practice
in the afternoon.
They haul the heavy makeshift hoops
from storage at Church and Shuter Streets,
dragging a cluster of brooms and balls be-
hind them. They are constantly updating
the team’s social media accounts to make
sure all members are on the same page.
And they tirelessly teach new players the
rules of the game without batting an eye.
But all of their work could be in vain.
Ryerson is reluctant to even partially
fund or promote its sports clubs, leaving
virtually all of the legwork to the club
founders. Couple that with the severe
lack of room to play on campus and a
graveyard of dead clubs begins to form
— cricket, rugby, and poker are just a few.
Though the recent athletics referen-
dum padded the coffers of Ryerson sports
and recreation, that money is being
poured into varsity sports and facilities
like Maple Leaf Gardens — initiatives ath-
letics director Ivan Joseph feels do more
to bolster the athletic profile of Ryerson.
“Clubs are more here for socialization
and community engagement. Their role
isn’t to boost the athletic profile of the
school — that’s for varsity sports to do.
There’s just not enough resources to give
them all money.”
Right now, just about any group of stu-
dents can start a club, but they must be
entirely self-sufficient with team costs,
promotion, and the $500 team supervi-
sor fee. All the university does is organize
gym space and equipment storage, both
of which are virtually non-existent.
Randy Pipher, Ryerson’s intramural
and camps coordinator, is responsible for
managing clubs. He bases his decision
largely on the availability of facilities and
perceived sustainability of the club.
“Some clubs might have low numbers
to start, but we know it will be around
years later,” he said. “[But] we need to
see the interest first before we dole out a
bunch of money for it.”
The utter lack of facilities at Ryerson
can kill even the enthusiastic interest. Cur-
rently, the RAC only has gym time avail-
able at inconvenient times like weekday
mornings and weekend nights.
“Are you going to get clubs and stu-
dents to come practice in the morning?
Probably not, unless they’re really dedi-
cated. We’re even finding that it’s hard to
get students to come play intramurals on
the weekends because they have to work
to pay tuition,” said Pipher.
Ryan Stratton, a former radio and tele-
vision arts student, toiled for three years
trying to start up a rugby club before ulti-
mately giving up.
He had 100 students interested in play-
ing, an arrangement with the University
of Toronto to practice on their field, and a
season organized between nearby Toron-
to universities, yet it was still not enough
to coax the university into cooperation.
“They didn’t say it was a good idea,
they were just buzz kills. All they did was
say ‘Here’s all the money you have to pay,
here’s all the forms you have to fill out,
here’s all the negatives’,” said Stratton. “We
didn’t need money, we had guys willing to
pay. We just needed support.”
Stratton’s rugby team paid only $40
per semester compared to other clubs
like cheerleading, which pays $200. He
even worked out a deal with local bar
Filthy McNasty’s to sponsor the team in
exchange for an advertisement on their
jersey. But Ryerson shot down the team’s
sponsor because the university doesn’t
want alcohol-related sponsors on jerseys.
“If we could have had our sponsor,
Ryerson rugby would have been free,”
said Stratton.
Pipher points to the absence of a field
near campus for the team’s failure, but
Stratton argues the team had a bevy of
talented players that were committed.
“There’s tons of talent in Toronto and
rugby is on the rise. U of T has an OUA
team already, but with our talent we
could beat those guys,” said Stratton.
Stratton served as his team’s supervisor
and donated the $500 back to the team,
but once he graduated and a few senior
members left, the team fell apart.
So what does this mean for the quid-
ditch team? Like rugby, they need a field
bigger than the quad to play on that is
nowhere to be found. They need a place
to store their equipment, but no space in
the RAC exists. And they need a supervi-
sor to officiate their games for the season,
which they haven’t found yet.
Aside from that, it is going to take a
herculean recruiting effort for the team
to succeed where others have failed. Most
importantly, the team is going to need a
solid base of leaders to organize the team
once the original founders move on —
something the rugby team never had.
“We hope we can get a lot of froshies
involved,” said Sam Racine. “We need to
make sure there are people to continue
what we’ve started when we’re gone so it
goes on for years and years.”
Destined to failSports editor Rob Moysey finds out why so many sports clubs at Ryerson crash and burn before they’re barely off the ground
What kid doesn’t want to play in Maple Leaf Gardens?
— Greg Riggs, first-year centreman
We didn’t need money, we had guys willing to pay. We just needed support.
— Ryan Stratton, rugby club founder
At 5'7", Greg Riggs is by far the smallest player on the men’s hockey team. PHOTO: EVAN BOUDREAU
The Eyeopener 13Wednesday, September 29, 2010 BIZ & TECH
See something strange on campus? Administration got you down? If you’re on Twitter, use the #eyeforatweet hashtag to share you frustration, or just make us laugh. If we like what we see, we may just print it! And follow @theeyeopener for all your Ryerson news.
@br00k3cMy iCal has been transformed to nothing but pink after adding all my due dates for everything this semester. Thanks rye high #eyeforatweet
@ScaachiWhy are all the girls at #Ryerson wearing diaper shorts and printed leggings? IT IS FALL.
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@AllyssiaAlleyneI never thought that I’d enjoy four hours of lectures at #Manifesto, as I can hardly stay awake during the three hour lectures at #Ryerson
A group of Ryerson professors are
making songs for the deaf — and
we aren’t talking about covers of the
popular Queens of the Stone Age
album.
By generating different types of
vibration, the team has developed a
number of devices that allow the deaf
and hard of hearing to experience
sound and music, some of which will
be shown during a Scotiabank Nuit
Blanche performance this weekend.
Called VIBES! Feel It!, the exhibit
can be found in the Distillery District,
within the Deaf Culture Centre in
Zone B.
“It’s looking at ways of
making music accessible…[and]
experiencing music without sound,”
explained Frank Russo, director of
the university’s Science of Music,
Auditory Research and Technology
lab.
He’s quick to point out that this
isn’t a new trend; Beethoven had the
same idea when he began to lose his
hearing, playing piano close to the
ground so he could “feel” the notes
vibrate through the floor.
What has changed, however,
is how the technology is used to
harness that sensation, resulting in a
more effective experience for those
unable to hear.
One of those devices is dubbed
the Emoti-chair, and was first
conceived over two years ago
by Russo and two other Ryerson
professors.
By applying vibrations of varying
size and power to a user’s back, the
chair attempts to produce physical
representations of rhythm and voice.
“The solution with the chair is to
separate the low and the high, to
put different frequency channels
on different part of the bodies,”
explained Russo, “and that really is
the essence of why this thing seems
to work.”
The same theory has been applied
to another one of Russo’s devices, a
modified foam pool noodle called a
vibe worm.
By feeding wire through its
hollow centre, the noodle can be
turned into a makeshift speaker that
transmits sound through “the skin
instead of vibrations through the
air.”
What the team finds most
impressive with these devices is
not just the ability for deaf or hard
of hearing users to detect change
in tone or pitch, but differences
between voices or instruments as
well, all thanks to subtle variances in
the pattern of vibration.
“There are certain gestures
that work very well, like sweeps
in frequencies that move up and
down,” explained Paul Swoger-
Ruston, a lecturer in music at Ryerson
University and the man responsible
for composing some of the Emoti-
chair’s music.
“You have to kind of think in larger
intervals than traditional music.”
While the human ear is capable
of hearing a very wide range of
frequencies, those that can be
interpreted through vibration are far
less — only between 1 and 1000Hz,
approximately.
That means composers like
Swoger-Ruston must be particularly
careful to compose pieces that
translate well into a vibratory
experience. “Obviously, rhythmically
charged stuff is most readily
apparent, so anything with a
regular pulse most obviously comes
through.”
“But it is quite remarkable that the
deaf can actually discern differences
in vocal tambour through vibrations,
so it’s richer than I ever expected.”
So rich, in fact, that one of the
chair’s creators, Maria Karam, is
currently working to produce a
commercialized version of the chair
that can be purchased by deaf users,
or even musical enthusiasts like
Swoger-Ruston.
And thanks to its inclusion in this
year’s Nuit Blanche festival, users
will have a chance to experience
that same feeling firsthand, thanks
to devices like the Emoti-chair and
Russo’s vibe worms.
“What is particularly interesting
about this performance, is the fact
that no-one will be “hearing” the
music!” explained Gwen Dobie,
a professor at York University’s
department of theatre, and one of
the deaf performers involved in this
weekend’s exhibit.
“The public will be placed in a
position to feel the vibrations, to
experience music as the deaf or hard
of hearing.”
Scotiabank Nuit Blanche runs
all night, Oct. 2, from 6:57 p.m. to
sunrise.
Good vibrationsSongs for the deaf? That’s what a group of Ryerson professors are planning for Scotiabank Nuit Blanche.
Business and technology editor Matthew Braga reports
TheEyeopener.com: Your new homepage, or elseIn case you were wondering, our
plans for world domination are still
on schedule. But as great as lasers
and remote controlled weather
clouds may be, we’ve decided to
set our sights a little lower for now,
beginning with the Eyeopener’s
brand new website.
If you even need to ask what’s new,
you clearly haven’t spent enough time
browsing our impressive collection
of hilarious videos, podcasts and
photographic content. It’s well worth
your time, and worthy of a permanent
home in your RSS reader or iPad-style
device!
PHOTO CREDIT: MATTHEW BRAGAProfessor Frank Russo in the school’s SMART lab.
It’s looking at ways of making music accessible...[and] experiencing music without sound.— Frank Russo, Professor
DEADLINE to OPT-OUT, OPT-IN or ADD DEPENDENTS:
There are ABSOLUTELY NO EXCEPTIONS to this deadline
FRIDAY, OCT 8, 2010 - 6pm
Member Services Office, Student Centre Lobby, email [email protected] or visit www.rsuonline.ca/services
DID YOU OPT-OUT LAST YEAR? NO WORRIES!
* Refund cheques ready for pick up in early November
TIME IS RUNNING OUT!
OPT-OUT ON-LINE www.greenshield.ca/studentcentre to apply for refund
You’re automatically opted-out, this year and for your duration as a full-time student.
The Ryerson Students’ Union provides full-time students extended Health & Dental Insurance. If you have comparable coverage, OPT-OUT for a refund.
HOW TO OPT OUT?
FUN(KY SPERM WALLET)14 The Eyeopener Wednesday, September 29, 2010
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For more info contact: Caitlin Smith, VP Finance & Services, email [email protected]/ttc
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• All Metropasses are NON-REFUNDABLE and CANNOT BE EXCHANGED
• One pass per person, cash or debit
What you need to know:
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The RSU along with GTA students’ unions and the Canadian Federation of Students won this historic victory, after successfully lobbying the Toronto Transit Commission. This discount gives university & college students the same discount offered to high school students and can be purchased at the Member Services Office.
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www.ryerson.ca/alumni/alumniweekend
In partnership with
Re-discover the campus • Re-discover the city • Re-discover the friendships
RAMS VOLLEYBALL EXTRAVAGANZA PANEL DISCUSSION: THE FUTURE OF DIGITAL MEDIA
alumniweekend
Searing Spikes and Dynamic Discussion – Saturday, October 2
Rogers Communications Centre: Eaton Lecture Theatre 1:30 p.m - 2:30 p.m.
Upper Gym1:30 p.m - 3:30 p.m.
• Don’t miss this lively discussion and the chance to share your opinion
• Hear from these expert panelists and more
• Cheer on the men’s volleyball team while they battleUniversité de Sherbrooke
• Contests, prizes and free gifts for the fi rst 100 alumni
STUDENTS WELCOME!
Moderator:Dwight DrummondCrime Specialist, CityNews
Adam Froman CEO, Delvinia
Abby GoodrumThe Velma Rogers Graham Research Chair and Associate Professor, Ryerson School of Journalism
Marissa NelsonSenior Editor, Digital News, Toronto Star
Chris NguyenCo-Founder of teamsave.com, Ryerson Digital Media Zone
➔
INTERESTED IN VOLUNTEERING? Contact Anjela at [email protected] BRING YOUR ONECARD
16 The Eyeopener Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Is there a prof that has really made a difference in your learning? Stimulated your thinking? Captured your imagination?Now’s the time for you to make a difference. Show how much you appreciate a prof’s amazing talent and inspiration by nominating him or her for a Faculty Teaching Award.
Ryerson has tremendous profs. To give them the recognition they deserve for their exceptional efforts, we need your help. Students and faculty can nominate their choices in the following categories:
Sometimes, An Apple Just Doesn’t Cut It.
We’re inviting students, faculty and staff to join us in a celebration for the outstanding recipients of the 2010 Faculty Teaching Awards.
• Deans’ Teaching Awards
• Provost’s Experiential Teaching Award, Interdisciplinary Teaching Award, and Innovative Teaching Award
• President’s Award for Teaching Excellence
• Chancellor’s Award of Distinction
There’s no time to waste. Visit www.ryerson.ca/lt/awards/ryerson and get all the details.
Alan Shepard, Provost and Vice President Academic invites you to a celebration of teaching excellence. Congratulate
some of Ryerson’s most dedicated, innovative and inspiring profs. Come and see why they’re a cut above.
October 7, 3:30 p.m., POD 250 (The Commons). Reception to follow.
This year’s recipients are:
Deans’ Teaching Awards
FACULTY OF ARTS
Mitu Sengupta, Politics and Public Administration
Robert Teigrob, History
FACULTY OF COMMUNICATION & DESIGN
Ann Rauhala, Journalism
FACULTY OF COMMUNITY SERVICES
Peter Strahlendorf, Occupational and Public Health
FACULTY OF ENGINEERING, ARCHITECTURE AND SCIENCE
Soosan Beheshti, Electrical and Computer Engineering
THE G. RAYMOND CHANG SCHOOL OF CONTINUING EDUCATION
David Miller, Arts
TED ROGERS SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT
Kenneth Grant, Information Technology Management
David Valliere, Entrepreneurship and Strategy
Chancellor’s Award of Distinction
Malgorzata (Gosha) Zywno, Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty of Engineering, Architecture and Science
President’s Award for Teaching Excellence
Steven Gedeon, Entrepreneurship and StrategyTed Rogers School of Management
Provost’s Experiential Teaching Award
Paul Moore and Andrea Noack, SociologyFaculty of Arts
Provost’s Innovative Teaching Award
Tetyana Antimirova, PhysicsFaculty of Engineering, Architecture and Science
Teaching Assistant / Graduate Assistant Awards
Natasha Berry, Chemistry and Biology
Omar Falou, Physics
Elmira Ghoulbeigi, Computer Science
Rebecca Nava, Geography
Zorianna Zurba, Social Work
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