november 26 2009
DESCRIPTION
He’s Belgian! In the news on p. 3 November , students showed up in large numbers for a chance to communicate directly with their elected representatives. UTSU President Sandy Hudson went over the major initiatives under- taken in 2008-2009 — such as Drop Fees, International Student Orien- tation, and the Sustainability Com- University of Toronto’s Independent Weekly Continued on page 3 Continued on page 3 Vol. XXXII NN. AMY STUPAVSKY TEJAS PARASHER DAN CRAIG PARASHER NURSALL ALEX TEJASTRANSCRIPT
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Continued on page 3
Adnan Najmi, VP Internal and University A! airs, responds to a question
regarding public access to the UTSU’s policies and bylaws.
AL
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Victory just out of reachThe Varsity Blues men’s hockey team jumped at the chance but could not get the jump on Brock at last Saturday’s game. The Blues put up a good " ght, but were always just a little bit behind the play and ultimately lost 2-1.
UTSU held its Annual General Meet-
ing (AGM) on Thursday, November
19 to discuss upcoming plans and poli-
cies, go over the past year’s fi nances,
and respond to students’ concerns.
Both union-members and unaffi liated
students showed up in large numbers
for a chance to communicate directly
with their elected representatives.
UTSU President Sandy Hudson
went over the major initiatives under-
taken in 2008-2009 — such as Drop
Fees, International Student Orien-
tation, and the Sustainability Com-
mission — and listed the goals which
UTSU hopes to meet in the coming
year—namely, two Xpression Against
Oppression Weeks, increased fund-
ing for nearly three hundred clubs,
a campaign to ban bottled water on
the newspaper November 26, 2009University of Toronto’s Independent Weekly Vol. XXXII N0. 13
Lights, camera, 1 Spadina.On the set of When Love is Not Enough: the Lois Wilson Story
on the inside!
UTSU AGM sparks debate on future at U of T
UTSU sta� urge students to get involved via Commission meetings
TEJAS PARASHER
DAN CRAIG
Continued on page 3
CUPE ratifiesCourses will continue
without interruption
CUPE local 3902 announced today,
November 19, that 93% of their
membership voted to ratify their
new contract with the U of T ad-
ministration.
The dispute over wages, benefi ts
and job security for U of T’s ses-
sional lecturers lead the union to
threaten a strike on November 9th
that would have crippled a number
of courses being taught by CUPE
members. In the early hours of the
morning on November 8th, a ten-
tative agreement was reached and
then recommended to the CUPE
membership to be ratifi ed.
The vote, which happened from
last Monday through Wednesday
on campus, fi nally put to rest any
worries of classes being interrupted
by striking lecturers.
CFS pens letter to Ontario GovernmentAMY STUPAVSKY
The Day of Action student pro-
tests to drop tuition fees continue
to exert influence over two weeks
later. On November 19, the Ca-
nadian Federation of Students
(CFS) presented its first set of
recommendations to the Ontario
post-secondary education secre-
tariat.
CFS-Ontario, an organiza-
tion that represents more than
300,000 post-secondary students
across the province, has divided
its recommendations into catego-
ries for minor and major changes
to make education more acces-
sible. A series of submissions is
set to be released over the next
few weeks, with topics includ-
ing credit transfer, financial aid,
funding, and regional issues. This
first installment deals with ancil-
lary and tuition fees.
Riding on the Day of Action
successes, CFS-Ontario focussed
its attention on the province’s
high tuition fees, debt loads, and
youth unemployment. With most
jobs requiring some post-second-
ary training, accessible education
is paramount, according to CFS.
When the Liberals froze tuition
for two years, they capped future
increases at an average of five
percent annually. The recommen-
dations call for an end to those
increases and a plan to gradually
reduce tuition costs. All the rec-
ommendations are based on pub-
licly available data.
“We believe that education is
a right,” said Shelley Melanson,
Chairperson of CFS-Ontario.
“This is a historic opportunity for
the way we view post-secondary
education and how it plays a role
in strengthening the economy.”
“We have received the CFS re-
port and we are reviewing it,” said
Patrice Butterfield, a spokesper-
son for the Ministry of Training,
Colleges, and Universities. “The
EU has a new prez. He’s Belgian! In the news on p. 3
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the newspaperEditor-in-Chief
Helene GoderisManaging Editor
Dan Craig
Arts EditorMiki Sato
News EditorAmy Stupavsky
Layout EditorNatalie Rae Dubois
ContributorsAndrew Gyorkos, Will Martin, Tejas Parasher, Thiru Shathasivam, Cailin Smart, Amina Stella
the newspaper1 Spadina Crescent, Suite 245
Toronto, ON M5S 1A1Editorial: 416-593-1552
the newspaper is U of T’s independent weekly paper, published by Planet Publications Inc.,
a non-profit corporation.
All U of T community members, including students, staff and faculty, are encouraged to contribute to the newspaper.
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Canadian Forces on patrol in Afghanistan. These arrid mountains are just one
example of the rugged terrain that makes life easier for guerillas (the mice),
but a lot more di!cult for conventional infantry (the cats). Canada plans to
withdraw their troops by 2011. Dan Craig thinks that is too far away.
We invite letters to the editor. Please keep letters
under 300 words. Send to [email protected].
U of T alum unleashes political firestormAdds one more to the list of several reasons to get the hell out of Afghanistan
DAN CRAIG
Last week, senior Canadian foreign
service employee, and former U of
T International Relations student,
Richard Colvin, “blew the whistle”
on the Canadian government’s lack
of response to several reports of de-
tainees being abused at the hands
of Afghan security and intelligence
forces.
The reason that Canadian gov-
ernment complacency is so scan-
dalous is two-fold: a. Canada offi-
cially supports the government that
is carrying out these atrocities and
b. we also provide them with large
quantities of prisoners, who more
often than not are completely in-
nocent or useless for intelligence
purposes and thus set free.
So far, amid calls for public in-
quiries, the PMO’s reaction has
been to attack the character and
credibility of Colvin, who, unfortu-
nately for his accusers, has a spot-
less record and has been upwardly
mobile through difficult offices in
Sri Lanka, the Palestinian Terri-
tories and later Afghanistan. Also,
Colvin’s testimony is only a small
part of what is turning into a flood
of allegations of rape and torture
in Afghan prisons.
Revelations about detainee abus-
es were mainstream news-worthy
in 2007, but the Red Cross and oth-
er human rights groups have been
warning about how normal it is to
torture or be tortured in Afghani-
stan for the past few decades. In a
country run by warlords, the ability
to kidnap and torture people is po-
litical currency. Only rhetoricians
or naive warmongers could think
that Afghan security forces aren’t
abusing detainees.
And yet, here we are, the true
north strong and free, committed
to getting shot at and blown up in
the 21st century’s longest running
quagmire:
Pledged to protect the govern-
ment of a corrupt president who
won a UN-certified rigged election.
Karzai is most likely closely linked
to the drug-trade and various rag-
tag warlords, but he’s our guy so we
risk life and limb to protect him.
In full support of a government
that recently re-awarded the right
of Afghan husbands to rape their
wives. As if the plight of women’s
rights in Afghanistan wasn’t al-
ready something to be proud of
since the 2001 invasion.
Sworn an oath to be target prac-
tice for all manner of ambush, snip-
er, and explosive attacks, whether
suicide or otherwise. If it’s not the
Taliban, it is probably some com-
munication mix-up between Amer-
ican officers hopped up on amphet-
amines. These days, it’s more likely
the Taliban to blame because they
are, as escalating violence indicates,
as strong as ever since the initial
invasion. Eight years of fighting is
average for them.
After taking all of this into ac-
count, I cannot see how anyone
would want our soldiers to stay in
a war zone such as this for anoth-
er month, let alone until the 2011
deadline the Conservatives have
committed to. And we don’t need to
feel bad about not being successful,
we are in good company through-
out history.
The Soviet Union was stuck in Af-
ghanistan for almost a decade, and
they didn’t wear the human rights
kiddy-gloves. They levelled whole
towns and villages. Soviet tanks
and helicopters unapologetically
ravaged the country side as civil-
ian deaths shot towards the 1 mil-
lion mark. All of this in the name of
breaking the back of a Mujahideen
insurgency that wouldn’t go away.
Their tactics, though seemingly ef-
fective (and what some people wish
our Western coalition troops would
adopt), eventually got the Soviets
nowhere against clever guerrilla
opponents in the rugged terrain of
Afghanistan.
The British Empire tried to take
Afghanistan at least three times
prior to the Soviets, and they ulti-
mately failed despite being famous
for their relatively successful colo-
nies. If you wish to go back even fur-
ther in history, Alexander the Great
had to keep backtracking, burning
crops and villages as his insurgent
opponents kept resurfacing despite
these harsh measures of an ancient
warfare variety. Those mountain
rebels threw spears rather than
Stinger missiles, but the parallels
are didactic.
And yet here we are, the normal-
ly-humble Canadian Armed Forces,
with trivial support from the Amer-
ican Forces for the last 6 years, try-
ing to accomplish what some of the
greatest military powers in world
history have not. I think we should
get an E for Effort, a full 10 marks
for participation, but ultimately we
should have dropped this course.
the brief
HOW TO GET INVOLVED AT UTSU
The AGM is essentially a chance for any full-time undergraduate to
be kept up-to-date with the workings of the student union. Whatever
issues arise, both during the AGM and in general, are then taken up
individually by one of UTSU’s five Commissions.
All full-time undergraduates are encouraged to attend Commis-
sion Meetings, so they can have a direct say in the student union’s
major decisions. These meetings occur regularly; their dates, loca-
tions, and times can be found both online and in the UTSU member
handbook and dayplanner. The Equity Commission meets 1:30pm
on December 2 at 12 Hart House Circle. Visit the ‘About UTSU’ page
on utsu.ca for more information on how to get involved.
3November 26, 2009 the news
the campus Registration has opened up for the 2010 Health and Human Rights Conference (HHRights). Tickets are currently being sold for $10 (students). There are also many opportunities to get involved or volunteer. Visit: www.hhrights.ca
the local The TTC will be selling tickets instead of bulk tokens to reduce hoarding be-fore the Jan. 3 fare increase. Since the announcement of the fare increase, token sales have been reduced to fi ve per purchase, although they can still be purchased without a limit from vending machines. Adam Giambrone, TTC Chair, says that the TTC is losing an estimated $5 million from to-ken hoarding.
the world With upcoming elections, the politically vola-tile Nuba Mountains in cen-tral Sudan is facing a critical time. In 2005, the ex-rebel Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A) signed a peace deal for au-tonomy for the largely Chris-tian south from Muslim north. Two million people died and four million were displaced before the deal was reached. A referendum on full southern independence is set for January, 2011. Although the SPLM/A currently con-trols Nuba, it lies fi rmly in the northern territory. Debates rage on over who will control the land. The International Crisis Group has called the area “the next Darfur.”
the weird Britain’s etiquette authorities claim that ex-changing kisses on the cheek is more hygienic than shaking hands. With this in mind, the current swine fl u pandemic should not deter people from kissing under the mistletoe this holiday season!
campus, and a revitalized Taskforce
on Racism.
In light of recent developments like
the Flat Fee Proposal and the Towards
2030 Plan, this year’s AGM also focused
on a sense of growing discrepancy be-
tween the university administration
and the general student-body. During
a panel discussion, Adam Awad, VP
University Affairs, pointed out a grad-
ual devaluation of the undergraduate
experience at U of T. Both Awad and
Hudson said that the administration’s
zeal to turn U of T into a completely re-
search institution is bringing increased
corporate involvement in university
affairs, and diverting attention from
undergraduate-based academics.
“There is nothing wrong with uni-
versities becoming economically and
commercially viable,” said Awad. “But
when they begin to sacrifi ce programs
that foster critical thinking in favour of
those which merely appease corpora-
tions and donors, they are going against
their essential founding principles.”
Awad went on to give already visible
examples of this—such as the suspen-
sion of the History and Philosophy of
Education program at OISE, the pro-
posal to affi liate the Transitional Year
Program (TYP) with Woodsworth Col-
lege, and the fact that the Department
for Near and Middle Eastern Studies
still does not have a Professor of Arabic
Literature.
Student response to the discussion
revealed that there were doubts about
whether UTSU is equipped to respond
to such changes in a fair and balanced
manner. Students cited concerns that
the organization’s current structure
and agenda are not faithful to the larg-
er university community.
“Colleges increasingly prefer to
organize events and deal with issues
on their own,” said James Finley, a
council-member from St. Michael’s.
“They feel that UTSU is incapable of
understanding their individual con-
cerns. I, personally, have yet to see
anything tangible on UTSU’s part
that shows they are eager to either
mend or develop relationships with
the colleges which comprise their
constituents.”
Similarly, University College stu-
dent Graeme Maitland maintained
that UTSU’s administrative workings
are often too cliquey and opaque for
those not affi liated with the organiza-
tion. He requested that union policies
be posted online, so that transparen-
cy can be guaranteed to all members
of the U of T community.
UTSU members and unaffi liated
students disclaimed such criticisms
as unfair. “It isn’t completely realis-
tic for any single body to represent
all 41,000 undergraduates,” said
Daniella Kyei, VP Equity. “But we
really are trying our best. We make
ourselves much more visible than be-
fore, get as much feedback as we can,
and regularly visit different colleges
and faculties.”
Kyei recommended that students
attend the various Commission
meetings to express their concerns.
“In fact, I encourage people to get
actively involved. It’s very irrespon-
sible of us to complain and bicker
amongst ourselves while the admin-
istration is busy making such sweep-
ing changes.”
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UTSU AGMcont’d from page 1
government is committed to On-
tario students having access to a
high-quality post-secondary edu-
cation.”
As an example of this com-
mitment, Butterfield noted the
government’s 2006 decision to
implement a regulated tuition fee
framework “to ensure that post-
secondary education in Ontario is
CFScont’d from page 1
President E... who?AMY STUPAVSKY
The world knows very little about
Herman Van Rompuy. The newly-
minted EU President is quiet, unas-
suming, and writes Flemish haikus.
He served as Prime Minister of Bel-
gium for just short of a year before
European leaders chose him over
high-profi le candidates, like former
British Prime Minister Tony Blair,
as the fi rst president of the European
Union.
“It was a safe choice,” said Prof.
Jeffrey Kopstein, Director of the
Centre for European, Russian, and
Eurasian Studies at the Munk Cen-
tre. “Between France and Germany,
Belgium is the compromise.”
The wallfl owers have won out
against the popular contenders. The
27-nation organization voted in an
equally obscure EU Foreign Minis-
ter in the form of Catherine Ashton,
a member of Britain’s Labour Party
and former anti-nuclear activist, who
has never been elected to public of-
fi ce. She was the EU Trade Commis-
sioner for the past year.
The EU created the new posts as
outlined in the Lisbon Treaty, which
will take effect on December 1.
Europe made a conscious decision
to select a low-profi le president. EU
heavyweights France and Germany
did not support Blair’s bid, despite
his ability to boost Europe’s infl uence
on environmental and trade issues.
“It’s a sign that Europe’s leaders
view these offi ces as leadership by
negotiation, not inspiration,” said
Kopstein. “The indispensable skill is
not the ability to give speeches, but
to broker powerful deals.”
Kopstein also highlighted the
strategic benefi t. Van Rompuy lies
centre-right politically and Ashton
is centre-left, ensuring political bal-
ance.
Critics have upbraided the EU for
its unambitious choices, who, they
say, will do little to promote Europe
worldwide.
While Van Rompuy may lack
Blair’s panache, Kopstein believes he
may galvanize transatlantic relations
as well as any high-profi le pick. He is
a known atlanticist, and Belgium is
the epicentre of the EU and NATO.
The treaty is ambiguous about
what the president’s duties entail,
apart from promoting European in-
tegration.
According to Kopstein, at this point
it is premature to speculate about what
Van Rompuy will accomplish.
“The pre-Lisbon presidencies ro-
tated every six months,” he said. “With
rapid changes, it’s sometimes hard to
get things done. The purpose of this
treaty was to make the EU more gov-
ernable. We’ll see what happens.”
As foreign minister, Ashton will
control the EU’s annual € 7 billion
foreign aid budget, head a diplo-
matic corps, and promote the EU’s
interests.
Time will tell how these non-en-
tities show their chops on the global
stage.
accessible, affordable, and of top
quality.”
Butterfield also stressed that
institutions cannot raise tuition
levels without participating in
Student Access Guarantee, a min-
istry initiative that ensures insti-
tutions provide students with ad-
ditional financial assistance.
The current tuition framework
will expire at the end of this aca-
demic year. The secretariat is cur-
rently looking at options for a new
funding framework in 2010.
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“Cancer cannot touch the spirit...”
4 November 26, 2009the inside
HOT-BIKRAM YOGAright next to U of T
$30 for 30 daysINTRODUCTORY OFFER
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720 Spadina Ave.
“I’d write something about kumquats.”Jessie, Geography
“Efficient market hypothesis as it applies to deriva-tive markets.”Helene, the newspaper gal
“ the campus comment ”
“I would write an essay on how I don’t want to write an essay.”Grace, 3rd year Architecture
“Well, I’m interested in theories of taste. Maybe about allergies, and how they interact with con-ceptions of food and conceptions of the body.”Chris, victory lap Philosophy
“I wouldn’t write anything.”Abdul, Health Sciences
“I’d write about how JFK forced Canada to get nuclear weapons in 1963.”Jimmy Dukes, History
“I would write about how to be an art-school dropout.”Liz, OCAD Illustration
the newspaper asks: if you could choose
any essay topic, what would you write on?
“Don’t take my photo yet. I’m not sure I can come up with a witty response.”Bryan, 2nd year Medicine
It’s Always SomethingGilda’s Club raises money for cancer with laughs
MIKI SATO
The 8th annual It’s Always Something
variety show took place on November
23 at the swanky Princess of Wales
Theatre. The sold-out show was an eve-
ning full of comedy, music, and dance by
some of the biggest names in Canadian
talent.
Beloved comedian Russell Peters
flew in to town especially for the event,
hosting for his third consecutive year.
Entertaining the black-tied crowd with
some new racial jokes, Russell intro-
duced a stellar lineup of Canadian celebs
- including Eugene Levy, Dave Thomas,
Sean Cullen and Divine Brown - who
all performed in support of Gilda’s Club
Greater Toronto.
Steven Page (formerly of The Bare-
naked Ladies) treated the audience with
“something new, something old, some-
thing borrowed, and something blue”
Page told the newspaper that his new
album, set to be released in Spring 2010,
“will be a bit of everything - folk, alterna-
tive, rock...”
During his set, Page recalled visiting
his friend, and Barenaked Ladies band
member, Kevin Hearn, at Gilda’s when
he had leukemia.
The performers, who all donated their
time for It’s Always Something, men-
tioned throughout the evening that they
felt honoured to be part of such a great
event in support of such a great cause.
Comedian and writer, Irwin Barker,
partway through his stand-up, reminded
the audience that he is still fighting the
disease to this day, but stated that “can-
cer cannot touch the spirit... humour and
creativity.”
Gilda’s Club is named after late come-
dienne Gilda Radner, who is well-known
for her sketch comedy on Saturday
Night Live in the 70s. Radner’s death
from ovarian cancer increased aware-
ness of the disease and encouraged earli-
er detection. “It’s always something” was
a catchphrase from her beloved SNL
character, Roseanne Roseannadanna,
and also the title of her memoirs.
Gilda’s Club provides free emotional
and social support for men, women, chil-
dren, teens - and their friends and fami-
lies - who are living with cancer. Cana-
dian artists in support of the non-profit
organization come back year after year to
lend their voices and talents to this great
cause.
For more information, visit www.gil-
dasclubtoronto.org.
5November 26, 2009 the inside
The hallowed halls of 1 Spadina Cresent have been home to many things: a hospital, an eye bank, the UofT art department, and the newspaper offices, but recently it also became the setting for the made-for-TV movie When Love is Not Enough: The Lois Wilson Story. Starring Winona Ryder and Barry Pepper, the movie focuses on Lois Wilson, one of the creators of Alcoholics Anonymous. Editors Helene Goderis and Alex Nursall went star-gazing (or set-gazing, to put it more accurately) on the first floor to check out the action.
Canadian/American dual-citizen director, John Kent Harrison (top right) takes a break to pose for the camera. When Love is Not Enough is a period piece that takes place in the 1940s, so 1 Spadina was a nat-ural #t. After four days of working, 1 Spadina was dressed up to look like a hospital. They #lmed for 2 days over the weekend, and then they were gone.
The stage was set. Apparently 1 Spadina looks like a good, ol’-fashioned hospital.PHOTOS BY ALEX NURSALL
Tim Ryan celebrates Darwin’s 200th and Thiru goes DNA CSI
the science
Before the modern scientific era,
there existed a class of scien-
tists whose expertise knew no
boundaries. They would seamlessly
transition between fields and sub-
specialties, shortly after which
they would produce a brainchild
that would evolve into a scientific
law. Aristotle, Newton, Galelei,
the list goes on, but since Charles
Darwin, no one has since matched
his contributions to the natural
and social sciences; on politics,
religion and philosophy and on art
and cultural relations.
Darwin is approaching a pair of
milestones, his 200th birthday will
be celebrated in February of 2010,
but more importantly 2009 marks
the 150th anniversary of his most
influential work, the theory of
evolution by natural selection. His
work was published after twenty
years of theorizing and field work
in On the Origin of Species.
The theory was born during a
period of stark creationism and
immediately sparked controversy.
Essentially, Darwin was refuting
the Book of Genesis, inferring that
there were no seven days of cre-
ation, that Adam and Eve were
imaginary and that Noah and
his species didn’t need an ark
because there was no flood. His
idea was one of simplicity, that
complex organisms emerge from
a series of accumulated modifica-
tions, each one of which increases
the organism’s chance of survival
and reproduction. Darwin called
this “descent with modification”
and not “evolution”. He only used
the word “evolve” once in his
book; it was the last word.
Darwin backed his theory
with numerous principles never
before presented to the scien-
tific community. He employed
genetic variation as the vehicle
for natural selection; that as or-
ganisms increase in complexity
over time, natural selection has
a wider variety of traits to work
with. Speciation, although dif-
ficult to observe because it takes
many generations, can be observed
among several plants, amphibian
and fish species and is the crown
jewel of Darwin’s theory.
A good example of this is the fe-
males of a cichlid fish species that
vary genetically in their prefer-
ences for males who are coloured
red and blue. Red males inhabit
the lower depths of Lake Victoria
in Africa while the blue males re-
main close to the surface. Females
with a matching preference follow
either red or blue males, essen-
tially splitting the population,
forcing the single species to split
into two.
150 years later, Darwin’s theory
of evolution is still going strong;
he has even convinced the Pope of
the evolution of a single species
(although the Pope draws the line
at speciation). Nonetheless, it still
has firepower. Happy Birthday
Charles!
Everyone has their list of fa-
vourite TV shows, and mine is
composed primarily of medical
and crime drama shows (though
Glee is one of my guilty pleas-
ures), such as Law & Order:
SVU. In last week’s episode,
Detective Benson was accused
of murdering a notorious biker
gang member based on DNA
analysis of blood found on the
murder weapon. However, it
later became evident that she
was framed using DNA gar-
nered from discarded cutleries.
“Now wait a minute! DNA
analysis was performed with
blood samples, not saliva,”
you may think. Apparently the
DNA evidence was fabricated,
using common laboratory tech-
niques.
Despite their disclaimer,
the episodes often have re-
semblances to real events (i.e.
Mayor Spitzer and the prosti-
tution ring). My inquisitive
nature (nerd!) led me to seek
the original scientific sources.
As it turns out, four scientists
based in Israel led by Dr. Dan
Frumkin, recently published
how DNA evidence can be
engineered, with or without
a source of DNA containing
tissue.
In the first scenario, DNA
was extracted from biological
samples, such as hair strands
or dry saliva from cigarette
butts, and amplified in quan-
tity using a standard technique
called whole genome amplifica-
tion. Next, blood was collected
from another participant and
spun to remove white blood
cells, the only source of DNA
in blood. Finally, the ampli-
fied DNA was simply mixed
to the resulting blood sample.
Since red blood cells do not
contain DNA, all the genetic
material present was artifi-
cially created.
Furthermore, the researchers
demonstrated that if the DNA
fingerprint of an individual is
already known then biological
samples become redundant.
DNA can easily be synthesized
using sequences present in
databases such as Combined
DNA Index System (CODIS),
which contains the profiles of
convicted felons.
In either case, when the arti-
ficial samples were analyzed
by an independent forensic
lab they failed to recognize
the samples as manufactured.
Considering the simplicity of
their methods, Dr. Frumkin,
the lead researcher on the
project, worries about the
possibility of DNA evidence
forgeries.
But there may be a solution
to avoid the unraveling of our
criminal justice system. Nu-
cleix, Ltd. has just developed a
technique for DNA authentica-
tion based on the methylation
differences between real DNA
and synthesized DNA. Spe-
cifically, fake DNA lacks the
addition of methyl groups (a
molecule consisting of one
carbon and three hydrogen
atoms: -CH3), which functions
to inactivate genes within
cells.
It must just be a coincidence
that Nucleix, Ltd. was co-
founded by Dr. Frumkin and
another scientist involved in
the original project.
6 November 26, 2009the science
Special Guest readers:
A Christmas Carol
Join us for a dramatic reading of Dickensí timeless classic
December 9th, 2009 - 7:00pm
The Great Hall @ Hart House
General Admission: $21 ($15 for students)Tickets available at the UofTtix Box Ofä ce
www.uofttix.ca or 416-978-8849
All proceeds to the UofT
Food & Clothing Bank
Ralph Benmergui, TV & Radio Host, JournalistBob McDonald, TV & Radio Host, JournalistDavid Gardner, TV & Theatre ActorAllie Hughes, Singer, Songwriter, Actor
THIRU SHATHASIVAM
TIM RYAN
7November 26, 2009 the arts
MIK
I SA
TO
A pair of patrons browse various pictures of Jeremy Sturgess’ work.
Devo: As famous for their hats and suits as they are for their music.
Sharks girls getting dolled up at !nal dress rehearsal.
The orchestra runs through another one of those catchy tunes.
Bam. Devo. Fuck, what a lovely op-
portunity to see a classic band play two
of their classic albums, and a lovely way
to spruce up a Monday and Tuesay - two
notoriously shitty days. First up on Mon-
day was Q: Are We Not Men A: We are
Devo! The Brian Eno-produced record
is an absolute triumph, and to hear it
played live in its entirety is an occasion
not to be missed.
If man has indeed devolved, it’s damn
hard to tell, as the album sounds mighty
good thirty years down the road. Com-
ing out in classic Devo jumpsuits and
hopping up and down in unison at the
end of the opening track Uncontrol-
lable Urge, it felt like Star Wars and
Jimmy Carter all over again (truly a
better time to be alive).
I’m reluctant to apply labels like
‘post-punk’ or ‘new-wave’ because they’re
simply better than that. It just sounds
like Devo, and that’s all one can say.
For a band who looks fucking an-
cient, they sound as crisp and tight
The Faculty of Architecture is a
little outside most students’ daily
campus route, but this month, the
exhibit “Themes and Variations,”
featuring work by Alberta architect
Jeremy Sturgess, just might attract
the curious and architecturally-in-
clined to the building’s Eric Arthur
Gallery.
Sturgess, a Calgary-based ar-
chitect and graduate of U of T’s
Architecture program, has won
numerous awards - including the
Governor-General’s award - for
his innovative and sustainable de-
signs since the beginning of his
career in the ‘70s. Over the years,
he has garnered recognition as one
of the country’s best talents in the
field - working on everything, from
theatres and houses to parks and
subway stations.
Architect Kevin Harrison, assisted
by student David Tyl, (both of whom
work in Sturgess’s office), assisted
curator Geoffrey Simmins in the
compilation of the exhibit.
“Jeremy Sturgess designs build-
ings known for their striking forms
and their dramatic use of colour,”
says Simmins, who is currently
working on a book about Sturgess’s
designs entitled Full Spectrum. “Al-
though [Sturgess is] known especial-
ly for houses, he has also designed
many other different types of build-
ings, something that this exhibition
intends to convey.”
The exhibit is composed mainly
of large photos “intended to evoke
the whole buildings by means of
evocative fragments, in striking
photographs by Robert Lemer-
meyer,” says Simmins. The first
collection of photographs are of the
Theatre Junction at the Grand in
Schiffon, eyeliner, tight pants,
and colourful dresses are scattered
around inside the Betty Oliphant
Theatre at the final dress rehearsal
for the St. Michael’s College produc-
tion of the broadway classic, West
Side Story. Actors run through lines
and orchestra members practise the
show’s musical score, before a row
of dresses lowers onto the stage re-
creating the set of a charming New
York City boutique.
The Tony-award winning produc-
tion, and popular 1961 film featuring
Natalie Wood, is being presented by
St. Michael’s College Student Union
and SMC Theatre.
West Side Story is a modern ad-
aptation of Shakespeare’s Romeo
and Juliet, set in 1950s Manhattan,
where two rival gangs, The Sharks
and The Jets, do everything they
can to keep lovebirds, Tony and
Maria, apart.
as they did in 1978, and play with the
energy of - well something with quite
a bit of energy - the Dyson, maybe.
They are old though. Watching Mark
Motherbaugh hop into the crowd and
attempt to get back on stage with the
assistance of a stage-hand looked ter-
rifyingly like an orderly helping your
father out of a seltzer bath.
And when they did rip off the jump-
suits, Gerry Casale struggled to get it
off his ankles like an old man racing to-
wards a prostitute. If anything though,
the disconnect between sound and ap-
pearance only made it better.
Maybe it was the quart of rye, maybe
it was the half-quart of mushrooms, but
the first night seemed distinctly better.
The second show lacked the same enthu-
siasm, as they seemed to be simply going
through the motions for Freedom of
Choice.
No matter, the songs were impec-
cable and Girl U Want is just brilliant
no matter what.
All said, it was a: (insert Are We Not
Men pun here).
The sweet and naive Maria is
played by Amanda Indovina, who
says this isn’t her first time in this
role; the psychology undergrad also
took part in a high school produc-
tion of West Side Story. She notes
that her favourite part of being in
the show is “the adrenaline of being
on stage.”
Alex Morrow, an English major
at U of T plays Tony, the boy “look-
ing for something more.” Mor-
row looks forward to performing
his favourite scene, “right after the
rumble, where Tony dies in Maria’s
arms.”
Director Shak Haq encourages
people to come to the show and see
“the amazing talent that the stu-
dents have to offer.”
St. Michael’s College’s produc-
tion of West Side Story runs from
November 26 - 28 at Betty Oliphant
Theatre (404 Jarvis St.) Tickets are
$15/$12 students, and can be pur-
chased at www.uofttix.ca.
Calgary, Alberta. The Theatre’s de-
sign focuses on paradoxes between
shadow and light, old and new.
One room’s old paint-flaked
ceiling is juxtaposed with a wall
of modern mirror design. Another
room marries decaying brick walls
with structured metal beams. “The
lobby was left fragmentary and in-
complete deliberately, to show the
ways that the building had been
treated in the nearly hundred years
since it was built,” says Simmins.
The exhibit displays an array of
designs including The Water Cen-
ter, an LRT Station, as well as a
house on Bowen Island. Sturgess’s
most characteristic architectural
elements are large windows and
sturdy elaborate metal beams. His
designs are futuristic and grand,
and his love of colour is expressed
through the fuschias and bright
greens of the exhibit’s walls.
The exhibit’s success comes from
its multimedia element. Besides pho-
tographs and models, there is also a
video projector, a television playing
an interview and plans of some of
the designs, “to display the whole dy-
namic process of architecture,” says
Simmins. “We were thinking of the
viewer. We wanted to get people ex-
cited about architecture.”
Jeremy Sturgess: Themes and
Variations runs through December
12 at The Eric Arthur Gallery (230
College St.). Admission: Free.
Devo still kicking80s sensations play through 2 albums in 2 nights
WILL MARTINCAILIN SMART
St. Mike’s does West Side StorySharks and Jets rumble at the Betty Oliphant Theatre
MIKI SATO
Themes & Variations in architectureThree decades of Jeremy Sturgess designs at the Eric Arthur Gallery
8 November 26, 2009
the crossword
AN
DR
EW
GY
OR
KO
S
the comics
MIK
E W
INT
ER
S
Last week’s answers are posted
on our website, thenewspaper.ca.
First complete crossword gets a
free drink on us!
Across
1. Quaker Oats product3. Male sibling6. Murder professionally9. Atoll11. Detect via the nose12. Competent16. Torment18. Feast19. Irish revolutionary organi-zation20. Fall back21. Place 23. Pine or traffic
24. Begin27. Sports network30. Data31. Packs it in32. Storm
Down
1. Ancient flute like instrument
2. Trivial4. Australian gem5. Ask for7. “Cogito ergo ___”8. Malaise 10. Ease the load of13. Contusions14. Sources15. Ginger ___ (Christmas biscuits)17. Attack18. Awful20. Palindrome beginning with “R”22. Smallest25. Asphalt26. Electronics company28. At a distance29. Solid