Opinions shared in this post belong solely to the author and do not reflect the opinions of the blog.

I’m probably not the only one who was left feeling discontent following last week’s lackluster UTSU election campaign period. We only had one slate running, the debate was so unremarkable that, even after sitting through the whole thing, I had nothing to say about it, and the platform was typical. Team Renew was trying to renew the campus, no doubt, in the same way you would renew a library card. Same books, new card.

I’ve said before that it seems like Team Renew isn’t keen on talking to anyone, especially since they have no real reason to. Well, now someone is talking, and that someone is ex-VP External Candidate, Sana Ali.

Here’s a quick summary of her letter:

• Her job wasn’t to use her brain (her words), but to fulfill a predetermined set of mandates that haven’t changed much over the years.
• The team runs supreme, and everyone part of it must find a way to conform, apparently without question.
• Different opinions will not be tolerated.
• Most importantly: the people are well-meaning and progressive, but the system is corrupt.

So what does this mean?

Well, first is that there are serious communication issues within our student government. It should be no surprise to most of us that the hottest student politics topic this year is the push for defederation by three colleges and one faculty. The biggest reason for is because many of those college and faculty unions think the UTSU is incompetent and unable to meet their needs (that’s the nicest way I can put it). It’s one thing to have other groups criticizing the big guy, but to have one of their own? That’s huge.

Second, it goes far beyond ideology. She talked about being stifled, and the suffocating nature of groupthink. She talked about how her statements were reviewed, and how everything was submitted by the same person. What she said isn’t anything new, but she was the first to say something about it. By doing so, she exposed the inner party politics that exists within our union. Does this make UTSU any different than any other political body? Or any other organization, for that matter? I don’t think so.

I thought it was very nice of Sana to not point anyone out and criticize people explicitly. As far as I can tell, a major reason why she’s pulling out is that her beliefs didn’t match up with the rest of theirs, and that led to undesirable circumstances. She was kept from talking to her friends and conversing meaningfully during the campaign. But even through all that, she doesn’t name any names. That was very classy of her.

Finally, with all the buzz Sana’s letter is generating, I am hoping that this will get more students interested in how our university works. As harsh as this may sound, this kind of press is exactly the kind of thing that gets people going. Team Renew and UTSU will be forced to address this and, if they don’t, it’s indicative of how our unions are run. I want them to take this chance to really review and think critically about what has happened, and what is wrong with the system.

For Team Renew, I want you to consider just how effective and novel your slate is. Is your platform really a bunch of antiquated mandates, and is there really no plan other than to “work together”? That seems sort of flaky. And are you really not letting your candidates talk to “one of them“? Are you five?

For UTSU and all the bodies under it, I want you to take this opportunity to put it all out in the open. The spotlight is on you now, and if things go the way I think they should go, then more people will be asking questions. Your communication skills are lacking. You need to review your agenda. I know you implemented many suggested changes this year, but most of us don’t know about them, and that’s a problem. If you want to address the discontent that is definitely spreading among our colleges and faculties, that’s the least you can do.

For all defederating student bodies, no doubt you think this as a major victory. It really isn’t. First, if you’re going to defederate anyway, whatever happens with UTSU doesn’t matter to you so you shouldn’t spend your time caring in the first place. If your referenda go through, then focus on making your colleges and faculties a better place, not on rubbing it in the UTSU’s face. Second, if you don’t defederate, then you’re just like the rest of us – we don’t have a VP External. I’m not sure how that will play out but, either way, you’ll be just as worse off as the rest of us.

And to all of you, are you really doing this for us, the students, or are you doing this for your bruised egos, as Sana suggests?

Critical thinking doesn’t mean just being critical of others, but being critical of yourself as well. I dare all of the parties and teams I mentioned about to criticize themselves. Seriously. Can you do it?

There’s this one line Sana wrote that didn’t sit well with me:

The day of the All-Candidate’s Meeting when it was revealed that nobody would be running against the team, I was really upset because I saw it as a massive call for reform. When I brought this up, I was told that it did not mean no-one had faith in the system, it simply meant that people were too lazy to put in the work.

Politics isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. Some people just have no interest or are repulsed by politics in general, which is fair. And others, like me, like to talk about it (some much more obnoxiously than others) but would never run for it, and that’s fair too. But the least we can do is listen in once in a while, and maybe question things that our governing bodies are doing. You may not care about it now, but one day they may bring up an issue that will affect you. Show that you care in your own little way. We’re adults now, and this sort of practice will extend to “real world” things, like municipal, provincial, and national elections.

Besides, I resent being called lazy. Don’t you?

This is probably the most exciting thing that has happened during the UTSU elections in the past few years. This is even more exciting than the tragic campus bar. There is no word on what the CRO will do in response to her withdrawal this late in the game. I also have no idea what will happen to that empty position. Perhaps a by-election in the fall? Everything will likely fall in the hands of the CRO and the rulebooks.

For those out of the social media loop, student news feeds were overrun today by links to a public Facebook note by Sana Ali, the unopposed Team RENEW candidate running for the position of VP External in the on-going UTSU election. In her note, Ali  forfeited the election and terminated her relationship with Team RENEW, and offered some heavy criticisms of the party’s practises regarding open discussion and diversity of thought. She describes attempts to “squash dissent and individuality”, and reveals that her official candidate statement was written for her by the team. She accuses Team RENEW of drastically altering their platform from past slates’, of choosing her because of her ethnicity, of restricting her communication with opposition, and of manipulating students’ ignorance and apathy so as to gain political advantage. Her criticisms are concise, clear, and specific; entirely unlike the whole of her former team’s platform.

At time of press, over one thousand students have liked Ali’s note, an impressive number considering how few follow student politics and how little time the content has had to spread. There are dozens of comments as well, almost all of which are complimentary, often lionizing. Ali’s note is being heralded by some as “an inspiration” and indeed it should be: she’s got us all caring, though perhaps just a little, about a one-sided election.

There is something unintuitive in commending Ali’s action, though. How, exactly, is forfeiting noble? Why are we commending inaction? The answer is both chilling and condemnatory, not of Ali but of the campus that has nurtured the rise of Team RENEW: our state of political affairs is such that the most brazen, powerful action taken by one of our political candidates in recent memory is refusing to take part in something unethical. Ali’s decision is impressive because it is brave and principled, but the consequences of her decision are important not because they are good but because they are not bad. So surrounded are we by the haze of political doublespeak and the murk of self-serving governance that plain honesty’s dim glow is enough to draw us near.

I’m not going to chastise a body of tens of thousands of students, including me, if only because I know it could do no good. We, students, are among the most opinionated and vocal demographics in the world; we are surrounded by geniuses and innovators whose insights we absorb and analyze daily. The discord between our beliefs and refusal to act on them is so immense that there must be an underlying cause so powerful it not only compels us to apathy but blinds us to the extent.

I don’t believe, as Ali suggested, that there is a campus-wide epidemic of mass ignorance. Nor I believe that we are too lazy to mobilize. Apathy is a thing of its own kind; it is emotional inertia. We act only when we care, we care only when we must. We are not an active entity conflicted by the obstacles of ignorance or oppression; we are a motionless body with no apparent incentive to get up and improve our environment. There is, fortunately, unfortunately, simply nothing so terrible or unjust to compel us to take action at all.

Yet.

So I’m sure many of you are now aware that next week the Sexual Education Centre (SEC) here at U of T is holding its annual Sexual Awareness Week (SAW). And it all kicks off with a Sex Club Adventure!

Now that I have your full attention, you may also have noticed quite a lot of publicity around this first event in SAW. I’ve been following the topic around the corners of the triple ‘w’ for the past few days and will attempt to summarize my findings.

Background

• SEC starts SAW off by renting out a sex club for the day

“Come out and enjoy all the amenities of Toronto’s best sex club with your favorite group of friends. SEC has rented out the Oasis Aqua Lounge to allow students to enjoy the space at a greatly reduced cost with a crowd of their peers. Just show your student card at the door and you and your guests can enjoy the hot tub, heated outdoor pool, bar, and sauna.” (Event Facebook Page)

Clearing Up Confusions

• This is not an orgy.
• There is no pressure to have sex.
• No nudity until 7pm (note time change from original plans). Even past 7pm you will not be pressured to go nude.
• Any sexual activity will be limited to the top floor.
• The first floor is reserved for neutral, social interaction.
• Queer friendly!
• The usual rules that the Oasis Aqua Lounge enforces will not apply (ie. Don’t base your assumptions of the social off the Oasis FAQ!).
• All students are allowed – the party’s not limited to U of T. There’s an age limit of 35, and an age requirement of 19+ after 7pm.
• SEC is all about making people feel comfortable with their sexuality – you should not expect to feel pressure to do anything.
• Various SEC volunteers/Exec will be present to make sure no unwanted attention is received and to intervene if needed.

Various Media Associated

Reddit – Original SEC post

As far as I understand, here is one of the original posts made about the event. Several SEC volunteers, Exec, and previous attendees are answering questions and dealing with the various trolls.

Reddit – Waterloo invited (First use of word “orgy”)

And here’s where all the controversy and attacks started. The author of the post used the word “orgy” loosely and jokingly to refer to the event. SEC formally stated in various media that this is NOT an orgy.

The Star – First public media attention of the event

Did I mention that sometimes I enjoy reading through comments on an especially controversial article just to laugh at people? This article basically sums up the information and controversy at the time.

CBC – We’ve reached nation-wide audiences!

And, of course, CBC hops right on the band wagon to submit it’s own collection of tweets and quotes!

Kiss 92.5 – Interview with Dylan Tower, organizer of event

Dylan Tower speaks out to give formal information about the event. This is good for anyone who doesn’t believe any information written in the previous articles that I have provided.

The Star – More cleared information

And just Thursday a second article came out in the Star on the event. This focuses on a lot more on what SEC had to say.

My General Blurb

While I was unable to attend this event last year, I also don’t really recall it. Clearly media attention has been super hyped up this year – potentially good and bad. Probably because this year it’s open to students from outside U of T.

However, I do hear from my good friend on SEC as well as from posts and comments that last year the event went wonderfully. There wasn’t as much sex as you would imagine and there was mostly just normal socializing like any other bar night. The club has a heated outdoor pool, which I heard was used as the location for a snowball fight last year. And that sounds pretty awesome.

I’d also like to personally add that SEC is really all about promoting positivity and acceptance when it comes to sexual issues. And, let’s face it, sex is very much prevalent in student life – sweeping it under the carpet and not giving people access to education on safety and contraceptives will probably do more harm than good. But I also feel that, in the end, SAW isn’t going to be only about focusing on sex itself but will also open the doors for people to better accept sexual differences. And I think, at the end of the day, while you may not agree with someone else, as long as you can accept their differences the world might not be such an intimidating place any more.

So as with every other article on this topi, I am totally looking forward to the comments. But I also ask that everyone be polite and unassuming in their commenting because this is such an overblown issue now and I honestly don’t think anyone wants to do anyone else harm. Let’s all get along yes?

Looking to follow some campus organizations on Twitter? Look no further. Here’s your comprehensive guide to U of T on Twitter.

The basics: 

• U of T Map: A quirky tool to help you navigate campus: https://twitter.com/uoftmap
• U of T News: Headlines from U of T admin: https://twitter.com/UofTNews
• ASSU: https://twitter.com/assu_uoft
• Varsity Blues: Follow Varsity news and game information: https://twitter.com/Varsity_Blues
• UTSU: https://twitter.com/UTSU98
• Us, of course!: https://twitter.com/blogUT

Departments: Here are a few departments with twitter accounts that I could find. Feel free to add more if you know of them in the comments.

• Engineering: https://twitter.com/uoftengineering
• Law: https://twitter.com/utlaw
• Centre for Jewish Studies: https://twitter.com/cjsutoronto
• Philosophy: https://twitter.com/uoftphilosophy
• Munk School: https://twitter.com/munkschool
• Information: https://twitter.com/ischool_TO
• Chemical Engineering & Applied Chemistry: https://twitter.com/ChemEng_UofT
• Rotman: https://twitter.com/rotmanschool

Publications & Journals: Again, add missed ones in comments!

• U of T Journal of Jewish Thought: Essays and prose produced by students of the Centre for Jewish Studies: https://twitter.com/UTJewishThought
• Juxtaposition Global Health Magazine: Information on submissions and available positions, as well as general updates on global health news: https://twitter.com/juxtamagazine
• U of T Magazine: Articles about the school for students and alumni: https://twitter.com/uoftmagazine
• The Varsity: U of T’s student newspaper: https://twitter.com/TheVarsity

Buildings:

• Hart House Theatre: Updates on upcoming productions (with behind-the-scenes scoops!) and auditions, and ticket information: https://twitter.com/HHTheatre
• Athletic Centre: https://twitter.com/Fit4EverybodyUT
• Hart House: https://twitter.com/HartHouse
• University of Toronto Art Centre: https://twitter.com/utac
• Libraries: Research tips, book sales, and more: https://twitter.com/uoftlibraries
• Gerstein Library: https://twitter.com/GersteinLibrary
• U of T Book Events (aka the U of T Bookstore): https://twitter.com/uoftbookevents

Student Life: Did I miss your club? Link it in the comments!

• UTUpbeat: An excellent student life blog: https://twitter.com/utupbeat
• CIUT 89.5 FM: U of T’s community radio station: https://twitter.com/CIUT895FM
• ULife: https://twitter.com/UTulife
• Research at U of T: Info on research going on at U of T https://twitter.com/researchuoft
• UEat: Everything and everything about food on campus: https://twitter.com/UeaToronto
• Centre for International Experience: https://twitter.com/uoftcie
• Rotaract Club: https://twitter.com/UofTRotaract
• U of T Problems: https://twitter.com/UofT_Problems
• Circle K: Volunteer club: https://twitter.com/CircleKUofT
• West Indian Student Association: https://twitter.com/limewithWISA
• Free The Children U of T: https://twitter.com/FTCatUofToronto
• LGBT OUT: Queer and trans community and its allies at U of T: https://twitter.com/LGBTOUT

Health & Wellness: 

• U of T Health and Wellness: Including student health services, psychological services, counselling, and health promotion programs: https://twitter.com/UTwellness
• U of T Sustainability Office: Information on sustainability initiatives on campus: https://twitter.com/SustainableUofT
• U of T Sexual Education Centre: Facts, figures, and advice: https://twitter.com/utsec

Campuses: 

• U of T Scarborough: https://twitter.com/UTSC
• U of T Mississauga: https://twitter.com/UofTMississauga
• St. George: https://twitter.com/lifeatuoft

Did I miss anything? Definitely, considering the zillion Twitter accounts attributed to our amazing and massive school. Feel free to add in my regretful omissions in the comments section!

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.

My first experience at the University of Toronto was also my least pleasant. It was a Commuter Frosh event, the week before actual Frosh, hosted by St. Michael’s College. I paid the $10 and made my way downtown for 7:30 AM because I was eager to begin university; I wanted to make friends and have experiences and all of that. Instead, I left Commuter Frosh early, made myself scarce during Frosh Week, and have steered clear of SMC as often as I have been able. Why? In the interest of TL;DR and modesty, let’s say I was displeased with the activities planned for the froshies. Even more than that, though, I was appalled by the speeches, coversations, and ideas (‘discourse’, as I’ve come to learn) that permeated the college’s event, specifically in relation to women. Specifically, sentences similar in content to ‘I’d hit that’.

(more…)

I don’t usually like writing serious stuff, but this needs some serious attention.

You’re on the Internet right now, so you’ve probably already heard of SOPA and PIPA. That is, the Stop Online Piracy Act and Protect IP Act. And you probably know that many major Internet companies/groups have been opposing this bill. Wiki blacked out for a day to draw awareness, along with Reddit and other information-sharing sites. Google, Facebook, and Mozilla are opposed too, just to name a few.

In short: This bill, if passed by the US congress, will give big companies an advantage in suing non-US companies for copyright infringement. It will most notably not allow sites to have links to pirated material or to other sites that break copyright laws. In a way, it will censor a lot of the Internet. Considering that the Internet has become THE place to share files and information and, considering today’s global community, well… not the greatest idea from the US congress.

Basically, any site that links to pirated information is a target for this new bill, regardless of whether or not the site was responsible for the pirating in the first place. This is censoring the Internet of almost anything that is copyrighted. And it almost sounds legit until you consider that many people use the Internet as a way to share files that they legitimately own. YouTube videos can be taken down… hell, YouTube itself can be taken down. Going to share a link on Facebook? It better not link to a site that links to a pirating site. Even Google will have to watch out for what it shows in its results. Does this not go completely against the idea of the Internet?

I don’t know about you, but I’ve always thought that the Internet would be humankind’s way to connect with other people. It’s a global community – a place for us to share our ideas, interests, and, yes our music, videos, and other copyrighted things. I mean, I’ve shared the Harry Potters movies in real life, so why am I not allowed to do so on the Internet? If they ban sharing of copyrighted materials on sites, then are they going to stop us from EMAILING files to each other too? What’s next? No more USBs because, clearly, we can copy and paste files and share with those as well!

As a student, I feel like this could have major effects on our lives. I mentioned the Wiki blackout – what if it got permanently banned for linking to copyrighted information? Sure, we can’t cite Wiki, but that’s always the first place I look when I start doing research because it’s a wonderful background information resource. And YouTube – there are a lot of good, educational videos that I would really like to stay there.

It’s unfortunate that, as Canadians, we can’t exactly call up a congress member and protest the bill… well, we could, but I doubt it would sway them much. But you should know that SOPA will have the ability to shut down Canadian-run sites, even if no Canadian laws were broken. Piracy certainly is a major issue, but there’s always the issue of when a law would do justice and when it would go completely against what’s fair.

The worst part is, SOPA seems unnecessary. The bill’s actually on hold now due to the Internet blackout a few days ago but, regardless of that, Megaupload’s founder was still arrested and Megaupload remains down. This is exactly the form of legal action that SOPA seeks to bring… but the US authorities managed to do this based on current copyright laws. The action was drastic, of course. Megaupload has been a big help to many of us, and few avid internet users are happy to see it go, but the point is that piracy has been thwarted without the need to censor 90% of the Internet.

But, really, growing up in the Information Age, I think we’ve all learned to appreciate the wonders of the Internet in all its file-sharing glory. And, in all honestly, I don’t think that SOPA, even if passed, would be able to stop the millions of people who use the Internet from finding a way to continue to share. It’s called the World Wide Web for a reason, and severing the threads that link things together will tear the whole thing apart.

Sites threatened by SOPA: http://www.thisblogrules.com/2012/01/top-13-endangered-websites-if-sopa-passes.html

How it could affect Canadians: http://www.vancouversun.com/technology/What+SOPA+means+Canada/6019152/story.html

Google’s Anti-SOPA Petition information: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2012/01/google-anti-sopa-petition.html

Jan. 23, 2012: UPDATE! IT’S BEEN STOPPED!

I wish I had something more to say now, but I think I got my ranting done with. Opinions and thoughts in Comments, please!