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School’s Out for about 1/8th of the Summer

There’s an episode of the Simpsons in which Bart realizes that he has only one day left until school starts in the fall and he’s accomplished nothing he’d intended to do over the summer. So, true to cartoon form, Bart finishes off his checklist of summer activities – including his first romance – in under 24 hours and when school starts the next day he feels he’s had a complete vacation.

That’s kind of like how I feel with summer classes looming so soon after spring exams end. Sure, there are differences between me and Bart Simpson – one of us is cartoon, the other is not; one had one day, the other has a few weeks; only one of us is able to get a date – but the pressure to make the best of my time in these glorious sunny days in the prime of my youth does not go unnoticed. That’s why, in the two or so weeks until UofT’s scaly academic claw drags me back into the depths of cram session hell (as you can tell, I study writing and rhetoric) I’ve decided to do as much as I can to truly make the best of summer 2012. To aid me in my noble task, I have prepared a list of the summer attractions for the summer school student.

Summer 2012, Toronto: Abridged Edition

May 1: May Day
Toronto’s fair-weather revolution picks up in full swing on May 1 as activists – from a wide array of backgrounds but with the common goal of stickin’ it to the Man – will take to the streets to protest the government/the 1% in a rally at City Hall followed by a march to an undisclosed location. Employees of all jobs are encouraged to take a sick day to really show the system who’s boss and attend, if they can, the Occupy Toronto potluck at Queen’s Park. Even students who are not entirely convinced of the movement’s goals and ideologies may be interested in popping by with a camera for some interesting snapshots and the chance to document what may become an event of historical significance.

May 1 – 2: Toronto Blue Jays play the Texas Rangers
An obscene amount of research went into this blurb, including a search for the definitions of “baseball”, “inning”, and “Ricky Romero”. Someone with my lack of knowledge on the subject can’t truthfully say either way if the Jays’ games against the Rangers will be exciting or notable, but the Torontonian in me still roots for the home team.

May 1 – 8: The Tennessee Williams Project
Beginning and ending right in the middle of our mini-vacation, The Tennessee Williams project will feature nine theatre companies producing seven of Williams’ lesser-known one-act plays over the course of seven nights, each in a different neighbourhood. The Project seeks to unite Toronto over the mutual admiration and respect for the works of this giant of American theatre and will, at the very least, provide us with some exceptional local theatre and the chance to see some rarely-performed pieces.

May 4: Star Wars Day (“May the 4th Be with You”)
Nerds of the city awaken from their anime-fuelled slumbers and join together on May 4 to celebrate George Lucas’ ground-breaking sci-fi classic and its subsequent sequels, prequels, comic books, novels, TV shows, and general media empire. The epicentre is the Toronto Underground Cinema, which will host a trivia challenge, costume contest, fan films, and celebrity guests. Tickets are pre-sold, so make sure to grab some quick.

May 5: Free Comic Book Day / TCAF
Two fairly different cultural groups unite over one marginalized medium on May 5 as local comic book stores hand out free comic books, courtesy of corporate sponsors, while the Toronto Reference Library hosts a wide array of indie comic writers and artists to peddle their hip, and often depressing, wares. To draw in the crowds Silver Snail Comics will be handing out original, unique posters and bringing in artist Phil Noto for an appearance and signing – but if you’re really into being starstruck I’d recommend heading to TCAF instead to bask in the genius emanating from graphic novelist Alison Bechdel.
TCAF runs until Sunday but many headlining exhibitors and special guests, including Bechdel, will only drop by for the Saturday.

May 5 – 6: Jane’s Walk
As if choosing between TCAF and FCBD weren’t hard enough, those with prior obligations on Sunday must also choose between a day in comic book stores and libraries or an educational walk in the city. Jane’s Walks are public walking tours led by knowledgeable members of the community that provide attendees with knowledge of the neighbourhood while they promenade through. They’re often specialized to individual topics and offer in-depth knowledge on local culture, architecture, and history, and they’re well worth checking out.

April 26 – May 6: Hot Docs Film Festival
A Toronto tradition on par with not caring about Toronto or traditions, the Hot Docs film festival highlights the work of documentarians from around the world in a series of screenings at venues across the city. As Ally’s stirring review of The World Before Her shows, good documentaries have the power to touch us emotionally while also opening our eyes and educating us on matters we’d never even considered. Hot Docs brings in the best of the best of documentaries and provides us with a rich cultural and intellectual experience for a very modest fee. I strongly recommend seeing at least one Hot Doc before the festival closes on May 6.

Picasso at the Art Gallery of Ontario
One of the amazing benefits of living or studying in a city as cosmopolitan as Toronto is access not only to local art but to international pieces as well. Throughout the month of May, the Art Gallery of Ontario will be showcasing some of the greatest works of one of the greatest artists of the past hundred years, and admission is only $11 for students. If you have even a fleeting interest in art Picasso’s is some of the first work you should be checking out; at the very least drop by the exhibit so you have something to tell your parents when they ask about your summer plans.

May 13 – Mother’s Day
This is as much a reminder to me as it is to you. Though the students in us may protest the incorporation and commercialization of maternal attachment as a means of exploitation of the masses, there’s still no excuse in forgetting to at least call. Many local restaurants and shops will also have mother’s day sales, so even if you’re not into all this – or you don’t have a mother – you can still indulge yourself.

 

As the past eight months of blogs have shown, school is by no means a social death sentence. We can always find time to go to the theatre or a sports game if we manage, and we can always manage if we need to. UofT students are resourceful and, contrary to our memes page, capable of good grades and recreational activities. Despite all this, the liberty of knowing you have no assignments due and no essays to study for and no novels to read and no lab reports to write is a wonderful feeling to a weary student, even if it is at the cost of the pressure to enjoy one’s self. I’d gladly take it over school-work any day, or at least until May 14.

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Hot Docs Film Review: The World Before Her

14yr old Chinmayee at Durga Camp Graduation

The film opens with the following lines: “It has been said that India is a golden bird. But people are forgetting our history.  We are becoming modern…”.  This is our introduction to Hindu extremist Prachi, a worker at the Durga Vahini camp.  Next comes a direct contrast with the words of Ruhi, one of the 20 handpicked contestants of the Miss India pageant: “We as a country should move forward … we have to change, we have to change our mentality.  As much as I love and respect my culture, I think of myself as a very modern young girl and I want freedom”.  Thus, the binary between modern and traditional is established.  Smooth transitions take us from one world of Indian culture to the other to create a wonderfully orchestrated film on the opposing views in India.

Directed by Canadian filmmaker Nisha Pahuja, The World Before Her beautifully contrasts the ideologies of Hindu extremists at the Durga Vahini camp and pageant contestants for Miss India.  It is an insightful look into both ideals: old India, grounded in roots, and new India, modernized and designated Western.

Not only do we get to learn the values of Prachi and Ruhi, but we are also introduced to their parents to connect the circulation of ideas within a family.  It invites the crossover between public and private with such an enlightening scope of both strict patriarchal familial values and liberal views.  Moreover, we are introduced into the practices of both ideologies: the self-defense rituals, songs and prayers sessions, and training of the Durga Vahini camp as well as the pampering, skin-whitening treatments, exercise routines, and catwalk structures of the pageant contestants.

Miss India contestants during swimsuit round

In addition to interviews, disturbing found footage show members of the extremist group rioting, vandalizing, and beating women for either being with a man or for having a drink.  One short clip shows the remains of a vehicle where one Australian missionary was burned alive with his two sons by an angry mob.  The images are powerful and self-spoken.

Although the film focuses on the specifics of Indian culture, what the film hinges on is the question of identity: identity of the individuals within the film and identity of a culture that is at odds with itself.  It is an issue that is relevant when you live in city such as Toronto where our own definition of culture has become quite complex with our multitude of individual ethnic groups.  In addition, the debate over external beauty is constantly being scrutinized by the public through images in the media in our own culture.  The separation between interior beauty and exterior beauty  links back to larger issues and questions over what is deemed moral.  These issues are largely at play within the questioning of modern Indian in such cases as the Miss India pageant and whether or not it degrades women through the judgment of external beauty.  What The World Before Her offers is invitation into the very complex lives of young women in India.

The World Before Her will be screened at this year’s Hot Docs. For more information visit their website. You can also check out the film’s Facebook page or follow them on Twitter. Watch the trailer below:

 

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2012 Final Exam Survival Guide: We’re Doing Exams Again, Guys… WHO’S EXCITED?

Dears readers, it’s EXAM TIME AGAIN!! I know we’re all super, super excited at the prospect of long hours in the library, hand cramps while writing one-hour essays, hilariously confusing multiple choice questions, and all that crazy fun stuff. To celebrate everyone’s favourite time of year, here is my obligatory exams advice post, which has 10 rules for exam success (or at least, avoiding emotional meltdowns/procrastination).

10. As much as possible, don’t study in Robarts. Robarts is a soul-sucking, mentally-, physically-, emotionally-, spiritually-draining succubus. Yes, there are long opening hours; yes, there are food and books and really stressed out people who are theoretically in the same boat as you (but somehow – and perhaps this is just a side-effect of the demonic environment of Robarts Mansion – competing to study better or more than you), but there are not enough windows, and there is not enough oxygen, and the bottom line is that it’s a sad, scary place, and though being there may be necessary to push through some serious cramming, you should find a happier study spot if you can.

9. Don’t try to eat your notes. You can’t study everything: you cannot eat your textbook, you cannot swallow your syllabus, you cannot consume your lecture notes (I say all of this from experience of trying it… just joking – I’ve never tried to eat my notes. You shouldn’t either. In the interest of honesty, I concede that I have considered it at high moments of desperation). You aren’t going to cover it all; just keep reviewing and have realistic expectations for yourself. Grasp concepts and what you need to know, and don’t pressure yourself to know it all.

8. Continue to be a human being. You can’t study constantly… you just can’t. Don’t schedule yourself to study nonstop for 24 hours; it’s not a productive or healthy plan. Allot realistic amounts of time for studying, so that you don’t feel guilty about not fulfilling your own astronomical study time quotas. Do things that aren’t studying, at least a little bit, including eating, sleeping, working out, going outside, interacting with other humans, watching TV, showering, etc. You can’t study every second of the day; it’s best to spend some of that time making a conscious effort to uphold your sanity, or what remains of it.

7. Turn off your Internet. Better yet, turn off your computer. Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr will destroy your study efforts. And the worst part is that, by virtue of being on the computer, somewhere in the back of your mind, you’re going to believe that you’ve been studying – you have been staring at a screen, doing nothing particularly fun (e.g. watching a YouTube playlist of weird quirks on Google Maps; looking at mildly entertaining GIFs from old TV shows you forgot about; stalking that guy from your second grade swimming class who recently got some tattoos, etc.). My roommate always laughs when I say that I’m taking away my own Internet privileges, but it’s a very, very necessary personal punishment or else my hours of studying will melt into hours of looking at pictures of puppies (arguably an excellent way to spend my time, but I digress).

6. Know your study stipulations. Do you study well in groups? Do you like bouncing ideas off people in your class, or does studying with them make you nervous? Are you better off in a library, or in a café? Should you be re-writing, re-reading, or both? You know how you’re most productive (or you’re in the course of figuring that out), and you shouldn’t mess with the formula! Sometimes it’s really hard to find an angle from which to begin studying; start with what you know, instead of stressing about how you’ve forgotten how to study. You know how, even if you’re overwhelmed; just start, and you’ll make the necessary adjustments along the way.

5. Beware the exam format. Essays? Multiple choice? Short answer? Cheat sheets? These sorts of specifics are the keys to the exam – they tell you whether concepts or content are more important, how to study, and what to be ready for. Assuming this information is available to you, or can be easily discerned, keep it in the front of your mind and let it shape how and what you study. Cheat sheets are particularly tricky – don’t over-rely on them or use them for a ‘data dump’ on your exam, but use them as a study tool, and don’t forget to use them during the exam.

4. Don’t overdose on caffeine. Or, at least, know your caffeine limits. If you can handle six Americanos with extra shots of espresso to keep you rolling, that’s cool (although I don’t recommend it and I am fairly willing to assume that a physician would second that), but if three cups of coffee will have you dancing for an hour (followed by an hour of twitching in the fetal position), maybe you should only have two. Just a thought! Another piece of advice is to curb some of your coffee intake with tea (caffeine-free, people!).

3. DON’T PROCRASTINATE. That’s it. Try not to procrastinate as much as possible – you will, but try not to, and try to be aware that you’re doing it (as I am right now). That’s all.

2. Prep a really elaborate, choreographed post-exam dance. Consider making t-shirts, hiring back-up dancers, a band, fire-breathers, jugglers, etc. You want to exit that last exam with a really epic dance or jump. This is your moment. No one is going to judge you. Channel all that pent-up stress energy (or, as my roommate and I brilliantly dubbed it, ‘stressergy’) into an unforgettable exit jig, cheer, full-on choreographed number, song, jump, or otherwise. Everyone is in the same headspace as you, and they’re probably going to understand and respect this act of pure, uninhibited glee (and if they don’t, who cares – YOU’RE DONE!). I’m still finalizing my plans, but I can tentatively say that the song “Glad You Came” is a serious contender in terms of soundtrack and raising the roof, over-sized neon sunglasses, and high-fiving a row of students are all also under consideration.

1. Don’t write a blogUT article when you should be studying. Whoops.

Best of luck on exams to all! Keep happy and sane. You’re going to do great; you’re going to live through it; the end is near, and very sunny.

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Win Passes To See The Lucky One

We are giving away advanced screening passes to see The Lucky One on Monday April 16th. Comment below with what makes the perfect date!

 

 

THE LUCKY ONE is based on the novel by Nicholas Sparks, author of The Notebook, Dear John, and The Last Song.  The story follows Logan, a returning marine, as he seeks out an unknown woman he believes was his good luck charm during the war. Directed by Scott Hicks, the film stars Zac Efron, Taylor Schilling, Jay R. Ferguson and Blythe Danner.

For more chances to win visit The Lucky One Toronto Facebook page: http://on.fb.me/HY4Hk6

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Squirrels’ Feathered Counterparts: The UTSG Pigeon Egg-Boom

The Pigeon

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Columbiformes
Family: Columba

I swear I’m not insane. But these things are multiplying… exponentially.

I present to you Image 1:

Pigeons at t=12sec after I started observing them

I present to you Image 2:

Pigeons at t=156sec after I started observing them

I should explain. I was walking around campus when I came across two pigeons. One (presumably male) was clearly chasing the other (presumably female). While it greatly amused me to watch as their heads bobbled awkwardly as they ran, I realized (after watching them for a good 8 minutes) that this was the start of something unavoidable: more pigeons.

I remember October, when I realized the impending doom that was the hidden Squirrel Army. Well, now I’ve come to realize another impending doom: the unhidden Pigeon Egg-Boom.

Perhaps I’m paranoid, perhaps I’m slightly unnerved, but this doesn’t change the fact that I used my resources to gather more information on our current crisis. I present to you: Pigeon Guard (epic intro video, eh?).

Pigeon Guard offers quite a lot of pigeon-control options; their actual guarding strategies include using nets, wires, and spikes. They also feature quite a nice article about the Bird Wars, of which I shall summarize in point-form below:

  • Today’s pigeons are descended from the European Rock Dove
  • Pigeons mate for life
  • They also apparently have a “voracious sexual appetite“- the key to creating more of themselves
  • A mated pair can produce more than 10 offspring per year… they live for 10 years or more
  • That little old lady feeding the birds as an emotional outlet for a lack of wilderness in life? She’s just encouraging the birds
  • Pigeons carry diseases (salmonella included)
  • Pigeon-scaring, poisoning, or audio repulsion are all useless on the pigeon

It’s starting to feel like these things are not only immune to all our attempts to deter them, but also have a gift for reproducing. They used to say that you were extremely “lucky” to be pooped on by a pigeon… but soon it’ll just be the start of another ordinary day.

On a very serious note, please do not feed the pigeons! They actually pose lots of health risks! See: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/canadian-woman-battling-crippling-disease-caused-by-pigeon-poop/article1996988/