On January 6, two dozen students,community activists and concernedci t izens gathered at the UTMStudent Centre. They came there tohelp organize a campaign that aimsto ensure Parliament resumes onJanuary 25.“Our troops in Afghanistan don’t

get to take a couple of months off.Canada ’ s workers don’ t e i ther .Why does Harper feel he can?” saidUTM student Wal ied Khogal i ,chair of the meeting and one of theorganizers of the campaign.During the meet ing , the

Mississauga organizing committeeagreed to send a letter to Progressive

Conservative MP Bob Dechert ask-ing him to join other MPs whenthey go back to work on January25, almost two months before thedate ant ic ipated by Harper .(Dechert is the only ConservativeMP in Mississauga).Moreover, a delegation will col-

lect petitions asking MPs to resumetheir duties and will drop off thepet i t ions at Dechert ’s off ice onMonday. The committee plans tohold a rally on Saturday, January23 at 1270 Central Parkway West,where Dechert wi l l address hisconstituents.The meetings and rallies were

brought about by Stephen Harper’sproroguement of par l iament ,which he requested of theGovernor General on December 30.The parliament will thus be closeduntil March 3. This was the secondtime the Prime Minister proroguedthe parliament in a year.

According to the Conservativegovernment, the Prime Minister’sgoal was to have time to consultwith Canadians, stakeholders andbus inesses as the governmentmoves into the “next phase” of itseconomic action plan amid signs ofeconomic recovery.

Many Canadians are skeptical.Critics accuse Harper of prorogu-ing parliament to avoid being ques-tioned by the House about the gov-ernment’s apparent complicity inthe torture of Afghan detainees.Indeed, with the House on leave,all motions and orders, includingparliamentary committees, are dis-solved.A Facebook group, “Canadians

against Proroguing Parliament,”was s tar ted by a student fromthe Univers i ty of Alber ta andquick ly ga ined near ly 135 ,000members. Other splinter groupshave also started up, with chaptersfor Mississauga and Toronto work-ing on plans for upcoming ralliesand demonstrations to demand thegovernment to designate January25 as the scheduled day to return towork following the holiday break.For anyone who would like to

be involved with the Mississauga

and Toronto rallies, they can con-tact organiz ing members atcitizensfordemocracy.ca

Monday, January 11, 2010 Volume 36, Issue 13

-6° -12° -2°-10° -3° -14° -4° -8°

U of T grad accused of falsifying degreesPAGE 3

In the kitchen with Mother MotherPAGE 6

Students on icePAGE 7

The state of Junior Hockey in CanadaPAGE 12

UTM students oppose prorogation

Edward Cai/The Medium

SAALIHA MALIKNEWS EDITOR

CCoommmmuunniittyy mmeemmbbeerrss aanndd ssttuuddeennttss ddiissccuussss tthhee pprroorrooggaattiioonn llaasstt FFrriiddaayy aatt tthhee UUTTMMSSUU ooffffiiccee..

“Our troops inAfghanistan don’t getto take a couple of

months off, Canada’sworkers don’t either.Why does Harper feel

he can?”

� Walied Khogali,Meeting Chair

CHINA AND INDIA ROCK ONNEWS

FOR MORE INFORMATION , visit www.utm.utoronto.ca/careers

Make your summer a great one!

Jan. 13th, 10:30-1:30pmThe RAWC

Valid T-Card required for entry.View participant list online!

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MONDAY, JANUARY 11, 201022 THE MEDIUM

January 3 – 4:20 a.m.Fire CallCampus Po l i ce r e sponded to a f i r e ca l l f rom an on-campusResidence. A laptop overheated,causing a small fire.

January 5 – 2:40 p.m.Motor Vehicle Accident

Campus Po l i ce r e sponded to afail- to-remain motor vehicle acci-den t in the Communica t ionCulture and Technology Buildingparking garage . Damage to thevehicle was minimal.

January 6 – 1:42 p.m.Fire CallCampus Police responded to a firealarm at the North Building. Afterconduct ing an invest igat ion, i twas de t e rmined to be a f a l s ealarm.

January 6 – 3:50 p.m.Theft Under $ 5,000Campus Police investigated a theftoccur rence f rom theCommunica t ion Cu l ture andTechnology Bui ld ing . A wintercoat was stolen from the women’swashroom.

January 6 – 2:40 p.m.Theft Under $ 5,000Campus Police investigated a theftoccurrence from the RecreationalAthletic and Wellness Centre. Astudent’s gym bag was stolen froma locker in the woman’s changeroom.

January 6 – 7:54 p.m.HarassmentCampus Po l i c e inve s t i ga t ed aharassment complaint. A studentwas rece iv ing harass ing phonecalls.

January 6 – 9:40 p.m.Trespass To Property Campus Police investigated a tres-pas s compla in t f rom theCommunica t ion Cu l ture andTechnology Building. The skate-boarders were gone upon arrival.

Campus police weekly summaries January 1, 2010 to January 6, 2010 CCaammppuuss PPoolliiccee nnoottiiccee::

The campus policeoffice has been movedto room 3136 in theSouth Building (nearconference services).All Campus Police tele�phone numbers andother contact informa�tion will remain the

same.

U of T establishes Indian Chair

Last week, officials and staff mem-bers a t the Facul ty of Arts andSciences at the St. George campusworked out a dea l to create anIndian Chair position at U of T tofoster international cooperationand research between Canada andIndia. The deal was partly facilitated by

the Indian Counci l of Cul tura lRelations, which aims to facilitateinteraction amongst world culturesand to spread awareness of thediversity and richness of India’scultures. The Council has facilitat-ed interact ion with U of T andother university in the past via cul-tural exchanges.The university administration set

out a document outlining the pro-tocols of intention and the processof implementation. This document,which wi l l be reviewed by theUniversity and government officialsover the next few weeks, indicatesthat the term for the chair will beenforced for three years startingthis month and will be open to dis-cussion upon renewal. The premise for the appointment

of an Indian Chair was set out lastNovember when Prime MinisterStephen Harper hinted at futureeducational cooperation betweenIndia and Canada on his visit toIndia . Harper recognized theemerging potential in India’s newgeneration, which can rebound thepost-secondary education industryinto economic success for the two

countries , and at the same timefacilitate beneficial linkages in sci-ence, technology and innovation tofurther the international coopera-tion between the two countries.This announcement is not the

first step in forging a stronger rela-tionship between Canada and India.Currently, the U of T is home to theCentre for South Asian Studies,whose mandate is to research thepolitical, cultural, religious, linguis-tic, economical and social fabric ofIndia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepaland other South Asian countries.Organizations akin to the Indian

Council, such as the Indo-ShastriInstitute, have also collaboratedwith faculty members and graduatestudents at U of T via fellowshipsand grants to provide them fundingand resources to further theirresearch and post-graduate work. However, an ever closer relation-

ship between ICCR and U of T willbring the added benefit of provid-ing funds for students and facultywanting to pursue post-doctoralwork on India. A new facet of thecooperation between ICCR and Uof T will be the faculty exchangeprogram, where U of T and Indianstaff can travel as visiting faculty toexperience the differences and sim-ilarities in the two countries.Ashwin Panchapakesan, a UTM

computer science student, believesthat the appointment of an Indianchair position serves as an “inspira-tion for students to see such cama-raderie between India and Canada,in terms of inter-personal relationsand what to look forward to in theyears to come.”

OOVVAAIISS SSHHAAHH

Canada and U of T pride them-selves of being pioneers of medicalsciences, having participated inadvances as important as the dis-covery of insulin and the identifi-cation of stem cells. Indeed, theFacu l ty o f Med ica l Sc i ences i soften named as one of the best ,both locally and internationally,and Maclean’s magazine lists U ofT as one of the top three medicaland post-doctoral universities inCanada.In the 1960s, U of T researcher

Ernest McCulloch discovered spe-cia l ce l l s in the human embryothat had the unique capability ofdifferentiating from a plain non-specialized cell into highly specificce l l s f ound in va r ious humanorgans such as the heart, muscleand skin tissue. McCulloch termedthese cells as pluri-potent and putCanada on the map as the leaderin stem cell sciences.2010 marks the 50th anniversary

o f the d i s covery o f s t em ce l l s .Much has changed during thesepass ing years . Whi le Canadianand American researchers startedoff at the forefront of the field, the

years of stem cell therapy contro-vers ies in Canada and the USAunder the conservat ive govern-ments resulted in the two coun-t r i e s l o s ing the i r upper edge .President George Bush, a s tr ictpro-life supporter, restricted stemcell harvest lines and research foralmost eight years because of reli-g ious and e th i ca l r ea sons . InCanada, the lack of funding ands tagnant s i tua t ion o f s t em ce l lAmerican firms down-south alsochallenged the research sector.Accord ing to the U o f T

research group in China, Chinahas surpas sed Canada a s thel eader in s t em ce l l r e s ea rch .Ch inese s c i en t i s t s t r a ined inNorth American and Europeanuniversities as international stu-dents have published over 1,000academic journal papers on stemcells and regenerative medicine,compared to just 37 a few yearsago. Professor Thorsteindeit ter of

the Facu l t y o f Pub l i c Hea l th on the St. George campus calledChina “a wild wild west of stem cellresearch.” Professor Thorsteindeitterwas re ferr ing to the increas ingnumber of medical tourists flock-ing to China in hopes of finding a

cure for their illness. Many scien-tists, like Thorsteindeitter, arguethat western governments are notoffering these novel treatments tothe public due to the lack of clini-cal studies on stem cells therapiesand restrictions on health care. In contrast, patients who des-

perately seek a cure after exhaust-ing traditional methods volunteerthemselves a research subjects intrials of new stem cell treatmentsthat are being offered by medicalinstitutions in China.The U of T stem cell research

team in China argued that ratherthan focusing on a race for stemcells, ethics boards need to estab-lish robust clinical testing criteriaand regula te controvers ia l andune th i ca l c l in i c s , wh i l e a t thesame time learning how to con-duc t proper r e search f rom theChinese research centres.

China recognized as numberone in stem cell research

OOVVAAIISS SSHHAAHH

US and Canada lose competitve edge

Have an opinion? Tellus what you think at mediumonline.ca

To report a campus crime, call 905.828.5200

utm.utoronto.ca/police

Police in suburban Saanich are investi-gating a local man who stands accusedof using fake credentials, including aPhD from U of T. Police grew suspi-cious after Jason Matthew Walker sub-mitted a five-page resume for a posi-tion as an expert witness in court.

Walker’s resume included severalcredentials, including a Bachelorin psychology from McMaster, aMasters of social work from U of T, aPhD in forensic child abuse assessmentfrom Smith College, U of T, a diplomaof behavioural studies from YaleUniversity and a PhD in medical stud-ies from the University of Calgary.Police became suspicious of

the short period in which the 31-year-old had received so many academicachievements. According to his

resume, Walker had completed all theaforementioned degrees and diplomaswithin six years of each other.

Saanich police began the investiga-tion by contacting his past employers.Walker’s resume stated that he hadworked as a deputy regional coroner inVictoria for a year; however, the coro-ner’s service revealed that Walker hadonly been employed there for 60 days.

Investigators sent out copies of theresume to the derived institutions tobe verified. The University of Calgaryand Yale University responded thatthe stated programs do not exist. Andwhile Walker does have a U of TMaster’s degree in social work, U of Tspokeswoman Laurie Stephensannounced that he does not have aPhD, nor does the University have anaffiliation with Smith College.

With these false credentials anddocuments, Walker was able to land ajob with Victoria Health Authority. He

also lectured at the University ofVictoria in British Columbia andopened his own practice. The title onhis door read “Dr. James Walker.”

After months of investigation,police were able to obtain a warrantand searched Walker’s office. Theyconfiscated diplomas, credit cards andmemberships that Walker held forvarious associations. Walker wasarrested and is scheduled to appear incourt on January 21.

A little over a year ago, theUniversity of Toronto began increas-ing the security features on diplomasto better protect against fraud. Alongwith watermark paper, U of T alsoplaces a hologram on the certificate.Furthermore, it is possible to look upthe authenticity of degrees online withthe recipient’s name and either theirdate of birth, social insurance numberor student number.

FRAUDSTER STRIKESNEWSMONDAY, JANUARY 11, 2010 THE MEDIUM 33

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This week, about 700 professors, instruc-tors, counselors and librarians at SheridanCollege could end up on the picket line ifnegotiations and a strike mandate are notapproved by the Ontario Public ServiceEmployees Union (OPSEU). A strike vote was set for January 6 but

saw unsuccessful results. The OPSEU,which represents over 9,000 professorsand instructors at Ontario colleges, hasset a second strike vote for January 13.The union bargaining team stated thatthis second vote will strengthen its posi-tion at the bargaining table. The union is seeking changes in work-

loads, evaluations and feedback, as well asa new maximum salary of $109,317, a13% increase over three years. “The union’s workload and staffing

proposals would add significantly tooperating costs at a time when theresources of the colleges are severely con-strained, and the Government of Ontariohas made it clear that colleges cannotexpect any significant increases to operat-ing revenues,” said the colleges’ bargain-

ing team in a memo. Current negotiations, which have been

taking place since last June, stalled whenthe union rejected the colleges’ final offer. Jack Urowitz, communications officer

for Union 244, said that ”[the] union sidethought negotiations were getting alongjust fine, as we were trying to get a revisedcontract to allow for better services andmore input into curricula requirements,when seemingly out of nowhere manage-ment decided to take advantage of thenew rule they gave themselves, when theColleges Collective Bargaining Act wasopened for other reasons. That allowedthem to break off negotiations andimpose their decisions.”A memo released by the colleges’ bar-

gaining team stated that “there was noindication in the last week of bargainingthat the union would modify its positionto a point where a settlement was possi-ble.” Both sides left negotiations without asettlement. Mary Preece, vice president of

Sheridan College, reassured students thatthe school will continue to provide fullstudent support during the possiblestrike. “Sheridan will continue to provide aca-

demic services for students to the extent

that we are able without our faculty whoare members of the bargaining unit. Labsand studios will be covered by non-strik-ing employees for students to use, wherethere are no health and safety concerns,”said Preece.The only exception will be counseling

services, because counselors are part ofthe bargaining unit. “Work placements(field, co-op, clinical, internships) willcontinue, with a few exceptions that willbe posted on Sheridan’s website if neces-sary,” said Preece.Despite continued efforts, the colleges

have already begun to implement theirnew decisions. It is still unclear whetherfaculty will continue with their plans for astrike. “We hope that the managementbargaining team will return to the table,”said Urowitz. “If there’s a strike, it wouldbe in winter 2010.” The present contract between the col-

leges and union expired last August 31.The deal for the existing contract wasreached during negotiations in 2006,where faculty and the college were in thesame bargaining situation that is nowbeing played out. The unresolved negoti-ations led to an 18-day strike that disrupt-ed classes for students across theprovince.

Strike possible at Sheridan CollegeKKAATTHHEERRIINNEE LLUUCCYYNNZZKKIIASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

Mississauga has been recognized asCanada’s safest city for the tenth con-secutive year. As the sixth largest cityin Canada, Mississauga has consis-tently reported the lowest crime rateswhen compared to eight other majorcities, including Toronto, Hamilton,Ottawa, Montreal, Winnipeg,Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver.Mayor Hazel McCallion, who is

currently serving her 11th consecutiveterm for the city, said that “the citi-zens are part of the crime preventionsolution. They are involved, reportincidents, look out for their neigh-bours and take pride in their city.”Formed in 1974, Mississauga is the

youngest municipality in the group.The Mississauga Crime PreventionAssociation compared crime statisticsfrom 2008 under three categories:violent crimes, property crimes andother criminal code offences.Mississauga, with a population of730,000, ranked the lowest in eachcategory and reported a total crime

rate of 3,268 occurrences per 100,000people.Local boast that Mississauga is a

lively, secure place to live. It hasOntario’s largest mall, one of theworld’s largest public library systemsand Canada’s largest airport, allwithin residents’ reach.

Regardless of this top ranking, thecrime rate in Mississauga hasincreased since the previous year.The homicide rate nearly doubledfrom 10 percent in 2007 to 17 percentin 2008. There was also an increase inrobberies, from 527 to 593 inci-dences. In addition, Mississauga wasthe only city of the group that report-ed an increase in break-and-enters.

Mississaugans can sleep safe

SSTTEEFFAANNIIEE MMAARROOTTTTAA ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

Man accused of using fake university degrees

SSTTEEFFAANNIIEE MMAARROOTTTTAA ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

Mississauga named the safest city in Canada forthe tenth consecutive year

WWaanntt ttoo wwrriittee ffoorr nneewwss??EE��mmaaiill SSaaaalliihhaa aatt

nneewwss@@mmeeddiiuummoonnlliinnee..ccaa

“The citizens are partof the crime prevention

solution. They areinvolved, report inci�

dents, look out for theirneighbours and takepride in their city.”

�Mayor Hazel McCallion

OPINIONVOTERS’ (SHORT) MEMORIESMONDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 200944 THE MEDIUM

I’ve long argued, much to thedismay of some of my NorthAme r i c a n f r i e n d s , t h a t t h el e a d e r s o f d emo c r a c i e s a r e no t n e c e s s a r i l y b e t t e r humanbeings than dictators. Democraticleaders do, however, face a power-fu l , t ime-honoured sys tem ofchecks and balances, a generallyshort s t int a t the he lm of the ircountries, and an electorate that’sfree to vote for whichever candi-date they wish to support. These mechanisms are there for

one reason: the more stuff leaderscan get away with, the more theywill want to get away with. LikeLord Acton once said, “Power cor-rupts . Absolute power corruptsabsolutely.” Indeed, there’s no telling what

most of us would do if we enjoyedtota l impuni ty or could eas i lyquash dissent—I don’t care if yourname i s Obama or Da S i lva orGore . Or , more to the point ,Harper—as in S tephen Harper ,Prime Minister of Canada. I am not saying Mr. Harper is

corrupt or a dictator. But by sus-pending Parliament for the thirdtime in two years of government,and with no good reason except toprotect himself from enquiry, hehas further damaged the system ofchecks and balances that has suc-cessfully kept Canadian politiciansaccountable for so long. The backbone of this system is

the Parliament, a “supreme” bodythat the Prime Minister and hiscabinet are supposedly accountableto . Such a body makes a lo t o fsense in Canada, not just for thereasons s ta ted above , but a l sobecause Canadian Prime Ministershave cons iderable power—theycan, for example , hand-pickSenators and Supreme CourtJustices, extremely influential fig-

ures that any U.S. President wouldprobably sel l his soul to able tochoose. Presumably, such a strong power

at the hands of the Prime Ministerwould equate to a similarly power-ful Parliament. But this doesn’tseem to be the case. In a recentGlobe and Mai l ar t ic le , JohnIbbi t son carr ied out a deta i l edcompar ison of the CanadianParliament, the U.S. Congress, andthe par l iaments o f Br i ta in ,Australia and New Zealand. “OurParliament,“ concluded Ibbitson,“has become the most dysfunction-al in the English-speaking world.” I can ' t a t tes t to the t ruth of

th i s s ta tement—I am nei ther apolitical scientist nor a historian.Nevertheless, it seems logical toconc lude that by a l lowing thePrime Minister to end discussionany t ime he chooses , theParliament will become account-able to him rather than the otherway around.To be sure, the decline of the

Parl iament ’s role did not beginunder Mr. Harper. Jean Chrétienwas no stranger to proroguing gov-ernment—he did it four times dur-ing h i s t ime in o f f ice , whichenabled him and his government,among other things , to evade ajudicial enquiry that was launchedin the early 1990s to investigate thedeath of a Somali teenager at thehands of a Canadian Forces peace-keepers. These precedents, of course, do

not justify Mr. Harper’s actions.146,000 Canadians have joined aFacebook group opposing the pro-roguement. The media have cruci-fied the Prime Minister. Protestshave been planned. It would there-fore be tempting to conclude thatthe Prime Minister’s suspension*of the government will cost himdearly. But a skeptic might doubtthat people will fume long enough(until after March 3, after the dis-tract ing Winter Olympics) andhard enough (to do more than clickon a computer mouse to jo in aFacebook group).

MMEEDDIIUUMM IIII PPUUBBLLIICCAATTIIOONNSS3359 Mississauga Road, Room 200,Student Centre, Mississauga, ON, L5L 1C6Phone: 905.828.5260 Fax: 905.828.5402 Advertising: 905.828.5379

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ALAIN LATOUREDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Much ado aboutHarper

Dear Editor,

Wouldn't you love to have threemonths o f ho l iday vaca t ion?Wouldn' t i t just be splendid towake up to a duty- f ree day , tocrashed on the couch watching theluge during the 2010 Olympics?Wouldn't you be upset if your par-ents chose to do just this insteadof going to work to provide youwith food, heating and to coveryour tuition costs?Welcome to Par l iament Hi l l ,

where there is enough dust set-tling on the seats in the House ofCommons to compress and createa new s t a r . A t the end o fDecember, Harper picked up hisphone and asked his good friend,the Governor Genera l , to pro-rogue Parliament. This means thatall motions and orders, includingparliamentary committees (suchas the committee investigating theAfghanistan POW scandal) , aredissolved. Harper then decided tolet the Canadian people know thatthey wouldn ' t be ab le to reachtheir Members of Parliament foranother two months v i a anannouncement made by h is PRrepresentative.Along with this announcement,

Harper voiced his plan of actionupon recommencing Parliamenton the third of March. It's a heftyl i s t compr i sed o f three agendai tems. F irs t , complete ly imple-ment the economic action plan.Second, mend the deficit once theeconomy has recovered. Last, butnot least, build the economy of thefuture. Nothing concerning socialprograms . Nothing concerningenvironmental initiatives. Nothingconcerning the investigation intothe POWs turned in toAfghanistan authorities to be tor-tured. Parliament was supposed torecommence on January 25. On January 5 , wh i l e mos t o f

Canada was tuned into the WorldJunior Hockey Championships, anin te rv i ew was a i r ed on CBCbe tween journa l i s t Pe t e rMansbridge and currently-out-of-o f f i c e Pr ime Min i s t e r Harper .When asked how long he wouldlike to see the current governmentlast, Harper responded, “I'm pre-

pared to see this government andthis Parliament go on as long as itcan. I want to see it be productive.I want to see us do what we saidwe would do. But I don't real lywant to see this Parliament endearly. I'm enjoying the job.” Can afireman productively respond tofire alarms if he isn’t in the fire-house?

The Chretien administrationprorogued Parliament four timesover a period of ten years. In con-t ra s t , the government underHarper ha s p rorogued 3 t imess ince 2006 . In December 2008 ,Harper suspended Parliament andprevented his position from beingdissolved by a vote of no confi-dence or to bereplaced by a coali-t ion o f L ibe ra l s and NDPs . I tworked last year, so why not tryfor another extended holiday thisyear a s we l l ? Maybe theAfghanistan torture scandal willbe buried under the snow blownabout by the Olympics.

On Wednesday of last week,about twenty hopefuls met in theGreen Room of the Student Centreto plan a Mississauga rally againstproroga t ion . At tendees sharedtheir ideas on the bes t ways tospread awareness and grab thea t t en t ion o f Members o fPar l i ament . The da t e fo r theMississauga ral ly is set for thisSaturday, January 16 at 2 p.m. Another meeting wil l be held

before the rally this Thursday at 6p.m. at Room 100 in the StudentCentre (the Green Room). All arewelcome and encouraged to attendand part ic ipate . Volunteers areneeded to ass is t with outreach,co l l e c t ing endorsement s andpreparing materials for the rally.The ra l l y in Toronto w i l l be

he ld on J anuary 23 a t 1 pm a tYonge and Dundas. Details can befound a t the C i t i z ens fo rDemocracy website.

Yours,

Stefanie Marotta

Nice vacation—but whatabout us?

Letter to the Editor

99 6 3 2 86 5 8 7

1 4 35 9 3 6 4 73 7 8

6 9 8 28 1 2 7 6

5

For the past twomonths, Gerstein Libraryat U of T’s St. George campus has beenhome to more than stressed students andmedical books. The Library has alsohoused the “6 Meter Man,” a specimenfrom the Body Worlds exhibition on dis-play at the Science Center. Prominentlydisplayed in the lobby, the “6MeterMan”is a real human body cut into thin crosssections, providing an expanded view ofthe body from head to toe. Given theenormous controversy surrounding theexhibition as it travelled to differentmuseums across the world, it was surpris-ing to see the specimen so blatantly dis-played on campus.The full Body Worlds exhibit at the

Science Centre provides an in-depth viewof real human (and other animal) bodies,allowing visitors to explore the intricaciesof the body and understand what healthand illness actually look like on the inside.It features over 200 human specimens,including whole bodies (with their hair,muscles, organs, and bones intact), indi-vidual organs and transparent cross sec-tions.These whole bodies do not lie sombrely

in glass cases. Rather, they are artisticallydisplayed either with their internal organsmoved to unconventional places (such ason top of their heads), or in action posesas figure skaters, gymnasts and skiers thatillustrate the human locomotive system inextreme and lively situations. Exhibitorganizers explain that having the bodiesin familiar positionsmake themmore rel-evant to the public.

The creator of Body Worlds, GuntherVon Hagens, is an anatomist and physi-cian who developed plastination, theprocess that prevents the body fromdecomposing. After death, the deceased’sinternal fluids are removed and replacedwith special chemicals that minimallyalter the appearance of the body. Prior todeath, written consent must be obtainedfrom individuals wishing to donate theirbody to the project. More controversially,guardians can also provide consent fortheir children to be displayed in the exhi-bition.Although all the bodies on display have

been obtained legally, free of solicitationor monetary reward, the exhibit has facedprotest in North America, Europe, Asia

and the Middle East. It does not take agenius to understand why displays ofplastinated pregnantwomen, foetuses andcouples positioned in intercourse wouldstir up tremendous turmoil. Critics saythat the exhibit lacks respect for the deadand argue that deceased bodies should betreated with reverence, not sliced openand positioned with props for the publicto see.In response, Hagens says he hopes the

exhibit will educate visitors and foster adeep appreciation for the body, its adapt-ability, strength and complexity. The dis-plays provide insights that no textbookcan (after all, a picture is worth a thou-sandwords), andmakes such informationaccessible to people beyond the medical

field. Anyone, from seniors to elementaryschool kids, can be seen walking aroundthe exhibit, all highly engaged and inter-ested in thematerial.Everything is to scale; the textures and

colours are vivid. One can’t help but feel asense of awe at the humanbody.Today, in a world so technologically sat-urated, we often find ourselves runninginto such ethical dilemmas. Science andtechnology has on many occasions givenus the tools to explore what society is notmorally comfortable with. Just becausewecan dissect, preserve and study every inchof the body, does thatmeanwe should?The exhibition, while definitely interest-ing and educational, blurred the bound-aries between right and wrong, the living

and the dead, and science and educationfrom art. One display depicted a man onhis knees holding his heart in his hands,almost like an offering.Next to the displaywas a poster titled “Heart as the Habitatfor the Soul,” detailing how the Aztecs,Egyptians, Christians and Jews reveredthe heart, and believed it housed a person-’s soul.While the display was striking, thought-provoking and extremely poetic, itseemed ironic that the habitat of the soulhad been dissected, chemically infusedand put on display. Cartesian dualismlong ago polarized the mind and body.But shouldwe accept this theory and con-tinue to view them in separate spherescompletely independent of the other justso we can dissect and explore the bodyfree of guilt or amoral conscious?The latest exhibit at the Science Centre

was noted most not for pushing socialboundaries, but rather the towering plas-tinized giraffe which stood at a staggering5.6 metres. The display is similar to theone in Gerstein Library, with transparentcross sections of a giraffe organized fromhead to hoof. The reconstruction tooknearly two years to build. It has providedscientists with insights to the cardiovascu-lar system, and answered the mystery ofhow the heart of a giraffe can pump bloodall theway to its head.Regardless of controversy, Body Worlds

has had much success during its secondvisit to the Science Centre, having alreadysurpassed half a million visitors. Theexhibit will move to Singapore, Germanyand Switzerland in late February. Whoknows what new displays Hagens willunveil there?

Michael Di Leo, Editor | arts@mediumonline.ca

MONDAY, JANUARY 11, 2010 THE MEDIUM 55

WAYS TO SAVE1) The Bookstore has dropped the price of the most popular and expensive textbooks. Check online for savings!

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3) Educational pricing on software for U of T Students, Staff & Faculty too. Huge savings – don’t buy your software before contacting The Computer Shop.

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@ U of T Bookstore www.uoftbookstore.com

Anatomical artGunther Von Hagens’ Body Worlds exhibition at the Ontario Science Centre sparks interestNNIISSHHAA SSTTEEPPHHEENNSS

“DO YOU LOVE ME (LIKE YOU SAY YOU DO)” BY LEE FIELDS AND THE EXPRESSIONS

GO TO MEDIUMONLINE.CA/SONGOFTHEWEEK TO LISTEN

insidethemiddleeast.com photo

MOTHER MOTHER’S MILKARTS & ENTERTAINMENTMONDAY, JANUARY 11, 201066 THE MEDIUM

IF YOU CAN’T STAND

THE TWEET,

GET OUT OF THE

KITCHEN

IF YOU CAN’T STAND

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IF YOU CAN’T STAND

THE TWEET,

GET OUT OF THE

KITCHEN

SHOT

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2009

Acouple years ago , dur ingCanadian Music Week, I

watched a group on the cusp ofstardom. They were playing post-Benjamin Gibbard pitch-correctedpower pop for a room fu l l o fscreaming, gooby 16-year-olds .This was the beginning of a move-ment in pop that would lead to theOwl City single I hear everywhere Igo today. Everyone in the roomtalked about how this group wouldbe the next big thing, but today Idon’t remember who it was. I stoodby the bar during their set, noddedmy head, drank my Molson 50 likean old man and plotted my exit. Itwas the next band to play that real-ly caught my attention. Mother Mother took the stage.

Intrigued, I decided to stick around.Two blond women on either side ofthe stage backed this tall, foppishlead singer with a blond pompadour.Besides just having an interestinglook, something about them poppedout at me. The harmonies, the guitarfills and the lyrics. It was so fuckingclever. There are a million songs withthe same three chords that spout outsomething relatable (rhyme “girl”with “world” and you’re set. Theyusually are enjoyable, because thosethree chords sound nice together.But this was something beyondpalatable pop music. What I felt wasthe exhilaration of witnessing goodideas, musical and otherwise, refinedby talent and presented withrehearsed perfection. I know that justsounds like a long compliment thatmay not mean anything, but by thetime they played the song“Verbatim,” I was really enthralled. Taking in a live performance of a

group I’ve never seen before canoften be boring, tedious even. I won’teven like a song until I’ve heard it afew times. With Mother Mother, myinterest was peaked. The way theymoved through a song was l ikewatching Joe Orton play, so quick-witted and sharp that you’re leftgawking and wondering what else

the players can show you within theconfines of one room. I got hold oftheir album “Touch Up” as soon as Icould after the show. I would push iton whoever would listen, forcing iton anyone in the car with me, thesame way I would The LibraryVoices when I heard them the fol-lowing year. It’s one thing to sharethe things you enjoy with yourfriends, but sometimes I take a grosskind of pride in knowing about aband my friends will l ike beforethey’ve heard it. I kept that album inthe car for months.Two years and an album later, we

got to catch up with lead singer RyanGuldemond, pompadour intact, inToronto before their appearance onMTV live. Toronto was the last stopon their six-week tour supportingMatthew Good at Massey Hall. Acalm, deliberate Guldemond shared abit about his experience over the lasttwo years, his band’s new album,their next album and Twitter.

SSoo wwhhaatt’’ss MMaatttt GGoooodd lliikkee??He’s nice. He’s a little incognito, butthe chances that we have with himare fun and down to earth and, yeah,he’s been nothing but gracious to us.He’s a funny guy, got a good sense ofhumour.

YYoouu wweerree ttoouurr iinngg wwii tthh SSaammRRoobbeerrttss bbeeffoorree tthhaatt.. DDoo yyoouu pprree��ffeerr hhaavviinngg aa hheeaaddlliinniinngg ttoouurr??It’s nice to throw your own party, butat the same time it’s advantageous tobe in front of people you normallywouldn’t be. There’s an element ofneeding to be cautious of an environ-ment that isn’t yours when you openthat might not be ideal in everysense, but there’s a tradeoff for thatwhen you’re opening for someonewho has a bigger fanbase than yourown.

WWhheenn ccaann wwee eexxppeecctt aa nneewwaallbbuumm??We’re writing and planning therecording session, which will take

place in spring 2010. Hopefully, arelease will follow in the fall.

WWiillll yyoouu bbee wwoorrkkiinngg wwiitthh pprroodduucc��eerr HHoowwaarrdd RReeddeekkoopppp ((TTeeggaann aannddSSaarraahh,, NNeeww PPoorrnnooggrraapphheerrss))aaggaaiinn??We’re not this time. We’re going totry to branch out. Not sure just howthat will all… unfold.

HHaavvee yyoouu cchhoosseenn aa pprroodduucceerr??No, we haven’t. Sort of just in theyoung stages of speculation and con-sideration.

IInn yyoouurr aallbbuumm ““TToouucchh UUpp,,”” iitt wwaassoobbvviioouuss yyoouu’’dd wwrriitttteenn tthhee aallbbuummoonn aa gguuiittaarr.. WWhheerree aass ““OO MMyyHHeeaarrtt,,”” yyoouu eexxppaannddeedd tthhee ssoouunnddwwiitthh aallll tthhee ssyynntthh aanndd ssttrriinnggss..CCaann wwee eexxppeecctt aa sshhiifftt iinnttoo tthheemmoorree eelleeccttrriicc oorr oorrcchheessttrraall wwiitthhtthhee nneeww aallbbuumm??More electric and less orchestral. Wereally want to make an album thatsymbolizes what the band is capableof doing, and not really go beyondthose means. With “O My Heart,” wetreated each song as a blank canvasand infiltrated any instrument inorder to realize the music. With thisalbum, we want to make it more of aband effort. There’s voice and drumsand bass and guitar and synthesizersand keyboard… That’s an interestingpallet of sounds that we kind of wantto delve into each of those chasms.So when the band plays live, it’s atrue representation of the record.

SSoo wwhheenn yyoouu ppuutt tthhee ssoonnggssttooggeetthheerr,, iiss iitt aa ccoonncceerrtteedd eeffffoorrtt??OOrr iiss iitt ssoommeetthhiinngg yyoouu’’vvee bbuuiillttaanndd tthheenn pprreesseenntteedd ttoo tthhee bbaanndd??It works both ways. With this newbatch of songs, it’s been a concertedeffort to allow the songs to takeshape by way of collaborations with-in the band. So essentially I willreserve my conceptualizing until weall get in there and start handling thedirection. That’s kind of what we’regoing for.

IInn ssoonnggss lliikkee ““TToouucchh uupp,,”” ““BBaallllCCaapp,,”” aanndd ““BBooddyy,,”” tthheerree’’ss aa lloottooff pphhyyssiiccaall iimmaaggeerryy.. II ggeett tthheesseennssee ooff aann eesstthheettiicc pprreeooccccuuppaa��ttiioonn,, bbootthh mmaallee aanndd ffeemmaallee.. HHoowwddiidd tthhaatt ccoommee aabboouutt??Those words are phonetically pleas-ing. There’s so much imagery andsymbolism in anatomy and emotion-al subject matter. The heart repre-sents love, or hate, you know, if it’sbroken. And, blood and bones, Imean, all this stuff is very metaphori-cally useful and handy when eventouching on the simplest of emotion-al topics. You just get drawn to it. It’snot really premeditated.

YYoouu’’vvee ggoott aa lloott ooff ddaarrkk ccoonntteennttsseett aaggaa iinnsstt rreeaa ll llyy cchhaarrmmiinngg,,ccaattcchhyy mmuussiicc.. DDooeess tthhaatt rreefflleeccttaannyy ppeerrssoonnaall pphhiilloossoopphhyy??I think that could speak of an ele-ment of cynicism. To paint a pictureof our… you know, not to take themelancholy too seriously. By dressingit up with something very opposite, Ithink, almost accentuates the sad-ness, instead of being really darkthrough and through.

YYoouu ttoolldd TThhee PPuullssee iinn NNiiaaggaarraa tthhaattyyoouu’’ rree ssoo mmuucchh aabboouuttTTwwiitttteerriinngg……Not so crazy about twittering.

CCaann yyoouu rreellaattee tthhaatt ttoo ssoommee oofftthhee ““CCoouunnttrryy BBooyy”” iimmaaggeerryy iinnssoonnggss lliikkee ““DDiirrttyy TToowwnn””??I grew up on Quadra Island. Thatsong is just a metaphor for gettingaway from a place that isn’t necessar-ily healthy. It’s also, I don’t know, abit of a shout out to more traditionalliving and approaches. I’m a bit of aludite, and I also think that much thetechnological craze that is happeningand has happened is not completelynecessary. I think that there’re somehuman qualities to our society andinteractions that are kind of beingwiped out by this rapid evolution oftechnology and computers and acces-sibility.

LLiikkee wwiitthh TTwwiitttteerr??I don’t know if it’s a realistic exten-sion of people’s true characters. Ithink that there’s a fabrication of per-sona that takes place in that cyberrealm, which is incongruous to whatis actually going on with those people.

DDoo yyoouu tthhiinnkk iitt’’ss sseellff��sseerrvviinngg oorreeggoottiissttiiccaall ttoo hhaavvee tthhaatt wwiiddee aannddccoonnssttaanntt aanndd oouuttppuutt??I just find it somewhat fraudulent. Ithink it’s good to extend yourself asan artist or a band. But it’s nice tokeep in the theme of what you’redoing in the first place, which is mak-ing music. I don’t know why so muchof a spectacle needs to be made of ourpersonas in order to have a career.There’s so much emphasis placed onthat. If you want to go far, become acaricature and tweet about it. I don’tknow, it just doesn’t make sense tome. It just feels unnatural, unhealthyand displaced against what I set outto do to begin with.

AArrtt aanndd hhoonneessttyy hhaavvee ttoo ggoo hhaannddiinn hhaanndd??Yeah, you have to be honest witheverything that you do. Otherwiseyou’re going to go to bed guilty.Maybe that isn’t the case for somepeople. I’m just fairly sensitive thatway. I just feel like I’m letting myselfdown if there’s something dishonestin any facet of what this band isdoing.

CCaann yyoouu tthhiinnkk ooff aannyy bbaadd ccooookkiinnggppuunnss ffoorr tthhiiss aarrttiiccllee ttoo ggoo wwiitthh tthheeppiiccttoorriiaall??Cooking puns? Um, no. MotherMother’s milk? I dunno. MotherMother Wok on the wild side(laughs) as in “W, O, K” like a wok.The wok pun has been done a lot.There was even the show, do youremember that show? Where healways had an apron with a differentwok pun?

TThhaatt ssoouunnddss aawwffuull..Yeah (laughs).

On Friday evening , the U of TWriters’ Co-op reconvened at HartHouse for their first meeting of2010. Enthusiastic about the startof another exciting year together,the group discussed upcomingendeavours. Members had a chanceto rekindle their group chemistryand the North Dining Room bub-bled with conversation and cama-raderie.

F i r s t es tab l i shed in October2006, the U of T Writers’ Co-op isa social club for aspiring writers oncampus. Three years in the run-ning and bolstered by the successof their initiatives, the group iskeen on expanding its bounds andachieving a greater presence oncampus.“Exchanging Notes”—the group’s

first spoken-word performance—was met with success. The eventwas held on April 12, 2008 at theArbour Room in Hart House .Featuring a collaboration of writ-ers and musicians, it represented acontemporary take on the jazz-poetry connect ion or ig ina l lyexplored by the Beat culture. Theturnout was larger than the co-opgroup had ant ic ipated , and the

event fulfilled its purpose to publi-cize and promote the group. Thesecond Exchanging Notes perfor-mance, held on April 4 of last year,was also a success (the third annualExchanging Notes is expected totake place this April).Every month, the co-op group

invi tes a publ i shed wri ter as aguest. Several Governor Generalaward-winning writers have madeappearances , inc luding DavidGilmour, Barbara Gowdy, GeorgeEliot Clarke and Austin Clarke.Future guests include Chris Finn,Amy Cameron and TimothyQuinn.Every second Sunday of the

month, the group performs spokenword with musical accompanimentat the James Joyce pub on BloorStreet in Toronto. The goal of theopen mike is to s tage a spokenword-music event in the summerof 2010 in a larger outdoor venue.At every meeting, the group cri-tiques the work of several fellowauthors.The U of T Writers’ Co-opera-

tive meets every Friday from 6 p.m.to 9 p.m. at Hart House and can bereached at uof twr i tersco-op@hotmail.com.

MONDAY, JANUARY 11, 2010 THE MEDIUM 77

Amir Ahmed, Editor | features@mediumonline.ca

Students on ice

On December 26, 65 high schoolstudents from around the worldembarked on an expedition to theAntarctic as part of the award-win-ning Students on Ice program. The program aims to explore

ways for the young to spearheadefforts that contribute to societalac t ion . I t ce lebra ted i t s t enthanniversary in 2009, having lead atotal of over 1,500 students andexperts from 40 countries to boththe Arctic and Antarctic. Foundedby Canadian adventurer and envi-ronmenta l i s t Geof f Green , theorganization joins students fromnine countries with 25 internation-al experts. Po lar sc ient i s t s , educator s ,

artists and musicians will accom-pany the students. They will alsolead workshops and research activ-ities to investigate the effects ofc l imate change on the de l i ca teAntarctic ecosystems. The voyageis no relaxing cruise for the stu-dents . Lectures , workshops andhands-on research exp lor ingmarine biology, history, earth sci-ences, environmental issues andsustainable development will keepthe students busy.Students will gain experience in

diverse areas such as wi ld l i f erecognition and observation, tech-nolog ica l research , inc ludingGeographic Information System(GIS) mapping, nature interpreta-

tion through journal writing andphotography, youth forums on sus-tainable development, ecologicalfootprints and much more.Madison Miller, 16, and Jean-

Paul Renaud, 17 , a re two h ighschool students from Toronto cur-rently on the Students on Ice pro-gram. Both s tudents emai leddirectly from the ship in Antarcticato talk about their experiences sofar. “The prospect of being on a team

with some of the most recognizedpolar experts on the planet was justtoo good to pass up,” said Renaud. “Here , I am surrounded with

adults who have a true passion forwhat they do,” said Miller. “Theyhave inspired me to take my pas-s ions ser iously and to considerthem as poss ib le careers , a sopposed to hobbies.” Miller heard about the SOI pro-

gram after Geoff Green gave aninspir ing presenta t ion a t herschool , Branksome Hal l . “Heinspired me to get involved in apersonal way. SOI seemed to me tobe a perfect way to get involved insuch a way.”Renaud, a s tudent o f Ursu la

Franklin Academy, read about theprogram in the newspaper. “Thecombination of adventure, interna-t ional col laborat ion and expertadvice help to lay the groundworkfor a new perspective on climatechange and a new perspective ofthe planet itself,” said Renaud. During their two weeks abroad,

students can keep in touch withfamily, friends and interested stu-dents through a daily blog. Blogsinclude articles from current SOIs tudents and a lumni , o f fer ingaccounts and opinions on currentenvironmental issues as wel l asrecent experiences on the SOI pro-gram. “There have been so many great

experiences; it is difficult, if notimpossible , to rank them,” saidMiller. “However, one experiencethat has truly impacted me is see-ing the immense tabular icebergs...I have a totally different outlookon the issues that currently facethe environment because I haveseen these. It has, in a very realsense, been life-changing.”Participants felt that this year’s

expedition was of particular signif-icance, as it took place amid therecent United Nations’ Cl imateChange conference in Copenhagenin mid-December. The conferencedid not result in a treaty, but itspurred a worldwide focus on theeffects of climate change. “Al though i t may seem near

impossible to make a difference, iti s most de f in i te ly not , ” sa idRenaud. “By becoming educatedabout the i s sues , making smal lchanges to everyday l i f e andencouraging others to do the same,one can make a s igni f i cantimpact.”The Students on Ice members’

daily blog is available at http://www.studentsonice.com/.

January is here, and for students,that may mean many dif ferentthings: a new year, a new decade, anew semester or being a bit closer tothe impending stress of finding ajob after graduation. Whether ornot it crossed your mind, there’s nobetter resolution this year than tothink a little about where you wantthe thousands of dollars you spendon university to take you. The Career Centre at UTM orga-

nizes events year round to help stu-dents and graduates gain perspec-tive about the job market. Studentsof all years should keep an openmind and look to gain experiencewherever they can; the 2010Summer Job Fair is a way to doexactly that. This Wednesday, theCareer Centre will hold their mostattended event in the RAWC gym,welcoming 58 employers (up from47 last year) from all fields, some ofwhich will offer on-the-spot inter-views. It might seem a bit early to think

about where you will work duringthe summer, but better now thanduring March or April, when you

are knee deep in books. If you’re notone of those who is looking for asummer job because you alreadyhave one or you have saved up all ofyour partying for the warm weathermonths, many other events will takeplace this semester that will helpyou focus on the big picture. ThePsychology Speed NetworkingNight (picture speed dating, butinstead of finding a person, you’relooking for a career you might like),the Marketing and CommunicationsNetworking Breakfast and theBiology Networking Night are allexamples of great ways to discovernew careers and meet new people tohelp you along your path to success. It seems l ike a lot to take on.

Networking is intimidating and newto all of us; the folks at the CareerCentre have that covered too. Fromhow to shake hands during the fluseason to which questions to ask atan event like the ones above, thereare workshops and tips available onhow to network and to help youbecome more confident when meet-ing people. Head over to the CareerCentre or view their website atwww.utm.utoronto.ca/careers/ tocheck out a l l of the upcomingevents.

EEMMIILLYY AACCHHEESSOONN RRAAIISSAA PPAALLHHAA

The U of T writers co-op

Foot in the door

65 high school students explore the Antarctic to study climate change

DDEERRIICC VVAARRCCOOEE

“Every month, the co�opgroup invites a pub�

lished writer as a guest.”

Comments? Interestedin writing for Features?

Contact Amir atfeatures@mediumonline.ca

MONDAY, JANUARY 11, 201088 THE MEDIUM

SukunaWinner - Short Story: Yanique Bird

AA nnoottee ffrroomm tthhee EEddiittoorrWriting is hard, like a crowbar to the face. In fact, even in the writing of this foreword, I think it’d be easier to smash a concrete wall with my fists than make something people would genuinely wantto read. But maybe I’m not a very good writer, and I’m certainly not an Iron Hand expert. What you see before you though, is a sample of the best writing The Medium received this year for our annu�al contest. Maybe these writers found the act hard, like the aforementioned crowbar upside the noggin, but if they did, then they took that crowbar, and pried open their perception and ours, andwithdrew some pretty neat things.

See how sucky that metaphor was? Told you this stuff is difficult.�Amir Ahmed

The lights go out. For the third timethis week, my house, all of Glanvilles,maybe all of St. Philip’s parish, isplunged into darkness.

Beep. Beep. Beeeep. My computer’sbackup power supply wails in thedark. I stumble from my homework atthe dining table to the computer deskand snap the thing off.

“Dem damn disgusting!” Mama,my grandmother, says from theveranda. She’s talking about theAntigua Public Utilities Authority’sconstant “load-shedding” to perform“scheduled maintenance”.

Mummy rustles in the kitchen andstrikes a match. A spark jumps in thedark and Mummy light a candle. Paleyellow light floods the kitchen fromthe long stick of wax.

“You need more light right?”Mummy asks coming to stand overme with the candle. I recoil. I’ve beenaccidentally dripped on with hot waxtoo many times in my fifteen years.

“Nope,” I say, “Study break.” I snapmy thick red Principles of Businesstextbook shut and jump up from thetable. Five long strides bring me to thefront door. I yank it open. It creaks along heightening creak and I hop untothe veranda.

The moon is full and white tonight.Our street is bathed in a pale bluelight that casts every color into ashade of navy. In the soft light, I canmake out the stout shape of mygrandmother with her legs and armscrossed sitting on her little whitebench in the west corner of the veran-da. She faces the street. In the eastcorner sits Bramble, the man thatraised my father and my aunt Cynthia

while my real grandfather ran off toEngland. Bramble sits on a concreteblock and taps his walking stickrhythmically against the short decora-tive block wall.

“Well Yan,” Mama says as I take aseat on the wall behind her bench,“Current gone wild.”

We laugh. The door creaks andadmits my mother carrying an insectrepelling candle in a yellow glass vase.She sets it down in the center of theun-tiled veranda floor. Mummy sitsnext to me on the wall.

“Wait,” Mummy says, “Where’syour brother?”

I shrug. “In his room I guess. Youknow how he is.”

“Eedy!” Mama shouts for mybrother. Mama often sits on theveranda and bellows for people ablock away. No one ever fails to hearher. “Eden Bird!”

“M’orm,” he answers from some-where in the back of the house.

“You no see everybody outside?”Mama says. In the yellow candle lighther teeth flash in a mischievous smile.“You no ‘fraid jumbie?”

Five. Four. Three. Two. One. Mybrother Eden burst through the frontdoor. The veranda echoes with laugh-ter. Eden is un-amused. He scowls atus all in turn and steps off the verandato sit on the front steps.

Mama leans over the wall to flickhis head playfully. “You ever hearbout Sukuna?”

“No.” Eden says shortly. “And Idon’t want to hear.”

“Ha-hai!” My grandmother throwsher head back and laughs. “Yan, youever hear?”

I shoot a grin in Eden’s direction.“Yes but I wouldn't mind hearingagain.”

Sukuna are sometimes called WestIndian vampires. No Caribbean per-son thinks of them that way though.They are usually female humanstransformed into village-roamingbloodsuckers by dark rituals per-formed by obeah men

“Dem old Dominican woman, demturn themselves into sukuna and allkinda ting. Then dem go round andsuck people. Suck them dry youknow!” Mama says. She leans forwardand drops her voice to almost a whis-per. “When we used to live at LongLane Estate, this man, honest to God,every morning the man wake, he looklike subben suck he.”

“But I thought sukuna only suckedchildren,” I say.

“Yes, dem suck pickney plenty,”Mama confirms. “But people can setsukuna on big people.”

I leaned back against the columnand pulled my legs up to my chest. Ithought I saw Eden cover his ears.

“Yes man, sukuna bad! Every nightthey suck, suck, suck this poor man,John Martin from Cedar Grove. Everyday John look more weak. He get thin.He get light like-a feather. As anyhard wind blow, he stagger.Sometime, at night time, you hearhim shriek out ‘Help! Murder!’ butwhen the rest man dem reach in theroom not a soul in there ‘cept poorJohn. Ah so he shake, ah so he ahsweat.”

Mama clenches both her fist infront of her and vibrates her heftybody on the small wooden bench to

imitate John’s shaking. “De man and dem hunt ‘round de

estate fa da sukuna skin. You knowdem peel outta dem skin before demcan suck people? Well, dem haffu hideway the skin so nobody can find it.”

“What happens if they find it?” Iask.

“Dem can kill the sukuna. The onlyway fa kill dem as fu throw salt innadem skin.”

“How is salt supposed to kill themthough?”

“When you throw the salt in, thendem can’t go back inna dem skinwhen morning come. When da sunrise, dem get burn up.”

Bramble snorted from the corner.“John Martin? He deserve wah heget.” Bramble’s speech is slow andimpeded by the presence of only onetooth.

“He and he wife jus dabble innnaall kinda darkness.”

Mama kisses her teeth loudly andslaps at the ar to dismiss Bramble.“How you know dat?”

“You stupid woman! Everybodyknow dat. They min find one BlackHeart book in some old obeah houseand go down ah Newfield Graveyardfu raise old jumbie and ask for demmoney.”

My eyebrows shot up. “That kindastupid! How would a ghost havemoney?”

“Dem no stupid gyal. Just greedy.Dem say that the old white peoplethat use to live on the estate bury demmoney before they died so nobodycan teef um,” Mama says. “They say ifyou can raise the jumbie and bind um,you can ask he whey he bury he

money.”“When we dug the foundation for

this house, there was a story that someold jumbie promised money to yourcousin Linroy,” Mummy says.

“Okay, stop now! You gone toofar,” Eden springs up from his seatand whirls to face us.

“If you don’t want to hear youshould go back inside,” I say. “Ohwait! You can’t! You’re too scaaaaaredto!”

“Me nuh ‘fraid nuthin!” Edenshouts back.

“You two behave,” Mummy hissesat us. We fall silent.

And remain silent. The moonducks behind a thick black cloud.Eden scrambles up off the step. Ashuffling noise comes from the dark-ness of the street. Shuffle, scrape, flap.Shuffle. Scrape. Flap. My heartpumps. Eden draws an audible breath.Mama, Bramble and Mummy look tothe street. Shuffle. Scrape. Flap. Couldit be a sukuna or a pyro-manic, horse-legged diablese?

“Good night! Good night!” calls afamiliar voice from the pitch black-ness.

The shuffling, scraping, flappingbecomes our neighbor Ira as he stepsinto the yard and half way up thesteps. His shoes are lace-less. Thetongues flap about in front his foot.He shuffled along the rough tarmacstreet with his shoes scraping theground.

We exhale collectively. Moonlightbaths the street again and the yellowdancing candlelight trembles ourshadows and we wait for the lights toreturn.

You’re becoming a manWinner - Novella: Luke SawczakWe had scheduled the trip toEngland for July, so for sunny June, Iworked at my grandma’s.

I didn’t even notice the irony whenshe gave my little brother Paul fourdollars, and me four-fifty: “You’rebecoming a man,” she said, “so youget extra. You should be proud.” Ialways biked home standing, andsometimes treated myself to icecream at Sammy’s on the way, hardlyable to carry it.

A week before we left, my motherstopped me with my dripping cone toask me how much I’d saved. When Ioffered up my faded blue bills anddull coins, she took them and thenext day it had all magically trans-formed into pounds and pence.“Never waste a penny,” she advised.

And it seemed like only one nightbefore I flew over. Only Lawrence,my twelve-year-old brother, celebrat-ed my ninth birthday with me on theplane.

Lawrence had gotten a phone callfrom Matt. I longed to be Lawrence’sfriend, but I knew that while we werethere he’d have Matt, who was closerto his age than mine anyway. Almostshouting over the receiver, ourcousin had announced that the smallvillage resort we’d be staying at had alittle bar-and-restaurant; and if youwoke up at one a.m., you could sneakin; and the nights were always warmin English summers. Wouldn’t it befun to get in the back door, so late,and eat sweets?

I had overheard this phone call

and I knew Lawrence was figuringout how to stay awake.

My aunt and uncle met us at theairport in London on the third. Evenindoors, it was so hot and my clotheschafed. Lawrence bought a pack ofPokémon cards so he and Matt couldplay together the moment we walkedin the door; I didn’t – I only remem-bered my mother’s advice. Anyway, itwas too early to be looking for sou-venirs.

A month with our aunt and uncle.“I know you three are going to love itthere,” said Aunt Mathilda, a Nepaliwoman, at the wheel (wrong side ofthe car, wrong side of the road).“They’ve got a swingset.” Doubtsstarted to creep into my mind as wesped past the scenery. I had a

swingset back home. Mum had soldme on a pool! I voiced my concernsaloud. “Well, you three will get alongwell.”

If only, I thought, and I even trust-ed to the hope that she was right (asadults usually are). For the first weekI did try to edge in wheneverLawrence and Matt were playing ortalking. They even talked about girlssometimes, and were beginning to getarmpit hair, as they showed me. I hadnone. Every day, they went for a walkor to the store, and I followed them.But I was never welcome. Matt hadfriends, too, and they acceptedLawrence, but I was only nine, andthat only for a few days. Every nightthe pair talked into the late hours,poking themselves and holding ice

cubes to stay alert. After midnight, atiny matching of hands shown onMatt’s glowing watch, they abruptlystood, checked to see if I was awake (Ipretended to sleep). Shhing eachother and whispering guffaws at their cleverness, they crept out instockinged feet, down the street towhere I never saw them go.

After the first week, I broke. Ispent my first. I bought a pack ofPokémon cards at the store, andwhen they sat down to play, I pulledmine out of my pocket. Aha! Butno—where had that come from?They each had a full deck, sixty cards,and my tiny offering was no good toplay with them.

GGrroowwiinngg uupp continued on ppaaggee 99

WRITING CONTESTMONDAY, JANUARY 11, 2010

Then the water poured out of thefloodgates. Totally rejected by myrelations, I started to spend myhoard on whatever I thought wouldmake the long wait bearable. Wewere there a month, and I boughtchocolate bars, small souvenirs,magazines, and once, even, a pocketmanual for Pokémon, which Icouldn’t understand, and it endedup in a garbage can on the street.Every day I went down to the

swingset, then. I sat, and sometimesI flew, pumping my legs and arms toget a new height in my excitement. Iclimbed the poles, I played tag withnobody; and other t imes I onlyplopped down on one of those hotblack rubber seats and cried to seemy mother again.Another plane was coming to

pick us up, me and Lawrence, in thelast week before August. England,supposed to thrill us and keep ushappy for the rest of the summer,would be behind us. As the daysmoved on, this weighed more andmore on my mind. After all, I didhave a swingset at home. Was Iwasting my time—like I wasted mycoins? Was I throwing my mother’sadvice out the window?Four days before the end of our

stay, I made a strong decision and Iwoke up early. I found Lawrenceand Matt and said to them, “I’mcoming with you tonight. To thesecret place.” This, with a smile onmy face and my nose red. Mattshrugged and turned away, andLawrence smirked, “Fine, if you canstay up that late. But you’re sleepingevery time we leave. You can justtry.” I decided I would hang outwith them all day, even if theirfriends snubbed me, even if I had nofun at all. I wasn’t going to miss myopportunity.In my pocket I fondled, all day,

my last coin, a twenty-five pencepiece, my last twenty-five.I didn’t go to the swingset all that

day. I even watched a wholePokémon game, and didn’t under-stand it, but I watched it. I tried notto talk at all. I was building my con-fidence.At six o’clock, by Matt’s watch—

ours we had never updated toEnglish time—Uncle Steve called usin for supper as he did every day.Aunt Mathilda brought two or threepots out of the kitchen, set them oncoasters with pictures of cows, andwe sat and we ate , forgoing the

prayer. Except for me—I prayed inmy heart, asking God, “Please makeme stay awake. Please ignore if Iclose my eyes.”Matt was bouncing a little rubber

ball. One, two, three, four, five. One,two, three, four, f ive. One, two,three, four—“Stop it!” said his mumsuddenly. “Don’t bounce the ball atthe table.” I only knew that I desper-ately wanted him to bounce it thefifth time, a sensation I’d never hadbefore, but he tossed it toward thewindow and that missing fifth beatpounded through my head for thenext hours.Finally it was our bedtime: three

hours before midnight. Matt andLawrence slipped into their sleepingbags as they did every night in theback room and I crawled into mine,with my socks still on, an insuranceagainst sleep. And I managed to stayawake.At last midnight came and went.

Matt raised himself . So didLawrence. “Still up, spud?” I was.We tiptoed out of the room over

to our shoes, and the villa had ascreen door at the back, which wesl id open just enough to sidlethrough silently. Then the three ofus were out on the street, and I got athrill, which Lawrence surely felt thefirst time he did it. Or maybe not –he was so much older. The road wascompletely empty, and it being acommune resort, small cabins andvillas crowded the sides.At the end of one street we finally

came to the central bar-and-restau-rant, a low building with big win-dows and walls that stretched a longway in every direction, and whichwas closed nightly after midnight.Normally people would guardagainst our entering, saying, “Youchildren aren’t old enough,” andstuff like that—but the door wasopen. As Matt said, some janitor orother left it unlocked every night.We stole in, and kicked off ourshoes at the entrance. I felt a rushgo up through my spine.I stood there in the open back

door in my pyjamas, a warm breathescaping me, and noticed that theother two wore day clothes. A bigplastic rack stared at us from thedark, window-lit interior, sportingrows and rows of mugs andStyrofoam cups. Matt and Lawrencemarched right on past, so I took thecue and ignored the monolithicmonster.In the next room, the wide cafete-

ria, to which we padded on soft feet,

somebody had laid out all the tablesfor next morning. The older boysboth sat at a table with only twochairs, laughing to themselves, andtalking, again, about girls. I shiftednervously under my cap; I wassweating out of nerves. Was this thethrill I had expected? Was this thesense of belonging?“So what do we do?” I asked,

actually lost as to the point.“Whatever we want to,” replied

Matt, and Lawrence snickered, and Ifelt all of a sudden like they weretwo dragons sitting on a mound oftreasure and talking to the hobbitwaiting expectantly.When they were tired of sitting

and talking and I was tired of stand-ing and listening, Lawrence inter-rupted my yawn to say, “Let’s stealsomething from the storeroom.”Matt nodded, and they pushed backtheir chairs. I walked with them,then, behind the small counter ,behind the little door, down a nar-row hallway, into the darkest andtiniest room I had yet seen. I madeout the shelves and packages.

Now my knees really shook. I did-n’t know if I had to use the bath-room. Suddenly a throaty voice thatwas Matt ’s sneezed, “Take thechips,” and a hand shot out that wasLawrence’s , and a bag movedthrough the air, and disappeared.And another. “You can take one ifyou want,” Matt threatened.But standing, staring, I couldn’t.So we stalked back, and they sat,

and they played Pokémon, and theymunched on chips.I noticed a machine in the corner,

and the letters on it said COFFEE,HOT CHOCOLATE, TEA. Well!Leaving my companions suddenly, Ipaid it a visit, the coin in my pyja-mas pocket quite warm. And cross-ing the room, Lawrence’s words fellon deaf ears: “Where are you going,spud? Don’t let the monsters getyou,” which warning, if it had beenheard, might have stopped me there.HOT CHOCOLATE: 25 PENCE.The small coin that would redeem

the night, no, redeem all of Englandand all the troubles and worries ithad caused me, quickly flew from

my pocket into my hand, and fromthere hovered, looking for the slot,until it disappeared into a blacknessmore deep than every other roomI’d seen that evening.And I waited.Finally, the thing whirred, made a

sloshing noise, emitted steam fromevery orifice, and poured my cup ofhot chocolate. Ahh, yes! At home Iwas never allowed such sugary stuff,but here, now, a cup of boiling hotchocolate—maybe with somecream—maybe some marshmallowsin the cup—Wait, in the cup?OH NO!! THE CUP!I bolted it!! I ran! I tripped over

chairs! Matt choked with laughter!Lawrence snickered at me!I! Entered! The! Other! Room!I grabbed the mug from the tow-

ering rack—I booked it to the machine——and I watched the last sputter-

ing, the f inal drops, of my hotchocolate, run down the drain, andaway from me, forever.My last twenty-five pence.

Growing upcontinued from ppaaggee 88

I am two hours pregnant, and it’s not even funny.Go figure you could tell a guy to “just do it” on a flight of passion

And he decides to become a fucking linguist.“Uh, you wanna go back to my place?”

“Uh, sure”.“Uh, you wanna fuck?” I.e.: Do I subscribe to the idea that wine and some fine dining actas a lever, and the more I consume, the more my legs inch open, until a symbolic wel�

come mat materializes from nothingness and falls to rest on youroily, dust infested sheets ?

“My self�worth says no, but I say yes”.There is nothing explicitly primal about a peace of plastic,

On the other hand, I.D. does spell ID, so there.I’m not pregnant, my Hyde side is.

Damn, I hate this shit.Viruses are not alive, because they cannot control their actions. Is jizz, two hours postlaunch, like a virus? Maybe I should search Wikipedia; but then, the footprint I leave res�

onating after parting from this earth would depend on...Wikipedia.It’s like saying: “I love you, but the sources that support my statement are questionable”.No doubt, I am confident in saying that the trials of a single mother in our new, freshlyunprejudiced society, will offer me the pick me up I need to exit this enrapturing slump.

All night standingWinner - Poetry: Trevor Abes

Pain shot up my right leg, takingeach nerve by surprise. I could feelthe skin on my right foot burning asit twisted beneath the tire.

“Victor, you’re on my foot.”The calmness in my voice surprisedme. Victor continued to drive for-ward. I dug my nails into the hoodof his black Integra, and attemptedto step back. The weight of the carheld my foot firmly in place.

“Victor ,” I repeated s lowly,“you’re on my foot.”

The car came to a sudden halt. Iswallowed down the urge to scream.

Victor turned away from thesteering wheel to look back at mefrom the open backseat door.

“What? I’m not on your foot.”He said nonchalantly, despite thenotes of panic that had begun toplay across his face.

Sweat beads crawled across myforehead as the black tire continued

to crush my right foot, pushing itdeeper into the ground. Victor,finally realizing what had happenedshif ted the c lutch and reversedback. A low groan made its way outof my lips; just as my knees buckledand I fell to the ground. I inhaled

sharply, bit down on my lower lip,and squeezed my eyes shut . Myhead rested against the cold con-crete.

“Ow.” I said in a strangled whis-per. My eyes f luttered open andglowered at Victor, just as his jaw

dropped, leaving a dumbfoundedlook on his pale face.

“Oh my God. You weren’t jok-ing?” He said, before throwing hisdoor open and sprinting out of thecar.

“I swear to God it’s never hap-

pened before.” Victor’s words over-lapped as he kneeled on the floor byme, and gently cupped my swollenfoot in his hands. I gulped andmanaged a weak smile.

“I know, I know. These thingsonly happen to me.” I muttered, andthen looked down at my foot; theskin of which was scorching againstthe coolness of Victor’s palm. As Itried to inspect the damage on myfoot , a gleam from my necklacecaught my eye and distracted meaway from the throbbing pain. Thenecklace, long and slim, hung loose;creating a pathway down my neck,leading to a small, oval, pendant atthe end of the chain. I picked it upbetween my fingers and brought itcloser to my face, squinting againstthe glare from the street lamp abovemy head. The pendant, molded intothe shape of a blue eye, stared backat me mockingly.

The evil beadWinner - Nonfiction: Mimi Zalat

For many cultures, the concept ofthe “evil eye” forms a very real, andvery worrisome issue. In Middle�Eastern culture, the evil

eye is historically believed to bedirected by an envious individual, ata particular object or person thatthey feel envious of. Though theaction may often be subconscious,some people are thought to have aspecial ability at aiming their evil eyeknowingly and accurately, in orderfor them to gain personal benefitsfrom the bad luck and destructioncaused by the evil eye.

In an effort to effectively combatthis ongoing issue, Turkey devel�oped a combatant method, which issaid to date back to the last millen�nium. The Turks created a bluebead, shaped like a glass eye,which is said to deter the effects ofan evil eye; and protect one againstits bad luck. The bead may vary insize and shade of blue; and can beworn as a form of jewelry on theperson or hung in a location whichrequires protection; such as a homeor car.I was first given the blue bead in

the form of a pendant by myMother, on the morning of mycousin’s wedding in Syria. The nightbefore, my uncle’s wife, who didnot like my mother and I forunknown reasons, complimentedmy eye make�up. The next morn�ing, I woke up to a swollen pinkeye, and a hysterical mother. Sheran to her dresser, pulled out thenecklace from her jewelry box, andhung it around my neck; insisting allthe while that it would protect mefrom bad luck for as long as I wouldwear it.

THE MEDIUM 99

WRITING CONTESTMONDAY, JANUARY 11, 20091100 THE MEDIUM

Honourable Mentions

Smog smothers the streets ofDowntown Dhaka. A blackened skyhangs above the city’s office complex-es. A woman opens a window, sticksher head out and shakes a carpet. Darkclouds billow into the air. Blackbirdssit in ranks on the electric wires, theirclawed feet digging into the blackenedrubber sheathing. Dust settles on thewindshield of our white 1986 ToyotaSoleil. We’ve been stuck in traffic foran hour.

“Kichu bhule jayona kintu,” mymother says, urging me not to forgetwhat I had learned last night.

“I won’t mom,” I reply, cradling mycase that contained my eraser, myruler, my sharpener and my army ofpencils. My massive drawing boardcovers my knees, as it lies lifeless onthe rubber car mat in front of me. Ihave an art exam in an hour. I am late.

An auto rickshaw sputters past us,weaving through the rush hour traffic.It leaves behind a trail of concentratedblack smoke. Horns blare from allsides as drivers vent their frustration.

Breathing heavily, I loosen my tieand stare down at my uniform: thegray tie with its single crimson stripeangling across the middle, my steamcleaned white shirt and my charcoalgrey trousers. The crimson schoollogo: “B.I.T”—Bangladesh Interna-tional Tutorial. More like Bum inTraining! I cannot see my shoes belowthe massive brown board. However, Iknow that they are polished, shiningblack.

Discipline is a strict policy at theprivatized government school.Punishments for lateness range fromstanding in the boiling heat to expul-sion.

In the driver’s seat, Mustapha uncleclutches the steering wheel of the car.Perspiration pockmarks his forehead.Scratching his beard, he wipes therear-view mirror with an orange cloth,and places it with his copy of CricketPlus in the glove compartment. Hewasn’t related to us—he was a driver

hired by my family. However, beingolder than me, tradition dictates that Iaddress him as “uncle.”

“Uncle, ar koto dere hobe?”—Howmuch longer.

He looks at me in the mirror andsmiles. “As soon as the traffic clears, Iwill step on the gas,” he answers inclear unaccented English. The air con-ditioner hums, keeping the atmos-phere inside the car liveable. Theboard feels cool nestled against mytrousers.

My 3-hour exam will ask me todraw about an unannounced topic. Icradle my pencil case and run my fin-gers across the upholstery seats. Myhands glide across the fabric, and stopat my broken seat belt.

Ten minutes pass, and traffic beginsto clear. I can now see the giant modelfighter jet on its stand at the corner ofthe intersection. The green and redlogo of the Bangladesh Air Force ispainted on the silver metal. Hornsblare. An army vehicle lumbers to ahalt in the lane next to us. The oldToyota T100 pickup has a canvas capover its truck bed. Several camou-flaged officers peer out from under-neath it. The sunlight glints off theirmatching automatic rifles. The truck’sstandard diesel V6 engine growls, andrumbles. The driver in the front seatwears a black cap and chews on awooden toothpick. He spots a clearing.He spits the toothpick out the win-

dow, and zooms ahead through theopening.

A path clears in front of us. I can seethe far end of the road. The trafficlight on the other side turns green.Mustapha uncle steps on the gas. Thetiny, 4 cylinder engine whines and thecar lurches ahead. The pencils insidemy case clink against each other. Thelaminated coolness of the boardtouches against my pant legs. Mywater bottle tips over onto its side androlls on the floor. The tissue box in theback flies onto my lap. The light turnsorange. The army truck changes lanesand pulls in front of us.

Uncle slams his foot on the brakepedal. The army crest on the back ofthe truck looms larger. Rubber burnsand the tires shriek. Our tiny Toyotaslams into the back of the gigantictruck. Mustapha uncle’s head jerksviolently as his seat belt hugs himagainst his seat. The windshield shat-ters, sending shards of glass into thecar. The front end crumples uponimpact. The metal peels off and twistslike a ball of aluminum foil. The truckdoesn’t move. I have no seat belt andmy knee crashes through my art

board. I hear a crack as bone pierceswood. The tissue box launches itselfinto the front seat.

Smoke lingers in the air. My moth-er’s arm wraps around my chest.

“Are you ok?” she asks.“Yes ma.”From the driver’s seat, Mustapha

uncle groans, and gingerly turnsaround. Blood from a small cut trick-les down his right cheek. His eyes dartbetween us.

“Is everyone fine?”Army officers surround our car,

and peer in. All around us, suits ofgreen and brown swarm the twistedToyota. Horns blare as passengerspeer to observe the spectacle.

I open the door and step out of thecar. Heat and humidity slam into myface. From up above, crows caw asthey circle the wreckage. The air isthick and the smoke burns my eyes.Steam rises from the mangled metal.Shattered glass and steel lie scatteredacross the street.

With help from the Army officers,my mother and I boarded a city busten minutes later. Mustapha unclestays behind to take the car to a

garage. The bus is crowded and has noair conditioning.

Dhaka city buses are ramshackleand rundown. Constructed from rustyscrap metal, the vehicles were essen-tially recycled tin built around anengine. The bus vibrates as it speedsup. Bolts run across the ceiling. Heatcreeps in through the open windows.A baby cries in its mother’s arms fromsomewhere in the back. I am smoth-ered by the smell of gasoline andsweat. I hold my busted art boardagainst the side of my patchwork seat.

The corner of Gulshan andDhanmondi One is infamous for itscatastrophic delays. However, being amajor artery in the transportation sys-tem, the four-lane route is unavoid-able. A large Tata truck stands idle, theyellow dashed road line lying squarelybetween its wheels. An empty cokebottle rolls to my feet as the bus slowsto a stop.

I arrive at my exam an hour late.The subject of the exam was pollutionand the environment. I still finishedon time. I had to avoid the massivehole at the top left corner as I drew onthe poster-sized page.

You said sometimes the things I do, make you feel bad for being you,And you said it like your pain was a joke.

Ours is not a love story.

I said I'd make an honest man, wear his heart and play his hand, You said, "These hands are empty, this heart is broke."

I paid for your Greek salad.

If you could just say what you want, I wouldn't have to be so blunt.I want you but I hate the things you do.

Ours is not a love story.

FFUUAADD KKAABBIIRR

Kyle

Gravity

AAnnootthheerr nnoottee ffrroomm tthhee EEddiittoorr..

Hi, it’s me again. Most of the categories had some very strong contenders, and unfortunately only one piece is allowed first place. Below are some prose and poetry that we just couldn’tignore. It was a close call, and we hope that you’ll enjoy these.

I’d rather choose my dignity than choose to be with you

All I can taste is this moment ofbitter emptiness... How can I facemy family that has put so muchfai th in me? I threw away theirgood intentions and crashed theirhopes . I l e t down my or ig ina lprospective and all of this is due tomy own tragic fault. My downfallwas trigged by my sense of securi-ty; I depended on others’ admira-tion to have higher value in myself.During the f irst semester of myfreshman year, I have spent mytime with unnecessary gatherings,point less conversa t ions , anddrunken par t ies . I be l ieve bysocializing, I would escape the hurtof being stood up. I did not allow asingle second slip away of beingalone because I never wanted togive myself the chance to acceptreality.

I did not believe the fact that Iwas played. I felt I was unworthy of

love and moreover my pride wastramped. In my mind, it all nar-rowed down to one question, Was Inot good enough for him? Wrong,slap yourself. He should want youmadly, if not drop it. If the choiceis between a gir ly ’s dignity andhaving a relationship, every girlshould prioritize her dignity aboveall else. If you want him to acceptyou, go to a self-help group.

Foolishly, I found the only solu-tion was to party away the pain.Not only I did that, but I threwaway my priorities. I have forgot-ten the real reason of why I am

here at UTM; to develop passionsof learning that will help us makeour mark in the world. The pictureof the couple has answered myweeks of wondering and if any girlcan steal a guy away from me, thenshe can have him because I would-n’t want him anymore. Any time agirl competes with another girl, shedemeans herself.

It has been a while since it hap-pened, but he s t i l l intrudes mymind da i ly . I am disgusted a tmyself for my sad vanity and mytota l dependence upon lus t forhappiness. This man has repeatedlygiven me empty promises and inmy moment of wanting help, whenI wanted him to be there for me, heruth less ly turned h is back andshowed me his co ld shoulder .Obviously this man does not careabout me; in fact he does not evenlike me. What bothers me the mostis why does he not like me. Is itbecause I’m not smart enough? Am

I not pretty enough? This train ofthought carried on for months andI was living in a period of depres-sion. To be real, every girl shouldnever pursue a man. The moon andthe sun don’t revolve around him.We should not chase him or keeptabs on him. He is not the center ofthe world.

The day came, our marks wereupdated and there was no way Ican get into my program. I wasthreatened and the chill of horrorbled through my body. It hit mehard that I have sabotaged myfuture. I have destroyed everythingI built upon these years of dedica-t ion , e f for t and pass ion . Mostimportant ly , what about theamount of money my family hasprovided me? It has all gone to awaste. Have I not selfishly neglect-ed people who truly care about me,for some jerk that I will absolutelyforget in a year? No, duh. It feltlike it was the end of the world. I

remember that day my tears rundry after I came out of the studentadvisory office. I was lost and Idespised myself for not putting myheart into my studies.

That day was the time I decidedto save myself. It was my wakeupcall, my moment of acceptance andwhat has kicked me back on track.In the end, I l earned to p lacemyself in higher value. When peo-ple g ive me compl iment , I saythank you. I do not talk others outof it. I do not ask about how otherslook l ike and I do not competewith others. If someone else does-n’t like my confidence, that’s theirproblem. This is because I alwayscome before they do, that’s why. Ido not tolerant disrespect and as aperson I f ee l complete wi th orwithout anyone. My most impor-tant conception is always indepen-dence ra ther than dependence .This is the perception that I canhold my own.

CCOORRAA WWOONNGG

“Uncle slams his footon the brake pedal. Thearmy crest on the backof the truck looms larg�er. Rubber burns and

the tires shriek. Our tinyToyota slams into theback of the gigantic

truck. Mustapha uncle’shead jerks violently ashis seat belt hugs him

against his seat.”

“It was my wakeup call,my moment of accep�tance and what has

kicked me back on track.In the end, I learned to

place myself in higher value.”

CCHHRRIISSTTIINNAA FFAAIIEERRSS

MONDAY, JANUARY 11, 2010 THE MEDIUM 1111

Ball Hockey (Men’s)

Ball Hockey (Coed)

Basketball (Men’s)

Indoor Cricket(Men’s)

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Indoor Soccer (Coed 3 and a goalie)

Indoor Soccer (Men’s)

Vollyeball (Co-ed)

Volleyball(Mens’)

Gym CMon @ 9,10 & 11amTues @ 9,10, 11am, 12,1 & 2pmGym CMon @ 12pm, Wed @ 9 & 10amThurs @ 1,2 & 3pmGYM A/BMon & Wed @ 9,10, 11am, 12, 1 & 2pm

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Wed Jan. 13@ 12pmRoom 1118BMon Jan 18@ 12pmRoom 1118BMon Jan. 25@ 12pmRoom 1118BMon Feb. 1@ 12pmRoom 1118BWed Jan. 27@ 12pmRoom 1118BWed Jan. 27@ 1pmRoom 1118BTues Jan. 19@ 12pmRoom 1118BThurs Jan. 28@ 12pmRoom 1118BThurs Jan.28@1pmRoom1118b

Monday Jan. 25

MondayJan. 25

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TuesdayJan. 26

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CoedBasketball (Div1)

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Ice Hockey (Div 1)Indoor Soccer (Tri-Campus/Div 2)

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Ice Hockey (Div 1)Indoor Soccer (Tri-Campus/Div 1/Div 2)

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Let’s keep up the winning tradition!! If you played in high school, you can play for UTM!No cost to participate. Get out to a Try-out/Skill Evaluation Session!

If you are unable to make any of these tryouts, but would like to participate, please contact Jack Krist (905) 569-4607 j.krist@utoronto.ca or Rachel Tennant (905) 828-3712 rachel.tennant@utoronto.ca

Need transportation to the Ice Hockey try-outs?Stop by the Program office in the RAWC and we’ll arrange it!

Pick up a copy of our Activity Guide today for more information regarding dance classes, instructional

classes, swimming lessons and much, much more…

Before making a return on Wednesdaynight against the Orlando Magic, JoseCalderon was hampered by a hipinjury that had him sidelined sinceDecember 11. Prior to this injury, itappeared that the Raptors were head-ing in a direction reminiscent of lastseason’s woes.Sporting a 10-15 record at the time,

the Raptors showed a lack of defensivepresence and inconsistent shooting.Most importantly, they appeared to beincapable of beating any team with arecord above the 500 mark. As the seri-ousness of Calderon’s injury was final-ly discovered, it felt like the nail in thecoffin for the Raptors’ hopes of makingthe playoffs this season and enticingBosh to stay in Toronto for next sea-son. But as the Raptors now hold a 19-18 record and have won eight of theirlast nine games, it would seemCalderon’s injury turned out to be ablessing in disguise that allowed back-up point guard Jarrett Jack to shown hecould run the offense and develop ateam chemistry that Calderon wasunable to initiate prior to his injury.The stats alone prove that Jack has

not only been more beneficial to theteam than Calderon, but also prove hisworth as a starter in the NBA. Coming

off the bench for the majority of hisshort career, his consistency and recentsuccesses might finally lift him over thehump and solidify him as a legitimateNBA starter.In the 15 games since Calderon last

started for the Raptors, the team hasmanaged a 10-5 record. In that span,Jack averaged 12.8 points, 6.1 assistsand 3.4 rebounds per game. He has anice mix of good outside shooting andthe ability to penetrate to the basket.When Calderon starts, the team’srecord is a mere 9-13, and averagesonly 11.4 points, 6.4 assists, and 2.3rebounds per game on the season. Thisis disappointing, considering he hadcome off a career high 12.8 points pergame last season and was expected toexcel alongside the many roster movesGM Bryan Colangelo made during theoffseason.Although Jack’s offense has proven

to be slightly superior to Calderon’s, itis his defensive skills that set him asidefrom Calderon. While Calderon has ahistory of defensive weaknesses,notably his lack of physicality, inabilityto stay in front of speedy point guardsand tendency to get posted up by big-ger guards, Jack possesses the defensivetoughness the team desperately needsfrom the point guard position. He is adeft, take-charge guard that has thespeed and the strength to contain thebest of point guards and makes up forCalderon’s deficiencies.During Calderon’s absence, the

team was able to hold opponents toless than 100 points for six total games,

including a span of four straight fromDecember 18 to December 27, all ofwhich resulted in wins.The dilemma now is whether to

trade Calderon before the trade dead-line passes, or allow the two pointguards to peacefully co-exist and pro-vide an impressive backcourt for theemerging Toronto Raptors.Third string point guard Marcus

Banks played exceptionally well as aback-up during Calderon’s absence.His shooting and turnover numbersare near career bests and the 1.6-to-1assist to turnover ratio is around thesame as his career average. Showingthe Raptors front office that he is capa-ble of producing off the bench hasmade Calderon more expendable.After all, if the Raptors are going towant to make a serious run in the play-offs, they will need to acquire the ser-vices of a veteran shooting guard.While relying on rookie DeMarDeRozan as the starting shootingguard and an inexperienced andinconsistent Marco Belinelli as back-up, it is clear that the Raptors lackdepth within that position. InvolvingCalderon in a trade for a legitimatestarting shooting guard such asSacramento King’s Kevin Martin orWashington Wizards Caron Butlercould be the best possible route forColangelo to take.Despite this, Calderon has been a

fan favorite in Toronto for a long time.His impressive shooting skills, highfree throw percentage, superb passingskills and instincts, along with his ener-

getic and competitive personality, willmake Raptor fans especially sad to seehim leave. Obtaining a shooting guardmay also create chemistry problems fora team that is finally adapting to eachother this season.As the Raptors play out their final 45

games of the season, their chances atmaking the playoffs are high, but theirchanges of winning the NBA champi-onship remain very slim. The team is

clearly not strong or consistent enoughto battle with the elite teams in theEastern Conference, such as the BostonCeltics, Cleveland Cavaliers, OrlandoMagic and the Atlanta Hawks. Whiletrading Calderon may or may not bethe best solution, it is obvious thatchanges will need to be made in orderfor Canada’s only basketball team toeven have a chance at becoming legiti-mate NBA contenders.

MONDAY, JANUARY 11, 20101122 THE MEDIUM

Andrew Tysiak , Editor | sports@mediumonline.ca

Overtime loss a minor dent in junior hockey

The stage was set this year at theWorld Junior Hockey Championshipsin Saskatoon. For Canada, nothingless than a Gold medal was accept-able. For the young men selected, itwas a chance of a l i fe t ime: Thetournament gives them a chance toshowcase their skills for the upcom-ing draft and to play for their coun-try, an experience they will cherishforever.Canada began the tournament

against Latvia, who were no matchfor the red and white. Throughoutthe game, Canada eased the pres-sure but still came away with a 16-0victory. They continued to handily defeat

opponents until New Year’s Eve,where a loss to the Americansseemed inevitable. Down by two,Jordan Eberle emerged, as well asAlex Pietrangelo, who tied the gamewith an incredible short handedgoal less than five minutes remain-ing in regulation. Ultimately, theywent to a shootout, and Canada gotthe win with a big s top by JakeAllen on the f inal USA shooter,Jordan Schroeder. Canada clinchedfirst place in Group A and a bye tothe semi-final. Russia seemed to be on the road

to the semi-f inal to meet theCanadians until they overlooked

the team from Switzerland. TheRussians were stunned to lose inovert ime. A weak- looking shotfrom the Swiss defender found itsway through to the back of the net,ending Russian hopes for a medal.With the win, the Swiss advanced toface Canada and were easily defeat-ed by the red and white. Following this, the USA defeated

Sweden in the other semi-f inal .This victory set the stage for anoth-er classic match-up between theCanadians and the rival Americans.With all the hype leading up to

the game, it was going to be diffi-cult to give the crowd a game thatcould live up to it. The game, how-ever , surpassed expectat ions. I tevolved into a-back-and-forth game

with everything anyone could haveasked for. Canada jumped out to anearly 1-0 lead with a goal by LukeAdam that found the five-hole ofMike Lee. The Americans quickly respond-

ed and then scored again just 36seconds later to go up 2-1. TheCanadians did not back down, anda pass from Nazem Kadri foundGreg Nemisz, who eventually put inhis first goal of the tournament.Both teams went into the intermis-sion tied at two, going back andforth throughout the first period.The second per iod began withanother weak goal f rom theAmericans, with a point shot thatfound its way through the screenand into the back of the net. Again,

the lead was short lived as TaylorHall’s bad angled shot found theback of the net, and it caused theAmerican coach to pull Mike Leeand put in his backup goaltender. The Americans would not quit as

they broke in on an odd-man rushand scored again to take the lead.Canadian goalie Jake Allen mishan-dled a weak shoot-in; the misplaywas taken advantage of by TeamUSA Captain Derek Stepan. Down by two, the outlook for

Canada looked dismal as every sec-ond was precious in tying the game.Three minutes left and still down bytwo, Jordan Eberle cemented hisplace in team Canada history as hescored to bring the score to 5-4.Not satisfied there, Eberle ultimate-ly took his team on his shouldersand scored another clutch goal totie the game and send it into over-time. Overtime was fast paced and led

to chances for both teams. An odd-man rush against USA found thepuck on Pietrangelo’s stick, whotook a slap shot. It was stopped byUSA netminder Jack Campell. Offthat rebound, three Americanskaters took off down the ice andwith the puck on Carlsons’ stick, heshot the puck into the back of thenet, ending Canada’s drive for sixstraight gold medals in the WorldJuniors.Despite the loss, the Canadian

players have many things to be

proud of. For instance, Taylor Hallmade an even stronger case to bethe number one draft pick overallin the coming draft with his superbplay and remarkable goals. He fin-ished the tournament tied for thirdoverall in scoring, racking up sixgoals and six assists. Second, AlexPietrangelo was the tournament’stop defenceman and will crack theSt. Louis Blues line-up full-timenext season. Known for his smartsand poise with and without thepuck, he amassed nine assists andfinished the tournament with 12points. Finally, Jordan Eberle cemented

himself in Canadian history as thetop scoring junior player and as themost c lutch player to date . Hisgoals came in timely fashion boththis year and last, and he was a trueleader on the ice. Expect him to beplaying in the NHL next year full-t ime with the Edmonton Oilersbecause of these reasons. Canada will be looking to take

the title from the Americans nextyear on their home ice as the tour-nament will be played in Buffalo. Itis a minor dent in Canadian juniorhistory as Team USA captured itssecond gold, whi le Canada hasstalled at fifteen. USA has the yearto enjoy their v ictory becauseexpectations for next year will beeven higher, as Canada will strive toregain the title on top of the Juniorhockey world.

WWIILLLLIIAAMM RROOBBEERRTTSSOONNASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

Shaun Best/Reuters

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Jack’s success could result in Calderon departure

ANDREW TYSIAKSPORTS EDITOR

Stats as a Starter

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