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Members of the post-secondary education community in Ontario are calling on the provincial gov-ernment to make a number of im-portant changes to post-secondary education in the upcoming budget. The Canadian Federation of Stu-dents-Ontario (!"#-$), the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance ($%#&), and U of T are all making demands Ontario’s pre-budget con-sultations, which run until Febru-ary '(. The consultations are an opportunity for individuals and organizations in Ontario to submit their priorities in advance of the upcoming provincial budget.

The demands include increased funding for post-secondary edu-cation, improved post-graduate employment outcomes for un-dergraduates, and fair graduate expansion allocations. The cur-rent Liberal government — which currently has a minority in the legislature — could fall on the budget, which will likely include policies aimed at appealing to vot-ers ahead of an election.

Almost all of the demands boil down to an underfunded post-secondary education sector. Ac-cording to Cheryl Regehr, U of T’s

provost, Ontario currently has the lowest per-student funding in Canada. Regehr would like to see this funding increased in the upcoming provincial budget.

“We understand that there are huge constraints that the prov-ince is under,” Regehr noted, referencing the province’s $)) billion deficit. “But at the same time, we are very concerned about meeting the needs of our growing numbers of students.”

“Ontario’s research universities make a disproportionate contribu-tion to the provincial economy,” she continued, “we need to look for government support to help us of-fer the kind of great education that we do.”

U of T is also calling for graduate expansion allocation that recog-nizes the different roles of univer-sities in Ontario. A '**+ provincial government plan called for ,,*** new graduate student spaces in On-tario by '*),, but the report did not specify how the spaces would be al-located among universities.

Michelle Johnston, a legislative assistant/issues manager with the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities (-!%), brushed off concerns over post-secondary un-derfunding. “Despite challenging economic times, the government is continuing to build on its invest-

ments in the post-secondary sector to ensure that students, colleges, and universities have the resources they need,” she said.

However, Johnston declined to comment on specific elements of the upcoming budget. “We are un-able to comment on what decisions the government will make in the future,” she noted.

According to Johnston, the pro-vincial government’s operating grant to universities increased by $)..( billion — or (/ per cent — from '**'–'**/ to '*)'–'*)/. Specifically, per-student funding for universities increased from $,,0)+ in '**'–'**/ to $(,,*. by the end of '*)'–'*)/ — an in-crease of '( per cent.

“This confirms the govern-ment’s commitment to maintain-ing and enhancing the quality of education while maximizing the value from each taxpayer dollar,” Johnston noted.

Alastair Woods, chairperson of the !"#-$, feels that the level of provincial funding for post-sec-ondary education is still too low. “With increased funding, we can reduce financial barriers for stu-dents while also focusing on in-creasing the quality of education we receive,” he said.

The !"#-$ is also calling for a /* per cent tuition fee reduction over

three years, by repurposing money set aside for the Ontario Tuition Grant and education tax credits. Under the Ontario Tuition Grant, full-time post-secondary students may be eligible for /* per cent off tuition if they are approved for $#&1, among a number of other conditions. The !"#-$ opposes the Ontario Tuition Grant, noting that less than a third of students have accessed it.

Under the !"#-$’s proposed tu-ition fee reduction, the first year is cost-neutral, and will see a )0 per cent tuition fee reduction after re-allocating funds dedicated to the Ontario Tuition Grant and provin-cial education tax credits. The sec-ond and third years will cost $..* million, for a further ,.. per cent tuition fee reduction per year.

The !"#-$ has successfully influ-enced provincial education policy in the past — most recently, in the provincial government’s changes to flat fees. However, the provin-cial government has consistently pushed back against tuition fee reductions. In '*)/, Brad Duguid, -!% minister, released a tuition fee policy framework that allows On-tario universities to increase tuition fees by three per cent per year for the next four years — a reduction

Liberals prep high-stakes budget amid calls for more fundingCFS-O, U of T, and OUSA offer reform proposals for post-secondary education

James Flynn & Salvatore BasiloneVARSITY STAFF

CONTINUED ON PG !

U!"#$%&"'( )* T)%)!')’& S'+,$!' N$-&./.$% S"!0$ 1880 10 F$1%+/%(, 2014V)2. CXXXIV, N). 18

INSIDE

U of T joins web privacy debate

PG "#

EDITORIAL

An open letter written last month by U of T post-doctoral fellow Chris-topher Parsons focused on the cur-rent state of Internet privacy and government surveillance in Canada. Parsons’ letter emphasized the im-portance of this issue to our local community at U of T.

Why student movements fail

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COMMENT

The answer is simple: while well-versed in activist ideology and rhetoric, student organizers in On-tario, including myself, all fail to listen to their fellow students. We get so lost in talking and reading about organization that we fail to stop and give students the chance to participate in the movement.

Bedouin Soundclash’s Jay Malinowski talks new album

Picking things up to stay in shape

PG "%

PG $&

ARTS3&3CULTURE

SPORTS

Jay Malinowski & the Deadcoast, fronted by Canadian artist and former Bedouin Soundclash lead singer Jay Malinowski, will soon release their first album, titled Martel. The album is inspired by the life and times of Malinowski’s sailor ancestor, Charles Martel, whose ad-ventures at sea were often retold to Malinowski as he grew up.

“Do you even lift, bro?” The cry rings out on college campuses across North America. Throughout the continent, )(- to '.-year-olds have discovered the joys and ben-efits of forcing heavy objects to defy the laws of gravity by making them go in an upward direction.

LIFE!& LOVELGBTQ students share anecdotes, poems, and sentiments from their experiences looking for love at U of T4

Vol. CXXXIV, No. !"! VARSITY NEWS [email protected]

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SYMPOSIUM!ON!LOVE:!EROS!THROUGHOUT!THE!AGESA series of speakers analyzing the philosophical and cultural history of love, with a reception to follow.

Thursday, February "#, $:"$ pmSandford Fleming Building, "% King’s College RoadFree

UTM!BLACK!HISTORY!MONTH:!DOLLAR!&!A!DREAM!ART!GALLERY!EXHIBITShowcase of students’ visual art

Wednesday, February "!, "!:%% pm – #:%% pmCommunication, Culture and Technology Building, ##$& Mississauga RoadFree

POWERFUL!MINDS!AT!U!OF!T!PRESENTS:!CUPID’S!SHUFFLECharity speed dating and date auction with free food. All proceeds go to Toronto Distress Centre.

Tuesday, February "", ':%% pm – "":%% pmArbour Room, Hart House, ( Hart House Circle

ICSS!DATE!ACUTIONCome out to the Innis College Café Thursday night to bid on unique dates with Innisians. All funds raised will go to the Heart and Stroke Foundation.

Thursday, February "#, ':%% pmInnis Café, ! Sussex Avenue

"#$%!U!OF!T!DRAMA!FESTIVALA week of student-written, directed, produced, and performed theatre.

Wednesday, February "! – Saturday, February "$, (:#% pm Hart House Theatre, ( Hart House Circle$"% per evening

WHAT’S!GOING!ON!THIS WEEK

ON!CAMPUS

1. This is the one day out of the year you can completely un-‐self-‐consciously order Godiva’s 70-‐piece box. Strut into the store, order that $90.00 monstrosity, and ask for every truffle except that weird orange one. If the cashier asks you who the special someone is as she hands it to you, stare her right in the eye, open the box, and stuff five truffles simultaneously in your mouth. Walk backwards out the door, never breaking eye contact.

2. Take the opportunity to spend the whole day sitting in your underwear perfecting your Starcraft II game, specifically your Protoss. Maybe if you learn to cast Psionic Storm perfectly, people compatible with your sexual orientation will begin flocking to you. Maybe.

3. If you’re a little down, channel your sadness into composing the most perfectly flawed music the world has ever seen. Don’t worry about it if you don’t know how to play an instrument. Go buy a grand piano and just put your hands on it. The raw emotion will turn you into an expert classical pianist as you think of everything you’ve ever lost (official The Varsity disclaimer: This will not actually happen).

4. Reblog things on Tumblr

5. A lot of other people also feel pretty lonely on Valentine’s Day. Go to some drinking establishment. See a beautiful human being sitting alone looking morose. Stare at her. Think about what her hopes and dreams could be, about her favourite novels (and her overwhelming distaste for Fitzgerald, in direct contrast to how much you fundamentally adore Gatsby). Think about how she may be the only person you’ve ever met who understands your pain at spending a lifetime falling in love with the idea of people and then having relationships falling apart when they inevitably could not live up to your misguided mental caricature. Think about spending time with her and finally being with somebody who has the capacity to really know you, to ameliorate your overwhelming need for validation instead of putting up with it, to share your weird love for comic books and joyously discover for herself that she loves them as well. Order another drink. Leave before you get it.

6. Ask him out — seriously, why have you not done this already.

THE!EXPLAINER

SIX!WAYS!TO!MAKE!THE!MOST!OUT!OF!BEING!SINGLE!ON!VALENTINE’S!DAY

the week in tweets

TIFFANY!KUO @TIFFANYKUOO

don’t think there has ever been a snow day at UofT, even when the snow covers up to my knees #uoft

— Wednesday, February 5

RYAN!OLSON @RYANOLSON""

I love how the evening classes for Ryerson and York are closed but yet U of T would never even think of doing that #UofTproblems


RACHEL!FREEDLETON @RACHFREEDLETON

Disappointed in #UofT’s subpar snow clearing as less mobile individuals get stranded across campus @uoftlibraries


JON!BRADLEY @JONBRADLEY#$

#uoft looking like a tundra today. #nofilter #sun #toronto #snow #cold #canada

— Friday, February 7

BEN!MURCHISON @BMURCHIE

My first class was too busy. My second class was too boring. This class has just the right amount of wifi. #uoft


KRISTINA!DOYLE @KRISKAYOO

Just walked from #UofT to Union Station because no subway service. Can’t feel legs.


BRIDGET!COLEY @BRIDGEOTTO%Bringing home the banner!! #ouachamps2014 #skillisskill #bleedblue #uoft @Varsity_Blues

— Saturday, February 8

CLARIFICATIONThe article titled “UTMSU to re-run ref-erendum on levy increase” run on Monday January 20, 2014 incorrectly stated that the o&ce of the vice-provost, students holds the UTSU responsible for the errors that necessitated the UTMSU referen-dum being re-run. The article also stated that TCard scanners can be loaded with information. Scanners are used as a more e&cient method of entering TCard infor-mation into an online system.

See something, hear something?

[email protected]

MONDAY, FEBRUARY !", #"!$ !VARSITY NEWSvar.st/news

UTM student centre expansion fails in close referendumHeavy campaigning by UTMSU not enough to win vote

Last week, a referendum held the by the University of Toronto Mis-sissauga Students’ Union (UTMSU) on the question of raising funds to expand their student centre failed by a tight margin — with ",#$% students voting in favour and ",&"% students voting against the proposed expansion, according to unofficial results.

The referendum took place Janu-ary '%–!(, with the )*+,) cam-paigning heavily, urging students to vote yes and expand the student centre. The goal of the expansion was to enlarge the student centre to include multipurpose rooms and club and society offices. According to )*+,) president Raymond Noronha, this expansion would have also im-proved food and other services to try and make the centre more of a hub for students on campus. The cur-rent building, built in "---, can hold &,((( students, which is less than the number currently enrolled.

Students currently pay $"'.#( towards the student centre. The

expansion would have increased this to $'. for three years to raise two million dollars, with the university agreeing to match the amount raised. )*+,) also wanted the students to pay an additional $"(.#( per session as a permanent increase to their fees in order to maintain current op-erations and increase program-ming. Consequently, students would pay $!..#( per session, rather than the original $"'.#( for the next three years, with the cost being reduced to $'! follow-ing the third year. The amount could then only be adjusted by no more than "( per cent depending on the approval of the )*+,) Board of Directors.

Last year, )*+,) held a refer-endum posing the same question, which passed with a vote of ','#% votes for, ",!&% votes against, but was ruled as ineligible to be ratified because U of T St. George students were able to vote.

Asked about the outcome of this year’s referendum, )*+,) presi-dent Raymond Noronha said, “I think that students already are paying high tuition fees. A lot

of students who I spoke to were in favour of the expansion, but thought that the )*+ administra-tion should pay the entire cost of this expansion rather than part of

it being passed on to students.”Noronha remains optimistic de-

spite the failed vote: “)*+,) did want students to vote yes due to the inherent benefits of an expand-

ed students centre. But at the end of the day, )*+,) is a democratic organization. We asked students for their opinion via a referenda and a majority voted against.”

Marcus Tutert & Samina SultanaVARSITY CONTRIBUTORS

The UTM Student Centre building. JACQUELINE ZIMMER/THE VARSITY

Governing Council elections underwayFourteen candidates running for two Arts & Science positions

With two weeks remaining un-til voting closes in the Governing Council elections, the race for the two Arts & Science positions is heat-ing up. In total, "$ candidates have entered the election. In addition to the Arts & Science positions — which represent U of T’s '!,.(( full-time, undergraduate Arts & Science students — there are also seats for representatives from the School of Graduate Studies, professional fac-ulties, and part-time students.

The candidates hail from six of U of T’s undergraduate colleges, all three campuses, and the Transitional Year Program.

The Governing Council meets ap-proximately six times a year and is the University of Toronto’s highest decision-making body, overseeing the academic, financial, and student affairs. On February !, Shirley Hoy — Chief Executive Officer of the Toron-to Lands Corporation, a subsidiary of the Toronto District School Board that manages the board’s real estate — was acclaimed as vice-chair of the Governing Council, effective July ".

The council is comprised of #( elected and appointed members, including the president and chan-cellor, "& members appointed by the Ontario government, two members appointed by the president, "' elect-ed faculty members, eight elected alumni members, two elected ad-ministrative staff members, and eight elected student members. Of the eight students, four are full-time undergraduates — two of which are from the Faculty of Arts & Science.

The other four are graduate and part-time students.

So far, the campaign has been a low-key one, with some candidates lacking advertising, such as a Face-book page. In candidate statements, posted on the Governing Council website, most speak of fostering stu-dent engagement across the three campuses, and creating more oppor-tunities for students after graduation.

“Students only have eight out of #( votes, but we can shift things towards our interests if the gov-ernors can engage students with the process,” said Ben Coleman, a full-time undergraduate candidate from New College who served as an Arts & Science at-large direc-tor on the University of Toronto Students’ Union ()*,)). Coleman said he wants to educate students

about the role Governing Council plays in university life.

“Being a part of councils that bring change to education is some-thing that I’m passionate about,” said Cole Dempsey, a full-time un-dergraduate candidate from Uni-versity College. “I want to find what people think issues are and bring them to the table,” he said.

Dempsey mentioned his past ex-perience in student government as his motivation for running — having spent time, while in high school, on councils with the Calgary and Alber-ta boards of education.

Another hot-button issue is a po-tential increase in tuition fees. When asked whether they would vote, if elected, to raise the tuition that U of T students pay, the response from can-didates was almost uniformly nega-

tive. “I don’t see the need for tuition increases anytime soon,” said Ayla Shiblaq, a full-time undergraduate candidate from Victoria College, “I think we already pay enough to be a part of this institution.”

Kriti Bhatt, a full-time undergradu-ate candidate from Trinity College, echoed Shiblaq’s thoughts. Bhatt stressed that it should be others at the university — not full-time under-graduates — who see their tuition go up. “I’m a believer in the notion that, should funding increases be required, they can be found elsewhere — at the graduate and post-graduate levels, for instance,” said Bhatt.

Marc Laurin, a full-time under-graduate candidate from )*,/, went even further, noting that “reducing the costs associated with being a stu-dent” was his top priority.

Louis Train, a full-time undergrad-uate candidate from St. Michael’s College, is alone in saying he’ll con-sider a tuition increase — albeit with caveats. While Train made it clear that he is against an increase in fees for “non-academic purposes, such as recreational services and facili-ties,” he did say that he would “vote for a tuition increase if, and only if, it would benefit the undergraduate student body.”

While students occupy only eight of the council’s #( positions, student governors often have an important influence. In the past, student governors highlighted im-portant issues and pushed them onto the university’s agenda.

Over the past year, Aidan Fishman, a two-term full-time undergraduate student governor, drew attention to the need for greater discussion on the issue of fee diversion.

Some candidates have cited other concerns. One common concern was the lack of student life at the uni-versity, and the lack of community present on campus. Daniel Szulc, a full-time undergraduate candidate from Trinity College, cited student life as his top priority: “Under-graduate student life has always been, and continues to be, a current problem at U of T in comparison to other Ontario universities.”

Bhatt sees the university’s long-term vision as its biggest challenge, saying her top prior-ity would be finding a way to “[agree] upon and [create] a co-hesive and universally shared vi-sion for the university’s future.”

Voting begins online on February "( and ends on February '". Results are expected on February '#.

Trevor Koroll & Alexander CohenVARSITY STAFF

The Governing Council chambers. JULIA MALOWANY/THE VARSITY


Student fee increases proposed at COSS meetingHart House, Student Life, and Faculty of Kinesiology propose higher student fees for coming school year

With student life facilities, as with most thing, you get what you pay for. On February ", Hart House, the Office of Student Life, and the Fac-ulty of Kinesiology delivered the annual budget presentation for the #$%!–#$%& school year.

Anita Comella, the assistant dean for the Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education ('()), proposed a %.!& per cent budgetary increase from student fees, amounting to $#.#! for each full-time student at the St. George campus. Student fees account for *$ per cent of the overall budget of the '(), which amounted to $#!,+*#,,%& for the #$%"–#$%! academic year. By contrast, univer-sity support amounts to one per cent of the total funding for the faculty. U of T’s financial support of '() was instated in %-*- when the Athletic Centre opened. It has remained un-changed since. The amount is not subject to increases according to in-flation, as student fees are.Rita O’Brien, the chief administra-tive officer of Hart House, presented

a proposed budget increase of %.! per cent. Until the early %--$s, Hart House received &$ per cent of its funding from the university. However, following a financial cri-sis at the university, the funding for Hart House was cut entirely and never reinstated. Since then, &" per cent of Hart House’s $%+.& million annual funding has come from student fees. Bruce Kidd, the warden of Hart House, says that the century-old building is facing seri-ous issues, including needing new plumbing and infrastructure. Kidd states: “I would argue that the ./00 formula has put us in a structural deficit for years and years. The in-flationary formula does not allow us to realize the true cost of infla-tion on the operating side.”

“There is a serious problem, not with ./00, but the university at large not wanting to support central student services, and Hart House is one of those services,” said Munib Sajjad, president of the University of Toronto Students’ Union (1201).“To ask students to pay more money for something that the government and university should be funding is un-acceptable,” he added.

Lucy Fromowitz, the assistant vice-president of Student Life, proposed a fee increase of $-.$, for full-time stu-dents at the St. George campus and a $%.,# increase for part-time students at the St. George campus. UTSC and UTM have their own offices of Stu-dent Life and do not pay fees to that of the St. George campus. The fees to Student Life go towards departments on campus in addition to occupancy costs for student space.

Student ancillary fees cover approximately +$ per cent of the overall costs of Student Life, while the other !$ per cent is collected from central funding, grants, and revenue sources such as /34(. Susan Froom, the presi-dent of the Association of Part-Time Undergraduate Students (5(10), amended the agenda to put forth a motion to recom-mend changing the location of the Transitional Year Programme (26() from !- St. George Street to one of the ,* university owned houses in the Harbord-Sussex neighborhood. Fromowitz object-ed to the proposed recommenda-tion, stating that it was not with-in the jurisdiction of ./00.

Yolen Bollo-Kamara, 120170 vice-president, equity, supported the recommendation stating: “These are student services, and this body should look at fair access to servic-es for all students so that they can succeed while they are at U of T.” After submitting a motion to rec-ommend the investigation of the relocation of 26( to a new space in the Harbord-Sussex neighborhood, ./00 decided six votes to four to make the recommendation. This recommendation which will be discussed in upcoming university meetings. Negotiations with the 26( committee have been ongoing and are being dealt with by the Ac-ademic Board and Business Board of Governing Council. ./00 will vote on February #+

whether or not to approve the fee increases; however, the final say will be up to the University Affairs Board, which may recom-mend approval of the operating plans to Governing Council. Gov-erning Council can in turn enact temporary increases. ./00 has not approved any fee increases for '(), Hart House, or Student Life in five years.

Emma CompeauVARSITY STAFF

ASSU wants private tutors outCampaign urges students to use university services they already pay for

In U of T’s high-pressure academic environment, students often turn to private, on-campus tutoring ser-vices for extra help. The Arts and Science Students’ Union (5001) recently launched a campaign entitled “Say No to Private Re-view Companies.” The campaign, launched on November ,, #$%", has gained momentum in recent weeks with the launch of a web-site and posters around campus and Facebook posts. The campaign advocates using U of T’s free aca-demic resources instead of private tutoring services. The awareness campaign is set to end in mid-February, though the union may restart it later in the year.5001’s campaign aims to raise

awareness of the dangers of rely-ing on paid review services. “These sessions promote dependency, a denial of the problem,” said Shawn Tian, president of 5001 who is particularly concerned about stu-dents who rely on review sessions in large first-year and second-year classes. “In [third-year and fourth-year] courses, when companies don’t offer review sessions, what do you do then?”

Jill Matus, vice-provost, stu-dents, echoed Tian’s sentiment: “These companies do not have any connection to the University of To-ronto, and it is appropriate to en-courage students to take a critical view of claims about the validity, relevance, and worth of what is be-ing marketed,” stated Matus.

Some of the paid review com-panies targeted by the campaign include Toronto Life Sciences, )./859, ULife Academics and

Prep%$%. Most of these companies claim to know the secrets to do-ing well on a midterm, and oth-ers guarantee students a better mark. For example, )./859 of-fers a quality guarantee. His web-page promises that customers are: “Guaranteed to enjoy the session, guaranteed easy and quick learn-ing, guaranteed perfect under-standing, guaranteed %$$ per cent satisfaction, or it’s free!!!”

“It was pretty discouraging for me, as someone that runs such a company, to see its name kind of disparaged in such a way,” says Andy Romano, founder of Prep%$%, a company that aims to prepare students for tests and exams, par-ticularly life sciences and math courses, “I didn’t really feel it cap-tured anything we do…We assume that students go to class and they did learn the material, but they’re struggling with problem solving skills which is why they attend. That’s the niche we try to fill.” 5001’s campaign also encour-

ages the use of services that al-ready exist at the university, such as the Academic Success Centre, the Math Aid Centre, and Chem-istry Peer Tutoring. “Shawn Tian’s statement about the resources already provided by the univer-sity for academic support is one that we would therefore strongly endorse,” said Laurie Stephens, director of media relations. How-ever, these services are typically under-used by students, despite the fact that they are free. “I think it’s great that U of T offers these services and they should use them but it doesn’t mean they should ban alternatives,” said Romano.

Another concern raised by the campaign is the companies’ use of on-campus facilities to hold multi-

hour review sessions for a variety of first-year and second-year class-es, such as )./%$$ and .38%",. “[These room bookings] can cause a sense of confusion between stu-dents, as if the companies were U of T-affiliated,” said Tian. “We need to clear up this distinction by making sure tutoring companies don’t book space on campus.”

Despite ongoing talks with uni-versity administrators, Tian is less optimistic about this aspect of the campaign. Companies such as Ka-plan and Princeton Review, which are not targeted by the campaign, would be affected because they provide similar review services for students. “It probably won’t be im-plemented in the near future due to these enforcement problems,” admitted Tian.

The administration has not clearly stated an intent to ban paid review services from campus. Ste-

phens emphasizes that external users who rent space at U of T are required to clearly state in their promotional materials that they are not affiliated with or endorsed by the university.

So far, Tian believes the cam-paign has been successful enough to justify keeping campaign posters and flyers in the 5001 office for the remainder of the semester. Accord-ing to Tian, since the beginning of the campaign, attendance to some underused services has seen a small but noticeable increase.

On whether ASSU’s campaign affects attendance to their ses-sions, Romano noted that it was a concern, but it is ultimately depen-dent on students’ individual ex-periences with review companies, and whether they choose to refer them to classmates — as word of mouth is a major factor in promot-ing their services.

“If [5001] have legitimate concerns, which they do, I am the first to admit that we are crossing some new bound-aries here. The first prep companies came up in the ‘!$s and ‘&$s for the :852, ;052 admissions tests and the governing bodies that control these admissions tests fought very, very hard to fight these to put them out of busi-ness, but now they are a legitimate part of the routine. All we’ve done is taken these teaching models for the under-grad context” said Romano. 5001 plans to gauge how students

reacted to the awareness campaign starting mid-February. “Student awareness should be an ongoing ini-tiative,” said Tian. “But it’s easy for students to get tired of a campaign because the message gets old.” If there is still student support, 5001 intends to launch a reinvigorated campaign after Reading Week.

— With files from Jerico Espinas

Aisha Kakinuma HassanVARSITY STAFF

ASSU’s office is located in Sid Smith on St. George Street. FILE PHOTO: CAROLYN LEVETT/THE VARSITY

BY THE NUMBERSPROPOSED!BUDGET!INCREASESStudent life

Hart House

Physical Education and co-curricular sport

UTM and UTSC are not eligible.

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For Katerina Valle the biggest cul-tural shock when moving to Canada was not being able to speak her first language. “You miss speaking it,” ex-plained Valle. “It’s not something you think about, especially when you can speak English, and you go to an Eng-lish school, but you miss it. It’s a part of your personality, it’s like losing a part of yourself.”

Valle is from Peru and came to the University of Toronto in the fall of "#$#. She said she chose U of T because Toronto appealed to her as a large international city. Though she’s happy with her decision now, she wasn’t in her first year. Valle, like many first year students, found that U of T could be cold and over-whelming. She missed the fresh lo-cal food that was the centre of social life in Peru.

She eventually found a community with the people in her residence — there were a few Latinas in her build-ing who would eat late dinners with her and speak in Spanish. Now, Valle is involved in the Latin American Students Association, and credits it as giving her a real sense of commu-nity in university. “At U of T, if you want to have friends, I think clubs are the way to do it,” explained Valle.

U of T has "% students from Peru, and even more from Latin America as a whole. However, not all inter-national students at U of T have a support system for the students to fall back on. Shilpa Nagarajan came to U of T from Singapore.

While she lived in Montreal for seven years when she was growing up, she still struggles with adjusting to life in Canada; from little things like stores closing early, to people be-ing able to express their thoughts and opinions with freedom.

Nagarajan was lucky enough to live in a residence building with a number of Singaporeans including the executive members of the Malay-sian and Singaporean Student Asso-ciation. But she says that she doesn’t actively try to find people from her native country. “It helps that there is such a vast diversity of students from different cultures going to this university,” explains Nagarajan. “It feels like home when I meet other international students.”

U of T currently has $#,"&' in-ternational undergraduates. This makes up $!.( per cent of the to-tal undergraduate population. To-ronto itself is a city where half of it’s citizens were raised outside Canada. Chinese students make up )*.% per cent of international students at U of T, with ),)&' students.

There are twelve distinct campus groups that cater to Chinese students with activities ranging from debate, to music, and volunteering.

There are "" countries that have only one student attending U of T. Iraq, Estonia, Moldova, Paraguay, French Guiana, and Bolivia have no student association at U of T, but there are groups that cover several countries such as the Euro-pean Students Association, African Students association.

Culture shock: international students adjust to life in TorontoSupport for international students differs based on size of cultural communitySarah Niedoba & Claudia DessantiVARSITY STAFF

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Vol. CXXXIV, No. !" ! VARSITY NEWS [email protected]

Eating safe: which nearby campus restaurants pass the test?Sammy’s, Gabby’s, Dumpling Queen among several who have faced trouble with food inspectors

Toronto Public Health’s DineSafe program was established in "##$ in an attempt to empower and educate the city’s restaurant customers. The program provides restau-rants with green pass, yellow conditional pass, or red fail stickers based on the results of health inspections. Over the past two years, a number of U of T student favourites surrounding the St. George campus have performed poorly in their inspections.

“We monitor everything from conve-nience stores to hot dog stands, food courts, school cafeterias, and more,” explained Kris Scheuer, media relations consultant for Toronto Public Health. “We have more than $%,### food premises ranging in risk. Low risk entails non-hazardous foods like bagged items, and high risk usually has to do with serving more vulnerable popula-tions. Low-risk vendors receive one inspec-tion a year, and high-risk facilities receive three or more inspections a year depending on whether or not they pass.”

Although most restaurants are required to put their coloured sticker in the front window of their establishments, school cafeterias don’t have to follow to the same guidelines. Brian Thompson, manager of Toronto Public Health’s Healthy Environ-ments division, explained that this is be-cause school cafeterias do not require a City of Toronto business licence.

“A Public Health Notice is required to be posted only at food premises that have a City of Toronto business licence. Public Health does, however, provide inspection information on the DineSafe website re-garding their history,” said Thompson.

Located inside Hart House, Sammy’s Student Exchange is one school food outlet that received a Conditional Pass in February "#$". The infrac-tion resulted in a $&## fine for failure to main-tain hazardous food at proper temperatures.

“You can’t always control what time of day [the inspectors] arrive,” said Sabrina Salhiya, general manager at Sammy’s, “Sometimes the health inspector comes in at the wrong time . . . and you haven’t gotten to clean up to get ready for the next thing.”

In reference to the inspector who gave them a Conditional Pass, Salhiya claimed:

“He was fresh and new and wanted to do things differently, and that’s all there is to it, really.” She also cited that Hart House is an old building, making it difficult for the establishment to present themselves as polished as other restaurants.

Dumpling Queen, a Chinese restaurant at Yonge and St. Mary, cited similar prob-lems. Dumpling Queen has had five infrac-tions, as of January $% — one “minor” and four “significant.”

Vincent Wu, the owner of Dumpling Queen, noted that the results of inspec-tions often come down to the nature of the inspector. “Different house inspectors have different points of view,” he noted.

Wu also explained that one inspector ar-rived unexpectedly, catching the restaurant owners at an inconvenient time after the Christmas and New Year’s rush. “We didn’t expect them. I know that’s not an excuse, but we tried our best. If it was a major problem, [the inspector] would have shut us down.”

Wu said the restaurant has since changed their pest control company and has in-

creased the number of weekly cleaning ses-sions. Like Salhiya, Wu mentioned that his restaurant is located in an old building, and the worn walls mislead some to believe the establishment is not safe. Both Salhiya and Wu claimed they have never received com-plaints from consumers.

Scheuer stated that restaurants cannot reopen until all problems identified in Con-ditional Pass inspections are addressed. Re-inspection of the premises occurs within "'–'( hours. If restaurants are cleared to reopen, they may receive more follow-up inspections — all of which are surprise inspections.

“We are not in the business of shutting down restaurants,” said Joe Mihevc, chair of Toronto’s Board of Health, in a recent )*) report. The report emphasized that DineSafe stickers allow and encourage con-sumers to make informed decisions about their restaurant choices.

In some cases, restaurants are required to close. Gabby’s on Bloor was closed in Octo-ber "#$+ due to failing a health inspection, with DineSafe citing pest control issues. Todd

Sherman, the owner of Gabby’s, argued that the health inspector made a mistake.

“We have had a stellar record up until that inspection. We believe Toronto Public Health has made a great error,” explained Sherman. “We had just changed locations, and there was a great deal of construction on that street. There were a few dead in-sects in one of the delivery areas, and the inspector, who was new to the job, decided that it warranted a closure.”

“The reason health inspectors close a food premises is to remove or eliminate a health hazard. Infestations of rodents or insects are some of the hazards that can cause a closure. To re-open, the operator must prove to the inspector that the hazard has been removed or eliminated,” Thompson explained.

“The next routine inspection will depend on the risk categorization of the food prem-ises. Additional inspections may be re-quired if there are any further complaints,” Thompson said. Gabby’s closed October +# and re-opened " days later, passing inspec-tion on November $.

Taylor Stinson & Victoria WicksVARSITY STAFF

Landslide victory for Students First at UTSCTashin Chowdhury wins presidential race with !% per cent of the vote

Elections for the Scarborough Campus Stu-dents’ Union (,),-) took place February '–!. Unofficial presidential results were announced last Friday. The election was contested primar-ily by two slates: New Political Student Party (./,/), led by presidential candidate Habiba Desai, and Students First (,0), led by Tashin Chowdhury. ,0 filled $& of the $% executive and directorial positions for "#$'–"#$&, with all incumbent members of the team being re-elected. Chowdhury won the presidential elec-tion by $$#$* votes to Desai’s +!1.

Chowdhury outlined ,0’s priorities for the next year, proposing “Healthier food options on campus. We kind of don’t have a lot on campus; we just have Booster Juice, so it’s not too affordable,” he said, “we’re also try-

ing to get a shuttle bus to and from the St. George campus. I think that’s something we actually had not too long ago, but the popu-lation of the university wasn’t nearly big enough to accommodate that kind of shuttle bus service, but we’ve nearly doubled in pop-ulation since we last had it.” He argues that this would help the many -2,) students who take classes downtown, as well as help clubs at the St. George and Scarborough campuses coordinate activities.

Other ,0 plans include creating an events forum to help integrate campus life, as well as continue to advocate for lower tuition, more study space, and more multi-faith and pro-grammable space on campus.

Desai describes what the NPSP should have done differently during the election: “Just engaging more students, because during the elections we knew there was apathy on cam-pus, but just looking at the voter turnout, it

was higher than before, but it was still not that great of a turnout,” she said. “Only $& per cent of our student population turned out to vote. So it was like $& per cent of the student popu-lation ended up deciding what would happen for the whole entire student population.”

“We really hit the floor early,” said Chowd-hury, explaining the success of his slate’s cam-paign, “we tried to talk to as many people as we can and really heard what they had to say before we hit the floor and started asking peo-ple to vote for us. So we did a lot of research, I would say, just getting to know our student population, a lot earlier than the other party, I would say.”

Desai, for her part, remains committed to her plans. “We want to do the things that we wanted to do as ,),-. Some of these ideas didn’t even involve a lot of money. They were just simple small chang-es to make campus life better. For some of

these things we don’t need ,),- to accom-plish them, and that’s what we’re going to look towards until next year and then run elections again.”

“In terms of their platform ideas and wheth-er they can deliver, I think the expectations for results are going to be much higher this year than they’ve ever been,” said Desai, “be-cause students voted for them and now stu-dents are going to say, ‘Well, we voted for you, so did you do these things?’ If they can accom-plish them, then great, but if they can’t, then I think there’s going to be more accountability for sure.”

Other executive members of the winning slate include Nicole Dionisio for vice-presi-dent, academics and student affairs; Guled Arale for vice-president, external; and Sa-brina Azraq for vice-president, equity.

*All vote counts unofficial until ratified

Joshua Miller & Gabriela Ansari-‐CorreaVARSITY CONTRIBUTORS

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GSU elections finally underwayMost positions remain uncontested despite extending nomination periods twice

After twice extending the nomination period twice, campaigning has officially started for the University of Toronto’s Graduate Stu-dents’ Union ("#$) election.

After the initial nomination period closed on January %&, the positions of External, Aca-demic and Funding (Divisions ' and %), and Finance and University Governance Commis-sioners had no candidates. After one week, there was still no candidate for the Academic and Funding Commissioner, reopening the nomination period.

Of the six positions up for grabs, four have a single candidate. However, in the case of single candidates, the "#$ mandates a vote of confidence, similar to the University of To-ronto Students’ Union ($(#$) procedure on elections. Unlike $(#$ elections though, "#$ candidates cannot run in slates.

To mark the start of the campaign, The Varsity reached out to all the candidates to discuss their platforms and the issues, in-cluding defederation from the Canadian Fed-eration of Students ()*#).

Academic and Funding Commissioners primarily address academic issues with facul-ty and students within their field of study. In Divisions ' and %, which focus on humanities and social sciences, Walter Callaghan is the sole candidate. As of press time, Callaghan has not responded to requests for comment, nor had he posted a candidate’s statement on the "#$ website — as most other candidates have. Michael Jones and Hussain Masoom — both +h, students in chemistry — are the two candidates for Divisions - and &, which address physical and life sciences

Both Jones and Masoom listed graduate stipends as an important problem facing graduate students. “Instead of the university paying more to make up for the minimum, they’re just getting more work,” said Jones. Masoom also called on the university “to take steps to realize the importance of gradu-ate students on campus” to improve the grad-uate student experience.

Jones also listed other goals he would like to accomplish, including “[making] the pro-cesses around fees and university bureaucra-cy more accessible and more streamlined for the graduate student populace, and [engag-ing] the physical and life sciences more when it comes to student governance.”

Masoom offered a different set of priorities: “I will tackle the issue of timely graduation through shared accountability with the su-pervisor and student [to] ensure that gradu-ate students can graduate within the given timelines of their degree. I also want to help institute more effective professional develop-ment for graduate students as faculty posi-tions become scarcer.”

Civics and Environment Commissioners primarily address issues of civic engagement and environmental responsibility. Susanne Waldorf, a +h, student in sociology of edu-cation, is running unopposed. She is also the sole candidate running for reelection. If elected, Waldorf hopes to continue the work she started this year.

“I think public transit in Toronto is a key graduate student issue, and I will continue

to engage with community organizations which are working for better and cheaper public transit in Toronto,” Waldorf said. “I will also continue advocating for better housing in the area of the university and on campus for graduate students.” She also hopes to accomplish her goal of getting a shuttle bus between the St. George and Scarborough campuses.

Waldorf also addressed the issue of "#$ defederation from the Canadian Federation of Students. “I believe it is important that students decide whether or not to continue our membership with the )*#,” Waldorf said. “I hope to see the )*# disaffiliation referen-dum happen this year, but if the referendum doesn’t happen in March, I will continue to pressure )*# to hold true to their bylaw and organize a referendum.”

The Finance and University Governance Commissioner primarily communicates with University administration and student repre-sentatives on financial issues, and oversees audits. Soaleha Shams — a +h, student in Cell and Systems Biology at the University of Toronto Mississauga — is the sole candidate.

Although Shams did not respond to The Var-sity’s request for an interview, her platform focuses on lowering tuition and increasing funding for graduate students.

The External Commissioner oversees lob-bying efforts and implements campaigns for organizations with which the "#$ is involved. The candidates are Leah Bender and Bethel Woldemichael.

Woldemichael’s platform addresses men-tal health. “One of the biggest issues fac-ing graduate students today is the lack of awareness on students’ mental health,” Woldemichael noted.

Woldemichael also addressed the CFS: “I plan to take direction once all graduate stu-dents’ voices have been heard... the best deci-sion made will be birthed out of what gradu-ate students would like to happen.”

Bender’s platform addresses tuition fees and mental health. “Two issues I hope to ad-dress if elected are reducing tuition and fees for +h, students who have finished their coursework and comprehensive examina-tions, and increasing support and resources for all graduate students with mental illness-es or in any time of great emotional need,” Woldemichael said.

Bender also addressed the CFS: “While the move to defederate is certainly a bold one, it is not imprudent, as there are very few benefits to be gained through continued affliction.”

The internal commissioner primarily li-aises with course unions. Nickie Van Lier, a Master’s of Education student at the On-tario Institute for Studies in Education, is running unopposed.

“I want to make sure that student groups on all three campuses are not only aware of issues being taken up by the "#$, but also that they have a way to ensure their ideas and concerns are being heard at the highest level of student representation,” Van Lier said, adding: “To that end, I will be open to meeting regularly with student groups to increase "#$ visibility.”

The "#$’s All-Candidates Debate is on Thursday, February '- at University College room '.', from &://–.:// p.m. Voting takes place from February %0 to February %1.

Anthony Marchese & Sarah HarrisonVARSITY STAFF

Graduate Students’ Union building. CAROLYN LEVETT/THE VARSITY

Mayoral debate draws crowd at UTSCSCSU-organized event sees contenders spar on transit, environment, and homelessness

On February 0, the first mayoral candidate fo-rum for the upcoming %/'& Toronto municipal election took place at (23 $45637#5(8 9* (9-794(9 #):7;979$"2. Organized by the Scar-borough Campus Students’ Union (#)#$), the debate was held in Rex’s Den, $(#)<# pub-res-taurant. Two hundred students were present. The venue soon reached maximum capacity, and more students were accomodated in the food court upstairs.

Himy Syed, co-organizer of the forum and past mayoral candidate, invited all %& may-oral candidates to the event, however, only five were able to attend. Rob Ford, Toronto’s current mayor, shared the stage with David Soknacki, a former City of Toronto councillor. A number of other largely unknown candi-dates attended the event, including Robb Jo-hannes, a social justice activist and musician; Al Gore, a former employee at Toronto Hydro; and Richard Underhill, a jazz musician.

The event took place in the midst of $(#)<# own student union elections. Sarah Worku, president of #)#$, hosted the event as a plat-form for student concerns in the upcoming municipal elections.

“Contrary to popular belief, students do care a lot about municipal politics,” Worku

said, “especially because of the immediate daily realities such as transit.”

Throughout the evening, candidates were asked a variety of questions, includ-ing alleged racial profiling by the Toronto Police of “black and brown youth,” vote re-call, the environment, the lack of homeless shelters for queer and trans youth, how to make the lives of students more affordable, and transit for Scarborough.

Rob Ford received a mixed reaction from the crowd. His speech focused on tax cuts, boosting the economy, and public transit.

Transit is a hot-button issue at $(#). In %/'/, students approved $-/ million in funding for the new Pan Am/Parapan Am Aquatics Centre and Field House on campus. At the time, some students be-lieved that a light-rail transit (=7() line would be built to the campus along with the facilities. However, the line is now cancelled, with students still footing the bill for the facility.

Ford assured those in attendance that a transit system to Scarborough is on the way. “I said we are getting a subway to Scarbor-ough — we are getting a subway to Scarbor-ough. We have the provincial government on board, and the federal government on board.”

Soknacki restated his belief that the =7( was the best transit solution for Scar-borough — and, by extension, $(#) —

based on the cost and potential ridership in the area.

Overall, $(#) students — such as Moosa Raza, a second year mental health studies specialist — were happy to see the forum at UTSC, as it gave them a chance to engage in the political process and understand candidate platforms.

“I think the #)#$ did an exceptional job in making this possible,” said Raza. “I didn’t

even know what Rob Ford and the other candidates’ platforms were, and I want to thank the #)#$ for bringing them together to raise a sense of political awareness among the student body.”

Voting for the election begins on October %1. A number of prominent potential can-didates have yet to declare, including Olivia Chow, and John Tory.

Anjum SultanaVARSITY CONTRIBUTOR

Candidates spar at SCSU-‐organized debate. ANJUM SULTANA/THE VARSITY


NEWS!IN!BRIEF

Divisional leaders question UTSU’s financial arrangement with UTMSU Some say same relationship should be available to societies at St. George campus

Some divisional student leaders are voicing concerns about the "#$"’s arrangement with "#%. "#% students pay fees to the union, but "#$" then transfers some amount of those fees to the University of Toronto Mississauga Students’ Union ("#%$"). "#% students are members of both "#$" and "#%$". The "#$" by-laws, available on the union’s website, require that "#$" remit fees to the "#%$" “according to the signed contract.”

“I think it’s obvious that this agreement is pretty un-fair,” said Rhys Smith, president of the Woodsworth Col-lege Students’ Association, “"#% students have the same voting rights in "#$" elections as St. George students do, despite having their fees returned to their local student so-ciety. I believe that this agreement should be terminated, or offered to other student [societies] as well who have ex-pressed concerns about being adequately represented by the "#$".”

Mauricio Curbelo, president of the Engineering Society (EngSoc), shared that opinion. “It is not appropriate that students whose fees are diverted to another organization have an equal say in the "#$" as students on the St. George campus whose fees actually fund the "#$"’s operations,” he said.

Curbelo argues that the arrangement between the "#$" and "#%$" is effectively fee diversion — the arrangement which EngSoc and the Trinity College Meeting (#&%) are seeking, and one of the key points that the ongoing Stu-dent Societies Summit is designed to address. EngSoc’s request for a similar arrangement to "#%$"’s during the '()(–'()) school year was rebuffed. Like Smith, Curbelo

argues that the arrangement must be offered to other stu-dent societies or terminated.

Raymond Noronha, president of the "#%$", takes issue with these arguments. “University of Toronto students registered at the "#% campus are members of both the University of Toronto Students’ Union and University of Toronto Mississauga Students’ Union,” he said, “As members of both organizations, students have rights prescribed in the constitutions of both organizations… I would like to encourage our friends from other student societies to respect the will of students that have decided to participate in the organizations they choose to affiliate with in a democratic manner.”

Noronha argues that there is no unfairness in an ar-rangement that “guarantees all members of any organiza-tion” equal rights in those organizations governance.

“Undergraduate students enrolled on the Mississauga campus such as myself are not second-class members of the "#$",” says Munib Sajjad, president of the "#$". “We pay into the "#$" to receive the services we do, just like any other student, and deserve democratic representation and the opportunity to become involved, as I have.” Sajjad was previously an executive on the "#%$", before success-fully making the shift to "#$" — last year as vice-presi-dent, university affairs, and this year as president.

Student leaders at the Student Societies Summit have also complained that few details of the contract are avail-able to the public. Particularly, they wish to know what percentage of "#% students’ fees the "#$" remits. They al-lege that this represents a lack of transparency.

“Regarding the specifics of the contract, I don’t know and nobody else seems to know either,” said Ben Crase, co-head of Trinity College. He explains that faculty rep-resentatives and presidents at the summit last semester

requested those details, but that Agnes So, "#$"’s vice-president, university affairs, and Yolen Bollo-Kamara, its vice-president, equity, have not provided those details for the past two meetings. So and Bollo-Kamara have repre-sented the "#$" at the Student Societies summit.

“"#$" representatives at the Summit refuse to make the actual contract available, claiming that contracts are con-fidential and only the people who signed the contract can see it. Not even Board members of the "#$" have been al-lowed to see the contract,” says Curbelo. “Apparently the current executives haven’t seen it either, since Yolen and Agnes are unsure what percentage exactly of the "#% stu-dents’ "#$" fee is being returned to "#%$".”

Crase agrees that So and Bollo-Kamara simply do not seem to know the details of the contract. He notes further that, though he is a member of the "#$"’s board, even he has not seen the contract.

Sajjad contends that these claims are inaccurate: “"#-%$" collects a fee directly from "#% students, just like any other divisional students’ society as it is an amalga-mation of the "#$" and the former *&$" [Erindale College Students’ Union]. Insofar as the "#%$" is providing ser-vices to our members, "#%$" is the "#$".” Sajjad states further that “there is nothing remitted to "#%$" for it’s [sic] own use.”

While a publicly available "#%$" budget for the '())–'()' school year lists "#$" membership fees as a revenue source for the "#%$" separate from its own membership fees, the "#%$"’s '()+ Financial Statements do not.

These concerns will almost certainly be raised at the next Student Societies Summit meeting, which will be held Monday, February )(. There are two more summit meetings scheduled for this year, on February '' and March ),, respectively.

Theodore YanASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR

Proposed law school says its religious freedom challengedTrinity Western University (#-"), a private faith-based univer-sity in British Columbia, has come under fire for its ban on gay-intimacy between students. The university’s proposed new law school, planned to open in '()., has been opposed by from lawyers and academics across the country.

Scott Campbell, vice-president of alumni for #-", called on graduates and /01# alumni to join the conversation and sup-port the new school. It has been approved by the Federation of Law Societies of Canada, and the 1& government. However, opposition to the school is urging provincial law societies to review the matter.

The societies have the authority to delay accreditation to graduates, which could seriously hinder the #-" law school. Nova Scotia Barristers Society is currently undertaking a re-view, and Ontario may follow suite.

Bob Kuhn, president of #-", released a video address in which he stated that opposition to the new school “strikes at the very heart of religious freedom in Canada.”

Sarah Niedoba— With files from The Globe and Mail

Winnipeg mayor sues student newspaper

Winnipeg Mayor Sam Katz is suing The Uniter, a student news-paper at the University of Winnipeg, over an article that ap-peared in the paper in December. Katz is also suing the article’s writer, Josh Benoit, and the university.

The article has since been removed from The Uniter’s website. A statement in the article’s place said: “Because this matter is presently before the Courts, this article is temporarily unavailable.”

Uniter managing editor Nicholas Friesen stood by Benoit. “I can’t say much, but what I can say right now is that we con-tinue to stand by the author of the piece,” Friesen said in an email to iMediaEthics. “With respect to the mayor’s comments in the media, we’ve retained legal counsel and our lawyer, Bob Sokalski, is in contact with the Mayor’s lawyer.”

Katz is seeking an apology, and does not believe he will receive any financial compensation due to the financial re-sources of The Uniter: “You have to look at the entities, and if you take out the University of Winnipeg, there’s nothing there,” he noted.

James Flynn— With files from CBC News and iMediaEthics

Posters at Spadina and Harbord prompt calls for donationsHand-drawn posters alluding to a fatal collision at Spadina avenue and Harbord street are prompting calls for dona-tions to surviving family members. David La, a '2-year-old with Down syndrome, was left without his mother, Grace Yang-Sim Kim, after she was struck by a van on November 2 of last year. Kim succumbed to head injuries resulting from the accident. Her eldest son, Eugene La, is now David’s full-time guardian.

Eugene created a trust fund to sustain his mother’s wish that David may be financially secure in the absence of a fam-ily to support him. The trust will also alleviate outstanding funerary fees and protect David’s ability to receive public disability funding.

Malone Mullin— With files from The Globe and Mail

Mayoral debate draws crowd at UTSC

from previous five per cent increases. Since '((., tuition fees have increased by as much as 2) per cent in Ontario, accord-ing to the &3$-4.

Like the &3$-4, the 4"$5 is calling on the provincial gov-ernment to reallocate tuition and education tax credit fund-ing to improving existing financial assistance programs. Ac-cording to Chris Fernlund, vice-president of university affairs with 4"$5, only one in three students earn enough money to make use of the government’s education tax credits while pursuing their degree.

Johnston affirmed the provincial government’s commit-ment to equitable access to post-secondary education. How-ever, she declined comment on upcoming funding initiatives from the provincial government.

“Helping Ontario students with their costs is part of the govern-ment’s plan to keep post-secondary education within the reach of all families, while building the best-educated workforce in the

world,” she noted. More than +2(,((( students — half of all full-time post-secondary students in Ontario — received student fi-nancial aid during the '()'–'()+ academic year.

Both the 4"$5 and &3$-4 are also calling for changes in the labour market. The &3$-4 wants the province to collect statistics on unpaid internships and end unpaid work terms in the public sector, while the 4"$5 wants the province to as-sist in increasing paid co-operative education opportunities for undergraduates.

“4"$5 is asking the province to provide funding that will encourage the expansion of paid co-op opportunities in non-traditional programs in the arts and humanities, social sci-ences, and sciences,” Fernlund said. Fernlund noted that stu-dents who participate in co-operative programs had higher post-graduation employment outcomes than other students, and make $'–$+ more per hour upon graduation.

Johnston addressed student concerns over unpaid intern-ships. “The fact that a young employee is called an ‘intern’ by someone they work for does not mean that he or she is

not an employee for purposes of the Employment Standards Act,” she said. “The Ministry of Labour is always reaching out to employees and employers to make sure that they are aware of their rights and responsibilities under the Employ-ment Standards Act.”

U of T is also calling on the provincial government to ex-pand funding for post-secondary entrepreneurship and expe-riential learning opportunities. U of T currently has a number of entrepreneurship opportunities such as campus-run accel-erators, and experiential learning opportunities, such as co-operative opportunities and service learning.

Johnston pointed to the government’s Youth Jobs Strategy — a program designed to help youth find jobs or start their own busi-nesses — as evidence of its commitment to providing employ-ment opportunities for youth. The strategy included four funds aimed at generating employment opportunities for youth. One fund, the Ontario Youth Entrepreneurship Fund, provided $,6 million to connect young people with mentorship and seed capi-tal to start their own businesses.

CONTINUED FROM COVER

VAR.ST!COMMENT

COMMENT 10FEBRUARY

[email protected]

The myth of gender equality What the underrepresentation of women in STEM programs reveals about our beliefs

Individuals may be legally equal in Canada, but our society is by no means equitable towards both genders. A patriarchal culture still exists, resulting in the underrep-resentation of women in science, technology, engineering, and math-ematics (!"#$).

Women currently represent the majority of both non-!"#$ stu-dents and university graduates overall. However, Statistics Canada recently published a study that showed women enrolling in uni-versity are less likely than men to choose programs in !"#$, regard-less of mathematical ability.

Why are women refraining from pursuing !"#$ programs? Some crit-ics still argue that women and men are physiologically different — men are naturally better at studying these disciplines than women. Yet, these biological determinist claims are weak rationalizations.

Many cite that men have supe-rior %D spatial and visualization skills, which are considered crucial for success in !"#$. While men are reportedly more likely than women to pass spatial-visualization tests, research shows these skills are eas-ily improved over a short period of time, and are not necessarily a function of biology.

Students’ average scores on the Purdue Spatial Visualization Test: Rotations (&!'":() rose from )* per cent to +* per cent — the mean

engineering student’s score — after simply taking a ,--hour spatial-vi-sualization course over ten weeks. Any deficiency in spatial-visualiza-tion skills is easily overcome, and consequently should not be used to justify the lack of female represen-tation in !"#$.

The study also showed that stu-dents who played with erector sets, %D computer games, or enrolled in mechanics classes were more likely to score well on the &!'":(. Such activities are typically represented as “masculine” — more men than women engage in them, and thus men inevitably improve their spa-tial-visualization skills. The gender difference in such skills, is therefore more likely a result of persistent gen-der norms than physiology.

Other analyses concerning men and women’s differences in ./, brain structure, and hormonal ef-fects on cognition are largely in-conclusive. In contrast, many con-temporary reports show a rapidly shrinking, sometimes even non-ex-istent gap in general performance levels between women and men.

Women are just as capable of pursuing !"#$ subjects as men. The reluctance to do so is not a matter of ability, but one of social-ization and stereotypes.

People may have stopped active-ly barring women from pursuing !"#$ subjects, but our subtle biases still exist, disproportionately en-couraging men to enter !"#$ work areas over women. Harvard’s on-line Implicit Association Test found that over 0- per cent of half a mil-

lion participants from around the world more readily linked “male” with science, and “female” with arts than the reverse.

Further studies show that people consider women less likeable if they are in “masculine” fields, especially if they are clearly competent. Com-petence and likability are essential for succeeding in any field, so wom-en pursuing !"#$ are caught in a Catch-**. While we may consciously support gender equity, our actions reflect implicit biases in ways that ul-timately deter women from pursuing or succeeding in !"#$.

The lack of female role models recorded in !"#$ history perpetu-ates these implicit biases. Net-tie Stevens, Jocelyn Burnell, and

Chien-Shiung Wu are all among the women who have made con-tributions to !"#$ and who even-tually won Nobel Prizes, but male counterparts ended up receiving the official awards and public rec-ognition. These women need to be given proper credit, so as to create a narrative where women have their rightful place in !"#$.

It is imperative that women are properly represented in !"#$ — if not to fulfill democratic principles of equity, then to harness a hugely untapped potential, maximizing innovation and competitiveness. Products of !"#$ fields are crucial to the national economy and society; without women, !"#$ outputs are ill-suited to serve all users. The first

automotive airbags were calibrated to adult male bodies, resulting in preventable deaths of women and children. Early voice-recognition sys-tems only picked up male voices.

We have a responsibility to recog-nize that the legacy of sexism still lingers in our society, detrimentally affecting the lives of at least half of our population. We need to be con-scious of our implicit biases, and how they translate into gender inequity. Only with this awareness can we be-gin to effectively dismantle society’s patriarchal structure which deters women from pursuing !"#$.

Victoria Wicks is a first-year student at Trinity College studying philoso-phy and political science.

Victoria WicksVARSITY CONTRIBUTOR

Federal government looking to double the number of international studentsInflux promises not only financial gain, but also cultural growth

U of T is practically bursting with in-ternational students, adding to Toron-to’s cultural diversity. The Canadian federal government wants to increase the number of international students coming to the university, aiming to double the current number of interna-tional students by *-**.

This announcement is a significant source of controversy for Canadian stu-dents, given the possible threat to their participation once there is a surge of in-ternational students occupying schools across the country. As an international student, the idea is ultimately wel-comed. The direct benefit is obvious: the chances of us studying abroad and competing with North American citi-zens are increased. But there are wider issues to be considered. Particularly, it will provide Canadian students who don’t get the chance to study abroad with a window to foreign cultures. With amplified globalization taking place, this exposure is not just fun and interesting: it’s necessary.

Yet, is this what the government is really concerned with? In *-1*, international students spent $+., billion in the Canadian economy, be-tween tuition, accommodations, and additional costs. A policy to increase international student enrolment will feed the nation, creating economic development without exhausting the government’s resources. The govern-ment is investing in this policy, as the plan envisions $) million spent yearly on marketing Canada as an at-tractive, cultural, and thriving desti-nation for education.

Doubling the number of incom-ing international students will re-sult in an estimated ,)-,--- foreign students all over Canada, bringing an estimated $12.1 billion into the economy. This will sustain hun-dreds of jobs through increased em-ployment at universities, as well as expanded academic opportunities. Furthermore, there will be a cultural boom as foreign students bring their own ideas and perspectives to the country, making universities more open-minded. Establishing global connections is another factor to be

considered; Canadians will have more opportunities to work abroad as universities have a chance to team up with other schools international-ly. As part of the project, another $1% billion in scholarship funding was promised in the most recent federal budget to bring foreign students here and send Canadians abroad.

From the perspective of an inter-national student, it’s important to take note of Canada’s competition. The US, along with the UK and Australia, offers equally rigorous programs, often at similar tuition fees. European universities in Italy, France, and Scandinavian countries have begun to offer degrees in Eng-

lish, giving ample choice to students pursuing this same path. Canada needs to differentiate itself, and the money being spent under this policy is vital to do so.

Initial reactions to this policy are pessimistic, as it paints the Cana-dian government in a negative light. Why should the government take advantage of our higher tuition fees, when we gain the same benefits as Canadian students?

Even so, while Canadian citizens benefit from foreign exposure in a passive way, international students do so in a active way. We are paying more, but we are also experiencing more when we move to a new country. Despite this policy’s economic goals, it means facilitating visa processes for students who wish to gain these experiences first-hand by coming to Canada to study. While the govern-ment is considering its own goals, it’s helping students around the world to achieve theirs.

Francesca Morfini is a second-year stu-dent at St. Michael’s College studying international relations and history.

Francesca MorfiniVARSITY CONTRIBUTOR

TIMOTHY LAW/THE VARSITY

Increases in international student enrollment could increase the burden on resources, such as the Centre for International Experience. HELENA NAJM/THE VARSITY

MONDAY, FEBRUARY !", #"!$ 11VARSITY COMMENTvar.st/comment

What will a hike in the minimum wage mean for Ontarians?

Hike in minimum wage lacks maximum impact

Last week the Ontario provincial government announced an increase in the province’s mini-mum wage to $!! per hour with a proposal to adjust the wage annually according to inflation rates. The announcement received mixed re-sponses, with local businesses expressing con-cerns over the economic impact of the increase and anti-poverty activists claiming that the "# cent hike was not enough to bring workers above the poverty line. The province’s decision struck a compromise between these voices, with Premier Kathleen Wynne saying, “This is a fair adjustment to the minimum wage and it gives businesses predictability.”

To put this into perspective, the increase for individuals working $% hour weeks, #& weeks per year, amounts to $!,#'%. While workers putting in &% hours per week will experience an increase of about $"(% in their yearly in-come. While not an insubstantial increase, the reaction among struggling workers, including many students, is clear; it’s a step in the right direction, but a greater leap is needed to make minimum wage a livable wage.

As students, we are faced with a multifaceted conundrum. Our living expenses are inex-tricably bound to general inflation and other fluctuating costs, tuition being one example. In the &%!%-&%!! academic year, the first year of Ontario’s minimum wage freeze, tuition for first year Arts & Science students at U of T was $#,&!'. In &%!)-&%!$ these same students paid $#,(%*. Over the past four years, tuition for these students has increased by $#*) while minimum wage has remained frozen at $!%.&#.

When combined with other annual increas-es such as the cost of living in Toronto, public transportation fares for commuters, and the

costs of course materials, it is easy to see how students are deeply impacted by changes, or lack thereof, to the minimum wage.

The upsurge in unpaid internships means that growing numbers of students find them-selves working for free in order to gain valu-able experience in their chosen fields — leav-ing them unable to work full-time during the summer months to offset costs incurred dur-ing the year. In a climate where so much of our future depends on strong academic per-formance, extracurricular involvement, and relevant work experience, students are forced to choose between financial security now and making advancements for their future.

Some businesses facing decreased profit margins as a result of the minimum wage jump will be forced to cut back on staff size and cut workers’ hours to compen-sate. Wynne’s proposal to tie future hikes in minimum wage to inflation promises to mitigate these side effects, which are mag-nified by periods of stagnancy followed by large increases. However, this policy does nothing to palliate the financial crunch businesses will experience come the wage hike on June !, &%!$ — just when many students are hunting for summer jobs.

So yes, the recent increase is welcome news to those working for minimum wage, but is it enough to make a revolutionary difference for students? Not even close. With students' expenses growing annually, this increase merely reduces the deficit created by the four-year wage freeze, but still leaves stu-dents caught juggling career objectives and financial pragmatism.

Samantha Relich is The Varsity’s Associate Comment Editor. She is a third-year student at Victoria College studying criminology and political science.

Samantha RelichASSOCIATE COMMENT EDITOR

Minimum wage increase sparks pre-election posturing in Ontario

A few days ago, the Premier Kathleen Wynne's provincial government stood behind the deci-sion to raise the minimum wage in the provinc from $!%.&# to $!! as of June !, &%!$. Students are sure to be among those most affected by the imminent increase. While most are heralding the move as a progressive step in the right direc-tion, the increase is not as generous as originally hoped for. Economic growth remains tentative after the &%%( financial crisis in the United States, both federally and provincially, and push-ing for $!$ an hour, the amount recommended by various grassroots groups, could negatively impact Ontario's growth momentum. Premier Wynne's decision to support an increase to $!! per hour proves to be a sensible decision when poverty alleviation and business confidence are both reasonably considered.

Fully understanding why Premier Wynne set-tled on the increase requires particular aware-ness of our current political context. About a year ago, grassroots groups, mostly counting on the National Democratic Party's (+,-) support for their efforts, launched a campaign to battle poverty by tackling the minimum wage in On-tario, as this issue is at the forefront of many voters' priorities. This is all the more important given that the provincial elections season is fast approaching. The provincial Conservatives' stance on this issue is no surprise — they firm-ly oppose any tinkering with the supply-side economics of Ontario's economy, and they fear that any increase whatsoever will ruin Ontario. This is mostly an exaggerated stance, the result of pre-election posturing.

On the other side of the spectrum, the Liber-als, newly concerned with economic competi-tiveness as much as the Conservatives, aim for

a balanced approach that reconciles the most urgent priorities of poverty alleviation with the mainstream determinants of solid business confidence. Further on the political left, one would expect an +,- that strikes a dissident note, calling for at least $!$ as the first shot in the battle against what should be Ontario's first priority: poverty alleviation and employee protection. This, however, is not the case. On-tario +,- leader Andrea Horwath keeps a low profile because the party stands much closer to the Liberals — by a dollar it turns out, in their recommendations for what the minimum in-crease should be. In doing this, the provincial +,- aims to expand their core voter support base with a warmer touch to commercial and business lobbying interests.

There is another issue to consider: how does the rest of the job market react to this proposal? A quick survey of workplace sen-timent regarding this issue reveals a worry that a $!$ increase is slanted against skilled labour and the number of years workers spend reaching cherished higher wage levels. Is it fair to higher skilled workers, exclud-ing ./0s, to see minimum wage increasingly trivialized their specialized skill sets? Or is a $!$ wage fair to the rest of Ontario's econo-my, which might suffer from decreased busi-ness confidence and go down in global rank-ings as a destination for foreign investment? There are many such considerations against the grassroots campaign's advocated wage hike. Wynne's decision is ultimately being supported by the majority of critics for tak-ing inflation, and fluctuations in the annual consumer price index into account. It may not be what we hoped for, but its something.

Yves Guillaume A. Messy is in his final year, spe-cializing in political science. He is a political com-mentator on CTV National News.

Yves Guillaume A. Messy VARSITY STAFF

THE!QUESTION

Students among those most affected by minimum wage increase, recently announced by the provincial government. MICHAEL CHAHLEY/THE VARSITY

Vol. CXXXIV, No. !"12 VARSITY COMMENT [email protected]

Why student movements fail Organizers need to do more to engage students directly

Over the past few months in the city of London, UK, hundreds of students have been taking to the streets to protest the forced clo-sure of the University of London Union — the University of Lon-don's central students’ union.

Throughout the demonstra-tions, the students have faced aggression from the authorities, been arrested, and have had their right to protest severely curtailed by the university administration. In contrast, when it comes to mo-bilizing against cuts to university education in Ontario, the situa-tion is dismal. The now-defunct annual protest to “drop fees,” or-ganized by the Canadian Federa-tion of Students (!"#), could only ever muster luke-warm support, while students certainly don’t like paying high fees, there is little enthusiasm to do anything about it.

One doesn’t have to go far to see student mobilization in action. In $%&$, Quebecois students went on strike in response to a proposed tuition fee increase of '( per cent. Student activists across the prov-ince have posed the question of why Ontario students can’t repli-cate Québec’s results. The finger is often pointed towards the apa-thetic masses of students, who do not take part in the work towards affordable education — either con-sciously or out of ignorance. And so organizers spend most of their time during the year appealing to students through rhetoric and buzzwords to encourage action and involvement.

While this sense of apathy does exisit to a certain extent, with re-spect to mobilizing for education, students are far from being disen-gaged members of society. Both inside and outside the classroom, many students are actively involved in issues they care about — wheth-er the issue is tackling the stigma around )*+/,*-#, or examining the effect municipal policies have on the city’s working class; students are involved. The problem does not lie with students, but with the student organizers. We are asking the wrong questions. Rather than assuming students are as apathetic as we think they are, we should be asking how we came to that conclu-sion in the first place.

The answer is simple: while well-versed in activist ideology and rhetoric student organizers in Ontario, including myself, all fail to listen to their fellow students. We get so lost in talking and read-ing about organization that we fail to stop and give students the chance to participate in the move-ment. It is not a case of merely for-getting; when students try to par-ticipate in the process and present alternative ideas, they are either shunned, or treated with hostility. Often those who dissent, regard-less of political affiliation, are referred to as right-wingers bent on pursuing a campaign of union-busting. It is true that there are political parties that do try to undermine the work of student unions, but, for the most part, the threat is exaggerated.

While claiming to speak for stu-dents, organizers continue to main-tain a condescending attitude that gives the impression that they know

the best practices to guide the stu-dent movement, and that the student body is too ignorant to contribute ef-fectively. The status quo of ignoring

voices in student movements needs to change. We need to radically re-think how we organize ourselves on campus. We may not agree with

all the ideas presented to us, but we need to attempt to include as many voices as we can. Theory is impor-tant, but without the involvement of students, it is meaningless.

In addition to listening to stu-dents, we need to restructure our systems of participatory democra-cy to ensure students have more of a say more often. One such model exists in the direct democracy model, applied in general assem-blies of the Québec student move-ment and the Occupy Wall Street protests. Direct democracy allows people to vote on specific policies, as opposed to leaving all of the de-cisions to a representative execu-tive. Organizers in Ontario have rejected the model, suggesting that such a structure would dis-enfranchise minority voices. How-ever, as Occupy has successfully demonstrated, direct democracy can be put into place with controls to ensure that minority voices are adequately represented.

If we do not take these steps, stu-dents will continue to be disenfran-chised, organizers will continue to boast about victories, and tuition fees will continue to increase.

Abdullah Shihipar is a third-year student and an Arts & Science Stu-dents' Union execuitve. The views expressed here are his own.

Abdullah Shihipar VARSITY CONTRIBUTOR

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VAR.ST!EDITORIAL

EDITORIAL 10FEBRUARY

[email protected]

The Varsity's editorial board is elected by the masthead at the beginning of each semester. For more informa-tion about The Varsity's editorial policy, email [email protected].

Letters to the editor should be directed to [email protected]. Please keep letters to 250 words. Letters may be edited for length and clarity.

LETTERS!TOTHE EDITOR

Vol. CXXXIV, No. !" | February #, $%!&

An open letter written last month by U of T post-doctoral fellow Christopher Parsons focused on the current state of Internet privacy and government surveillance in Canada. Parsons' letter emphasized the importance of this issue to our local community at U of T.

The letter, which was sent to each of the country’s major phone and internet service providers (!"#s) — in-cluding Bell Canada, Telus, as well as Rogers and its subsidiary Fido — requests that the companies publicize the extent to which they provide customer information to intelligence and law enforcement agencies.

In the post-Snowden era of Internet privacy, Parsons and others are continuing the often difficult and un-popular work of pulling back the veil of government surveillance. Students across the country, continent, and indeed, the world, are aware of the new status quo, but may not have considered the full privacy implications of increased access to information online. It is, unfortunately, easy to ignore the droning of television anchors or the frequently updated headlines of news sources as they appear on Facebook and Twitter, especially when the medium lends itself to distraction. The irony, of course, is that as these stories appear, they are swiftly buried under an infinite stream of online information.

Last month, The Varsity published a comment piece about the administrative backdoors of Blackboard Por-tal, U of T’s ubiquitous online class organization service. The article noted that the online learning tool allows course administrators to see how often students in their courses access readings, the syllabus, and other ma-terials; this effectively allows professors to keep tabs on students’ engagement without their knowledge. It is unclear how many U of T professors use the website for that purpose, nor is this aspect of Blackboard a secret. Nevertheless, many if not most U of T students don’t know that their habits can be monitored in this way. This is an example of the relatively superficial understanding most people have of their own online presence.

Canada’s government is also implicated in the surge of revelations relating to Internet and wireless commu-nication privacy over the past year. Our own federal government has been tied to international spying efforts, as well as the sharing of metadata with foreign agencies through the Communications Security Establishment Canada — our equivalent of the American National Security Agency. It remains uncertain how much work has gone into building a national surveillance infrastructure similar to that of the United States, but what is certain is that our government — and by extension, the governments of other countries — have some access to Canadians’ online activity.

It is encouraging to see that Canadians like U of T’s Christopher Parsons are using legitimate channels to combat unjustified surveillance in Canada. Whether or not our elected government should be given the power to keep track of our movements and online presence is a valid and pertinent question. Those who suggest that these stories are harmless — or that they are the product of the natural progression of security in the information age should not pacify us, just as those who cry foul and indulge in Orwellian conspiracy theories should not panic us. Setting the boundaries of privacy, particularly online, is a defining issue for our generation. The precedents we set today will be hugely influential. How our society debates and imple-ments Internet privacy mechanisms now will undoubtedly have lasting effects for the future, as the scope of the Internet continues to expand. It is imperative that young people educate themselves on this process, while also being wary of what they are willing to share online. A vast network of complicated communica-tions hides behind the familiar graphic interfaces of our mobile messengers, our Facebook profiles, our email, and so on.

True power lies in citizenship. Whether or not our personal information is being used for good or bad, it is ours, and we have a right to hold those who would take it from us to account. The work already being done by concerned members of the U of T community should act as a model for those with their own concerns. It is crucial that these decisions be made in the light of day, and any efforts to pull them into the spotlight — and to inform more people — are positive. The waters remain murky, but it is only by wading in that we can start to judge their depth.

U of T steps into Internet privacy conversation

Re: Verve’s sweet deal Wow, too bad the author only got one perspective and didn't do more research that one would expect be-fore publishing such an article.

I've been with Vemma for three years now and have found it to be an amazing company and oppor-tunity if one follows the policies, procedures, and best practices that are in place. All Vemma affiliates essentially act as independent con-tractors and are responsible for marketing the products and the brands ourselves, but unfortunately some younger affiliates get a little overzealous in their approach, but the company cannot be faulted for this. Vemma corporate goes to great lengths to instruct us to behave pro-fessionally and ethically.

Vemma was never presented as a "get rich quick" scheme. This is business that allows one to recoup their investment quickly, and then build it over time, just like any other business. I have managed to match my full-time engineering in-come in $ years, but, as we say, re-sults are not typical.

Networking is not perfect, but it is a great way to supplement one's income.— Rick Duque (from web)

Re: Former U of T president nomi-nated to corporate board This article is ridiculous and doesn't address any of the real concerns that people have voiced about the Naylor appointment, as outlined by the "Munk out of UofT" campaign. This Naylor appointment brings into new suspicion the highly ir-regular process by which the Munk School was created in the first place, which involved by-passing the Governing Council with a secret contract that gave Munk consider-able oversight of the school. Add that to the fact that the School's director, Janice Stein, turned the head of the Student Union over to Barrick's lawyers for associating with the Munk out of UofT cam-paign. This is all very well-docu-mented and the author best read the actual criticisms of the school before writing her defenses. They obviously have taken no time to understand people's concerns— Sakura Sanders (from web)

Re: Seventy one per cent of medi-cal students use no UTSU services, says MedSocI'm not sure what Theodore is try-ing to achieve with this article, al-though I can say that it is not rep-resentative of the medical student opinion on this situation. This is simply one article in a series of ar-ticles written by The Varsity, that takes a very complex issue and puts a simplistic, ill-informed spin on a few out of context quotes.

“The Medical Society (MedSoc) discovered that their members paid fees to the union, and felt that they should not have.” If you wish to re-port on this issue, please report the correct facts:

The vast majority of the medical student body are well aware that they pay fees to the %&"%. The vast majority of medical students are well aware of the services supplied by the %&"%, as well as the other stated “benefits” of being under the %&"% umbrella. This is simply the first time that our cur-rent constituency has been polled on their use of %&"% services.

We intend to continue to work with the other student groups at the summit to ensure our student population derives the greatest benefit from their student fees. The possibility of fee diversion is an option, as are other potential solutions to this complex governance issue.— Kim Blakely (from web)

Re: Minimum wage in Ontario ris-es from $!".#$ to $!!."" Theodore Yan reports that reaction to the raise of the minimum wage to $''.(( is mixed, with some busi-nesses praising the predictability of the proposed inflation-based index-ing and some expressing worry about the costs. It is useful to consider this legislation in its proper context.

The minimum wage has been fro-zen since )('(. This “increase” to $''.(( merely takes into account the changes in the Consumer Price Index (*#!) in the past four years. Fixing the minimum wage to the regular rise in *#! is commendably fair; it ensures that the same num-ber of hours worked will purchase the same amount of goods and ser-vices from year to year.

However the new legislation still allows for the discriminatory “Stu-dent Minimum Wage.” Those un-der the age of '+ need only be paid $'(.$( per hour, even if their work is identical to that of an '+-year-old who must be paid $''.((. The argu-ment given in support of this is that parents will help to support young-er workers, and that therefore they need not be awarded equal pay for equal work. Those who are aware of recent labour history will recognize that similar arguments were used as recently as the ',-(s: since their husbands helped to support them, women need not receive equal pay for equal work. The argument was wrong then and it is wrong now.

Workers under '+ are often strug-gling to pay tuition, and cover basic living expenses; sometimes they are helping to support their fami-lies. If a '--year-old is able to do the same work as a )(-year-old, then he or she should receive the same pay as the )(-year-old. The Canadian Federation of Students, together with the student unions at U of T, have been calling for an end to the discriminatory “Student Mini-mum Wage.” Students who wish to express their concerns regarding this legislation should contact their Member of Provincial Parliament. If you don’t know your .##, you can find out here: http://fyed.elections.on.ca/fyed/en/form_page_en.jsp.— Susan Froom is president of the Association of Part Time Undergraducate Students

NANCY JI/THE VARSITY

NIC

E!JEWISH

!BOYS!

I was doing m

y thing in a free m

odern/ballet dance class in the gay village and

decided to see what the story w

as at a gay Jewish event held next door. T

he room

was full of really hot ath

letic guys and I was like, “w

ow.”

I went up to a group of people, started chatting, and I noticed they all had ac-

cents — m

aybe British. One of them

asked: “Are you here for the rugby club?”

A bartender then inform

ed me that the Jew

ish event had been relocated to a bar dow

n the street. I fi

nally got there and sat dow

n next to this guy arou

nd my age. H

e was

one of the executives of the gay Jewish organ

ization. To m

y surprise, he w

as rather close-m

inded. He didn’t seem

to understand th

at intersex people ex-isted, or th

at bisexual people need to be taken into account w

hen run

ning a

queer organization

.O

ut of nowhere, this drag queen show

s up, drunkenly exclaiming: “I heard

there was a party in here!” Som

ebody explained that it was a gay Jew

ish event, so she asked if everyone w

as circumcised. I w

anted to leave, but also really want-

ed to see what w

ould happen next.She started fl

irting with m

e, and mentioned she w

as a redhead — and I love

redheads. She asked for my num

ber to send me a photo of her out of drag, and

the picture was really cute, so I decided to see w

here it would go.

The reason I w

ent to this event was to prove to m

y mom

that I would not fi

nd a nice Jew

ish boy there — done.

— Jonathan H

adad, third-year, political science and sexual diversity studies

“Couples making out LG

BTQ students share anecdotes, poem

s, and sentiments from

their experiences looking for love at U of T

&m

e EatINg Ch

eETos”

FIRE!I fell in love w

ith fire, and of course, I got burned. I fell in love w

ith words that broke

in my hands and kisses that left scorch m

arks on my lips. I traced her back w

hile she slept because I w

as afraid that if I closed my eyes, she w

ould disappear. Turns out, she left w

hen my eyes w

ere wide open. I tell m

yself, all you have to do is let it go. Let it go. —

Nicole D

oucette, fourth-year, mineral engineering

ROO

MM

ATES!"FOR!AM

I#!A

’s hair smells of ginger soap

her toenails scratch my sleeping feet

and sometim

es she looks very youngstanding in the snow

A is m

oving in with m

e I’ve hung paper m

oons on plaster holes peeled the w

allpaper down

to make room

for her books

I have filled our draw

ers with birthday candles

My grandm

other knows w

e go on dates —but not w

ith each other — to dim

ly lit rooms

I would gladly trade m

y parents’ hate for our quiet V

alentine’s

I could watch her dress all day

When A

comes hom

e, exhausted she’ll cast their anger off w

ith unwed socks

to be lost in laundry baskets and w

e’ll sleep like cats all w

inter W

ith great plans for the thaw—

Kate Burnham

, second-year, english

THE!O

NE!TH

AT!GO

T!AWAY

It began on the last weekend of R

eading Week last year. I w

as bored, since none of m

y friends had retu

rned to the city yet, so I decided to snoop arou

nd OkC

upid. One profi

le caught my

attention in particular: a tall, green-eyed, m

uscular, olive-

skinned m

an. I decided again

st sending him

a message out of

fear of rejection.

The next m

orning I awoke to a m

essage from the m

an I had view

ed the night before and I was ecstatic. W

e messaged all of

Saturday evening and exchanged numbers. W

e planned on meet-

ing the following w

eekend, but the very next day we decided w

e could not w

ait an entire week and w

e met that afternoon. W

e grabbed coffee and w

andered around Queen W

est in frigid Febru-ary, talking for w

hat felt like !" seconds, but in reality was several

hours. We talked about everything, from

why he decided to m

ove to C

anada to philosophy and religion. We just clicked.

Several weeks w

ent by and I was enjoying every single m

oment

spent with him

— but then things took a sharp turn. T

he com-

pany he worked for w

as going through a rough patch and laying people off. H

is hours were cut in half. H

is Canadian citizenship

application would not be processed for a year, and he w

as worried

he would not be able to fi

nd another company that w

ould be will-

ing to sponsor him so he could acquire another w

ork visa. His w

as set to expire in a few

months. T

he stress caused the relationship to unravel, and w

e ended on poor terms.

After a m

onth, he reached out to me and apologized for the w

ay things ended, and asked if w

e could give it another try. We tried,

but the stress wore us dow

n once again. I have not been in contact w

ith him since. It hurts to think about w

hat could have been if we

were not faced w

ith the stress of imm

igration and the fear of un-certainty. I think about him

all the time, and I don’t even know

if he is still in Toronto. I w

ish him the best, and in all honesty, I

wish w

e had just one more chance. H

e’s the one that got away.

— A

nonymous, fourth-year

THREE!TIM

ES!I!KISSED!A

!GIRL!A

ND!I!LIKED

!IT!"SO

RT!OF#

The fi

rst time, she w

as a friend of mine and w

e were on the dance floor at a club that w

e would later

say we w

ould never be caught dead in. Some guys w

ere hassling us, and she pulled my face tow

ards hers, laughing. W

e made out briefly, and it hardly served its purpose of creating the desired space

between ourselves and our unrom

antic suitors. I had red lipstick all over my face. I didn’t w

ipe it off. The second tim

e, she was m

y dearest and oldest friend in the city and we w

ere drunk and happy in the careless honeym

oon phase of an inevitably doomed social group. W

e shared secrets and wine and

kisses on the cheek. She put a pretzel in her mouth and offered m

e the other half. Our lips m

et briefly, and they tasted like salt.

The third tim

e doesn’t really count. I wanted to kiss her and I did not —

but it wasn’t like the

times before, w

hen it was just an intim

ate mom

ent with a friend turned som

ething more, but som

e-thing sm

all and fleeting. My heart w

as beating, faster. This tim

e, I didn’t kiss her because for the fi

rst time, I really, really w

anted to. —

Anonym

ous, fourth-year

PIZZA!A

ND!BO

OBS:!

A!SERIES!O

F!TW

EETSN

ovember #$: w

hy does everyone talk about rob ford when w

e could talk about pizza and boobs

Novem

ber %": wildly attracted to girls w

ielding a large weapon

or a large pizza

Novem

ber %&: this party has turned into couples making out and

me eating cheetos

Decem

ber !#: people say the sexiest curve on a girl is her smile

but it’s her butt

January #$: I’m m

aking a girlfriend out of pillows and w

atching rom

coms w

ith her if you guys wanna join, should be row

dy

January #': u of t is offering gay and lesbian softcore parkour les-sons for beginners this friday, w

hat a time to be alive

— H

annah Reinsborough (@

makeitreinss), third-year, crim

i-nology and sociology

ON

LINE:

A guide to student-friendly gay bars in Toronto’s

Church-W

ellesley village at

var.st/gaybars

! VAR.ST"ARTS10

FEBRUARY 2014

[email protected]!&!CULTURE

Jay Malinowski & the Deadcoast, fronted by Ca-nadian artist and former Bedouin Soundclash lead singer Jay Malinowski, will soon release their first album, titled Martel. The album is inspired by the life and times of Malinowski’s sailor ancestor, Charles Martel, whose adven-tures at sea were often retold to Malinowski as he grew up. In anticipation of Martel’s release, The Varsity sat down with Malinowski to talk about the album’s namesake and production.

The Varsity: Your ancestor, Charles Martel, is the inspiration for the album. Can you elaborate on how you came about choosing that topic?Jay Malinowski: Charles Martel was a house-hold topic for my grandfather. So originally, it was my grandfather telling me about the past as I was growing up — where we’d come from; that was really important for my grandfather. When I was young, I remember being really interested in it, but when it came to actually writing this record, the questions [became]: Why do we become the people we become? Why do we make the choices we make? Are they based on our self-definition, or a set of vast, vast circumstances that were decided maybe !"" years in the past, or #"" years in the past, by our parents? I can’t control where I was born, but do I also have characteristics from something that’s way deeper? That was where it came to me from. And that’s the ques-tion that Martel asks; it’s the spirit of Martel on the record, as he goes through the oceans.

TV: Do all of the songs refer to real or re-imagined experiences of Charles Martel? Or did you integrate your own experiences into each of them? JM: [I integrated] my personal experiences. I was seeing a pattern develop. I’d always been transplanted my whole life: I was born in Montréal, my parents are from Toronto, I grew up in Vancouver, and my grandfather is from Cape Breton. So there was this period of displacement; I’m sort of from Montréal, but really, I feel strongly towards the Pacific Ocean. Even in the choices I was making in life, I was seeing a pattern with Charles Martel and with my grandfather. Maybe I wasn’t a sailor, like all the other Martels, but then, how different was my life, really? I was travelling a lot… I was always in transit. So I related so much to the story [of Martel]; I found [it] fascinating…

I wanted to make something that, for me, was drawing on the history of my family...[Charles Martel] started in Lyon, his moth-er was beheaded, his life was upheaved, he came across to the new world, fought against the country he was from, and then ends up becoming a Justice of the Peace in Main à Dieu. With all those events that transpired...How does someone survive? His was a very dramatic section of life, but I think we all do that — we all find ourselves having to survive — so that’s something I related to. TV: How did you go about researching for the album? JM: For the beginning of it, it was all through my grandfather. My grandfather left behind all these notes… I think it was

a generational thing for him too — family trees were important… He left behind all this genealogy... He had this line [of Mar-tels] that he had written out, and then there were the stories. And so I went to Louisburg, and then his house…and I corroborated all the stuff I had been reading about. There's a writer at the Cape Breton Post who's a Mar-tel historian as well, so there was a lot of stuff that I could get for it. And then you actually see it in person; [there are] grave-yards, all the anchors — they're right by the seashore — for all the Martels dating back. [The process] was profoundly moving.

TV: There’s a heavy use of strings and piano in Martel, more than there is in your other work. How did your experi-ence working with these instruments dif-fer from that of your previous works? JM: Strings were key — it was all piano and strings — which was totally different for me; before it was always guitar. Ar-ranging with [strings] was very different. I remember the first time we played a song and [the band members] were like: "Okay, that's great, but we can't do that twice,” and I was like, "Well, that's the chorus — that has to happen at least three times." For classical musicians, where you stop is just as important as the chorus; if you're a pop musician, you're like, “Well, that area's kind of grey, but don't worry about it — the chorus and the verse, that's it, and whatever happens there is kinda al-right,” whereas [for classical music] every-thing's very written out and transcribed, so it was a completely different process.

TV: In addition to the album, you’ll be re-leasing a novella. What gave you the idea to add this as an accompaniment to the album? What can we expect from the novella?JM: I had all the background to all the songs, which slowly became novels that I was sending to my publisher. And so I would go through the lessons of each song, and my publisher said: “Maybe you should think about giving these to people who are gonna listen to the record.” I went to art school, but music became the communication tool — it was so much more effective — and this was the first time that I was like: “No, there needs to be a written component to com-municate.” 'Cause the record does get it, but [the novella] is a huge tool in understand-ing the background and everything. …My grandfather [passed] me down stories, but then there were all these little notes and scribbled things that I never got to ask him about, so I'm going on this kind of treasure trail of things that he'd left. I kind of use that as the basis for Martel as a sailor, writing to his granddaughter; for the first time, it kind of tempers his rugged personality. Each let-ter has a lesson at the end, although the first chapter, “Skulls and Bones,” really just lays out the historical places — who Charles Mar-tel is. The rest are sort of like dark fairy tales that actually happened; they correspond to songs… Some of them are based on my own experiences, some of them are based off of what my grandfather would tell me, but they all fit into the spirit of Martel.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

“And then there were the stories”Former Bedouin Soundclash frontman Jay Malinowski discusses new album and ancestry

Catherine VirelliVARSITY STAFF

Jay Malinowski opens up about the influences behind Martel. JENNIFER SU/THE VARSITY

MONDAY, FEBRUARY !", #"!$ !"var.st/arts VARSITY ARTS & CULTURE

Wyrd Distro bridges the distance to bring music homeCanada-centric music blog launches new distribution service after winning FACTOR grant

With the prevalence of music blogs and online tools to discover music from even the most remote locations, it would be easy to believe that the days of struggling as an independent band are long gone. The reality is much more grim. Those who wish to sell physical copies of their art to fans in far-off locales face steep shipping prices, a mountain of marketing work, and the challenge of getting to a post office which is often closed outside of daytime work hours.

Weird Canada is here to change that with Wyrd Distro, a new distribution service that provides an easier way for emerging bands to get their records in the hands of eager listeners. Art-ists can apply to have their work in the distro, which is essentially a cen-tral online store for all kinds of weird and wonderful Canadian music, and makes the process of getting a record from point A to point B exponentially easier for musicians.

The distro will be dependent on the dedication of local music communi-ties. Artists can drop their albums off either at the Weird Canada offices in Kitchener or with Weird Canada rep-resentatives in Toronto while visiting

or touring through. They will then make their way to record stores and individuals country-wide as enthusi-asm and interest demands.

The audience for off-kilter Canadian music certainly exists.

Weird Canada is a blog that was founded in #$$% and has grown im-mensely in line with its mission state-ment: “to encourage, connect, and document creative expression across Canada.” It is fuelled by hundreds of volunteers who do everything from writing to editing to translating the entire site into French. In #$!&, they released a &'-item long list of objectives they would like to accomplish. Right at number &! is the creation of a nation-wide electronic distribution service.

The idea is a powerful one and has the potential to make a huge differ-ence to both musicians and fans. “By removing the barriers that artists, labels, record stores, and consum-ers face in reaching each other, the [Wyrd Distro] will foster nationwide connections and expand the market reach of artists across the country,” said Marie LeBlanc Flanagan, Weird Canada’s executive director.

The project is being financially sup-ported by FACTOR, an arts funding agency that has faced a fair amount of criticism for its money allocation. With a goal of supporting Canadian

talent, FACTOR provides grants for sound recording, music videos, mar-keting, business development, and more. Many criticisms of the orga-nization have been made, includ-ing their focus on a small number of already successful bands centred around Toronto.

It is tempting to see Weird Canada’s $'$,$$$ grant to create the online site for the Wyrd Distro as a step in the right direction for FACTOR. Part of the reason marginalized or independent bands rarely receive funding may be a lack of knowledge on how to write an effective grant application. In an interview with Hazlitt, an online liter-ary magazine, Weird Canada founder Aaron Levin said that “one of the big hurdles we found while writing the grant is not really knowing what the granting agencies are looking for, read-ing these pages and pages of defini-tions and needs, but not having any idea of what the finished product should look like.”

With that in mind, Weird Canada has open-sourced their application, making it available for anyone who wants to learn what information to include and emphasize — selling their idea to FACTOR. They are prom-ising to host other organization and individual’s applications, successful or failed, in order to further that goal.

Doing research and reaching out to the agency can make the difference between getting the grant or not. “Call them. Talk to them. They’re human beings on the other end of the phone, and they can tell you about grants that might be relevant to you or not. Problems they can see. Talk to them early, long before the grant is due,” said LeBlanc Flanagan in an interview with blogTO.

As for the distro, it is set to go live on February !'. The occasion will be marked with a nationwide launch party, with community gatherings organized by Weird Canada volun-teers in a long list of Canadian cities, from St. John's to Iqaluit. Each event will feature live performances and a chance to participate in a discussion with LeBlanc Flanagan and Levin through webcam, with multiple cities interacting at a time. The event fully captures the spirit of the widespread communication between disparate parts of the country that the distro will facilitate.

Toronto’s iteration, co-presented as part of the Wavelength Music Festi-val, will take place on Saturday, Feb-ruary !' at (:$$ pm at June Records on ))# College Street. Bring your questions about the distro, thoughts about community, and your enthusi-asm for Canadian music.

Elena GritzanVARSITY STAFF

ALBUM: Flesh & Blood by John Butler TrioFlesh & Blood is the sixth album from Australian folk band John Butler Trio. Many listeners have eagerly awaited this release since #$!$’s April Uprising.

John Butler Trio has developed a reputation for playing soulful folk in-fused with traces of funk. In previous albums, like Grand National, this signa-ture style combined with bohemian at-titudes bought the band success. In Flesh & Blood, we see a maturing band with the same level of boldness. John Butler Trio has pushed towards an established grace, while staying true to their roots.

“Spring to Come” or “Only One” have amazingly uplifting compositions. Var-ious tracks on Flesh & Blood resonate classic John Butler Trio. “Livin’ In The City” and “Devil Woman” have the po-tential to give even The Black Keys a run for their money.

Flesh & Blood maintains the free-spirited attitude that the band has honed and proves that folk music is alive and well.— Travis Boyco

FILM: Harry Dean Stanton: Partly Fiction Harry Dean Stanton is probably one of the greatest living actors. Harry Dean Stanton: Partly Fiction is an impressive documentary that takes its audience into the life of the iconic actor. Through interviews, archival footage, and clips from Stanton’s vast filmography, we are shown very inti-mate moments of his life.

Director Sophie Huber does an ex-ceptional job at allowing Stanton to express his innermost thoughts on-screen. He is an utterly fascinating man — at the age of *", we can clearly see that Stanton has acquired a wealth of knowledge and wisdom.

Throughout the picture, Huber splic-es brief yet fascinating interviews with people like David Lynch, Wim Wenders, and Debbie Harry, all individuals who know Stanton very well. Overall Harry Dean Stanton: Partly Fiction is a remark-able film that celebrates the life of one of cinema’s greatest treasures.— Michael Carlisle

ALBUM: So Long See You Tomorrow by Bombay Bicycle ClubIf you thought you knew where Bombay Bicycle Club was going with their new-est release, you were probably wrong. In their fourth studio album, So Long See You Tomorrow, the UK-born indie band has managed to reinvent their ever-changing sound yet again.

From the album’s opening track, there is an infusion of international sounds combined with catchy melodies remi-niscent of #$!!’s A Different Kind of Fix.

Frontman and producer Jack Stead-man used his recent travels to India as inspiration for the new record, sam-pling Bollywood rhythms and pound-ing percussions in songs like “Feel” and “Overdone." The result, well, it just makes you want to dance. Mel-lower moments in “Home By Now” and “Eyes Off You” provide a dream-like backdrop to Steadman’s bittersweet vocals, balancing the spirit of the al-bum. It’s hard to know where the band is going next, but if their latest album is any indication, we’re in good hands. — Daria Petrovic

REVIEWS

Team Weird Canada: executive director Marie LeBlanc Flanagan and founder Aaron Levin. COLIN MEDLEY/MEDIA PHOTO

Vol. CXXXIV, No. !" !" VARSITY ARTS & CULTURE [email protected]

Driven by passionAn interview with Jemel Ganal of Humans of the University of Toronto

I recognize Jemel Ganal without ever hav-ing met her before. Her tool is what gives her away — a Canon #$D camera that hangs from her neck. Ganal is a second-year cinema studies student and the indi-vidual behind “Humans of the University of Toronto” — a photographic census of those affiliated with the university.

Ganal was driven to begin her project by a desire to try something outside her comfort zone: “All I knew is that I wanted to do something outside my box. I wanted to connect with people, and try and help create unity. I originally called the project 'Strangers Smiling,' but when I realized most of my photos were of people on campus, I decided to make it one of the “Humans of” pages since Humans of New York was what inspired me.

Over the course of our conversa-tion, Ganal recounts story after story, managing to remember the names of everyone she talks about. She’s taken about a hundred photos in the past few weeks, and I wouldn’t be sur-prised if she remembers the names of everyone she’s met. She tells me a bit about how she approaches people: “I don’t start by introducing the proj-ect. I want to genuinely get to know people, so I start by just talking to them. Sometimes we end up talking for an hour. I learn so much.”

Ganal is incredibly driven — she sets goals for herself and pursues them with admirable zeal. She isn’t afraid to talk about the future: “I want to go to New York City,. I want to already have an international portfolio when I make the transfer to New York.”

Her short-term goals illustrate her commitment to keeping Humans of the University of Toronto honest and up-to-date. She tries to take six photos each day, taking around fifteen portraits on Fridays in order to be able to keep uploading throughout the weekend.

Thus far, the response to her work has been outstanding. We talk about the nature of success, and she gives me two pieces of advice: success requires passion and a bit of spunk: “You won’t succeed if you aren’t passionate. You can’t know what will happen, and that’s something you have to be okay with. All you can ever know is that you’re doing what you love, and that alone should be enough. In order to succeed, you have to go for it — just do it. You can’t sit around thinking ‘should I really do this?’ Just do it.”

The project is only two weeks old and has garnered over %,&$$ Facebook likes. I thank her for the advice and for agreeing to meet with me. As our interview comes to a close, she stops me.

“Wait,” she says, “now I have a ques-tion for you. Would I be able to take your photo?”

Honoured, I smiled wide for the camera. I continue smiling for the rest of the day.

Phyllis PearsonVARSITY CONTRIBUTOR

LOVE!BEHIND! COMMERCIAL!GLASSValentine's store fronts near campus: a photo essay by Clare Scott

PHOTO COURTESY OF HUMANS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO

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[email protected]

You’re Next in tech Eighty startups will attend the February !" job fair to search out U of T talent

Looking for a summer job? Or are you graduating in the spring and looking for full-time work? Inter-ested in working for a company that is pushing the boundaries of technology today? Well, then, it is time to polish up your résumé and dig out your portfolio: the largest start-up career expo in the country is coming to town, and you will not want to miss it.

On February !", #$ companies and an estimated %,"$$ students will descend on the MaRS Discovery District for a full day of network-ing. The event is being organized by the You’re Next Career Network, a non-profit organization originally founded by U of T students. Their stated goal for the expo? “To con-nect students to startups as well as to provide a strong community to foster a startup mentality at the University of Toronto.”

It’s an event that has been in the planning for over a year, and has become much bigger than the orga-nizers ever initially intended. You’re Next Career Network ran their first startup expo in the Great Hall at Hart House, just over a year ago, with &# companies and about '$$ student attendees. When Matt Pua, managing director for the startup hub and a current engineering stu-dent at U of T, began working on plans for this year’s event with his team, they planned for only a mod-est increase in attendance and com-pany participation.

In late November, their plans changed. As Pua puts it, “We were discussing being a little bit more ambitious. [We said] let’s bring more companies, let’s bring more students.” The result? They switched venues and began marketing the expo at universities all across On-tario — and with #$ startups partici-pating, it is now expected to be the biggest event of its kind anywhere in the nation.

Although the expo will be set up much like a traditional career fair, the focus on startups makes it unique. Many of the participating companies have been founded only in the last three or four years, often by entre-preneurs who were only recently stu-dents themselves. Pua says that it is “different in the sense that the start-ups aren’t as known yet, but they’re pushing more innovative things than at the corporate, larger companies ... they [the startups] move faster, they change faster, they can adapt faster.” The startups that will be attending the expo are looking for students with motivation, passion, and cre-ativity — but recruiting students is not the only benefit for these com-panies. The expo is also an opportu-nity for startups to build up their own contacts in the industry, to network, and to promote themselves.

Sameera Banduk recently joined Thalmic Labs, one of the startups attending the expo, as their mar-keting director. She describes the startup culture as “a really exciting place to be,” and says that the big-

gest difference between working for a startup and working for a larger, more established corporation is the “ability to have a really big impact on whatever you’re working on ... Every single thing you do contributes in a big way.”

Although dress and atmosphere may be more laid back than at a tradi-tional career fair, the startups are still looking for top talent — the best that U of T and the other Ontario universi-ties have to offer. Philip Chen, a U of T engineering alumnus, is a co-found-er and the ()) of Seamless Mobile Health, a recent startup that aims to reduce hospitals’ readmission rates by allowing patients released from hospital after surgery to track their symptoms, and providing them with advice in real-time. In the future, the company is looking to expand inter-nationally, and to build partnerships with large hospital systems in both Canada and the US.

According to Chen, students want-ing to stand out at the expo should have “a good understanding of the company, and how they can help the company achieve that vision.” Ban-duk says that the most important qualities include “being passionate, being able to prove that you can tack-le challenges.” Pua strongly recom-mends that students bring not only a résumé, but a portfolio, or samples of their work, or anything else that demonstrates their creativity.

Many of the participating compa-nies are looking for developers and engineers, but those are not the only positions available — many of the startups are also looking to build their marketing teams, their design teams, or their sales teams. Other open positions include busi-ness analysts, data scientists, prod-uct managers, copywriters, and social media specialists, and com-panies will be recruiting interns as well as full-time employees.

For those who may be curious about the startup culture but do not know where their particular skill set might be best employed, the You’re Next Career Network is also offering a career expo bootcamp this coming Wednesday evening, exclusively for University of Toron-to students. Attendees will hear a keynote talk about the advantages and challenges of working at a start-up, followed by presentations and the opportunity for open discussion with ten mentors from different industries. The goal is to help stu-dents decide what areas they might want to work in, and then to help them target specific roles that suit their strengths. Attendees will also get early access to the complete list of companies and positions avail-able at the upcoming expo.

The Start Up Career Expo will be held from %$ am to * pm on Tuesday, February !". Students who register in advance of the event will be entered to win prizes sponsored by some of the startups attending the expo. The Start-Up Career Expo Bootcamp is this Wednesday, February %!, from + pm to # pm; participation is re-stricted to +$ students, so early registration is advised.

Jennifer HurdVARSITY STAFF

SELECTED!COMPANIES!IN!ATTENDANCE!SEAMLESS!MOBILESeamless Mobile was founded by two U of T students and a friend from UBC, who met through Next36, a selective program for student entrepreneurs that provides instruc-tion, mentorship, and financial support for participants. The award-winning app supports patients who are recovering from surgery and have been released from the hospital. By allowing patients to track their symptoms, catch any signs of distress or complications, and get real-time advice, the company works with hospitals to lower their surgical read-mission rates. Current positions include a web and social media intern, and a market research intern; they are also looking to increase their development team.

TABBLEDABBLEFounded in July 2010, this startup focuses on tablet-based lead capture and data collection, allowing businesses to con-duct surveys and analyze results with leading edge mobile technology. At the moment, they are particularly looking for people with experience developing applications in Java.

JUICE!MOBILEAlso founded in 2010, Juice Mobile provides mobile mar-keting services to publishers, brands, and advertisers. By demystifying the often puzzling and certainly very new field of mobile marketing, Juice Mobile provides their clients with new technologies that allow for more e!cient advertis-ing. Recent achievements include launching Canada’s first real-time bidding platform, and launching live countdown, multi-tab expandable, and wipe-away advertisements. This past year, they released a new mobile platform, Nectar, that eliminates price from the purchase equation. Open posi-tions include a junior C++ developer, a junior sales planner, and a junior account executive

THALMIC!LABSThe Myo armband from Thalmic Labs seems like some-thing out of a science fiction novel — by simply gesturing with your hand, you can interact freely with your comput-er, phone, or any other digital device. The company has started shipping prototypes to selected developers, and plans a wider release for mid-2014. The armband works by

sensing muscle movement, and transmitting the informa-tion over Bluetooth. If the idea of wearable technology gets you excited, they are looking for electrical, software, and mechanical engineers, as well as designers and customer support specialists.

EVENTMOBIEventmobi’s platform allows clients to easily and quickly create a mobile app for any sort of conference or event. Just this month, they released Fusion 2.0, a tool that inte-grates all aspects of event coordination — a help desk, reg-istration, surveys, interactive maps, sharing conference files and presentations, and more. After downloading the cus-tomized app onto their mobile device, conference attend-ees can access the app (and all of the relevant information) even if the event location itself does not have an internet connection. Who are they looking for? According to "#$ and co-founder Bob Vaez, “people who take initiative, add value, and are willing to learn every single day.”!FRESHBOOKSFreshBooks is an invoicing and billing application, designed to solve the accounting and organizational problems of small business owners. It provides users with the ability to create and manage invoices, expenses, and projects, all in one place. Founded in 2003, the company now boasts over five million users in 120 countries, and bills itself as the “#1 cloud accounting solution.” Positions are available in devel-opment, marketing, product management, and design. TEAMBUY.CAThe first daily deal site owned and operated in Canada, TeamBuy was founded in 2009 and aims to bring its clients “great deals every day in cities across North America.” By guaranteeing their merchants a certain number of custom-ers, they can o%er the public discounts of usually around 50 to 60 per cent o%. The company was also featured on the CBC show Dragon’s Den, and in less than five years, they have grown to 120 employees, with over three million online members. They’re looking for a back-end developer, and copywriting, graphic design, and social media interns, amongst other positions.

DAN SELJAK/THE VARSITY

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Cancer could be treated by gold nanoparticles

Researchers at U of T have re-cently discovered a method of delivering cancer medications or cancer-markers directly into the tumours they are targeting.

Tumours are characterized by leaky vessels with holes roughly #$-#$$ nanometers in size de-pending on their stage of devel-opment. Professor Warren Chan and his team at the university’s Institute of Biomaterials and Bio-medical Engineering attempted to deliver particles small enough to pass through these holes and re-main inside the tumour in order to treat or image the cancer. In or-der to ensure that these particles would be small enough to enter the vessels, but large enough to remain inside the tumour, the team created a molecular assem-bly model in which they joined together nanoparticles with %&' .

While nanoparticles are thought to contribute to a long-term risk of toxicity in patients, it is believed that combining %&' with the nanoparticles could eliminate the risk, as the %&' will be degraded by the body’s en-zymes, and allow for the safe re-moval of these smaller particles. Although researchers recognize their work as a possible break-through, it is important to note that this research is in its prelimi-nary stages. — Vanessa Barbieri

Price highlighting helps consumers make smarter, more satisfying choices

A recent research study from the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management suggests that highlighting and reminding consumers of the price prompts them to think about the prod-uct’s long-term value, which encourages them to follow their preference for greater usefulness instead of convenience.

In a series of experiments, participants were given a choice among similar products. Com-pared to control subjects who picked products more convenient in the short term, those provided with price information preferred products with higher function-ality, despite the fact that both groups favoured the more useful products in the long run.

Min Zhao, associate professor of marketing at Rotman and co-author of the study, says, “Once you’ve concluded you’ve made a bad choice, you’re not happy with the product, and you may not want to go back to that com-pany again.” She suggested that gym managers could attract new members and increase consum-er satisfaction by sending them weekly reminders of the price they’ve paid.— Ann Sheng With files from U of T News

Engineering romance on Facebook Student creates app to connect U of T’s secret admirers

Michael Wainberg was like any other U of T student suffering from a crush when he came up with the idea for LoveInterest, his new dat-ing app. “I was sitting in class day-dreaming about someone I was interested in,” he says. “I thought, Facebook has friend requests, why not have a relationship request? Then I realized I could actually make the thing myself.”

After some research, Wainberg created LoveInterest, an app that uses Facebook to faciliate romance between friends and acquantainces. The app aims to reflect the unique reality of dating in university. Due to the larger network of people that may surround a student, the chances are higher that a special someone is within reach — just waiting for you to reach out and make more signifi-cant contact than a casual poke. The Varsity interviewed Wainberg about LoveInterest and coding for love.

The Varsity: What does LoveInter-est do? How does it work? Michael Wainberg: LoveInterest is an app that helps you find romance with your Facebook friends. You can select a friend as a love interest, and they will get a notification that

they have a secret admirer — but they don’t know who selected them. When your friend also selects you as a love interest, the two of you are notified that you selected each other, and you can take it from there. The app gives users complete anonymity: nobody can see that you are a user unless you specifically request it.

TV: You did some research on on-line dating before embarking on this project. What did you research and what did you find? How does the design of LoveInterest reflect your findings? MW: I realized that there was a hole in the market. There were two types of relationship apps: traditional dat-ing apps that match strangers based on shared interests and personali-ties; and hookup apps like Tinder, which are just about physical attrac-tiveness. But there was no app for people to find romance with their friends and acquaintances.

TV: Were there any challenges in coding the app?MW: It was fairly straightfoward overall. The main challenge was to make it secure, so that hackers can-not impersonate other people or see their love interests.

TV: Have you had any success sto-ries from LoveInterest yet?

MW: So far, ()" love interests have been selected and there have been " matches. We haven’t heard from them yet, but we hope they’re happy!

TV: One of the interesting things about LoveInterest as a dating app is that it doesn’t attempt to match compatibility. As a user, you have complete control over who you in-teract with. Is it possible to code

for compatibility? Can computers calculate romantic interest?MW: Oh, absolutely. People have put a great deal of effort into mak-ing computers better at calculating whom you are most likely to be in-terested in. But no matter how good computers get, you still know best who you would like to have a rela-tionship with. LoveInterest empow-ers you to make that happen.

Katrina VoganSCIENCE EDITOR

RESEARCH!RECAP

MASHAL KAHN/THE VARSITY

VAR.ST!SPORTS

SPORTS 10FEBRUARY

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In honour of Valentine’s day, we asked Varsity Blues athletes to explain their love for their sports. Competing on a varsity team requires a huge time commitment, but its benefits overpower the struggles and contribute to the love of athletes have for their sports and teams.

For the love of the gameVarsity athletes express their passion and dedication for their sports

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE VARSITY BLUES

McKinnley Morris RugbyThere’s nothing more physically satisfying than rugby, and the culture of the sport is one of the best things about it. At the begin-ning of the match, you get to negotiate the rules with the ref, you beat the hell out of the opposing team, and then afterwards we all go and socialize together — you leave everything on the pitch. The level of trust necessary to play the sport brings a level of camaraderie that turns your teammates into your family. This is one of the most amazing aspects of the sport. Our season never ends; we go from !"# to sevens to summer rugby and around again. This constant competi-tion requires relentless training, and noth-ing feels better than sweating, bleeding, running, crying, and winning alongside your family. No other sport could challenge me and yet support me like rugby does.

Darnell GirardTrack and Field There’s something really raw about stepping into a throwing circle and giving everything that you’ve got, trying to throw the shot put further than anybody else who steps in there after you... It’s just you and a $%-pound ball in your hand, and if you can throw that thing further than anyone else does that day then you deserve to win... With other sports there can be argument for who really “deserved” to win, or how one athlete carried his/her teammates to victory, but at the end of a competition, I know that on that particular day there is nothing that anyone can say to take away my performance from me; it is something that is completely my own. It’s this amazing feeling of accomplishment and responsibility that makes me love my sport, and it is a love that I will carry with me long after my days in the throwing circle are over.

Kevin Deagle Men’s HockeyI love hockey for a dozen reasons, but I’ll mention three. It is through hockey that I have lived the Canadian dream since I was five, playing in hockey arenas across this great country for as long as I can re-member. Secondly, the sport builds your character past what you might have imag-ined, and then brings out the best — then worst — in yourself to test that character. Lastly, the camaraderie in sport is un-equalled. A bond forms among the men you stand shoulder to shoulder with in competition that, through success or ad-versity, cannot be broken. These reasons, and many more, are why I love hockey.

Rachael Sider Women’s BasketballI got into basketball competitively at age &, after years of shooting around in the park with my dad. I love basketball in part because it’s always been a family affair; I played with my sister for years, my dad coached us, and I helped him coach my brother. Our respective seasons still domi-nate family discussions, and keep us all close, despite the physical distance. I also love the fast-paced nature of the game and the challenge of competing against both op-ponents in a game, and yourself in practice.

Vanessa Treasure Women’s SwimmingI started this sport as a little girl who just loved to swim. The passion, drive, and deter-mination that resides in me grew that love of the water more than I ever thought possible. The early mornings are all worth it when you stand behind the starting blocks with con-fidence. The memories of painful training sessions transform into faster times, and the countless heartbreaking disappointments vanish when you are standing at the top of the podium, blowing a kiss to your mom. If I take my journey as a competitive swimmer and strip away the titles, the requirements, and the detailed regimens, I find that same little girl that started for the love of the sport.

Dakota Laurin Men’s BasketballWhat I love most about the game of bas-ketball is the team dynamic that it places you in. Almost everyday you compete with and against your teammates — overcom-ing defeats, celebrating successes, and all the while making each other better players and people. Pretty soon, your teammates become your best friends; together you experience the highs, the lows, and every-thing else that life has to offer. I know that long after I leave the basketball court, the friendships I made will still be with me. That is why I fell in love with the game.

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Behind the scenes: Varsity Arena Varsity Arena serves as important space for U of T students

The University of Toronto’s mul-tipurpose Varsity Arena was built in #$!", and has since become an integral part of our campus and community. In addition to being the home of U of T’s intramural hockey league, the arena has hosted concerts, all-star basket-ball games, clothing sales, and international sporting events. It is also used for recreational and instructional classes, children’s programs, and high–perfor-mance athletic training. Before the exam center was built, it was also used to host many Arts & Science exams.

Six full-time staff and fourteen part-time casual staff work at the arena. Together, these individuals work with three assistant managers and one facility manger to maintain the efficient operation of the arena. Key to this efficiency is cleanliness. According to Douglas Graham, one of the assistant facility managers: “Cleanliness is next to godliness for the Varsity Arena.”

To reach this level of godliness, the stadium has a team of building engi-neers who liaise in regards to ice tem-peratures and stadium conditions. The ice must be maintained daily, and prior to intercollegiate games, maintenance becomes especially taxing. The ice must be scraped and edged; the arena and stands, cleaned; and the high traffic areas disinfected. These intercollegiate and intramural events put more demand on the staff at the arena, which in turn, increases the number of part-time casual staff.

The arena is able to plan ahead for these high–demand events by staying organized through its efficient system of booking and schedulling. It starts with the in-tercollegiate and intramural man-agers, who assemble a list of avail-able dates to provide to external groups. Bookings are schedulled on a first–come, first–served ba-sis, and requests are relayed to the facility manager through the administrative assistant.

The arena, however, is here to serve U of T students first and foremost. It

is fully accessible, and provides a discount and priority for registered student groups for rental spaces. U of T students use the arena most frequently, primarily for intramu-ral competitions. On available time, other groups are hosted as well.

Sean XuVARSITY STAFF

Photocap. CAROLYN LEVETT/THE VARSITY

MONDAY, FEBRUARY !", #"!$ !"var.st/sports VARSITY SPORTS

Varsity Blues wrestling team adapting to IOC’s changes with ease

The nature of wrestling has under-gone a significant transformation following the issue of the sport’s future in the Olympics. Since then, Varsity Blues wrestling team mem-bers have had to adjust to a much more active and aggressive ap-proach. All seem to welcome the stricter policies toward passivity that have been reintegrated at the competitive level.

Head coach Mike Quinsey has been involved with the sport since #$"#. He believes all of the wres-tlers this season exemplify dedica-tion and commitment. Though this team is relatively small in compari-son to past years, this has certainly not placed them at a disadvantage.

“The goal I set out for the team this year is to raise the level of qual-ity, rather than trying to field as many wrestlers as wanted to wres-tle,” noted Quinsey.

Regarding the changing nature of the sport, Quinsey said: “The rules of the game have been changed back to the way they were when I was competing.

“The emphasis is back to aggres-sive physical domination of your op-

ponent,” he continued. “It makes for a more dynamic contes and all the matches are way more entertaining.”

Brandon Rynka has been enjoy-ing his first year wrestling at a competitive level. Rynka was on the Varsity Blues football team in !%## and !%#!, and has done grappling and jiu jitsu training in the past. He expressed gratitude for Quinsey’s support over the past four months, noting that: “He tells it like it is and has giv-en me, a rookie wrestler, skills to compete against wrestlers with years and years of experience.”

“University wrestling is much different than any other university sport,” said Rynka, who hopes to continue to improve with the expe-rience of each competition.

Team member Jordan Raghunan-dan has been involved with wres-tling for the past five years.

When discussing obstacles on his journey so far, Raghunandan said: “Moving up weight classes has been a bit of a challenge for me; many people get disheartened when they lose matches.”

He says that he continues to welcome the difficulties, noting that: “This last year has been a real eye–opener how much I have to work on.”

Reshara AlviarezVARSITY CONTRIBUTOR

Do you even lift, bro?Gym culture changing around North American university campuses

“Do you even lift, bro?” The cry rings out on college campuses across North America. Throughout the continent, #& to !'-year-olds have discovered the joys and benefits of forcing heavy objects to defy the laws of gravity by making them go in an upward direction.

For the uninitiated, I am speaking about lifting weights.

Driven forward partially by the internet zeitgeist — but mainly by the overwhelming desire to be at-tractive to people of corresponding sexual orientation — “lifting” has become a pastime that transcends creed, race, gender, and other lines that have traditionally divided uni-versity-aged people.

“Lifting allows the human soul to relax,” says third-year student Isham Zeitoun. “The gym is a social setting. You get to meet new people and inter-act with different cultures.”

Indeed, the social aspect of lifting is perhaps one of the most important contributing factors to its popular-ity. People discover it, gradually find that they enjoy it, invite their friends to join them, and the cycle repeats it-self. Lifting with friends has the added benefit of keeping one accountable. Even on days when you simply do not care to exercise, your lifting partner or partners will insistently push you to the gym.

With this in mind, the easiest way to start lifting is to tag along with a friend who already does. It’s almost certain that if you ask around your so-cial circles, you’ll find at least one per-son who lifts weights regularly. You may be surprised at who it is. Ask this friend if you can accompany her to the gym on her next expedition.

The most common way to go about lifting is to rotate between muscle groups with every trip. Com-mon groups include chest, defined by the bench press; arms, curls; shoulders, no immediately recog-nizable workout comes to mind; back, dead lifts; and legs, defined by squats . During each session, one should perform a few sets of three or four different workouts for the day’s designated muscle group(s). Every lifter has a different routine — stag-gered with rest days — so schedule according to what feels comfortable for you.

Hart House and the Athletic Cen-tre also offer many services and lessons to newcomers to lifting weights, creating another option for those just getting started.

No matter how you choose to get into lifting, remember that safety comes first. When in doubt, always lift less, and have a spotter keep an eye on you, in case you need help during potentially dangerous exercises.

So what are you waiting for? Grab some shorts and get to the gym.

It’s leg day.

Graduating athlete: Tom BlazejewskiFencer Tom Blazejweski graduating as a top athlete and top student

University of Toronto fencer Tom Blazejewski is the type of student that makes all the rest of us jeal-ous and anxious about our sub-par CVs. Not only is Blazejewski a successful student with high aca-demic standing and research ex-perience, he’s also a nationally competitive athlete.

On the academic side, Blazejew-ski was awarded two student-ath-lete prizes this year, one of which was the OUA Top Scholar award. He has been involved with research at U of T since second–year, and in third year assembled the genome of a parasite. Blazejweski will be graduating with a specialist in bio-informatics, a major in computer science, and a minor in math; he hopes to begin graduate work in bioinformatics in the fall.

While pursuing his academic success, he has also been part of the highly successful U of T men’s foil team, led by head coach Thom-as Nguyen.

“I was considering going to U of T for basically my entire life,” said Blazejewski, “and [Nguyen] basical-ly just said that he was interested in

working with me. I was interested in working with him, I wanted to con-tinue fencing because it was some-thing I’d been passionate about for a long time.

“I think I really hit my stride when I went to the University of To-ronto… Since I’ve started working with the university coach, I’ve had a lot more success.”

For Blazejewski, his first year was a big adjustment, and his individ-ual performance was not what he had hoped for.

“In my first year, I did not do spec-tacularly… I think I came ninth at OUAs, but we did win team’s, so that was good.”

The team’s success continued through the next two years; they took home gold both years. In his second and third year, Blazejew-ski also achieved impressive re-sults individually.

“In second year, I was second in OUAs for individual… I lost to a teammate in the final, Kyle Chan — and he was our captain... For second– and third–year we would [place] first and second each time.”

During this time, Blazejewski also attended several World Cups with the Canadian team, was named an OUA All-Star, won the

Junior Eastern Championship, was ranked one of the top five fencers in Canada, and made time to coach young fencers through the Junior Blues program.

This year, Blazejewski has taken some time off from his sport.

“We’ve had several [competi-tions]… I haven’t attended all of them because I’ve had grad school interviews, so that’s taken up a lot of my time. So I’ve sort of stepped a little bit away from competition this year.

“At the moment, I’m taking a few months off, and then I’m going to try to come back in the second term… basically in March,” he said.

Although Blazejewski plans to be-gin a demanding graduate program in September, he hopes to continue fencing at a national level.

“My goal is to be competitive and somewhere ranked on the na-tional team in Canada, and then be able to compete internation-ally for them next year as well. Immediately, my goal would be to get to the Pan-Am Games... And then from there it would be nice to continue being able to go to World Cups when I can, and just train to continue the progress I’d seen for the past few years.”

Theodore YanVARSITY STAFF

Susan GordonASSOCIATE SPORTS EDITOR

ARNOLD YUNG/THE VARSITY

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