Issue 14 - January 8 2009

January 8th– 14th, 2009 - Vol. XXXI, No: 14

MIKI SATO

Environment & Community Bureau

Toronto plans to re-cycleBike sharing coming back to the ‘Big Smoke’

Continued on page 7...

Photo: Sam Catalfamo

If all goes according to plan, we will be seeing more bikes on Toronto city streets than possibly ever before.

Ideas for a Toronto bike-rental pro-gram have been up in the air for the last couple of years, after Toronto Com-munity Bicycle Network’s well known BikeShare program fell through in 2006. BikeShare was relatively successful, but short lived – ultimately coming to a close due to lack of City funding. The new yet-to-be-named service is set to launch in Summer 2009, ideal timing as Toronto’s eco-friendly and TTC-hating populations are likely to increase.

The new program hopes to make right what went wrong in the last attempt. It will have to rely on adver-tising to supplement the lack of public funding, so we may be seeing some funky looking bikes come summertime. Though there are many details yet to be worked out, such as the location of kiosks and the number of bikes in circulation, there is great hope that the project will thrive like its European counterparts, speci"cally Paris’s fam-ously successful Velib program. With high demand for such a service in To-ronto, some might say it is long overdue.

Since many people cannot a#ord to invest their coin in a decent bike and all its necessary accoutrements, the new system will allow for a wide range

of people – including penny-pinching students – to get from one place to another without blowing their budgets. Whatever it takes, many people would like to see this service succeed. Will the program work out to be as awkward as a fat man on a tiny banana seat, or will it be that cool spring breeze in your hair as you bike in the Market after morning lecture? Certainly, most of us are hoping for the latter.

Did you know our galaxy is being swallowed by another even larger galaxy ?

2009 is the International Year of Astronomy, an epic opportunity for the average citizen to see and learn more than ever before about their universe. Human understanding of the cosmos has been gathering incred-ible momentum in recent years as our technology has become more advanced and our theories more sophisticated. This understanding of our home galaxy and deep space is not a treasure to be hoarded by a small elite of scientists and their benefactors, but is a cultur-ally intertwined force throughout history. The world’s astronomers are eager for the layman to understand the magnitude of their insights, and the International Year of Astronomy

Running from Friday, November 28th to Sunday, November 30th, the George Ignatie# Theatre played host to a run of Grease. Put on by the St. Michael’s College Arts and Theatre Commis-sioners, the play was solid and full of the excitement and liveliness inherent in all the best musicals. Furthermore, the performance boasted a stellar cast that "t well the roles they were playing.

The play was based on the original musical stage production written by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey. Set in the "c-tional high school of Rydell, Grease tells the story of teenagers dealing with the pressures of conformity and rebellion during that pivotal point in American history when rock ‘n’ roll and sex were breaking free from the bonds of social conservatism. The boys have their own gang, known as the ‘T-Birds’, while the girls also have their own group, the ‘Pink Ladies.’ All formalities aside, anyone who has seen the movie with John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John knows what it’s all about.

Leading to the opening scene in which the audience is introduced to the main characters, the "rst act begins with two members of the chorus singing the theme song, ‘Grease’. Sandy is a transfer student from Immaculata, and Danny is a member of the T-Birds; already acquainted with one another thanks to a

summer vacation %ing, they now attend the same school – and thus the drama commences. During the course of the "rst act, Sandy is initiated into the Pink Ladies, although she is considered a bit of a of a goody-two-shoes by the other girls. Meanwhile, Danny tries to hide his true feelings for her in order to keep up the tough image, but this only serves to upset Sandy. So, the rest of the Pink Ladies try to cheer her up with a sleep-over, while the boys go out gallivanting at the local hamburger joint. Memorable songs from the "rst act are among most well-known: “Summer Nights,” “Look at Me I’m Sandra Dee,” and “Greased Lightning.”

With as much drama as the "rst act closes with, the second act starts with Danny entering the Rydell High dance competition with one of his past %ames. Naturally, Sandy leaves the dance in a hu#. However, the young couple patch things up and go to the drive-through, where Danny puts on the moves – and is rejected. Poor Danny, it seems like he can never catch a break.

In proper love story form, the teenagers eventually cast aside their di#erences and admit they were meant to be with each other, all the while randomly breaking out in song.

Greased and ready to go‘Grease’ musical slides into U of T SANDRA DEGRANDIS

Theatrical Arts Bureau

ASHLEIGH INGLE

Stellar Chronology Bureau

2009 to be a stellar year – U of T shooting for the stars

2 the newspaper January 8th – 14th, 2009

the inside

the mission statementthe newspaper is proud to be University of Toronto’s ONLY independent

news source. We look to our readers and contributors to ensure we provide a

consistently superior product. Our purpose is to provide a voice for university

students, staff, faculty and U of T’s extended community.

This voice may at times be irreverent but it will never be irrelevant.

write between the lines

Administrative AssistantCaroline George

the newspaperPublisher

Matthew Pope

News EditorAshley Minuk

Arts EditorHelene Goderis

Copy EditorsElisabeth Bennett, Tayyaba Jiwani

Layout & DesignLima Kim, Jan Borkowski

Photo EditorSam Catalfamo

ContributorsSam Catalfamo, Nicole Collins, Ashleigh Ingle, Brandon O’riordan,

Erica Predko, Andrew Prosser, Jodie Shupac

1 Spadina Crescent, Suite 245

Toronto, Ontario,

M5S 1A1

fax: (416) 593-0552

Editor-in-chiefAri Simha

Ads & MarketingPeter Josselyn

[email protected]

main: (416) 593-0552 thenewspaper@

thenewspaper.ca

What is the cure for computer fail?More computers, obviously.

Calling all writers, copy editors and artists!Have you ever wanted to work in journalism?

Would you like a chance to have you work published?

the newspaper is U of T’s ONLY independent newspaper, distributing across all 3 campuses as well as the surrounding community. This is an open call to all potential contributors. We want writers for politics, current events, sports, "nance, arts and more! We are looking for cre-ators to submit $ash "ction, prose, poetry, photography, art, comics and anything else that falls out of your head. If you’d prefer to work behind the scene and help to edit and re"ne a weekly publication with 15,000 copies in circulation, then come see us.

One more important thing: we o&er free food! Yes! Come to our weekly open sta& meeting, EVERY Thursday @ 5pm in our o*ces. We will feed your face! Awesomeness!

We are on the South-West corner of St. George campus. Just North of College on Spadina.

We want YOU to write between the lines.

it’s a free-for-all!

We are hiring a pt

sales/account clerk

representative and

bookkeeper.

If interested, kindly

send resume to:

walter_riley2001@

yahoo.com

Advertisement

THE TABLE OF

CONTENTS

the front page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

the inside . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

the editorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

the news . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

the arts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

the jumbler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

the comics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

1

2

3

4,5

6,7

8

8

NEW Condos From

$159,000at Dupont & Lansdowne

For more information on Toronto’s most affordable new condominium

community, contact Sonia and Greg, or visit www.gregparker.ca

Your Toronto Condo Specialists!

Sonia MartinhoSales Representative

Greg ParkerSales Representative

45 Harbour Square,

Toronto, ON, M5J 2G4

416-203-6636

Whether buying, selling or leasing

a new or resale property, call us.

...it’s all about lifestyle!

the newspaper 3January 8th – 14th, 2009

A new year lies ahead and the proverbial resolutions await, however I am at odds: should old acquaintances be forgot and all else never brought to mind as the song suggests?

After the frenzy of December exams and going into 2009, I admit reservations about my own past mishaps. Leaving that 3,000 word essay that was given at the start of term until the night before it’s due or deciding to bar hop two hours before a "nal may not have been the best of decisions. The old adage may be true - to start afresh, past mistakes may have to be forgotten.

I have also decided to forgo the usual resolutions, including losing those extra pounds gained gorging on pecan pie and chocolate. Instead, in 2009 I will resign to enjoy the little things: relishing the end of a great book, deservedly taking those "ve extra minutes to sleep in (and not feeling guilty about hitting the snooze button) and reminiscing about good times with old friends. I also propose to go a step further and begin a new tradition: waiting until the spring to begin amending old habits.

This much I know - I will have no regrets. And the morning hangovers are going to be worth it if the late nights of 2009 turn out to be half as good as 2008.

BEER • WINGS • POOL • JAVA

SPORTS • JUKEBOX • SPIRITS

EVENTS • OPEN STAGE • GAMES

Serving up a good time

Every time since 9T6!

Weekly Events:

Man vs. Martini

MONDAYS

Toonie TUESDAYS

Open Mike

WEDNESDAYSNOW PODCASTING

(from our website)

Thirsty

THURSDAYS

TGIF! (Thank Guinness it’s Friday)

FRIDAYS

Live Music

SATURDAYS

Free Pool & Comedy

SUNDAYSPODCASTING AS HOGTOWNCOMEDYRADIO

(from our website)

All Day Breakfast and

Canadian Tire Money at par

every weekend!

Game Room with plasma

available for groups

FREE WIRELESS INTERNET

PROVIDED BY:

229 COLLEGE STREET

416/59•STEIN

WWW.EIN-STEIN.CA

the editorial

the campus commentHELENE GODERIS

Brittany Manley, 3rd year Visual Studies

(pictured at left)

“I met my boyfriend’s extended family for

the first time and had to stand up and sing a

Christmas song with Santa gear on - pretty

brutal”

Taylor Smart, 3rd year Visual Studies (pictured

at right)

“I sat around on my ass”

Ahmed Agha, 4th year Statistics

“being stuck in the middle of nowhere [Preston,

Virginia]”

Alex B-ron, 3rd year History

“panic attacks and flu hallucinations”

Guy White, 1st year Law

“grocery shopping in the snow”

Mohammed Al-Fezar, 3rd year (pictured at left)

“bad acid trip”

Rasheed Wallace, 4th year (pictured at right)

“caught an STI”

the newspaper asks students

“What was your most harrowing experience

this holiday season?”Photos: Helene Goderis

This is yet another piece on the already-tired theme of “welcome to the new year”. However, I am not that excited to be here. After reviewing the work of Dr. Van Pelt, I have decided that this is, in fact, a used year. That’s right, we are not entering a new year, but a cheaply recycled one!

I’ll leave you to contemplate this profundity, but I have a more important issue to address: You, the reader. I’m dis-appointed that my readers are such a silent, introverted lot. A few of you have logged on to www.thenewspaper.ca to comment, but even those have been few and far between.

This is an o$cial invitation to all who read ‘I hate People’ (and I know there are more than a few of you), the lovers and the haters. Particularly the haters. Submit yourself to the blistering wit and penetrating insight of Mathiaus Poe. I WILL respond. As proof, I will respond in my column.

Send your questions, comments or inane ramblings to: [email protected], Subject: I hate you. You can also contact me anonymously via the ‘Contact Us’ option at www.thenewspaper.ca

I look forward to hearing from you... I think.

MATHIAUS POE

Opinion Column Bureau

CAROLINE GEORGE

Op-Ed Bureau

I hate peopleRecycled / Bring it on

ResolutionsI don’t wanna

4 the newspaper January 8th – 14th, 2009

foundation for determining racial inferiority. One placard even stated, “The German Research Foundation (DFG) had little di!culty adapting to the new National Socialist government in 1933.”

Along with terrifying statistics and creepy photos of “racially suitable” children, the exhibit also revealed that we are inextricably linked to our past – a past which must be revisited in order for society to move ahead positively and actively. The exhibit has had quite an e#ect, and Canada could take a cue from the sentiment in light of its historical treatment of First Nation’s people; an exhibit explaining residential school policy, the 50,000 missing Aboriginal children during the assimilation process, and the mass movement of whole tribes, for example, might be a genuine move towards reconciliation. Such an exhibit

could also shed new light on statements such as those spoken in 1921 by the Minister of Indian A#airs, D.C. Scott, in the House of Commons:

“I want to get rid of the Indian problem. . . That has been the whole purpose of Indian education and advancement since the earliest times . . . Our object is to continue until there is not a single Indian in Canada that has not been absorbed into the body politic, and there is no Indian in question, and no Indian department.”

As we ease into 2009, let us look to the future, but not without considering such common themes in humanity’s past and our role in ensuring that history does not repeat itself.

the news

Taking street meat to a new levelBut is it worth it? ERICA PREDKO

Toronto Community Bureau

JEFFREY ROSS

Community Concerns & Events Bureau

The science of evilAn inconvenient past

Master of Management& Professional AccountingMMPA

Tuesday, January 13, 2009 11:00 am – 1:00 pm

Room GB304 Galbraith Bldg of Toronto St George

www.utoronto.ca/mmpa

I bet that the City can barely wait to see the dollars roll in from overworked and desperate hot dog vendors. Be-ginning in Spring 2009, the recently approved Toronto á la Carte program will allow 15 existing hotdog vendors to sell a pre-approved list of healthy snacks such as nuts and packaged salad, but only after shelling out a $1,000 licensing fee. Another 15 vendors will be selected by the city to internationalize their food with proposed menu additions — but not without purchasing a new $20,000 city-approved cart, on top of the $5,000-$15,000 fee for one of the 15 pre-authorized locations. As if standing in sub-zero degree weather for twelve straight hours isn’t enough. It’s a risky in-vestment for the vendors, but could pay o# in the long run if it proves successful and competition increases.

The name of the program is meant to be a clever pun, but it also serves to mask much of the bureaucratic humdrum underlying its goals. Indeed, many vendors and owners are not completely sold on the idea. A huge cost in an already economically trying time, the thousands of dollars of investment required are not guaranteed to result in a balanced return, let alone any pro*t whatsoever. The problem is that the program model is very much like that of a franchise, in which regulations are enforced without much choice from the operator; the Toronto Health Board’s rigorous health standards currently restrict vendors from selling whatever they’d like, so if the guy in front of Sid Smith decides to sell nuts, it will cost him an extra grand.

The City says its goal is to keep things clean, but ultimately Toronto á la Carte will help load city co#ers with bucks from those who can’t a#ord it. Sure, we’ve all wondered where vendors go

Photo: Sam Catalfamo

to the washroom, and if that veggie dog is possibly older than we are — but hey, we’re eating those hotdogs because they’re faster and cheaper than Paris Hilton. Hot dog vendors are much like any other restaurant in the city who must follow food health regulations. Why should they have to pay extra to increase their business?

The plus side for the Joe-hotdog-eaters, however, is that due to the new program, they won’t have to worry about feeling sick halfway through lecture or on the subway ride home. It will be a warm welcome for the everyday busybody to enjoy more than two options when running from place to place. Perhaps we can enjoy something slightly more appetizing and nutri-tious than frostbitten condiments and unidenti*ed crunchy things in our meat. However, this is unlikely to happen any time soon, for other items will be passed through a rigorous and expensive process before being introduced. So don’t get your hopes up just yet; pad thai, butter chicken, and burritos may be on the way, but it’s good old street meat for now.

With the arrival of the New Year, many of us *nd ourselves looking to the future and wondering what might be in store. Sometimes, we forget to look to the past, toward a history that often conjures a feeling curtly stated by Kurt Vonnegut: “I’m not afraid of the future. It’s the past that terri*es me.” From October to December 2008, the Eric Arthur Gallery hosted an exhibition entitled Science, Planning and Expul-sion: The National Socialist General Plan for the East, which featured the Third Reich’s General Plan for the East (GPO). The exhibit, organized and sponsored by the German Research Association (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft or DFG), had never before been shown outside Germany.

The GPO was the Nazi vision *rst presented by Heinrich Himmler in July of 1941. It was designed, with the use of prominent academic and scienti*c research, to resettle and “Germanize” Eastern Europe through the systematic expulsion of “inferior races.” The plans spoke strongly against miscegenation and established “superiority” in common aesthetic traits. The chosen few were sent to farms, a resettlement supported

by the 1933 Farm Inheritance Act, which stipulated that only those who were free of hereditary defects could be farmers.

Presented in both English and German, the exhibit featured a num-bered system of placards and photos that took the viewer through the steps taken by the GPO, from the beginning of race research and the implementation of prototypical German villages, to the murder of Jews, Poles, and other so-called inferior races.

It is striking that this plan was considered scienti*c and was driven by research. By our modern scholarly stan-dards, this “science” looks unfamiliar and its execution brutal, which is precisely why the Science, Planning and Expul-sion exhibit was necessary: it fearlessly exposed exactly what the GPO was – sci-ence motivated by politics and greed.

Ironically, the exhibition was spon-sored by the same research institute that made the GPO possible. But the DFG is being honest with its own past and has gone a long way to reveal some hard truths. For example, they funded Hans F.K. Gunther, an academic of race research and eugenics in the Nazi party, who helped develop the incredulous

the newspaper 5January 8th – 14th, 2009

JEFFREY ROSS

Community Concerns Bureau

Clouds part, people shineCombatting Seasonal A�ective Disorder

the newscont’d

If short winter days and cloudy skies are making you feel gloomy, the problem might literally be in your head. Seasonal A!ective Disorder (SAD) is a form of depression that seems to be related to sun exposure – or lack thereof. According to the Canadian Mental Health Association, SAD is a recognized mental disorder that a!ects an estimated 2-3% of Canadians, while 15% su!er from the less severe condition known as “winter blues.” Not surprisingly, studies show that SAD is more

prevalent in northern countries, where winter sunlight is scarcer. Symptoms can include decreased energy, irritability and di%culty concentrating (and all this time, I thought school was the culprit). Sitting in dimly-lit lecture halls and crowded sub-ways will only serve to aggravate the disorder. So, on those rare occasions when the clouds part and allow sunlight to peak through, take advantage and let your mood shine. Or, if you’re really lucky, take a sunny vacation! Let these photos tell their own story of life in wintertime Toronto.

Pictures / Top: Maximizing your exposure to light, even weak winter sunlight, can relieve symptoms of SAD.

Look for sunlit windows; immerse yourself in the light re*ecting o! the snow. Even if you have trouble keeping

your eyes open, your body will be thankful. Bottom right: According to HealthyOntario.com, periods of re-

duced light cause a gland in the brain to produce melatonin, a hormone that makes you feel drowsy. SAD may

be related to the increased levels of melatonin that go along with dreary winter days and early nightfall and

which may make it di%cult to wake up in the morning. Bottom left: Daily physical activity can help boost your

mood and relieve winter fatigue. Taking an outdoor walk, even just to the grocery store, can give you a healthy

double dose of sunlight and exercise. That cold, hard trek to class each morning just got a little less miserable.

Photo: Sam Catalfamo

6 the newspaper January 8th – 14th, 2009

the arts

www.athabascau.ca/standout

We all know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. And, no matter what time of day it is, that saying can hold true. If you look in the right places, the all-day breakfast can be one of the most a!ordable and "lling meals out there, whether in the afternoon or at three in the morning. So, my fellow starving students, here are the best (and thriftiest) breakfasts near campus:

Sneaky Dee’s (431 College St. at Bathurst) wins hand-down. From 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. Monday to Friday, $3.25 gets you a plate heaping with a generous portion of eggs, a choice of bacon, sausage or ham, vast mounds of pan-fried home-fries, and toast. Even though Dee’s was the least expensive breakfast, I was the most full after eating here. Co!ee or tea is $1 extra.

Where to eatBreakfast joints JESSE WADON

Culinary Delights Bureau

is a product of this passion for public outreach.

This year marks 400 years since Galileo peered at the stars through a telescope. Since that "rst known astro-nomical observation, a tremendous volume and depth of understanding has followed, with Galileo’s succes-sors enjoying the use of increasingly powerful tools that have reached the heights of current technology. Based on his scienti"c observations, Galileo advocated the Copernican model of the Earth revolving around the Sun, a theory which clashed with the scriptures of the Catholic Church. Although the “father of modern science” was persecuted for his astounding observational work, his ancient and middle period star maps and observational records have greatly informed today’s astronomers and will continue to do so in the future.

Thus, modern astronomy bears a rich legacy, one that is most apparent in the names of planets and constellations. The mythical stories of these forma-tions and their movements, passed on with cultural conviction throughout the ages, humanize the history of mankind’s evolving understanding of the universe. If successful, the International Year of Astronomy in Toronto will be “a series of opportunities to experience how the universe on a grand scale has and will continue to a!ect everyone’s lives,” says organizer Mubdi Rahman.

To kick o! this stellar year, twenty local and national organizations — in-cluding the University of Toronto, York

University, and the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada — have worked together to bring to the public a huge variety of breathtaking presentations, set to be hosed by the Ontario Science Centre on January 10th, 2009. Fea-tured speakers include extraterrestial planet hunter Ray Jawardhana of the University of Toronto, science journalist Ivan Semeniuk, and Peter McMahon of the Discovery Channel. Attendees will experience things that their ancestors could hardly imagine, like viewing the detailed surface of the Sun and the deep reaches of space. Live planetarium shows will connect visitors with the skies and will be updated daily for people to view later at home.

“The International Year of Astronomy is an incredible opportunity to engage the public’s personal sense of wonder and discovery,” explains the Ontario Science Center’s Sara Poirier. “We’re also participating in events like the CON-TACT photography festival, bridging art and science through stunning images ranging from the latest breakthroughs in astronomical research to the individual experience of the night sky.” From music and art to storytelling and expert narra-tion, visitors will "nd multiple points of entry into topics of the greatest scale.

This is a free event, designed for all ages and knowledge levels, and will be held on January 10th at the Ontario Science Center from 10am until the evening. So, to ring in the New Year, why not resolve to take a deeper look into your cosmic surroundings?

...continued from page 1

This interview series, which seeks to catch up with some of U of T’s alumni currently working in the arts, has found its "rst victim in Joe Shabason, a graduate of the U of T Faculty of Music’s Jazz and Improvisation program. I spoke with him while he was on tour with the Josh Reichmann Oracle Band and asked him about life after music school, touring and his current electro pop project, “Everything All The Time.”

the newspaper: Tell me about your band

Everything All The Time. What’s the story

with how the band formed?

Joe Shabason: Everything All The Time was what happened when I started to hate playing Jazz. I had to try and find a way that I

could enjoy playing music again, and writing pop tunes was what felt most natural to me. In the beginning the band went through a ton of different line-ups, but after about a year we finally settled into a solid band, and everything seemed to fall into place. Even though I write the songs for the band, the music wouldn’t be half of what it is without the rest of the band’s contribution. I might bring in the songs’ basic elements, but all the arranging and parts we write together happens as a band.

tn: I know you guys released your first full

album just last April, but do you have any

plans for recording in the near future?

JS: Right now we are not as productive as we would like to be because we are all busy

touring with different bands, but come December we are all here in Toronto and we’re getting ready to start recording a new album. The album title that Kieran and I came up with on tour is “That was Zen. This is Wow.”

tn: Have you guys been touring as a band

recently? How has that been working for

you?

JS: We haven’t really been touring as a band because of how much it costs. We have been playingshows around Ontario, but to get out across Canada costs a small fortune. Kieran and I just got back yesterday from the Canadian leg of a one month tour with the Josh Reichmann Oracle Band, and gas alone was about $250 a day. Besides money, the other problem is that we all play in so many different bands that it’s hard to get all of us in the city at one time, let alone out on tour for a few weeks. Our plan is to record this new album and tour it in the early spring. By that time, hopefully we will have received

some touring grants that we are applying for so that we won’t go broke if we leave for two weeks.

tn: Are you guys concerned with trying to

get on a record label? You managed to get

your first album out to stores in Toronto

fairly successfully but is this something

you’re thinking about?

JS: Of course we would love to get on a label, but as of right now we haven’t found one yet. The most important thing for us is to just keep writing and playing as much as possible, and if we keep doing what we love to do, things usually have a way of working out.

Everything All The Time has music

posted at www.myspace.com/every-thingallthetimeband , where you can read and listen to their self-titled "rst album. You can also purchase their music online though itunes and www.zunior.com.

Everything All The TimeInterview with Joe Shabason CHRIS WILLES

Musical Arts Bureau

“The International Year of Astrono-

my is an incredible opportunity to

engage the public’s personal sense

of wonder and discovery”

the newspaper 7January 8th – 14th, 2009

the artscont’d

The actors clearly grasped the art of theatre on this one, and the overall performance was quite remarkable. Smooth choreography and strong voices also lent to the show’s quality. A notable distraction, however, was the place-ment of microphones on the top of the performers’ heads. And, at times, the microphones cut out and the live band drowned out their singing.

Beyond such minor glitches, however, it was a great show with many high-lights. The one I can’t resist mentioning – undoubtedly a highlight for many – was the glimpse of three young men’s behinds as they mischievously mooned the students at the Rydell School dance. Go Greased Lightning!

Hamming it upHart House brings Hamlet to U of T ANDREW GYORKOS

Theatrical Arts Bureau

Hart House was host to a special performance of Hamlet by the Classical Theatre Project on Friday, December 5th, and it was quite the treat. Quick refresher course for those who don’t remember Hamlet’s plot trajectory: Hamlet is the son of the recently de-ceased King of Denmark, his uncle Claudius takes the throne ahead of him, and after a strange spirit speaks to Hamlet and reveals that the late King was murdered by Claudius’ hand, Hamlet embarks on a somewhat discontinuous and hesitant quest for revenge.

After over 400 years of circulation, much of the nuance of Shakespeare’s classic comes from personal interpreta-tions of the text. Indeed, from my own perspective, the true enjoyment of the

Jeremy Hutton played the title role in the Hart House

production of Hamlet. Picture - Hart House Theatre

work is found when viewing it from as many unique angles as possible. Is Hamlet upset because his father is dead, or because Claudius cut ahead of him in the monarchical succession line? Did Ophelia commit suicide, or was she mur-dered to keep Denmark’s body count up? Are Rosencrantz and Guildenstern really dead? These are the questions of essays, but the key question of a performance review is far simpler: was it any good? Ignoring the discrepancy between my interpretation of the play and that of director Charles Roy, the answer is a resounding “yes.”

The cast of this performance was very strong, projecting their lines clearly and emotively. Peter Church, in particular, made an excellent Polonius and Grave-digger. The only weak link was Paul Kit as Claudius, who is (unfortunately for this role) naturally endowed with the sort of improbable jaw line that would make Bruce Campbell proud. This is of concern only because Claudius is supposed to be

...continued from page 1Future Bakery (483 Bloor St. W., between Spadina and Bathurst): Show your t-card Monday to Friday and receive any of their breakfasts (including bacon and eggs, French toast, western sandwich, pancakes, etc.) for $4.95. The bacon and eggs were good, though the home-fries were deep-fried and luke-warm. The portions are fair, but not as ample as Sneaky Dee’s. Bottomless co$ee is included though, which makes Future’s great for studying.

The Green Room (entrance located in the alleyway behind Future Bakery) has an acceptable breakfast, but its por-tions are on the small side. For $4.50, you get eggs, ‘home fries’ (actually frozen french-fries), bacon, and a salad. The salad is a nice touch, but it doesn’t make up for the overall lack of food and sub-

par home fries. It was a good deal when it used to be $3.50, but now I would pass this one by. Co$ee is an extra $1.50.

Sunset Grill (1422 Dundas St. W. at Du&erin) is a bit out of the way, but serves an excellent breakfast. And if you get there before 11 a.m. during the week, a breakfast (eggs, home fries, choice of meat, and co$ee) can be had for $3.99. If you make it there after 11, I believe the price hikes $2. The restaurant also closes at 4 p.m., so no breakfast for dinner here.

If you don’t mind a bit of grease, then perhaps you, too, will become addicted to the all-day breakfast. And if, per-chance, you notice that same weedy boy sitting and eating breakfast in Sneaky Dee’s every time you are there, chances are good that it’s me. Pull up a chair.

a vile and cowardly creature, a portrait that is a tad undermined when the actor portraying him could smash boulders into dust with his lower jaw.

The staging was rather inventive, and it was a technically solid production all around. Most notable was the &nal fencing sequence between Laertes and Hamlet, which was well choreographed and performed with exceptional skill and conviction.

One bugaboo with this performance lies not in what was done wrong, but what was not done at all. The character Fortinbras (Prince of Norway) had been omitted entirely, not an uncommon decision when taking the length of the play into account. Often with the elimination of this character comes

the omission of Hamlet’s last of four major soliloquies, as was the case with this performance. However, the audi-ence requires this soliloquy in order for Hamlet’s arc to be complete and believ-able. The play’s pace goes from brisk to rushed in its absence, leaving a gap in the character’s development. Speci&c-ally, the fourth soliloquy inspired by Fortinbras spurs Hamlet from indecision to action. Without it, the violent conclu-sion doesn’t quite click.

This oversight notwithstanding, Charles Roy’s Hamlet proved a solid performance. Some directors – Charles Roy being one of them – like to exag-gerate the humorous and incestuous undertones of the play, while other directors prefer a simpler approach. I can appreciate either decision. Anyone fortunate enough to catch this one-night-only performance should not have been disappointed.

‘THE NEWSPAPER PREDICTS MORE AWESOME!

The newspaper is o$ering you an exclusive look into the future. Check out our

website for a unique look at astrology. You can see into the future! Ooooooh!

Come see for yourself. www.thenewspaper.ca

8 the newspaper January 8th – 14th, 2009

the end

BY STEPHEN NOTLEY

the jumbler BY: ASHLEY MINUK

Answer for previous jumbler: Pumpkin Pi

Solution to THIS jumbler in next week’s the newspaper

JAN. 12 & 13

Sidney Smith Bldg.

Lobby

9 - 8

9 - 5

Unscramble the letters to form common words.Use the letters in the highlighted boxes to answer the riddle!