Volume 43, Issue 7 • theeyeopener.com — Ryerson’s Independent Student Newspaper since 1967 • Wednesday, October 21, 2009

pages 10-11

GUILTYFormer Ryerson student pleads guilty to terror plotFormer Ryerson student pleads guilty to terror plot

page 3

PUNK ROCK PLAYGROUND

Why we’ll never be as hardcore pages 12-13

illustration: alex tavshunsky

Wednesday, October 21, 20092•The Eyeopener AD

AU student Sarah in Calgary, Alberta, Canada

At Athabasca University, our large selection of courses and programs can be a big plus to your academic career. So be sure to keep us in mind like Sarah did. Sarah is attending university full-time in Calgary, Alberta. But in order to maximize her schedule, she needed to take some courses that weren’t available during the times she wanted. The solution? Sarah is taking some AU courses and will transfer the credits over towards her degree. AU offers over 700 courses and 90 undergraduate and

If you’re 16 or older, and are eager to learn, you can study at AU. Academic choice. Another reason why AU stands out as a global leader in distance learning excellence.

At Athabasca University, our large selection of courses and programs can be a big plus to your academic career. So be sure to keep us in mind

Academic choice. Another reason why AU stands out as a global leader

her degree. AU offers over 700 courses and 90 undergraduate and

Include

www.athabascau.ca/standout1-800-788-9041

Unit E – 44 Gerrard Street West TORONTO

$6$8

$10

Kidz’ MeatballItalian tomato sauce, meatballs, mozzarella + cheddar.10" S $6 12" M $8 14" L $10

Cheezy MeatballCheezy cheddar sauce, meatballs, mozzarella + cheddar. 10" S $6 12" M $8 14" L $10

$

Fall for our Meatball pizzas.Fall for our

Italian MeatballFresh passata tomato sauce, meatballs, fire-roasted tomatoes, red onions, mozzarella + cheddar.

10" S $8 12" M $10 14" L $12

$10Italian Meatball

ONLINE EXCLUSIVE CONTENTTHEEYEOPENER.COMVISIT US ON FACEBOOK & TWITTER TOO

• Complete 30-Hour Seminars

• Convenient Weekend Schedule

• Proven Test-Taking Strategies

• Experienced Course Instructors

• Comprehensive Study Materials

• Simulated Practice Exams

• Limited Class Size

• Free Repeat Policy

• Personal Tutoring Available

• Thousands of Satisfied Students

LSAT MCATGMAT GREPreparation Seminars

OXFORD SEMINARS416-924-3240

1-800-269-6719www.oxfordseminars.ca

Classifeyeds

Supported by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Toronto, the Ryerson Catholic Chaplaincy Centre responds to the pastoral needs of students, staff and faculty at Ryerson. See our website www.ryercath.ca for upcoming events. Bring your questions about faith to “Coffee, Donuts and God” on October 15, 11:00-12:30, Credit Union Lounge

Now you can master self-hypnosis and become independent of other people and circumstances! This course will be made by professional hypnotist based on your perception and interests. Just mention “Ryerson” to us and get 20% discount if you order Complete Course. All details are at www.ehypnocenter.com

Free Classifeyeds for anyone with a ryerson.ca email account. Go to theeyeopener.com and place a free online ad on our site. You can even include pictures!

Join the Eyeopener on Facebook, Twitter, and Flickr.

•

NEWS The Eyeopener•3 Wednesday, October 21, 2009

By Michael Deruyter

Ryerson has denied its two student

unions their request for the email ad-

dresses of all full-time students — in-

formation that the Ryerson Students’

Union (RSU) feel they are privy to.

“Students pay dues, it’s their right to

be notified,” said Liana Salvador, vice-

president education. “We need to com-

municate with our members, regardless

of university support.”

The RSU wants emails to notify stu-

dents, who pay membership fees to

the union, about its works and services

without having to go through Ryerson

first to send out information.

But Ryerson’s vice provost students,

Heather Lane Vetere, says the school

does not have the right to hand over

students’ contact information without

first gaining permission from students.

“We would like to first send out an

email to all students notifying them

that the groups are gaining their con-

tact information,” said Vetere. “That

email would include an opt-out option

if students didn’t want to continue to

Study site sparks misconduct worries

Ex-Rye student pleads guilty in ‘Toronto 18’ plotBy caryS MillS

NEws EdiToR

A ringleader of a plot to cripple the Canadian

economy with a series of explosions, some target-

ing downtown Toronto, pleaded guilty on Oct. 8.

Zakaria Amara, a former Ryerson student,

pleaded guilty in a Brampton court to knowingly

participating in or contributing to a terrorist

group and intending to cause an explosion that

was likely to cause serious bodily harm, death or

damage to property.

Plans of the group, dubbed the Toronto 18, in-

cluded targeting the Toronto Stock Exchange, the

headquarters of the Canadian Security Intelli-

gence Service (CSIS) on Front Street and a military

base with three U-Haul trucks packed with fertil-

izer bombs in 2006.

Amara, 24, agreed to a statement of facts, ad-

mitting he created a remote-controlled detonator.

He also recruited others and helped organize a

terrorist training camp.

Amara’s guilty plea surprised his wife, Nada Fa-

rooq. The two married just before finishing high

school in 2004.

“We thought we were going to go through all

the way and we were going to fight the case,” she

said.

“I haven’t really talked to my husband about it,

just more what I’ve read in papers,” Farooq said.

“My belief in God and my confidence in the

case [keeps me going],” Amara told the Eyeopen-

er in September 2008. “The truth will come out,

whether today, tomorrow, a year, or 10 years from

now.”

After graduating from high school, Amara took

information technology classes at Ryerson. In

2005, Farooq and Amara’s daughter, Nour, was

born. Amara dropped out of school to support his

family financially.

While he worked full-time at a Canadian Tire

gas station, Amara and 17 other men were being

watched by RCMP and CSIS agents.

Amara tried to buy three tonnes of ammonium

nitrate from undercover police, leading to a slew

of arrests in the summer of 2006.

“To put this in context, the 1995 bombing of the

Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City that

killed 168 people took one tonne of ammonium

nitrate,” said RCMP Assistant Commissioner, Mike

McDonell, in a release the day after Amara and 16

other individuals were charged.

Two months later, another Ryerson student,

Ibrahim Aboud, was arrested. Charges against

him were stayed last year.

In 2008, Ryerson students campaigned for

Amara to be released from solitary and to be able

to continue his studies while in prison.

Muhammad Ali Jabbar, former Ryerson Stu-

dents’ Union president, describes himself as an

acquaintance of Amara.

“Without these kids actually being proven

guilty, everywhere it was assumed that these kids

were guilty and that’s the issue,” said Jabbar, who

pushed for the presumption of innocence.

He refused to comment on Amara’s guilty plea.

Now, Amara awaits his Dec. 18 sentencing hear-

ing in the Don Jail.

His lawyer, David Kolinsky, said it’s difficult to

predict the sentence Amara will receive.

“There’s very little sentencing precedent, this

case is fairly unique as far as Canada’s concerned,”

said Kolinsky.

“I hope people can differentiate between him

and his family instead of just everyone painting all

of us in the same brush,” said Farooq, who’s un-

sure if she will continue attending her husband’s

court appearances.

Zakaria Amara, former Ryerson student, pleaded guilty on Oct. 8. File PhOtO (leFt) PhOtO cOurteSy OF reuterS (riGht)

receive emails from the groups.”

However, the opt-out option cannot

be performed until the email system is

updated later in the semester.

While the school has relayed this

information to the Continuing Educa-

tion Students’ Association of Ryerson

(CESAR), RSU President Jermaine Bag-

nall and Salvador were unaware of the

plans.

Earlier this semester, the RSU wasn’t

allowed to include information about

the Anti-Racism Task Force in an edi-

tion of Campus News. Other informa-

tion such as post-secondary education-

al barriers to Aboriginal students were

also blocked by the Office of University

Advancement, which managed Cam-

pus News, now Ryerson Today.

“The school suddenly said they

wouldn’t include information about

non-Ryerson events,” Salvador said.

“That doesn’t make sense because the

school has allowed us to send out in-

formation about non-school events

before.”

Vetere said the issue is still under in-

vestigation.

A new study site allows students to share old assignments and exams. PhOtO illuStratiON: chriS Dale

By alexaNDra Macaulay

aBDelwahaB

More than 200 Ryerson students

accessing a new study site could be

charged with academic misconduct for

posting and viewing old coursework.

The website, universityjunction.com,

allows students to collaborate on work

through forums and online chats.

Users can also upload and share

documents like class notes, old assign-

ments and exams.

Donna Bell, Ryerson’s academic in-

tegrity officer, is concerned with stu-

dents’ ability to access and share old

exams and assignments on the site.

“I’m all for websites that have col-

laborative opportunities for students,”

said Bell. “But individual assignments

need to be done individually.”

Mitch Reiss, one of the site’s two

Ryerson promoters, knows the school

doesn’t like the idea of sharing past

tests and assignments.

“University Junction tells the reps to

focus on aspects of the website that do

not breach their school’s policy,” said

Reiss, a second-year hospitality and

tourism management student.

The RsU wants to be in your inbox

Individual assignments need to be done individually.

Donna Bell, Ryerson’s academic integrity officer

Computer science professor Sophie

Quigley doesn’t mind her old exams be-

ing posted on the site.

“It’s a great tool,” she said.

Liz Mitchell, the site’s communica-

tions director, promotes University

Junction as an ethical study site.

“When students first sign up, they

have to agree to abide by their school’s

ethics policy,” she said, adding that the

site links back to each school’s academ-

ic policy.

Students can also flag content they

think breaches codes of conduct, which

is then taken down. If flagged more than

once, the user’s account is disabled.

Two years ago, electrical engineering

student Chris Avenir was almost ex-

pelled for his involvement in an online

study group. Now in his third year, Ave-

nir thinks University Junction could be

useful for students who commute.

“The theory of it seems pretty cool,”

he said, though he cautioned against

using the new study site to break any

codes of conduct.

Right now the website is available on

10 campuses throughout Canada and

the United States.

rSu audit > follow the money

$84,000 $260,000$160,000This year’sdeficit.

Total Used Book Room expenses.

RSU’s deficit last year.

Wednesday, October 21, 20094•The Eyeopener EdiTOrial

•Masthead

edItOR-IN-ChIeFAmit “PIZZA BOY” Shilton

NeWsVanessa “GYAL” Greco

Carys “GYAL” Mills

assOCIate NeWsShirley “GYAL” Lin

FeatUResRodney “SICK PUPPY” Barnes

BIZ & teChLauren “BOOTS” Strapagiel

aRts & LIFeAleysha “FWD TO GMAIL” HaniffAmanda “SWAP KILLER” Cupido

sPORts

Anthony “BAD BREAK” Lopopolo

PhOtOAndrew “NO SHOW” Williamson

Matt “GDT” Llewellyn

assOCIate PhOtOChris “TOPHER JAMES” Dale

FUNLeif “WELCOME BACK SAM!” Parker

ONLINe GURUsKerry “GOLDILOCKS” Wall

John “THREE BEARS” Shmuel

GeNeRaL MaNaGeRLiane “WHAT?” McLarty

adVeRtIsING MaNaGeRChris “ONE MONTH” Roberts

desIGN dIReCtORRyan “FERAL RORY” Price

INteRN aRMYMichael “BIG BREAK” Stuckless

Ryan “DILIGENT” HansonBrian “THE ENIGMA” Capitao

Johnny “SOFT EYES” VouyioukasAvie “STUMBLE” Engler

David “GOOD SCHOOL” GoncalvesImman “THE SUPERMODEL” Musa

VOLUNteeRsHilary “ONESIE” Hagerman

Michael “DA WRITAH” DeruyterTheresa “NEWS TWIN” DoRoss “EYE-SPY” Arbour

Lee “YOU HIP!” RichardsonAgata “ALPHABET” Zieba

Emma “SHHKONG” PrestwichAlexandra “LOG-IN” Macaulay

AbdelwahabNicholas “WAT IT DO”

LypaczewskiaRené “GINGERBYTE” MoortgartVincent “FRESH” McDermott

Evan Wynn “LADIES MAN” KosinerBarbora “VERTICAL” SimekDanielle “WELCOME” Webb

Suraj “SNUGGLEBUNNIES” SinghTravis “MAJOR” Dandro

Andrew “BUCOLIC” ChiltonPlaying the role of the Annoying Talking Coffee Mug this week... Amit’s food indecisions.

The Eyeopener is Ryerson’s largest and in-dependent student newspaper. It is owned and operated by Rye Eye Publishing Inc., a non-profit corporation owned by the stu-dents of Ryerson. Our offices are on the second floor of the Student Campus Centre and you can reach us at 416-979-5262 or www.theeyeopener.com.

Photo of the weekThis shit stinks

aMIt shILtON

ediTor-in-chief

Something is rotten with our wom-

en’s soccer team.

This Tuesday we got word that Mea-

gan Blodgett, the team’s captain, was

quitting the squad. But after a few in-

terviews and about four hours, both

Meagan and coach Peyvand Mossavat

confirmed that she changed her mind.

Everything, they said, was hunky-

dory. Bullshit.

After making the playoffs as the

fifth seed in 2007, the team degressed

instead of progressed and missed the

playoffs the following year. This season,

players have been dropping along with

the team’s record.

Every team is bound to face prob-

lems with disgruntled players over the

course of a season. But the players that

have been quitting the soccer team

should have no reason to leave.

Blodgett is an all-star defender and

Tessa Dimitrakopoulos, who left the

team earlier this year, is a star striker

and former rookie of the year. Dimitra-

kopoulos has since started playing with

Ryerson’s badminton team as well as

the women’s hockey team.

It’s clear that she didn’t leave because

she was too busy with school or didn’t

feel like being a varsity athlete any-

more. Players like her don’t leave with-

out a damn good reason.

The sad thing is, her team could

probably use her help, too.

The Rams are currently in seventh

place, sitting behind teams from Lau-

rentian and Nipissing. Two teams they

really should beat.

The worst thing about the situation

is the code of silence that envelops ev-

ery sports team. With nobody daring to

break this locker-room omerta, we can

only guess what the hell is happening

with this squad.

But if there’s one thing you can al-

ways assume, the fish always stinks

from the head.

PhOtO: MYke dYeR

• Intensive 60-Hour Program

• Classroom Management Techniques

• Detailed Lesson Planning

• ESL Skills Development

• Comprehensive Teaching Materials

• Interactive Teaching Practicum

• Internationally Recognized Certificate

• Teacher Placement Service

• Money-Back Guarantee Included

• Thousands of Satisfied Students

Teach EnglishAbroad

TESOL/TESL Teacher TrainingCertification Courses

OXFORD SEMINARS416-924-3240/1-800-269-6719

www.oxfordseminars.ca

News The eyeopener•5 wednesday, October 21, 2009

Groaners&Briefs

BY SHIRLEY LIN

AssociAte News editor

The University of Toronto’s radio sta-

tion (CIUT) has been paying years of

CKLN 88.1 FM’s electricity bills total-

ling to thousands of dollars, alleges the

U of T station manager.

But current board members at CKLN

say they’ve been paying their own elec-

trical bills and don’t owe CIUT 89.5 FM

any money.

Barry Johnson, CKLN board member,

believes an accounting error could be

the cause of this confusion after speak-

ing to the landlord from which CKLN

leases its transmitter space.

Earlier this month, CIUT station

manager Brian Burchell threatened to

cut off CKLN’s power unless the cash-

strapped campus-community station

paid up more than $11,000 by Oct. 14.

According to Burchell, the outstand-

ing money dates back to 1995.

But now that all parties are talking,

Burchell has withdrawn his ultimatum.

“We’re proceeding with the utmost of

caution and patience with the view to

ensuring we’re on the right path and we

have no desire or interest in terminat-

ing CKLN’s power,” said Burchell.

Burchell first notified CKLN of out-

standing bills about six months ago.

But after no response from CKLN until

ontario tuition fees highest in the country BY VaNESSa GREco

News editor

As Ontario claimed the title of most expensive

province for post-secondary education, Ryerson

Students’ Union (RSU) reps took to Parliament

Hill lobbying for more government funding.

Ontario surged ahead of Nova Scotia in the run-

ning for the province with the highest tuition fees

in Canada, according to a Statistics Canada report

released on Oct. 20.

Fresh out of a meeting with Liberal MP Gerard

Kennedy, Toby Whitfield, RSU vice-president fi-

nance and services spoke out against mounting

tuition fees in Ontario.

“While we’re number one in this case, it’s not a

competition worth winning,” said Whitfield, over

a choppy phone connection from Ottawa.

RSU President Jermaine Bagnall believes that

the recent findings are a call to action.

“It’s a devious number one title to have,” he

said, urging students to talk to local MPs.

In their own meetings with federal MPs and

senators, the RSU brainstormed a proposed Post-

secondary Education Act — a national outline for

how federal cash will be transferred to provinces

and distributed to colleges and universities. Other

plans include more funds for grants and research.

Earlier this year, Ryerson President Sheldon

Levy told students that tuition will increase by five

per cent in the current academic year.

In 2006, Premier Dalton McGuinty cancelled

the province’s tuition fee freeze. Fees have been

steadily increasing since.

According to Joel Duff, organizer at the Canadi-

an Federation of Students, Ontario has the highest

tuition fees and the largest class sizes.

— With files from Shirley Lin

We’re literally just trying to get back on our feet...and a threat against us like this is just crazy.

Barry Johnson, a board mem-ber at CKLN

The Drop Fees campaign holds an annual event opposing rising fees. PHoTo: FILE PHoTo

U of T station accuses cKLN of dodging bills

September, CIUT warned they would

shut off power earlier this month.

Both stations lease space for their

transmitters from Brookfield Proper-

ties at the tower site on First Canadian

Place, but share the same power meter.

CKLN has its own agreement with the

management of First Canadian Place,

who assesses the station’s electrical bill

separately, charging for power usage

on a monthly basis, said Johnson. The

agreement has been negotiated over

those 15 years.

Although all three parties are in

talks, CIUT’s approach has CKLN board

members irked.

“The way CIUT went about this, de-

manding cash from us, showing us no

evidence…and then threatening us, I

just think it was wrong,” said Johnson.

“We’re literally just trying to get back on

our feet and to have the demand and a

threat against us like this is just crazy.”

Brookfield Properties could not be

reached for comment.

Om nom nom! Stolenbook store chocolateEarlier this year a non-community member stole a Ryerson sweater from the bookstore. Last week he was back for more, stealing over $50 in chocolate bars.

Ice cream, chocolate, cutlery, oh my!On Oct. 17 a residence student stole an Oreo ice cream sandwich, a Dairy Milk chocolate bar and some cutlery from the ILC. The police were not contacted.

City cannibal hungry for meatA loss prevention officer followed a woman from a store near campus after she allegedly stole about $47 worth of meat. She bit his leg near the interior design building.

Get a room, not washroom Security received two calls on Oct. 18 reporting “sexual activity” noises. A male and female student were later found in a ground floor Jorgenson Hall washroom.

HALAL MEHRAN RESTAURANT HALAL

398 CHURCH ST 416-596-6434

STUDENT SPECIALCHICKEN BIRYANI 4.99 +TAX

TANDORI DISHESBUTTER CHICKEN

We look forward to seeing you

Wednesday, October 21, 20096•The Eyeopener NEWS

Students can’t get no satisfaction, opt to drop outby agata ZIEba

Kim Nesbeth has just started her

third year at Ryerson as a first-year psy-

chology student.

After two years studying business,

Nesbeth decided to change programs.

“I just wasn’t too interested in busi-

ness, it didn’t fit my lifestyle,” she said.

As a result, she spent last summer

struggling with the switch, trying to fig-

ure out how many of her courses were

transferable.

Many Canadian students, like Nes-

beth, arrive to university and find that

their program isn’t what they expected.

The most common reason students

leave or transfer postsecondary pro-

grams is because they feel like the

course isn’t right for them, according to

a recent Statistics Canada survey.

Ryerson has taken notice and is con-

sidering making certain courses more

transferable.

Course transferability was discussed

and made a top priority on Ryerson’s

academic plan at a recent town hall

meeting on academic restructuring.

“We’re working on more flexibility,”

said Heather Lane Vetere, vice provost

students. “But changes to the curricu-

lum aren’t quick and easy.”

The abundance of specialized pro-

grams at Ryerson is likely why it’s so dif-

ficult to transfer courses, added Vetere.

Alan Shepard, provost and vice-pres-

ident academic, agrees.“Ryerson’s cur-

riculum is more structured than other

universities,” he said.

Mehmet Zeytinoglu, interim vice

provost academic and chair of the aca-

demic standards committee, hopes

improving Ryerson’s curriculum will

decrease dropout rates.

Duncan MacLellan, politics profes-

sor, believes a lack of course transfer-

ability can be a financial setback.

“You basically have to start again and

that can be very costly,” he said.

For Nesbeth, only a few of her cours-

es were transferable and the rest were

just a waste of money, she said.

She remains content with her deci-

sion to switch programs. “Why would

you want to spend four years doing

something that’s not worthwhile?”

Alan Shepard created the Provost’s Academic Structures Commis-sion that held the town hall meeting. fIlE photo

Search starts up for new vice provostby thErESa Do

Ryerson is hunting for a new vice

provost faculty affairs to grace the up-

per levels of Jorgenson Hall.

Michael Dewson, who was appointed

to the role five years ago, will be taking a

one-year sabbatical — the first in his 16

years at the university.

“I’m all termed out,” said Dewson

adding that he plans to use his time off

to pursue personal interests.

The vice provost faculty affairs is

Ryerson’s administrative representative

for faculty members.

President Sheldon Levy said Dewson

has done a fantastic job filling the role.

Alan Shepard, provost and vice-pres-

ident academic, is leading the search to

replace Dewson.

“His term is coming to its conclusion

next June,” said Shepard, who needs to

fill the position by July 1, 2010.

Along with the new faculty affairs

hire, another vice provost will be join-

ing the office by this date.

I’m all termed out.Michael Dewson, outgoing vice provost faculty affairs

The vice provost academic, a position

created this summer, would be respon-

sible for the assignment of academic

space — for student clubs, department

needs or offices, according to Shepard.

Mehmet Zeytinoglu, vice-chair of

the Senate’s Academic Standings Com-

mittee, is the interim vice provost aca-

demic until Ryerson finds someone to

formally take on that position.

The best Rude Awakening of your life

the eyeopener’s radio show is back. Listen to 88.1 CKLN fm

Wednesdays at 6:30 a.m.

Grenville Print Centre 86 Gerrard St. E., Toronto, ON M5B 2J1 T: (416) 260-3133E: printcentre.ryerson@grenville.com

Hours of Operation Monday to Friday 8:30am - 7:30pmSaturday 11am - 5pm

www.grenville.com/stores

Former location of DOS COPY

Copying/Printing prices

.19 COLOUR /.03 B&W*Absolutely NO MINIMUMS.

*on 24 lb. paper and 20 lb. paper respectively.

Purchase a Gift Card valued at:$10.00 - YOUR PRICE $8.00

$20.00 - YOUR PRICE $15.00$40.00 - YOUR PRICE $25.00

BACK TO SCHOOL

SPECIAL

WE WILL BEAT ANY ADVERTISED PRICE BY 10%

Gerrard St E

Jarvis St

Mutual St

Church St

Victoria St

Yonge St

Dundas St E

Carlton St

RyersonUniversity

N

Grenville Print Centre86 Gerrard St E

Come into the store to fill out a ballot to win a $500 Visa card!**

WINA

$500 Visa

card!**

**Details in store. No purchase necessary.

LIST OF SERVICES:

WE ALSO SELL COURSEPACKS!

NEWS The Eyeopener•7 Wednesday, October 21, 2009

High enrollment for new CanadiansBY Emma PrEstwich

Chris Kim chose Ryerson’s radio and

television arts program because he

wanted to follow the dreams of his fa-

ther, who worked in broadcasting back

in Korea.

Kim, 20, immigrated to Canada as a

child and is part of a trend among first

and second-generation Canadians who

are more likely to attend university than

non-immigrant children.

According to a 2008 study conducted

by two professors from the University

of Lethbridge, new Canadians or those

whose parents immigrated have a high-

er rate of university attendance than

their non-immigrant counterparts.

The study reported that almost 90

per cent of second-generation Chinese

immigrants attend university by age 23,

as well as 82 per cent of first-generation

youth from Africa, compared to 37 per

cent of non-immigrants.

Richard Mueller, the study’s co-au-

thor and associate professor of econom-

ics at the university located in Alberta,

said that Canada’s immigration policy

highly favours educated immigrants,

which partly explains high university

participation rates.

“You don’t come to Canada to learn

about Canadian history, you want to

learn about business practises that will

help you be successful,” Mueller said.

Mubarak Mohamed, a third-year

politics student who immigrated to

Canada from Somalia six years ago, said

taking up residency in a new country

comes with certain expectations.

“You’re expected to contribute to

family members back home,” he said.

“You’re expected to go into the labour

market.”

Vappu Tyyskä, director of the mas-

ter’s program in immigration and set-

tlement studies at Ryerson, said that

many first and second-generation im-

migrants emphasize professionally-re-

lated programs in order to find better

jobs. This makes schools like Ryerson,

which focus on hands-on programs,

more attractive.

“Voluntary migrants tend to come

here to look for educational opportu-

nities,” she said. “They put a lot of em-

phasis on their children’s success.”

Alan Bao, a second-year new media

student, agrees that further post-sec-

ondary education is the main reason

people have left his home country of

China.

“For a lot of people, the reason they

leave China is to attend university,” he

said.

As for Kim, he said that many Kore-

an students attending university were

forced by their parents, as he was.

“They set out to Canada or the U.S.

to achieve something.”

rye’s international students continue to fight for OhiP BY LEE richardsOn

A provincial campaign appeal-

ing for international students to

qualify for the Ontario Health In-

surance Plan (OHIP) is reaching

out to policy-makers.

The campaign – driven by the

Canadian Federation of Students

(CFS) with numerous student

unions – opposes Ontario’s Uni-

versity Health Insurance Plan

(UHIP), which is mandatory for

international students.

“We’re going to contact univer-

sity presidents, embassies and dif-

ferent government ministers who

are directly involved,” said Lise de

Montbrun, vice-president student

life and events at the Ryerson Stu-

dents’ Union (RSU).

The province withdrew inter-

national student OHIP coverage

in 1994. David Jensen, ministry of

health and long-term care spokes-

person believes a return to OHIP

is unlikely because international

students aren’t considered perma-

nent residents.

“The expectation is that the stu-

dent will return to his or her home

of origin after the completion of

their education.”

New Canadians have a higher rate of university attendance, a recent study reports. BY BarBOra simEk

ryerson not flipping their lids about flip cup and h1n1 linkBY michaEL stuckLEss

Warnings made on a U.S. campus

linking drinking games to H1N1 haven’t

spread to Ryerson.

On Oct. 9, Rensselaer Polytechnic

Institute (RPI) in Troy, N.Y., posted a

notice to their website alerting students

to the potential spread of H1N1 while

sharing cups during drinking games.

Heather Lane Vetere, vice provost

students, said that Ryerson hasn’t con-

sidered warning students about the

H1N1 risks associated with drinking

games. Vetere had only heard of RPI’s

announcement on the popular sketch-

comedy show, Saturday Night Live.

“Schools with larger populations

may have more problems with it,” said

Vetere.

According to a Oct. 13, report RPI had

experienced 64 cases of H1N1 flu.

Several flu cases at RPI have been

linked to specific events on campus,

such as football games and weekend

parties, posted Dr. Leslie Lawrence,

RPI’s student health centre medical di-

rector in an H1N1 bulletin.

Games like beer pong could spread H1N1. PhOtO: matt LLEwELLYn

Nobody is stopping beer pong. It’s like a national past-time here.

Zac Benzing, student at Rens-selaer Polytechnic Institute

Despite explicit warnings to avoid

drinking games and sharing cups, some

students aren’t concerned about the

spread of the virus.

“It’s the safest way, but nobody is

stopping beer pong. It’s like a national

pastime here,” said Zac Benzing, a stu-

dent at RPI.

Chad Nuttall, Ryerson’s housing

manager, believes sharing bathrooms

or dishes with a roommate is more

likely to spread the virus than a game of

beer pong.

Regardless, underage drinking and

drinking games aren’t permitted in Ry-

erson residences.

Although Nuttall is aware that drink-

ing still goes on in residence, he believes

issuing a similar H1N1 announcement

would conflict with the current rules.

“If they’re going to ban drinking

games, they might as well ban shak-

ing hands,” said Carlo Magsambol, a

fourth-year nursing student.

8•The Eyeopener Biz Wednesday, October 21, 2009 Wednesday, October 21 2009 The Eyeopener•9TEch

Realized my student ID was lost yes-terday. Got an email that someone found it today and now it’s back! I love #ryerson

@designerskinyay! ryerson is paying for grad stu-dents to access u of t’s library again. i missed you robarts ♥

@lady247

wishes Ryerson’s J-school secretary would edit job postings for grammar before mindlessly forwarding them to the masses.

@russless

hates how there is no space left in the library or quiet spaces at #ryer-son to study! What is the point of a library with 3 QUIET FLOORS!

Apparently tweeting about ryer-son makes you famous. Well in that case... I LOVE RYERSON.

@MiriamLG

Listening to salt n peppa’s “let’s talk about sex” while in line at the ryer-son bookstore...how liberal.

@ambernoteworthy RYERSON INTERNET IS THE BIG-

GEST FAIL IN FUCKING LIFE. BITCH WORKS NOW. I AM SO PISSED, I REFUSE TO GO TO CLASS. I WILL SLEEP NOW. GOODDAY.

@rhymeswithfong On the run from creepy Ryerson guy who said he liked my “crazy-ass bag”, asked for my name & then yelled for me to come back across campus.

@retrospaceage

Vijay and I are trying to order pizza...that delivers to Ryerson Business Building...at Midnight..

@allaanmariano DID YOU KNOW!? Ryerson charges to use the gym when I’m already paying a $31.47 athletic fee? Thank you Ryerson, thank you.

@taylor_laura_k

You’ve got RMail (and you’re stuck with it)Despite a superior set of features, Ryerson is

hesitant to adopt the Google Apps for Education

online suite.

Due to the American Patriot Act, which could

theoretically expose private information held in

Google servers to the American government, Ry-

erson won’t use the service for campus email and

calendaring.

Google Apps Education Edition is free for ac-

credited post-secondary institutions, offering

seven-gigabyte email accounts that can be used

by faculty and students.

The service also allows universities to retain

their own custom domain names.

“Instead of logging in through Gmail to get your

mail account there would be a Ryerson branded

version of Gmail, with an @ryerson address,” said

Brian Lesser, assistant director of Ryerson’s com-

puting and communication services.

Faculty and student email is currently powered

by software from Sun Microsystems and offers 100

megabyte inboxes for undergraduate students.

“The webmail software and interface from Sun

is somewhat out of date,” said Lesser, who added

that inbox capacity and attachment size limits are

“lower than they should be.”

Google Apps also offers the option to sync cal-

endars between faculty and students, while the

current email service for Ryerson “does not have

a calendaring and scheduling piece to it,” said

Lesser.

Some faculty members at Ryerson University

have adopted the Google calendar and apps to

help schedule meetings with students.

“I have saved 50 per cent of the time I would

usually have spent trying to arrange a meeting

with other people,” said Michael Kolios, associate

professor at the department of physics, about his

adoption of Google calendars in a company case

study.

“We’re nowhere close to what Google offers at

all,” said Lesser.

If the Google solution was adopted, all infor-

mation on Ryerson email accounts and calendars

would be stored and hosted on Google servers in

the United States. This is where the problem for

How to Gmail your RMail

Here’s how to sync Gmail with your Ryerson account so that you’ll never have to visit http://mail.ryerson.ca again.

1. Set up your Gmail account at www.gmail.com. If you want to create a cutesy user name like angelbaby69, go right ahead. You’ll be covering this up later.

2. In Gmail, go to Settings then Accounts and Import. Next click the “Send mail from another address” button. In the pop up window, type in your Ryerson email and hit next.

3. You’ll now be asked about SMTP servers. You don’t need to know what this means, just make sure you choose the second option, to send mail through Ryerson’s servers. Enter your Ryerson password then continue.

4. You’ll receive an email in your Ryerson account. Click the link to confirm.

5. Go to your Ryerson email and click Options, then Settings.

6. Check the “Enable forwarding” box and enter your Gmail address. Also check “Don’t leave copy on server” to avoid Ryerson’s small inbox capacity.

7. You’re done! Just make sure when you send from your Gmail to choose your Ryerson address in the “from” dropdown menu.

René Moortgat finds out why Gmail and other Google apps will never be ours

bY evan wYnn KosineR

staRtup 101

Welcome to the market. It’s your Bar Mitzvah,

Mazel Tov. Today you become a man or woman in

bringing your product to the people.

Think of yourself as out on the prowl.

As we learned last week, I think I am adorable,

but does everyone else? Ladies do you? (email me:

ekosiner@ryerson.ca) Your life is generated by the

way your community sees you. The opportunities

they share with you are dictated by the way they

see you.

Think of your product or service as a journey to

the bar.

First be specific about your demographic. Older

women love me but so do young hot girls. Who is

your market? Facebook started with college stu-

dents and expanded after it proved itself.

Second, look at your competition. At bars I

have none. Well I do, except I’m ten times better

than any of my competition. Is your competition

skanky? Do they care more about looking good

Going to the marketWhy Wikipedia is a non-academic source

On Oct. 14, someone edited Ryerson’s Wikipedia page, adding the School of Michael Jackson Studies to the faculties listing. The addition claims the new faculty would offer undergraduate degrees studying the late entertainer’s psyche as well as taking an astrological approach to his dance moves. However the faculty was short-lived, with the edit being removed about an hour after it was posted.

Earlier this month, on Oct. 1, another Wikipedia edit changed Ryerson’s fight song to “CCCP Communists everywhere!” It was removed about 40 minutes later.

Ask Canada’s major political parties to a debate,

and there’s bound to be some verbal punches.

“I sometimes wonder if we’re all living in the

same country,” said Kevin Moore, Conservative

candidate for Toronto Centre.

“I would like to have confidence in this govern-

ment, but we don’t,” said John McKay later, MP

for Scarborough-Guildwood in his closing state-

ments.

The Oct. 14 debate was held by the Ryerson

Commerce and Politics Assocation (RCPA). Mem-

bers from the Conservative, Liberal, Green and

New Democratic Party (NDP) were invited to at-

tend and debate the economy. Topics for the night

included Canada’s bailout package as well as as-

sessing the current government’s response to the

recession.

The RCPA are the news kids on campus, having

only started the group over the summer.

“I noticed that business students don’t really

care about politics — in that they don’t really un-

derstand,” said RCPA president Valavan Kugath-

asan, a second-year business management stu-

dent specializing in law and business.

The RCPA was born as a way for business stu-

dents to learn more about how politics and busi-

ness interact. For the group’s first event, Kugath-

asan is pleased with how it turned out.

“It went well in the sense that we had a heated

debate,” Kugathasan said, adding that he was hap-

py all four major political parties were included.

Moore, whose daughter is a fourth-year Ry-

erson psychology student, started the evening’s

debate with a reminder that the United States has

been hit by the economic decline far harder than

Canada. “That does not mean that we are immune

and that we haven’t been and are not effected by

this recession,” said Moore. He said that Canada

had to follow the United States into bailout terri-

tory to protect Canadian jobs.

“There is no economic justification for that

bailout,” rebutted Ard Van Leeuwen, Green candi-

date for Dufferin-Caledon.

McKay pointed to the bailouts as creating “a

culture of rewarding failure.”

Andrew Cash, NDP candidate for Davenport,

asked “Are we consumers or are we citizens?”

The politicians hope the students in attendance

took something away from the event.

“I hope they get a sense that you have to ask

questions and you really have to demand an-

swers,” said Erich Jacoby-Hawkin, Green candi-

date for Barrie.

than they are with being your wing man? Can

you partner with your competition for the sake of

picking up hotties?

Look at the people you work with. Do they have

big egos? As you have probably guessed, I definite-

ly don’t have one. Can it work to your benefit?

I know this seems slightly ridiculous, but now

when you see me at the bar, you know the way a

young entrepreneur sees the world.

In my world I can do anything. I’ve gotten the

hottest girl at the bar and I’ve got the greatest cli-

ents in the world.

And does it matter? Nope. Don’t lose sight of

that by getting attached. It’s a game. Business is

nothing more than Monopoly.

Have people say great things about you, but

not at the cost of your own integrity. Have fun and

don’t let business take up all your time. Create

time for the people you love the most, including

yourself.

Homework for this week: Treat your business

like dating and see what pops up for you. It could

be the love of your life.

If you have any questions about running your

own business or have feedback for Evan, send an

email to ekosiner@ryerson.ca

politics and commerce collide at debateby LauRen stRapaGieL

business and technologY editoR

Green Party candidate Ard Van Leeuwen speaks as Liberal MP John McKay looks on. pHoto: andReW WiLLiaMson

The future of business belongs to the Internet

and anyone who hopes to be successful in busi-

ness needs to understand it, says Ryerson profes-

sor Norman Shaw.

Speaking at the 30th annual Ted Rogers Canadi-

an Council for Small Business and Entrepreneur-

ship (CCSBE) conference, Shaw lectured on the

importance of businesses getting search engines

like Google to attract customers to their websites.

“They say that if you build it, they will come,”

said Shaw. “But you have to build it in a way so

they can find it first.”

Shaw currently lectures on business systems to

retail and hospitality students. He was the chief

information officer for retail company Wet Seal,

and was the vice president in charge of technol-

ogy for a hotel management group.

The conference attracted students and entre-

preneurs alike to discuss business strategies in

today’s economy. Romana Mirza is the lead strate-

gist for Studio Pinpoint, a brand consulting busi-

ness.

He also has plans to start a website that sells

women’s clothing, and attended to gain insight on

how to get her website noticed.

“The presentation was excellent,” said

Mirza.“The advice was very practical to use, rather

than theoretical. Understanding the internet and

getting noticed is very important for anyone in the

business world.”

Although the clothing line is an idea at this

point, Mirza hopes what she learned in the lecture

will help her brand consulting business.

According to Shaw, the future of business will

have to take the internet more seriously.

“The internet is enormous. It’s difficult to sift

through all the noise,” said Shaw. “But if your web-

site is done right, then search engines will make it

easier to cut through all that.”

For any individuals or students looking for ad-

vice on how to get their websites noticed, Shaw

offers this one piece of advice: “Be interesting, be

fresh, have something there of value. That’s how

you get an audience, and that’s how you build loy-

alty. That’s most important.”

Norman Shaw lectures at the CCSBE conference. pHoto: cHRis daLe

by vincent McdeRMott

optimize your business with search engines

Get the internet to notice you1. Be fresh. Keep your website constantly updated and relevant.

2. Make sure the website is easy to find and has a name that is easy to remember.

3. Link to similar sites. Links enhance popularity.

4. Use language that is relevant to your website’s content and audience.

5. Take advantage of social media sites like Youtube, Facebook, Digg or Twitter.

6. Before you make a website, understand your business. Know who your market is and have a clear goal for yourself.

RMail vs gmail

GMaiL: 25Mb

RMaiL: 5Mb

incoMinG and outGoinG MessaGe size inbox stoRaGe size

RMaiL fuLL-tiMe undeRGRad: 100 Mb

RMaiL GRaduate students: 300 Mb

RMaiL facuLty and staff: 400 Mb

@artipatel

GMaiL: 7.3 Gb

Ryerson adoption of Google Apps lies.

Google is an American company and all its

data is stored on American servers. As a result it

is subject to the Patriot Act of 2001, which grants

the United States government access to confiden-

tial information out of any service in the country

without prior notification.

“Under Canadian law, including the Freedom

of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, uni-

versities have an obligation to secure records and

keep them private,” said Lesser

“This and the Patriot Act are in contradiction.

So whatever temptation we might have to look at

Google Apps for Education would be tempered

by the fact that the Patriot Act instituted doesn’t

match well with Canadian law and our obligations

to the Ryerson population,” he said.

Even though Google Apps will not be used in

the near future by Ryerson, an upgrade to the cur-

rent user interface of the university’s webmail is

imminent.

“There’s a better client available from Sun Mi-

crosystems that’s much easier to use, more like

Gmail and it’s just a matter of time before we find

the right window of time and resources to [imple-

ment] that,” said Lesser.

We’re nowhere close to what Google offers at all— Brian Lesser, assistant director CCS

Wednesday, October 21, 200910•The Eyeopener spOrTs

Sports editor Anthony Lopopolo reports on the wavering status of three soccer players

Soccer playersstand in purgatory

Rams hit BMO fieldMeagan Blodgett and the women’s soccer team raced across BMO field Friday but lost to Nippissing 4-1, spoiling Ryerson’s time at the home of Toronto FC.

Three disgruntled players from the

men’s soccer team have been cast away

after choosing not to show up for their

game against Laurentian last Saturday.

The players, who have retained ano-

nymity at head coach Ivan Joseph’s re-

quest, were unhappy about their lack of

playing time on the team.

None of those players have officially

pronounced their resignation to the

coach, leaving their absence as an indi-

cation of their dissatisfaction.

But they have since sought the am-

nesty of the coach and hope to reclaim

their position on the team.

“They didn’t notify me at all. When

you don’t check-in on work day, you as-

sume those people no longer want to

work,” said Joseph.

“One of them wasn’t a starter, the oth-

er played an average of 10 to15 minutes

per game and the last was a starter.”

The decision now rests with Joseph,

who will meet with the players on

Thursday to see whether they will be

reinstated.

“I control their fate, so I’ll come in

and see if I want to keep these guys.

They may or may not be back on the

team,” he said.

“Playing time is only one aspect of

the game, and leaving because of that is

fair. But they’ve shown they’re not fully

committed and I have to look at that.”

The Rams, who have so far set a re-

cord of 4-4-5, have clinched a playoff

spot for a third consecutive season with

a 2-1 victory over Laurentian. They will

close out the regular season against

RMC this weekend.

We want your opinion!Technology in Education

A Series of Focus Groups for Ryerson Students

sports the Eyeopener•11 Wednesday, october 21, 2009

Athletes of the Week

Rams go for a run with Adidasby anthony lopopolo

spoRts editoR

Ryerson has teamed up with Adidas

on a trial basis as the Rams begin to re-

fine the school’s athletic image. It’s the

school’s first serious venture with a top-

tier sporting brand and a clear attempt

to bulk up athletics.

After calling for proposals from out-

lets like Nike and Russell, Adidas pre-

vailed with the best prices and incen-

tives for Ryerson’s student-athletes.

Although there is no stringent deal in

place, scholarships would also be avail-

able as a result of that affiliation.

Outstanding details still need to be

ironed out, but the Rams will continue

to bear the Adidas logo on their jerseys

until a decision is made in February.

“We were looking at going through

our re-branding [process] and we didn’t

know what our colours were going to

be, what our logos were like,” said ath-

letic director Ivan Joseph.

“We weren’t ready to really sign the

deal because if you’re going to buy all

new uniforms, you want to do it all at

once so that we get the best bet.”

Not all Adidas merchandise is ap-

plicable to Ryerson’s athletic makeup,

which poses difficulties for sports un-

der which the brand doesn’t serve.

That prospect has made Joseph

hesitant to run with a sole clothing pro-

vider. He fears offering only one brand

of equipment could handcuff teams to

a product they may not find comfort-

able.

“I know the women’s volleyball team

tried the Adidas volleyball shoes. They

didn’t quite work, they’re not the same,”

he said. “In that case then, we’re not go-

ing to make you play in the sub-stan-

dard ... we would work out certain ex-

ceptions to the contract with Adidas.”

For Meagan Blodgett, the captain of

the women’s soccer team, the new jer-

seys have been a blessing.

“I like them better than the older

ones, much more comfortable and

light. There aren’t any problems with

fitting, considering the other [jerseys]

were stiff.”

But all this groundwork is well over-

due, Joseph admitted. Teams from York,

Nippissing and Queen’s have already

signed on to Adidas, with Ryerson strag-

gling behind.

“We’re late to get on the ball park.

Now, instead of comparing the haves

to the have-nots, we’re now starting to

close that gap.”

Adidas Canada declined to comment

on any aspects of the pending deal. The

Rams former jerseys will be sent to or-

ganizations in third-world countries.

Members of the women’s soccer team keep warm in their new Adidas jackets. photo: Matt llewellyn

Andrew KhoobAdminton

AngelA tilKwomen’s bAsKetbAll

• The men’s volleyball team will continue the home-opening act against the Western Mustangs. The players’ parents will be honoured as part of the annual Parents Appreciation Night.

• The men’s basketball team will start their season at home as they take on Prokom on Saturday at Kerr Hall Upper Gym.

• The men’s hockey team lost their second straight game, falling 3-1 to the host Toronto Varsity Blues. The Rams, who are 1-2-1, will travel to Kingston to face-off against the RMC Paladins tomorrow.

• The Saskatchewan Huskies won the Darcel Wright Memorial Classic at Ryerson last weekend. The Rams won the consolation game against Western 80-68 and finished fifth place overall.

The culT film ThaT spawned The comic book, carToon and 3 sequels

Takes To The sTage in This

monsTer of a comedy!

presents

Illus

trat

ions

: Jam

es L

yle

enjoy an oozinggood time!

buy now! previews from $ 5on stage now!

call (4 6) 640-0 76 quote promo code: cool cap

ToxicavengerToronto.com/coolcap

The music hall47 danforth avenuer e c o m m e n d e d f o r a g e s 3 +

exclusive student Bonus!Meet & Greet with Cast (post-show) on Friday, oCtober 30th

Wednesday, October 21, 200912•The Eyeopener FEaTurEs

The floor of Larry’s Hideaway was

a carpet covered in piss, blood

and beer. It hadn’t been cleaned

in years. The ceilings were low and

chairs were always set up in front of the

stage, which stood at the far end across

from the door. Ray Berkis was there to

see American punk-rock band Black

Flag play at the legendary music venue.

Still a concert virgin at 16, Berkis knew

how to make his first time a memorable

one. He had gone earlier that day with

a buddy to buy tickets, sauntering into

local music store Record Peddler, even

though he was underage. Sweaty fists

clutched the tickets as the two boys

walked down the dungeon-like stairs

to the basement venue, passing un-

derneath a sign that read “ID must be

shown for entry.” Their sneakers stuck

to the floor and a whiff of stale beer,

mould, sweat and weed hit their faces.

But it worked. They were in.

“A bunch of jokers we got here, eh?” A

bouncer, who looked like he could have

been part of the Hell’s Angels, had spot-

ted them. Berkis bribed him with a TTC

pass and the man let them go, warning

them to stay away from the bar. Neither

of the guys cared about drinking. All

they wanted was the music.

The crowd started forming bigger,

scarier and older than Berkis and his

buddy. They were made up of punks

with angry hair cuts and leather jack-

ets, and more than a few were Ryerson

students, drawn to Larry’s from the

campus only two blocks away. But once

the music started playing, nothing mat-

tered anymore.

Located in the basement of the

Prince Carlton Hotel on the northwest

corner of what is now Allan Gardens,

Larry’s Hideaway was the place to be

to hear the latest punk rock and heavy

metal music of the early- to mid-1980s.

Local bands were given opportuni-

ties to perform on stage, sometimes

alongside international acts. The base-

ment was always packed with people

because there were not many alterna-

tives offered at the time. In an era where

original music was difficult to play and

find, Larry’s was a gateway to this new

sound. Because of Larry’s, punk music

flourished in Toronto.

What was once a gay bar during the

baby boom, in the late 1960s to early

1970s The Prince Carlton Hotel was

transformed into the legend that today

is known as Larry’s Hideaway. Though

the building no longer exists, the mem-

ories continue to play on.

‘The biggest shit hole in the city’Larry’s Hideaway, located just two blocks off Ryerson’s campus, was a legendary basement venue and birth place of the punk-rock scene in Toronto. Karolina Weglarz rediscovers the remnants of the burned-down dive

Larry’s Hideaway was the place to be to hear the latest punk rock and heavy metal music of the 80s. PHoTo: CHRis BuCk

The Eyeopener•13 Wednesday, October 21, 2009 fEaTurEs

“It was the biggest shit hole in

the city, but the atmosphere

was great,” said promoter

Gary Topp.

Known as “The Two Gary’s,” Topp

and Gary Cormier were Toronto’s most

important promotional team. They

one of his favourite performances. The

band took “industrial” literally, playing

with a mix of guitars, keyboards and

drums with power tools and chunks

of metal. Sitting so close to the stage

proved to be a big mistake, as bits of

broken glass and refuse kept flying

“The fans weren’t the friendliest,”

said Buck. “They were misfits who were

intense about their music. It was a fairly

intimidating place to go because there

was always the fear of being snubbed.”

Playing such great music also came

with demands from the “stars.” Topp

this Elvis thing and because the ceiling

was so low, he’d hit his head,” said Topp.

Buck’s encounters weren’t as pleas-

ant. While photographing Nick Cave

from Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, he

received the brunt of the front man’s

nasty and sarcastic comments. “Oh,

that was a beauty,” Cave spewed. “That’s

a classic for the ages.”

Cave told Buck that if he got him

some heroin, he would do anything he

wanted. “I was a nice Catholic boy, so

when I called up friends and asked them

for heroin, they were all surprised,” he

laughed. Buck never got his hands on

the drugs, but still has the photos and

memories from one of Toronto’s more

notorious venues.

Larry’s reign ended when it was

burnt down in the late 80s.

Masters believes that after the

managers were offered a larger sum of

money than it was worth, they shut the

place down. The Prince Carlton Hotel

was also torn down as part of an urban

gentrification project.

“Nothing like [it] can exist today,”

said Donnie Blais, manager of The For-

gotten Rebels. “I don’t think punks these

days could handle a place as hardcore

as Larry’s was.”

Drew Masters walked in on [manager] Danny K. on top of a prostitute. He only managed an “Oops, sorry!” before making a hasty exit.

booked local bands such

as Hamilton’s The Forgot-

ten Rebels, Anvil, Razor and

The IUDs, and also interna-

tional artists like Bauhaus, Nina Hagen,

Slayer, Husker Du, and even REM. Topp

says the basement was always packed

and the bands loved playing there.

Cockroaches also loved the place.

Topp recalls celebrating a birthday at

the venue, where he had a cake deliv-

ered and set up in one of the dressing

rooms upstairs. When they went to dig

in after the bands playing that night

had finished, a cockroach had already

found its way to the cake and helped

itself. “It just shows how dirty the place

was,” he said.

Managed by Danny K., a short and

balding chubby man in his 40s, the

venue itself was dark and musky. Upon

entering, you had the choice of going

downstairs or upstairs: downstairs for

the music, upstairs for the prostitutes.

Downstairs, corners were used to

smoke weed and to partake in sexual ac-

tivity. The bar, a haven for underage drink-

ing, was located to the side while a kitchen

was hidden behind the stage area.

“It was a place that the villians in

Mad Max and Road Warrior would have

hung out at,” said former patron Thor

Volokwyn.

Sitting with his girlfriend at a table

located right in front of the stage, Volok-

wyn recalls Einsturzende Neubauten as

off as one of the musicians smashed a

sheet of music with rods. “Things were

bouncing off everywhere,” said Voloky-

wn. “We took it in stride though.”

The upper floors were a different

world. Dressing and hotel rooms were

usually occupied with prostitutes and

junkies, while dirty sheets and con-

doms lay scattered along the floors.

Drew Masters, an ex-patron, recalls

an incident where he walked in on

Danny K. on top of a prostitute. He only

managed an “Oops, sorry!” before mak-

ing a hasty exit.

Coming from a sheltered, small town,

he says he was naive to many of the

things he witnessed at Larry’s. “I saw

the prostitutes and drug dealers, but

never really took in why they were there

and what they were doing,” he said.

No matter how dirty or skuzzy the

place was, nothing compared to Larry’s

acoustics. “The sound quality was im-

maculate! It was the best in the coun-

try,” Topp said. Some argue that the

sound produced from the old systems

used in the 1980s was and still is better

than the music you hear at shows now.

The sound also brought a more so-

phisticated crowd, or as photographer

and former Ryerson student, Chris

Buck, liked to call them, “music snobs.”

cited English glam rock singer and

songwriter Gary Glitter as one of his

most demanding artists.

“We had to build a big staircase for

him on the stage. He’d go up it and do

Some argue the sound from the 80s is still better than the sound today. Photo: Myke Dyer

Birth Control, STDs, Immunization, and all

your other health needs. Our female family

doctor is here for you.

No hassles, friendly service, and a holistic

approach.approach.

F R O N T F R E D E R I C K H E A L T H145 Front Street East - Ground Floor (416) 362-8777

a m e d i c a l c l i n i c

J U S T F O R Y O U

Wednesday, October 21, 200914•The Eyeopener ARTS & LIFE

Drink of the weekBrought to you by the Arts and Life editors.

Drinking legally since 2008.

by hilary hagerman

Lately, Jessica Biffi’s days have been

consumed with raw silk, pots of coffee

and angry sewing machines.

You may know Biffi as the runner-up

from Project Runway Canada 2. Now,

the 26-year-old Ryerson grad is de-

buting her first signature collection at

Toronto’s LG Fashion Week, which runs

from Oct. 19-Oct. 24.

For Biffi, Project Runway helped her

find her niche. “I didn’t really know

what my esthetic was at the time. The

show really helped me find my voice as

a designer.”

A Guelph, Ont. native, Biffi graduat-

open a couple of stores featuring her

designs.

“I’m just going to keep running with

the momentum that happens. I mean,

and construction. “She was a vivacious

leader and just had that personality

that you need to succeed in the people-

based fashion industry.”

Biffi said every single thing she

learned at Ryerson she’s applying to

her career now. “Sometimes at school

I would be like, ‘Oh, what a weird proj-

ect,’ or ‘Oh, why are we doing this,’ but

now that I’m in the industry, everything

has some application.”

After graduation, she landed a job at

Addition Elle as head of visual merchan-

dising, where she stayed for three years.

“I think it’s important for a designer to

work in retail, at least for a little while,”

she said. “You get to connect to the cus-

tomer on a different level, and see the

hanger appeal of a piece of clothing.”

With her experience from Project

Runway giving her some major cred,

Biffi is becoming more of an integral

part of the Canadian fashion industry.

Last year, she showed a Fall/Winter

2009 collection at LG Fashion Week

with the other two top three contenders

in Project Runway. Now she’s debuting

her first solo Spring/Summer 2010 col-

lection, filled with tailored pieces that

accent the structure of the body.

“I like having fun with the sex appeal

of clothing,” she said. “I want to make

clothes for people that if they put it on,

they feel like the best version of them-

selves.”

After Fashion Week wraps up, Biffi

plans to keep building her brand and

I’m 26 years old and I’m known nation-

ally as a designer, which is ridiculous

for someone my age to achieve, espe-

cially in the Canadian industry.”

“Orange Skittle Halloween Burst”

With Halloween approaching, you may be craving some orange in your system. When confronted by RA’s or the police, you can pass this stuff off as juice but in reality, this will do more than just unleash the power of the sun.

INGREDIENTS 1 part Absolut flavoured vodka

1 part Peach Schnapps1 part Sunny D

1 part orange Skittles

Place the skittles in the vodka in advance. Let sit for a while to allow the flavour (and colour) to be absorbed by the vodka. When you are ready to drink, add the rest of the ingredients. Skim the Skittle remnants off the top and enjoy your orange autumn drink.

Spiffy Biffi debuts collection at Fashion Week

CheCK iT!

Biffi was the runner-up on Project Runway 2. file phoTo

pho

To: C

hr

is D

ale

The Career Employment and Development Centre

has a new way to help students with their

employment decision making. The Job Spot is a series of monthly online

publications that focus on topics relevant to students

looking for part- and full-time work. The blog

features entries from Becky, an employment counsellor for the centre, and Codie,

a third-year journalism student. You can also share

a story, ask a question or simply post comments after

reading. Find them athttp://thejobspot.ryerson.ca

Check out some great contemporary Asian film Nov 11-15 at the Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival. The event features award-winning

flicks from places like Japan, Taiwan and North Korea. For schedules and ticket information, log onto

www.reelasian.com

ed from Ryerson in 2006 after her Mass

Exodus costume collection, under the

label Aphid, received rave reviews. She

said Ryerson’s fashion design program

helped her get where she is today.

“The program is difficult, but it’s diffi-

cult for a reason,” she said. “The fashion

industry is not easy. Anyone who thinks

it’s all fun and games is mistaken.”

“I’m very proud of Jessica,” said P.Y.

Chau, a fashion design professor at Ry-

erson who taught Biffi patternmaking

I want to make clothes for people that if they put it on, they feel like the best version of themselves.

—Jessica Biffi

OCT. 28 - 30

STUDENT CENTRE

9 - 7

9 - 5

The Eyeopener•1 5Wednesday, October 21, 2009 fun

October is ...• filipinO american histOry mOnth

• Breast cancer awareness mOnth

• natiOnal cyBer security mOnth

• DOmestic viOlence awareness mOnth

• lesBian, gay, Bisexual anD

transsexual histOry mOnth

• natiOnal pOpcOrn pOpping mOnth

• natiOnal arts anD humanities mOnth

• natiOnal ultrasOunD awareness mOnth

Masthead draws : the fun page editor

Bachelor of Education Program

“This program is comprehensive, empowering and ultimately relevant to shaping my career as a teacher. I could not imagine entering any classroom as a teacher without the benefit of

this program.” —Will Gourley, B.Ed. ‘09

Toronto’s Christian University

A 12-month program beginning in July that prepares teacher candidates for OCT Membership in the Primary/Junior and Junior/Intermediate divisions.Limited enrollment of only 75 students. Features over 100 practicum days, more than double what OCT requires.

For more information and to apply: tyndale.ca/education (416) 218-6757 / 1-877-TYNDALE

InformationSession:

Oct. 26; 7 pm

BEd_ad_10.25x7.75_alt2.indd 1 22/09/09 1:50 PM

Wednesday, October 21, 200916•The Eyeopener AD